Rejected At First Sight (Spinoff Series)

31

Ash

I took me a minute to put my finger on the exact feeling that was fluttering through me. I leaned against my locker, Sage to my left. He was dressed per usual in a dark t-shirt and jeans. His chocolate hair was untidy yet it fit perfectly in with him.

My red bomber jacket slipped easily over a tight black t-shirt and light blue ripped jeans, highlighting the real show stoppers of my outfit, sleek bright fire-engine-red combat boots. I had swept my hair into a French braid as Sage drove to school.

"Nice shoes." A girl with streaked pink hair said as she walked passed us.

"Thanks!" I say and shoot her a smile.

As I turned back towards Sage I realized that someone other than him had talked to me. I did a double take back to the girl to see her yellow and black backpack disappearing around the corner.

The feeling surging through my veins was grounding me to reality. I was here, next to Sage, and I was living. I smiled brightly towards Sage.

"What?" He chuckled, picking up on my goofy smile.

I laughed along with him, shaking my head. "Never mind."

A memory flashed across my vision and I gripped my backpack a little harder over my shoulder. That moment in the bathroom a little over a week ago had not been forgotten. I was just finding it harder and harder to hold onto that grudge, made of pure fury and anger.

Sage pushed off of the lockers and gestured for me to follow. It was getting easier to read him. He had not picked up on my change in thoughts. It was for the better, I reassured myself, no matter how much I wanted someone to tell me that it was all going to be okay and that I could let down my walls.

Yet I couldn't let myself drop to that level of vulnerability.

I was too hotheaded to do that.

I plastered a not-exactly-forced smile across my face and followed Sage as he dropped me off at History.

"See ya." I say and give him a small wave.

Sage only smiles at me before we both turn and head away from each other.

I am not surprised to find Jay in the back of the classroom, already at our shared table. He had been annoyingly punctual these last few weeks. For him and Sage both it seemed. The first week I was here, they seemed as they were the irresponsible type. All the teachers acted like it too. Even the students have seemed suspicious about this change.

Shaking my head slightly, I will my racing thoughts to the back of my mind, where I had stuffed all of the useless information and crazy assumptions.

I cautiously maneuver around Kayleigh's desk and take my seat next to Jay. I had come to the conclusion not so long ago that Kayleigh would pick on me more openly if I gave her the opportunities. And then the avoidance games began.

She would quietly and overtly stalk me between classes or even going to the bathroom during passing times. I would dodge around her and do my best to keep myself out of her path.

One thing became clear with these games.

Sage was safety.

Ronnie, Clementine, and Vi too. Even Jay maybe.

She didn't approach me when I was around them.

I didn't even want to start thinking of why that was. I don't think my brain could take any more conspiracies.

Jay watches my curiously as I get out my materials for class. "You're thinking hard." He observes softly.

I meet his eyes, and I find myself instantly lost in the layers and depth of the blue. "Yeah." My voice fails me the first time so I say it again. "Yeah."