Dead To Me (slow updates!)

Chapter 8

Patrick's POV

I couldn't help but stare at her from across the cafeteria. She let out a giggle as her lunch table friends cracked jokes, all seeming to be having a good time as they ate there food. I had stayed late after school on Monday, my intention never having been to stalk her but once I saw that she was trying out for the track team I decided I'd stay and watch.

She was good, no surprise that she had made the team, making some of the other students trying out look like amateurs standing in her dust. And when she spoke to me, I couldn't help but become even more intrigued. She had an attitude, something I wasn't much used to seeing as most of the girls who went to school with us were terrified of me. It seemed that they hadn't passed along the memo yet, good news for me.

Even though it was clear she found me intimidating she never backed down, standing her ground even as she asked me about that little gift I had so graciously left in her locker. My original plan had been to scare her, just for shits and giggles, but once I saw her reaction to the object I couldn't get her out of my head.

"Earth to Hockstetter" Henry groaned, waving his hand in front of my face in an attempt to pull me from my dissociated state. "What?" I growled, annoyed that he wouldn't just let me stalk my prey on peace. His eyes followed the path to see what I had been so focused on, rolling his eyes once he realized it was her again.

"God, why are you so interested in her you freak? You know she's probably petrified of you just like every other girl in this school." He mocked, I had never realized how obnoxious the sound of his voice was until that moment. "So what? I don't see anyone lining up to get your attention, Bowers. Your just as undesirable as I am" I replied, my elbows resting against the lunch table as I spoke. The blonde boy scoffed at my insult, seeming offended that I would even say such a thing.

"I'll have you know there's plenty of girls in this school who would beg on there knees for me if they got the chance." I snickered at his false confidence, looking from left to right at everyone in the lunch room. "Name one." I challenged. The boys face turned a bright shade of red as embarrassment took over his features. I nodded to myself satisfied that I had put him back in his place. "That's what I thought."

The bell rang loudly overhead, letting the student congregation know it was time to head to class. I stood in a hurry, flinging my backpack over my shoulder as I rushed to the door, attempting to get out into the hallway at the same time as Clover without making it obvious that that had been my intention all along.

She waved sweetly at her friends as they parted ways, making her way to her locker once again. I leaned my shoulder against the wall to her left, patiently waiting for her to dig through her things and find her history text book, tucking it carefully in the crook of her arm as she shut the metal compartments door. She gasped as she noticed me, clutching her chest in an attempt to calm herself down as to not look nervous.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "We meet again, stalker." I laughed at this, there's that attitude again. "Hello to you too." She raised an eyebrow at me as if to ask what I wanted. "What I'm not allowed to walk you to class?" I questioned, reaching a hand out as if to offer to carry her book for her. She shooed my arm away without hesitation. "You can walk beside me but I make no promises to entertain you if that's what you want." She answered coldly. I smirked. "I would expect nothing less."

"Why do you want to walk me anyways? I wasn't unpleasant enough when we met on the football field to deter your interest?" She kept her eyes forward as we walked, picking at the fraying edge of her textbook. "I don't find you unpleasant. If anything your abrasiveness only added to my curiosity." This seemed to spark something in her, confusion maybe, but definitely something.

She stopped dead in her tracks, turning to face me, having to lift her gaze upwards to meet my own. She stared at me for what seemed like forever, her eyes searching my face as she tried to think of what else she wanted to say, seeming a bit unnerved by my looming presence. Huffing she turned around and headed into her classroom, turning back just once more to give me the once over. "You're a strange guy, stalker. Very strange."