The Unpopular Popular Girl

Chapter 18

The next morning was tedious for me. The usual morning ritual too irritating. I longed to get out of the house. Maybe not being able to face my mother was part of the problem but I couldn't be sure. I wanted to just go to school as soon as was possible and have a nice and long chat with Damon. Sobbing over what he did was not enough and now I was angry.

When I say angry I mean murderous. I just hoped no one else got in the way because that would surely not be pretty.

When I woke in the morning my first thought had been 'How could I let him get away with this?' and the next was 'Why was I crying?'

After that it was like molten lava was flowing in my veins instead of blood and i longed to get hold of the culprit- Damon Wains.

I rushed out of the house after giving some lame excuse to my mother, as seeing her was inevitable, we lived in the same house after all. She too scurried out of my way not oblivious to my fury. 'Wise of her' I thought to myself.

I walked to the bus stop not wanting to have to chat with either Reese or Sean. I needed to see Damon and see him I would, no matter what.

When I reached the school premises I headed to the one place I knew I would find him - the boy's locker room. Today was Tuesday and on Tuesday's I knew he had swimming practice in the morning before school.

As I entered the locker room the guys were just coming back from their practice, of course, since school was just about to start. 

The guys all whooped and some of them shrieked as I stomped into the locker room without bothering any of them with even a glance. I was too angry to care and they wisely stayed out of my way.

I saw Josh and stomped towards him. He saw me and visibly gulped before squeaking out a, "Hi." But I couldn't care for any niceties right now so I spat out, "Where is Damon Wains?"

His eyes grew wider and if he stretched them any further then they would have popped out of their sockets. Then he seemed to compose himself enough to point behind him. I nodded to him and started onward.

I saw him standing in front of a locker, I assumed was his, drying his hair with a towel and he had just a towel wrapped around his waist. Any other day it would have made me feel embarrassed but right now seeing him in front of me only heightened my anger. 

His back was turned towards me so he didn't see me coming.

I grabbed one of his arms and turned him. He stopped his wiping and stared at me wide eyed. 

"Aria? What are you -" He started but before he could finish his sentence I grabbed his towel and stuffed it into his mouth.

"You, shut up!" And when he stopped protesting I continued, "Who gave you the freaking right to control my LIFE?! Who do you think you are, Damon Wains? Even the President cannot control my life the way you think you have the birthright to!"

"I was shocked when I first heard it, cried even then I thought why the hell am I crying? When it so obviously should be you! You miserable moron."

I picked up a towel from the ones neatly stacked in a corner and smacked his bare chest with it. It made a loud satisfactory sound and I smacked him again with it. It gave me a nice easing feeling. 

I continued smacking him with each sentence.

"How dare you" (smack) "threaten" (smack) "people?" (smack)

"Why did you do this Damon?" (smack) Now my smacking wasn't as strong and I could feel my energy and furry draining.

"What had I done to you?" (smack) "I have no self-confidence now, thanks to you." I tried to stop the tears welling up in my eyes but they acted with a mind of their own and soon tears were flowing down my cheeks.

"I always thought I was not good enough. Thought there was something specifically wrong with me."  I sobbed now and as I raised my hand to smack him again the towel fell and he caught my hand. He pulled me towards him, his mouth still stuffed with the  other towel. I leaned against him and wept while he held me, not saying anything.

Once the anger and the tears both  had subsided I fully realised the situation I was in. He, dressed in nothing but for a towel wrapped around his waist and a towel stuffed into his mouth and me, clinging to his bare chest. I could here the guys mumbling among each other. A few of them murmured assent, a few looked at us in astonishment and the others were smirking.

I pulled away from him now embarrassed and he didn't try to stop me.

Now that I came fully to my senses I blushed deep red as I realised that I was indeed inside the boys locker room. I turned to walk out of there when Damon held my hand. I looked at him, eyebrows raised in confusion. He said something but it came all muffled because of the towel.

Everyone around us laughed. They were all still watching us though most of them had gone back to doing their business as the 'scene' was over.

Damon removed the towel and said, "I am sorry." Now if he had just said the first sentence then I would have at least considered forgiving him. But he ruined everything with the next sentence. "I was just trying to protect you."

"Protect me? Damon it was more like you staking a claim for yourself!" I exclaimed and soon after sighed in exhaustion. The entire thing had tired me. I pulled my hand from his hold.

"Look. Don't try to explain yourself to me since I don't want to hear it. You hurt me and hurt me deep. Now just leave me alone for as long as possible and don't you dare threaten or beat anyone for me or to protect me!" I saw the hurt in his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, "Please. I am requesting you, Damon."

I walked a few steps before giving him one final glance and saying, "Goodbye Damon."

I dejectedly walked out of the locker room and could hear the guys tsking and mumbling but I didn't care. As soon as I walked out of there I saw Sean standing outside. He must have witnessed all of it or at least a part of it, his expression made it clear for me. 

"Miss. Aria Montgomery!" I heard a shrill voice call out and looked up to see our dear Principal, Mrs. Benedict standing in the hallway with a horror-stricken face. She surely hadn't expected such a horrendous act to be committed early in the morning, that too by a girl. 

"My office right this moment. Everybody else, to your classes." Her voice rang out loud and clear and she started walking towards her office.

Entering a boy's locker room was a huge deal but right now I didn't mind the repercussions. I was fully aware of my mistake. 

Giving a brief smile to the still shocked Sean I followed the retreating figure of Mrs. Benedict.

I saw some students giving me the briefest of the nods and a few guys even winked at me. A few girls touched my arm in a consoling manner and I understood that they all were trying to give me courage for the event that would follow.

I took a full breath, lifted my head high and walked into the office.