Renaissance (boyxboy)

Chapter 7

The rest of the day kind of went in a blur.  Jessica was outside all of my classes to escort me to my next one.  Kind of her, but right now it was the last thing I wanted.  Something about that Cullen guy just got under my skin.  I mean, I hadn’t expected everyone to be extremely welcoming, but for the most part they had been.  Except for him.  What did he have against me?  And why the hell was it even bothering me so much?

At least the day was over.  I walked over to the office, leaving my truck since, honestly, walking off some steam would help.  I pulled my signed paper out of my backpack when I realized it wasn’t going to rain and ruin it, but once I opened the door to go in I froze.  I didn’t mean to stare, and it wasn’t my intention to eavesdrop but it was kind of hard not to when you were in a building so small. 

Edward’s back was to me, he was leaning against the counter talking politely to the lady on the other side, the same one that had been so nice to me when I’d come in that morning.  Polite as he was being, I could tell that he was struggling to keep himself composed,

“There has to be something, any other spot in the day and I can take it.”

She responded with the exasperation of a person that had already explained and re-explained something multiple times to someone that just wasn’t going to get it, “I’ve already told you sweetheart, there’s no way to transfer you so late in the school year.  Not if there’s nothing wrong with your class, are you having trouble with a classmate?”

The way her eyes grew with concern made me wonder if he’d ever experienced bullying before.  Somehow I doubted it, but maybe it was just my annoyance.  He was trying to switch classes, honestly switch classes.  What an asshole.  My face heated up despite myself and all I wanted to do was leave and worry about the stupid paper tomorrow, but then he would have won.  There was no way I was gonna be bullied so badly at a new place.  Especially not by someone like him.

The door opened behind me and a burst of cold air pushed my hair against the back of my head, sending a rushing student to the counter where they hastily dropped something off.  But it was enough to get Edward’s attention and he jerked his head over his shoulder, narrowed eyes landing squarely on me.  I tried to glare back as much as I can.  Yes you dick, I heard everything you just said.

Something flashed across his features, like guilt, but it was gone with a locked jaw and a quick tone as he looked back at the secretary, no longer willing to put up as much of a fight for what he wanted done, “I see.  There’s nothing you can do, thank you for your time.”

That could not have sounded more like badly written dialogue even if it had tried.  The only thing he was worse at than hiding that he was covering his mouth to keep from “smelling me”, was lying.  He turned from the desk before she could offer him anymore options and I made a point to stay frozen exactly where I was, letting my shoulder harshly slam against his as he went out the door.  Asshole.

After a few seconds of cooling down I slowly took measured steps over to the counter where he’d been, halfheartedly putting my signed paper on the countertop for her.  She wasn’t as talkative as she had been this morning, if anything she looked confused and worried, for me or for him I wasn’t sure, but she managed to smile a little, “So how was your first day honey?”

I shrugged, looking out the window as she did what she needed to do with my paper.  The sound of her typing blended with the start of rain outside and for some inexplicable reason I felt hurt.  I wasn’t used to being bullied, especially not when I’d done absolutely nothing.  Yeah I’d gotten into a verbal fight or two in my day, but nothing like this.  Nothing without precedent.  Her voice softened, having allowed me my silence until she’d finished, “It’ll get better…”

I swallowed down and nodded, looking back at her and pulling my lips in before I could vent everything that was bottling up.  There was no reason this should have been getting to me as hard as it was.

“You know that, right…?”

I nodded again, just a little, the back of my throat starting to burn in foreshadow to tears from anger.  That asshole wasn’t gonna make me cry, not even if it was because I was pissed.  For some reason that happened whenever I got too angry and I hated it since people usually mistook it for sadness.

“Try to have a good night, ok?”

“R-Right, you too.  I’ll see ya around.” And then I left before the buzzing in my head grew too loud.  The rain felt good, cold, preferred to the heat of rage that was starting to burn me up.  Now I kind of wished I didn’t have the truck to get home in, walking in the rain seemed a lot more appealing, but I knew Ricky wouldn’t agree so I headed towards the student parking lot.

By the time I got back home I was in no mood to forage around for something to eat and just headed straight to our bathroom for a cold shower.  I pulled my hoodie over my head and let it drop to the floor, creating a pool of clothing as I stripped down.  When I looked in the mirror at myself my lips parted.  Though it was slight, it was still there, right on my shoulder. 

Craning my neck in every which direction I could, I tried to get a closer look at it and leaned even closer to the mirror.  My fingers gently touched along the front of my shoulder where a bruise was beginning to purple up.  What the hell…?  I thought back to the office, when I’d bumped my shoulder against his as he walked by. 

At the time it had felt like nothing, but maybe that was because my emotion was distracting me.  With how this looked, you’d think I’d tried to body check a wall.  I was sure that he hadn’t slammed his shoulder back against mine though.  Either he was really boney –doubtful with that frame- or he was extremely muscular under that shirt and pea coat. 

Again I felt the iciness of when I’d first seen them at the table that afternoon, and tried to drown it out with the very real iciness of the shower. 

…Creepy.