New Days [Completed]

New Days: Ten (II)

The dream was still in my head, as vivid and clear as it possibly could be. It had been strange, but  I guess it made sense - my history with Mark bothered me, the fact that Ryan and Maya were related struck me hard, I’d done a ton of homework for Lit and Biology… and I wanted John to kiss me.

Which was going to happen when I sprouted a tail.

But…what if his secret is so horrible that I won’t want him to kiss me?

That thought stayed in mind just as much as John had the day before. It was this odd feeling I had that John was linked to the death of that girl – I hadn’t heard everything Maya had told me, I realized, and she’d angrily said ‘Some people…’  - what if she was talking about John? It was a far-fetched theory – considering the very valid point that if he had killed her, he’d been in jail but that only is if she had been murdered - he might have been responsible in the involuntary manslaughter way. That was possible, right?

It would explain why everyone (and yes, I mean everyone. I’d received a few more glares and stares when I’d been walking with him yesterday) had something against him. It would explain why he kept away from people – me being the exception. It would explain his hard-core exterior as well. It added up…but when I thought about it I realized it didn’t too well - it wouldn’t explain why he was such a nice guy. He seemed friendly and non-threatening enough.

You know, sitting in the car isn’t going to help you out here.

I’d been in the car in the parking lot – waiting for John to come so that I could get this mystery figured out – but I’d gotten lost in thought instead (not that it’s unfamiliar territory or anything). Now, much to my dismay, people had flocked in and I had no idea if John had entered. Darn. Now what?

Basketball training?

No…waiting that long would kill me. I had to find him.

With renewed vigor (wait, when did I have it in the first place? Anyway) I got out of the car and started cutting through the crowds, looking for John. I had to know what was going on! I guess it bothered me that much because I really liked him…but after everything that had happened at Letterman, I didn’t want to take any chances. I didn’t want to get involved with anyone who might hurt me.

Cowardly?

Yes. Sue me. I knew how much I’d suffered the last time around and I didn’t have the strength to battle out Round Two. Maybe I would have, if I’d talked to someone or something – but my pride wouldn’t allow it. I’d cried in the privacy of my room – then detested myself for being so weak. I’d hurt over Jake and my ‘friends’ – then berate myself for thinking about them. This cycle was a vicious one, and had left me emotionally drained. And then there was everything Mum and Dad had had to endure, of course…from the nasty calls to the trashing of the house. Lucy had been spared most of it, thankfully – but it still gnawed at me.

So no – I didn’t want to get involved with anyone who might hurt me.

The crowds had grown larger, and there was no sign of John. Stupid cattle-people! Herding about like…stupid cattle people! Argh. I was getting more frustrated by the minute, and I had no idea why. Sure, it was important to me to know what John had done, but it didn’t have to be urgent. It was this self-realization that made me stop and instead head to the inside of the building. I wasn’t going to be a cattle person like them.

I loitered about in the slightly less crowded hallway till I reached my locker.

From the corner of my eye, I saw something…interesting.