When Love Gets in the Way

Chapter Nine

James

I walk into school my encounter with that boy playing over and over in my head. He seemed so hurt yet I dont see how such a dangerous person like him could even get hurt.

"Good morning James." Becky says snapping me back to reality. I look at her and I sigh. She as dark bags under her green eyes and her brown curls are a mess. I take it seeming her mums grave last night wasnt easy at all.

"Hello, Becky." I say half my brain focusing on her while the other half is still focused on the boy.

"Well, somethings definitely wrong." She says and ninety-nine percent of my attention snaps back to her while the remaining one percent is still fixed on that mysterious boy.

"What do you mean?" I ask feeling my face growing hot.

"You seem so distant. Has something happened?" She asks and I chew on my bottom lip the memory of that boy eating me up inside.

"Someone broke into the house last night while my parents were out." I blurt out and she gasps.

"Are you alright?" She asks quickly and I smile a little at how caring she is.

"Yes, I'm fine. I caught him before he could take anything and then he left empty handed." A say feeling slightly guilty about that. I didn't even ask him why he broke into my house. For all I know it could have been something super important and I stopped him.

"I bet your parents are so worried." She says sympathetically and the guilt inside of me grows.

"Well, I didn't exactly tell them." I mumble and her eyes widen with surprise.

"What? Why not?" She yells and I shove my hand over her mouth.

"The boy never took anything so I didn't want them to worry about nothing." I explain.

"Still, he could come back or do that to someone else." She points out and I close my eyes as I pinch the bridge of my nose. What have I done?

"He didn't seem like that sort of person." I say even though I have no clue on anything about him. Even after we argued this morning I cant help but want to defend him.

"What's wrong with you?" Becky snaps and all my attention turns back on her.

"What do you mean?" I ask alarmed by her raised tone.

"You seem so out of it." She explains and I sigh. It's not like I can tell her that I might have a crush on a boy that broke I to my house. A boy I dont even know the name of!

"I'm fine." I tell her.

I'm not.