Reaching out to people sometimes doesn't work out the way others intend it to. Inez faced the brute force of those consequences when beginning to tackle the wall that was Sebastian.
***
Plagued by loneliness since childhood, seventeen-year-old Inez...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
One Kick
The hallway was cold that morning on my way to class. That was because of the absence of bodies in the narrow corridor. I'd woken up late in the morning, and first period had already started before I could even step foot outside of the door. Instead, it forced me to walk in late, when everyone was already in class.
The sound of my Vans pattering against the tile as I walked echoed through the small space and further down into unlit areas. To my left was one of our school bulletins, which had information about club members and students who wanted to be aware of various things. I stopped in front of it and checked for any news regarding our club, or anything new and interesting.
That's when a loud thud caught my attention. Had it happened when students were in the hallways, I wouldn't have heard anything. But, the stifling silence allowed for me to catch things I normally wouldn't. This noise was one of them. It was followed by a small whimper.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't bring any today," a meek voice apologized.
"What do you mean, you didn't bring anything?" a deeper voice growled. "I told you to do it!"
"I know, but I-"
My feet were quick to take me to the source of the commotion taking place, my ears trained on their arguing. Down the hallway and around the corner was a secluded part of the hall not many people went to. The same spot where I'd taken Sebastian the day Jake was looking for him.
There, two people stood in the darkness. One smaller body was pressed against the lockers, while the bigger one raised a fist in the air. I dashed towards them. A shout left my lips before I could even formulate any type of plan.
"Stop!"
Placing myself in between the two, I shoved the higher person backwards and jutted my arm out, making sure their target was behind me. After taking a quick tumble to the floor, some sunlight from down the hall reflected on their face. My eyes widened, but I wasn't surprised.
"Jake?" I called.
"Who the fuck are you?" Jake sneered, getting up and dusting off his pants. He didn't seem to be able to see my face all that well, much to my relief.
"That doesn't matter. What are you doing here?" I questioned.
"None of your business. Now, move," he ordered, walking closer.
"You need to stop this," I told him calmly.
My words only seemed to stir him up more. He came stomping towards me, a look of pure rage in his eyes.
