Head Down

Chapter 5

KATIE'S POV

The rest of my first day is spent sitting through classes silently, not paying attention. I look out the windows in my various rooms, at the trees and wildlife, rubbing my hand up and down my new bandages. The wrist of course is still in extreme pain, but it's more sharp and....clean if that makes any sense. I've had much worse and this is really the first time any of my injuries has been properly -or in any sterile manner- taken care of, so it doesn't bother me at all.

I think about everything that has happened in the first hours of the day: my wrist snapping, bumping into Nate, the fixing, etc. It's quite a lot to think about, and find myself kind overwhelmed by it all. Questions swim through my head like fish in a bowl, existing but not exactly going anywhere. At some point in Gym -amidst hitting an obnoxious buff guy with a very unforgiving rubber ball- I realized that it's only going to drive me crazy thinking questions, and that I should focus on what I do know.

To start off, and most importantly, Nate. An approximately 6'2, green eyed, and black haired boy who is the most attractive person I have ever and probably ever will see, ran into me in the hall and somehow managed to get me into his car -without explanation- to fix my extremely obvious bloody, bruised, and broken wrist. He followed through on his promise, and my wrist is now as fixed as anything in my life could possibly get (aka: relatively, I mean, at least it LOOKS like it not that bad).

Next, I have started school in Murphy, Minnesota, where I have somehow managed to make two friends on my first day: Claire and Nate. About eight others (Aaron, Marie, Caitlyn, Jason, Tom, Chris, Simon, and Everett) pending.

My bracelets, the only actual possessions and/or things of value I own, are now scraps of string in my pocket.

Like I said, a lot to process. By the end of the school day at three, I'm completely out of it. A sort I warm, thoughtful gaze has settled over me. I go to my locker, collect my homework, say goodbye to Claire who was in my last class, and exit the crowded high school on total autopilot.

Everyone is piling into their cars in a sort of casual mob, eager to get away from the institution. I find myself glad I won't have to battle the traffic. The GO WOLVES banner outside makes me think of my charm, and I pull it out as I head down the road I walked to school on earlier. Oddly enough none of the fleeting cars from school are on it, making me think it really is more or less abandoned.

The tiny silver wolf is just as cool and comforting as it was this morning. Walking straight down the median again, I turn the creature over and over in my hands inspecting every inch of it. After all I was under the microscope all day today, and it's nice to be the one judging for once. Revenge, I guess.

Behind me I hear the very loud, sudden shriek of a car horn. So much for deserted....or any intelligence on my part. The loud noise breaks me out of my little thinking spell, and I quickly run out of the road putting the wolf charm back in my pocket.

"Sorry!" I shout, putting my hand up in a sort of I surrender gesture.

I stand on the side of the road with my back to the person, hoping they won't start yelling at me about what an idiot I am, because John already has that department covered. I hear the car tires crunch forwards on the faded grey cement, and -surprisingly- roll to a stop beside me. I look up from my shoes to see a familiar black truck.

"Need a lift?" asks Nate, rolling down the passenger side window and leaning across the seats. He smiles brightly, the clouded sky reflecting green in his eyes.

No, but I want one.

"Nah it's only a few miles," I shrug. Really I dont want cause any more inconvenience for the poor guy, I mean he ditched two classes to get my wrist fixed already, why should he be giving me a lift home? And actually I don't mind walking at all, it gives me a free hour away from John.