Head Over Sneakers | on hold

[ 9 ]

   I FELT SICK after the conversation I had with Cam and Byron. I went straight to the nurses office and told her I needed to go home.
   She had screwed her eyes me, the wrinkles on her face tightening as she tilted her head up to peer down at me through her tiny black spectacles.
   The nurse was a nasty piece of sh—woman. She was a nasty, grumpy, old woman.
   You could be laying on the floor in excruciating pain and all she would do is hand you a small white plastic cup and tell you to sit down, drink and then leave.
   She'd asked me what the problem was and I had told her I felt really sick and wouldn't be able to get through the rest of the day. I wasn't lying when I had told her that, if I saw either Jay or Devon, I was sure I was going to faint.
   It was my lucky day, she checked the list, pointing out only four people had been sent home and that the day was nearly over and that I was free to go after she had written me a note.  
   The nurses office had strict rules that really didn't make much sense: they were only allowed to send home five people a day.
   Don't ask me why they thought to make such a rule, maybe to avoid people getting sent home when they're perfectly fine to return to class.
   I had rushed home, running all the way there, my feet never stopping as they had carried me all the way.
   Bursting through my bedroom door, I had slammed it behind me and sunk into the rectangular lump of wood.
   That night, I couldn't sleep, tossing and turning with a million thoughts clouding my mind. Thoughts of Jay liking me, where Devon and I stood in my mind and how the hell I was going to approach both the situations.
   Sleep then came over me and I found that I could no longer keep my eyes from staying open.
   I woke as a ray of light shone through the curtains, my hand flew to protect my eyes from the sudden beams and I groaned. The sounds of the metal loops in which the curtains were attached to, being dragged, caused the sound of metal to scrape.  
   I peaked through the small gaps between my fingers and I cursed.
   "Get out, Mike." I yelled into my pillow, rolling onto my front and burying my head into the soft material.
   Three strides and he was by my side, throwing himself onto my bed, causing a dip in the mattress.
   "Get up, sis." He mused and shook me from side to side.
   My leg, on instinct, shot out to kick him away, I missed and Mike only laughed at my gesture.
   "Breakfast is ready, don't make me late!"
   "Golden Boy." I muttered bitterly.  
   He was always on time, never late, not even by a minute. His attendance record was squeaky clean and he always made sure of that by getting into class even before the warning bell could ring. I made fun of him for it, like any sibling would.
   The minute I got out of bed, got dressed and carried out my morning routine, the thoughts I went to sleep thinking about the previous night gradually began to flood my mind once again.
   A heavy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.
   The weight seemed to only get heavier the closer I had gotten to school.
   It got worse when Mike parked up and shot me a brow, telling me to get out of the car and I was forced to leave the spot I'd hoped I'd be able to remain in.
   Grabbing my bag, I followed behind Mike, my head down, my eyes darting around looking for Devon, Jay and especially their little army of fangirls.
   I cringed at what they'd do to me if they'd caught me alone, so I was going to make sure I was never alone and vulnerable: the perfect time for them to attack.
   "Michael." Only one person used his full name like that and I froze in my spot.
   I wasn't sure if I was glad it was him approaching or nervous...either way, I was going to have to act all normal and not awkward.
   "Mikaela!"
   Jay cooly sauntered towards my locker and his back crashed against the metal, the echoing sound short lived as he tilted his head down and watched me.
   I scrambled for my books and sucked in a nervous breath.
   Stop being ridiculous! I chanted to myself, knowing I was acting way too weird for someone who wasn't supposed to know the guy standing next to me liked me.
   Clearing my throat, a fake smile strung across my lips. I threw the books I didn't need back into the locker and gently closed the locker door till a 'click' erupted.
   "Jay." I breathed out and my smile vanished into a more genuine one.
   He eyed me with furrowed brows and he almost asked what was wrong: I could tell by the way he straightened his posture and rolled his shoulders back.
   "What's wrong—..." Before he could carry on, I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and suddenly, my body was being pulled like a rag doll. 
   My back landed firmly against Devon's chest and I let out a gasp at the sudden impact. "Hey!" I snapped and tried to elbow him off, especially seeing the way Jay's lips formed a straight and unamused line.
   The green specks in his eyes glinted with a look and I'd watched enough movies and tv-series in my life and pieced two and two together. Jealousy.
   Jay really did like me. I prayed I was wrong but it would seem as though the claims Byron and Cam had previously made were absolutely correct.
   "Get off." I muttered one last time and Devon's tight grip loosened and I was suddenly free from his grasps.
   I glanced briefly at Jay and noticed his expression had disappeared and he masked what he once felt with a look of amusement.
   "Let me carry those, ace." Devon didn't wait for me to reply and grabbed my books from my arms and held them in his hands.
   He ignored my look of annoyance which slowly transitioned into a small, minuscule, smile, before I'd managed to compose myself once again.
   He was carrying my books and part of me wanted to let out a giggle. It was a gesture I sort of liked, but I would never tell him that.
   I was pulled from my thoughts when I had remembered that the entire time Devon spent grinning down at me, Jay was also staring and I felt bad...sort of. I quickly turned on my heel and waved for the two of them to follow.
   "Plans for this weekend?" I asked and Jay shoved his hands into his pocket and spoke.
   "Party, probably. You coming?"
   Before I could answer, Devon piped in.
   "I'll be taking her, we'll be there!" I rolled my eyes and didn't bother fighting it, I knew it would be pointless and Devon was already trying to win me over, I was now curious to see how we would: if he would be able to. So I was going to let him take me to the party.
   Jay's eyes burnt holes into the back of my head and my nose crinkled.
   I felt awkward. I wasn't sure what to say or wether I even could say anything to ease the situation.
  I didn't like Jay and the last thing I needed was to entertain this love triangle-thing that I was scared of even thinking about what it could develop into.
   I was already coming to terms with how cliché my life had become the second Devon reentered it, but I was not wanting it to become complicated by risking the friendship of Jay and I, but also Devon and Jay.
   It would also become awkward for the entire group and I was going to do anything to prevent that from happening.
   Jay's pocket suddenly began to buzz and he ran a hand through his midnight locks and pulled his phone out, the buzzing noise got louder till he clicked a button and huffed. "I have to go."
   He looked up from his phone, his green eyes shifting between Devon and I, but lingering as he stared at me, he shoved his phone away and simply nodded.
   Devon and I watched as Jay vanished into a crowd of people.
   He threw his arm around me again, this time I didn't shake him off.
   I wanted to say that it was because it was so early on in the morning and I was too tired to fight him, but really I knew it was because I wanted to see how this whole 'whoo-ing' thing would play it...also because I felt comfortable with his arm being there.
   "You know Jay likes me." I grumbled and because I was so close to Devon's chest, I could feel it rumble as he laughed.
   "So you know about that?" He mused and I rolled my eyes.
   Silence enveloped the two of us, but we didn't seem to mind.
   We turned into the classroom and he removed his arm from over my shoulder and took his seat next to mine. He shuffled a bit closer and I shook my head at his actions.
   "Do you like him back?" It seemed like Devon was hesitant to ask the question and I rose a brow, practically sensing the nervous tone in his voice which sort of threw my off, a little bit.
   Devon Hunter's was never nervous.
   I turned to face him and sported him my best grin. I opened my mouth to speak and he moved forwards in his seat with anticipation...then the door slammed shut and Mr. William's voice boomed throughout the classroom, the wooden ruler in his hands clattered against the board as he whacked it to gain everybody's attention.
   I turned away from Devon with a smirk and he frowned. He knew I wasn't going to reply to him. Though, from the corner of my eye, I noticed the smirk that grew upon his lips as he stared straight ahead.
   I held back another round of laughter and sighed.
   Of course he knew my answer. He had always known what I was thinking. It was part of the reason I disliked him so much when we were younger.
   He knew I didn't like Jay back and because of that, he was grinning.

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