Rejected At First Sight (Spinoff Series)

10

Ashlyn Jesse

I took a sip from my water bottle though I knew it wouldn't help the dryness in my mouth. The ever looming presence of Jay beside me was enough to make me cringe. How could one person hold this much fear in my heart?

I fidgeted with a stray piece of hair that had fallen from my messy bun. Loose tendrils had quickly covered my neck and circled my ears. The bun couldn't have been holding two thirds of my hair at this point.

My old volleyball sweatshirt was oversized on my small frame, it's deep red color complimenting my skin tone. I wore black leggings along with my white converse. It was never a bad day for converse.

I knew that I looked bad. The bags under my eyes hadn't gone away. I didn't have my extra boost of endorphins from my run today. Really, I didn't have any motivation to try and look good.

The bruises had spread and darkened so much that I doubted my gym shorts would cover them. Maybe I could convince Mr. Guy to let me wear my leggings today.

Luckily, the hopelessness seemed to radiate off of me.

Jay didn't even bother to look in my direction. So, I returned the favor.

Maybe he wanted to save tormenting me for gym. I was fine with that. Leave me alone in the morning and save everything for the last class of the day. Maybe I'd fall on purpose this time and just leave right away. Or maybe I would actually stay for the whole period. Either would be acceptable.

The bell rung and I picked up my bag, and as I began to stand up, Jay's elbow jabs into my side, sending shooting pain through my body. My knees buckles and fall back into my seat, my forehead slamming down onto the table. I hiss in a breath of air and my hand shakily covers my side. I could feel Jay's eyes on me, I almost believed the guilt and shock of his expression, like he hadn't even done it on purpose.

But then his lips jerked into a sneer. "Oops." He said sarcastically, earning a laugh from Kayleigh across the room. I didn't bother with thinking how she had even heard that as I stood up.

My fists balled at my sides and my head pointed downwards, I exited the room. I walked down the hall, not thinking. I was absolutely fuming.

I turned a corner and run into someone's chest. My hand flies up to try and brace myself as we stumble against one another and their hand reaches to my hip to help me find my balance. I gasp, the wince covering my face as I swat their hand away.

"Whoa, hey, hey, it's me." Sage says, putting his hands in surrender. My hand removes itself from his chest and replaces his hand on my hip. His eyes shoot to it. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Nothing." I answer, stepping even further away from him. Where were Sage and I in terms of friendship? Everything was so jumbled I couldn't comprehend my own relationships anymore. "I'm fine."

Sage lowers his hands to his sides, leaning against the wall. "I renounce that statement."

I look to the floor, biting down my anger. Everything pissed me off. "Renounce, reject. Why can't you small town people talk normally? You do realize that you can just say no?"

Sage tenses, immediately pushing off of the wall and standing up straight. "What did you say?"

I cock my eyebrow. "What? Sorry that I called you small tow-"

"No, not that." Sage said and then looked around the hallway as if looking for something. "We can't talk here. Come with me." He grabbed my elbow and started pulling me down the hallway.

"Sage what are you doing?" I ask.

"Just follow me." Is all he says.

"Sage we need to go to Math." I say as we turn a corner. I gulp as I realize where we are. The vending machine in the alcove glows in the dim light.