Whispers on a Wing

Chapter Fifteen

I stood up quickly and picked my way through the crowd, needing to get out of there for a second so I could think, and so I could show my frustration without half the school spying on me.

I couldn't believe him. I couldn't believe him. I was trying to keep myself calm, telling myself that this wasn't a big deal and that I was just taking this way out of proportion, but I couldn't help but feel my paranoia and trust issues rise to the surface. He had lied to me, yet again, and put me in a position I had no intention of being in. There was no way the whole crown hadn't noticed the fact that I was wearing one of the boys jerseys, even less likely that they hadn't noticed that it was Jake's. He'd put me right in the spotlight again, front and center for all to see, and I didn't want it.

Just as I wasn't about to have a full blown freak out, whether it was an angry rant or some form of panic attack I wasn't sure, I felt a presence behind me.

"You want to explain this to me Jake?" I growled as I clenched my fists tight, not trusting myself to turn around and look at him in case the anger in me swelled over and I ended up punching the guy.

Jake remained silent and I laughed a humorless laugh. "Really? No excuse? Nothing to say?" I asked. "Well that's a first."

I whirled around, my bag slapping against my back as the momentum took it, but pulled up short when I didn't see anyone there. What the... I could have sworn he was standing right behind me. I had felt his heat and heard his breath, I was sure of it.

I rubbed my hand over my forehead, wondering whether I was going mad, when I spotted someone in the distance running towards me, someone I didn't think I'd ever see again, and I ran.

How had she found me? Better yet why did she find me? I hadn't seen her in years, hadn't wanted to see her in years, and as soon as I started opening myself up to someone again she suddenly appears? Crap.

"Kaitlin!" She was yelling for me now and I pushed myself to pick up speed and I ran across the remaining bit of grass before hitting tarmac. I just needed to find somewhere to hide, if I could do that then I could wait her out and then leave without being seen. She didn't go to this school, so it was safe to assume she was with the school Jake's team were competing against. I just had to wait till the game was over then she could go home and I could escape.

"Kaitlin wait!" She yelled again as she continued to gain on me. Jesus, I don't remember her being this fast, last time I remember I could out run her any day of the week.

I burst through the double doors that lead to the school canteen and ran, but before I could get much further I felt a hand grip onto my wrist and I yanked back in surprise.

"Kaitlin please, just hold on for a second."

I whirled on her, hating the feeling of vulnerability I felt rise inside me as I looked into her deep brown eyes and grit my teeth against the emotional downpour I was feeling.

She had caught up with me, there was clearly no way I could outrun her, so my best option was to stay and fight my way out.

"Get off of my," I growled as I grabbed her wrist with my spare hand and twisted so she would release her hold on me.

"Ahhh damn," she cried out as she released her grip on me and shook her arm out. "What the hell?"

"Get away from me and leave me alone," I growled out as I stepped into her personal space so we were practically nose to nose with each other. I put everything into my expression, every bit of hate and anger and pain I had felt in the last few years to try and intimidate her into backing up.

"T-that wont work on me Kaitlin," Alice stuttered as she tried to look me dead in the eye but failed as she took an involuntary step back.

"Come on then," I growled into her face. "You want me? Come and get me."

Alice stared at me for a second, eyebrows drawn low over her eyes, the hand I'd twisted still cradled against her chest, and I was suddenly transported back to being fourteen again. Of her face as I'd look over and saw her shocked expression as she'd seen my wings for the first time round the back of the school. Right before she'd passed out and I'd run, never looking back and never coming back to that school and to her.

"I-I just wanted to talk," she stuttered as she took a step back so she could rest on the edge of a table, her chest rising and falling with her pants as she tried to get her breath back from the chase.

"What about? About the weather? About the game?" I asked, my voice rising higher and higher with every word. "What could you possibly want to say to me that could be worth chasing me down and cornering me in the school canteen?"

"You know what," she said, her eyes pointedly flicking to my shoulder before moving back to look me dead in the eye.

I flinched slightly, not used to the thought of someone knowing about my secret and mentioning it in the open, even if no one was around to see it. "Oh now you want to talk?" I asked incredulously. "From what I remember you weren't to keen on wanting to chat the last time we saw each other," I said as I took a step towards her.

Alice had been my best friend at a point when I had nothing and no one. She had been the one to draw me out of my shell after everything that had happened to me and everything I was going through. She hadn't known what she'd been doing obviously, hadn't been aware that her friendship had been one of the only things I'd had at a time when I felt like I was drowning in nightmares and panic attacks, but she had been.

That day when she'd seen me for who I was, after I'd excused myself from our lunch table and walked round the back of the school, into a patch of unused grass so that I could release my wings. I'd just wanted to let them uncurl for a second, to let the throbbing pain ease for a moment before they had to be strapped back up again, but that was all it took. I'd turned around at the sound of Alice's surprised gasps, shocked into silence as I watched her eyes widen in confusion and fear at the sight of my wings, before they rolled into the back of her head and she'd fainted.

That moment had been a turning point for me, seeing the look in her eyes as they scanned over me and realised who I truly was, it had caused me to flee and to never allow myself to open up to anyone ever again.

"Oh my god are you for real right now?" Alice asked in shock, a slight edge of defensiveness in her voice as she looked at me in bewilderment. "You didn't even wait around to hear what I had to say before you left."

"I didn't have to," I defended , my voice rising slightly as I gestured around wildly with my arms. "You're reaction spoke volumes Alice."

"Oh really?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her words. "And what did I say so loudly that made you leave me there?" She'd asked as she pushed herself off the table, her hands forming tight fists at her side, not backing down as I squared up to her, trying to seem intimidating so that she would drop this conversation and leave.

"I-" I stuttered as I looked in between her eyes, remembering the expression I saw in them from across the path all those years ago.

"What did my expression tell you in the split second I was conscious?"

"I-" I stuttered again. "I can't do this," I muttered as I backed away from her one step at a time. "I can't be here," I whispered more to myself that to her.

"So what you're just going to leave again?" She yelled as she took slow steps towards me, her eyes wide with disbelief.