New Starts (Unedited)

6 // I Like You

I rushed to the girl's bathroom and immediately went into the very last stall. I hung my backpack up and the hook behind the door. I put my feet on the toilet seat and squatted there, thinking of my choices. I could go back out there and live with the insults. No thank you. I could call my dad and ask him to pick me up. No way am I letting him know I'm getting bullied and was used to it because of Hawaii. 'You could always use your remedy of relieving stress, ya know,' a voice in my head reminded me. I totally forget all about that. My coping method! I guess I got used to not being bullied so my mind sort of.. forgot about it because I didn't need it. But now, the urge has come back bigger than ever.

I got up and searched through my backpack until I found a pencil sharpener. I never was one to use mechanical pencils so I always had pencil sharpeners with me at school. They just so happen to have a wonderful blade screwed in. Luckily, I have nails so I easily got the two screws out. I resumed my position on the toilet after I had thrown the screws unto the floor, along with the plastic part of the sharpener. I gently held the blade within my thumb and pointer finger, careful not to drop it. I decided I'd start with my wrists because I have a few bracelets in my pack that I can easily slip on once I'm finished. I pressed the cold metal down to my skin, pushed hard, and slid the metal across my wrist. I did it again about four more times until I was okay. I grabbed some toilet paper and after checking and making sure there was no other girls in the bathroom, I went to the sink and rinsed of the blood. Once I finished, I dried my arm off with the toilet paper, as well as the blade. I went back to the stall and released the blade into my backpack. I snatched five bracelets and quickly put them on before I hoisted the pack onto my back and headed out of the restroom. I think I'm ready to face Dustin now. I feel so much better.

When I came into my ASL class that day, we had to choose a partner and work on a small project. As soon as the teacher finished his teaching for the day, which was like fifty minutes, Steven came up to me. He asked me to be his partner and I was alright with it. If he hadn't asked me, I would have to be alone. I already knew that. "So how come you haven't been talking much lately?" he asked while writing something down, without even looking up. I let out a long breath.

"I haven't been the greatest lately," I replied. It was true. I've been feeling down because of the bullying.

"Why not? What happened?" he asked after he finished up his writing. He looked up at me with curious eyes.

"Haven't you heard? Apparently, I'm a slut." He frowned and I looked down. I still like him, honestly, a lot. He's sweet, nice, caring, cute, and he just- I'm just attracted to him. The bell rang so I just grabbed my pack and walked away from him. As I was walking to confront Dustin, someone grabbed my hand. I turned around to be faced with a chest.

I looked up and saw Steven, standing there, still holding my hand, in front of everyone who watched, right in the middle of the hallway. "You are not a slut, Hayden. You are beautiful and I-I like you," he whispered to me. Well I was not expecting that. At all. I was too shocked to say anything.

It was like I had duct tape over my lips and they were sealed shut and my body was ice cold frozen. But there was one thing I could do. I stood on my tippy toes and wrapped my arm around him. I looked him in his eyes and saw confusion. I smiled, close my eyes, and I kissed him. He immediately kissed me back and I smiled again. I guess feeling me smiling made him happy because he smiled as well. It was so perfect until someone shoved their selves into me.

They pretended to cough and then they said "slut." It honestly didn't faze me because I was too happy to be down. But it did spark something in Steven. He grabbed the guy by the back of his collar and turned him around.

"Excuse you?" Steven remarked. Now Steven isn't some wimpy boy. He actually had quite a substantial amount of muscles and he's on the football team. He's a RB(running back). I learned that the first day I met him.

"U-Um nothing. I didn't say anything, I swear," the kid stammered. Not so tough now are you?

"That's what I thought. Next time you want to say something like that, think about it, because if I don't like it, good luck being able to walk again. Now leave!" he exclaimed while letting go of the kid and pushing him away. The boy made his way down the hall and quickly turned the corner so he was out of Steven's sight. I smiled as he turned around to face me again. "You okay?" I nodded my head and decided to thank him.

"Thanks," I told him, "no one has ever really stood up for me like that." He grinned.

"I don't see why not. You're amazing!" he announced. I just laughed. "So miss Justice," he said, grabbing a hold of one of my hands. "Can I ask you something? Its really important."

I giggled. "You already did."

He sighed but the corners of his mouth tugged up a bit. "Then can I ask you two questions?"

"Sure."

"Okay, well, will you go on a date with me tomorrow?"

-

"What's your problem?" I ask Dustin. After Steven had asked me out on a date(I said yes by the way), I'd quickly made my way to the table he always say at, along with Clarissa. She and I had become very close friends but Dustin had never come up in our conversations and I'm glad.

There was a few other people at the table, five girls, three boys. They all looked like the type of people who would be popular and I'm guessing they were since they hang out with Dustin. Clarissa was actually quite popular herself. Dustin smirked.

"I don't have a problem.  But you seem like you have a little trouble not flaunting yourself over every guy you see." I heard a series of snickers around the table, a few from the girls who constantly bully me. They would corner me in the hallways and just go off on me. I don't understand what I ever did to them but okay.

 I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "I've never even done anything with a guy. Especially not here! I don't even know anyone, thanks to you! I'm getting bullied and I didn't even do anything!" I exclaimed, slamming my hands down on the lunch table. Not too loudly, because I don't want to get into even more trouble. Dustin raised one of his eyebrows.

"Oh really? Is that why I saw you in the hallway right now throwing yourself on the main running back of the football team?" He saw that? Great, now he's gonna make that ordeal into something it's not. "Aw, someone at a lost for words?" he asked, pouting his lips a bit.

"Dustin, stop it," Clarissa said, frowning. Dustin sighed.

"Whatever," he replied, turning a bit to start a conversation with one of the girls sitting next to him. I saw the hurt in Clarissa's eyes, but nonetheless, didn't stop the exchange. I just walked away, to Steven. Maybe my life will get a little better now because of him. Or not. It's probably going to be the same as Hawaii.

At least I have my new Sander by my side.