Faking it.

CHAPTER 31

"Sorry." I apologise when I bump into a freshman girl after trying to rush towards my next class and send all of her books and papers flying. Both of us bend down to pick everything up while other students grumpily walk past us, sending all kinds of dirty looks into our direction for blocking their way.

"Finals?" The girl asks me as I give her the papers back. I nod but add a quiet "wish it was only that" in my head.

"I know how you feel. My sister is a junior too." The girl says and I nod. "What's her name. Maybe I know her." I say and she shakes her head. "It's Emily, but she doesn't go here." "Oh." Is all I say and look at the books and papers in her hand. "I'm Alicia by the way." I look up again and give her a small smile. "Hailey, and it was nice to meet you." "There pleasure is all mine, Hailey."

With that we part ways again, as if nothing happened and we never even met. I wish it would be that easy every time I meet someone. Just walk away and never talk again. Never have to grow feelings for them and be disappointed and rejected in the end.

The warning bell pulls me out of my thoughts and I speed-walk to my planned destination. Maths.

The teacher gets into the classroom at the same time as I do and the class quiets down immediately. When I sit down and get the exam handed to me I start to panic. What if I don't pass? What if I forget everything? Or can't concentrate and get everything wrong?

I slowly breath out and in again.

Just take one thing at a time. You can do this, and you know this.

I repeat that a few times until I finally start.

Name and date. That is not too hard.

The first example is pretty easy, and I move to the next one and next one and next one. Without really noticing I am almost finished with the exam and have ten minutes left.

The tension and anxiety left me a while ago when I realised that I know the answers to everything.

I read through the last page again and don't see a mistake in any of the equations. That is when the bell rings and I hand in the exam.

The students are meeting up in front of the classroom to talk to each other and compare results, so it is quite hard for me to get through them and out into the hallway quickly.

Out of the corner of my eye I see something that catches my attention.

Elliot and Anna are walking together and look pretty damn close. This is one thing that mostly angered me throughout the time that I had gotten to know Elliot. During the last month Anna and Elliot seemed to have kept their talking to a minimum as Elliot and I got closer to each other. Or maybe so I thought. Maybe they are secretly dating or something. I wouldn't know about that anyways.

My face turns into a blank stare when Elliot looks at me. I will never, ever let someone that is not Milli or Simon see my emotions and what I'm thinking again. They do not deserve it and Elliot is the last person to see an emotion of mine.

Anna pulls at Elliot's arm to get his attention back and I turn around again, simply walking out of the school doors. I will just skip history for today and go home.

As I walk I start to get a feeling that something is off, but I simply push it to me never skipping school and this being one of the very first times to do it alone. Huh. Elliot is the reason for me skipping school for the first time alone and he doesn't even know it.

By the time that I reach my house, I can already tell that something bad is about to happen and the unfamiliar car in the driveway does nothing to soothe my nerves and aching stomach.

I hear people talking when I open the front door, but I guess they still haven't noticed my presence. Only when I walk to the kitchen everything gets silent.

"Hell-" I start to greet mom but stop when I notice that dad and another man are there too.

"Hailey? What are you doing here already? Shouldn't you bee in school for another hour?" Mom is the first to ask with an expression mixed with shock and something looking like fear?

"Ehh."