Trust me, babe

Chapter 30

Kathryn

I was resting my head in my hands, rubbing my temples, trying to get the tiredness out. My thoughts had kept me awake the past two nights so that I'd barely slept at all. Everything that had happened first with Samson, then with Kenzie and Jacky, had made it impossible for me to calm down enough to fall asleep.

The bustling school cafeteria wasn't helping my headache and it took almost all my self-control not to stand up and start screaming for everyone to shut up. Suddenly a bunch of freshmen girls started to squeal and giggle loudly at a nearby table. I shot a death glare in their direction but they didn't seem to notice, too consumed by their excitement over whatever it was that made them let out such high pitched squeals.

"I bet one of them just got asked out by their crush," Persimmon said, glancing over her shoulder at the group of girls.

Her words made me think of Samson once again. I'd been asked out by him. And I'd said yes. I had allowed myself to take the risk of falling for someone and immediately seen it had been a huge mistake. I had just gotten another reminder that I couldn't trust guys. That no matter how much they tried to convince me I was the only one they could ever love, they were still seeing others behind my back.

"I'm seriously doubting something's wrong, Kathryn," Persimmon said. She had pursed her lips and was studying me in a way that made me feel really uncomfortable. The bad thing about having friends was them noticing whenever something was wrong and wanting to know what it was and if there was something they could do to help.

"I'm fine. Just really tired. I haven't been sleeping well," I replied. At least what I told her was true, it just wasn't the whole truth.

She looked like she didn't quite buy it but sighed, nonetheless, and went back to her salad. "Did I tell you about the nightmare I had a while ago?" she asked after shoving a forkful of salad into her mouth.

I shook my head even if I wasn't sure. She talked so much that my brain just censored some of it from my memory and I had no way of remembering everything she'd told me during the past few days. Especially not when I had so much stuff going on in my own life. But I didn't mind her talking about it. When she was babbling, I could just sink into my own thoughts and not have to try to act normal and like everything was okay.

"It started like a totally normal dream," Persimmon began but before she could get any further, Louisa appeared next to our table with a frown on her face.

"Samson wants to see Kathryn," she said, not caring that she interrupted Persimmon nearly in the middle of a word.

The mention of him made me straighten and suddenly I didn't feel tired anymore. It felt like my body had gone into fight or flight -mode and my brain was trying to decide which would be the better option. My thoughts were racing as I tried to figure out what he wanted and how seeing him would make me feel.

"He's waiting in the hallway and he said he'll come here if you refuse to go there," Louisa said. It was obvious she hated being in the situation she was in, having to deliver her brother's messages to me.

Persimmon's eyebrows shot up and she turned to look at me. I guessed this all seemed a bit absurd all of a sudden given that I hadn't told her about my almost-date with Samson. And now he was here, threatening to cause a scene in the school cafeteria if I didn't go meet him in the hallway.

I sighed, pushing myself up from my seat. "I guess I should go see him then." Although I wouldn't have wanted to face him, there was no way I'd let him come in here and cause a scene. To make everyone turn to look at me and whisper about who that guy was and what he was doing here and what we were saying.