Pins and Needles

Chapter 12

I went to school the next day with a clear goal in mind. Get rid of Dean. He was getting too close to me and I was afraid that his involvement would jeopardize everything I have been working for. Don't get me wrong, Dean was a great guy and surprisingly nice to be around, but if we started to get friendly with each other, I doubt I would be able to feign ignorance. It scared me that I might possibly get attached to him, regardless of what he wanted from me. So, I avoided him for the entire day. Every time I saw him walking towards me, I turned on my heel and diverted my path. Thankfully, school was ending, so I only had to get out of the building without bumping into him. Seems easy enough.

As I broke away from my locker and walked down the corridor, I spotted a familiar pair of people leaning against the wall. Maeve and Clark were talking, but there was something not right about the scene. Maeve had her back pressed next to the wall and Clark was standing over her, looking to be talking at her and not to her. Maeve looked like a child being scolded for she had her shoulders up to her ears and her head hanging low. I moved closer to the two causing Maeve to look over. There were no other people in the hall, besides a few stragglers, so my cautious movements must have been picked up in her peripherals.

The girl instantly pushed away from Clark, mumbled a few words, and beelined it right to me. I gazed at the boy she left behind and he stared back in an apprehensive and volatile manner. I scowled at his belligerence which he returned with a bleat and quick turn. I turned my attention back to Maeve who had a curious look about her. She failed to look up once and her eyes were just barely red and puffy. Her eyebrows were drawn into a tight line and her cheeks also carried a light blush. Something must've happened between the two of them.

I brushed my hand over Maeve's shoulder and she flinched at the contact, "Hey, what's up? What happened?"

Maeve flashed her eyes at me, but quickly moved them back to the tiled floor, "Huh? What are you talking about?"

I glowered at her, "Don't take me for an idiot. I see your face and how you're acting. So, spill it. What happened?"

"Nothing, I just didn't get much sleep last night."

I scoffed, "Bullshit. Did Clark do something to you?"

Maeve jumped and lifted her head up to me for a split second before going back to being closed off. She shifted her eyes around and rubbed her hands together in, I assumed, anxiousness, "What? How could you think that? O-Of course he didn't do anything, he loves me..."

"Is that true, or are you trying to convince yourself that?" I plunged the pin into my finger, my anger rising as Maeve continuously deflected my questions.

"No! He does and... and I do too! That's why... Uh... that's why I'm concerned about what you did at the restaurant. What got into you? Clark and I were both scared, he could have gotten hurt because of you!" Maeve exclaimed, finally raising her chin to lock eyes with me.

I stepped back, "No, you don't get to change the subject. This isn't about me. This is about you and that asshole. What did he do, Maeve?"

I knew it was justifiable for her to ask about that incident, but I was so blind from the rage bubbling down inside me that it was less than a passing thought. We both held each other's stares, neither of us willing to crack first. However, I was forced to look away when a kid bumped into me. I spun around, ready to explode on him, but he was already turning the corner with unneeded haste. I glanced back over at Maeve who was also watching the boy, then turned and looked back at me. Her lips were parted and her eyebrows formed a deep crease from frowning so much. I knew she was just as curious as me, so we put aside our differences for the moment and followed him.