Dollface

Chapter 23 - Tamsin

I dreaded going back to school. A part of me wasn't ready to face what had happened to me at the party. Yet this obstacle can't be avoided. Either let it take me alive or beat it.

I felt anxiety eat up my insides, but the moment my gaze landed on the crazy group in the parking lot, I felt a lot better. A smile appeared on my face as I hoisted up my backpack strap over my shoulder and hurried over to them.

Kai saw me first. When our eyes met, I felt all my fears and anxiety disappear. The way he looked at me, it felt like a warm safety blanket being wrapped around me.

What happened several days ago was still fresh in our minds. We talked very little since our encounter with my mom. Kai has been busy since then. He doesn't call me throughout the day. We didn't hangout as much as we used to during the beginning of spring break. However, he still sent me messages throughout the day to talk to me.

So, seeing him again felt amazing, and I realized how much I missed him. My heart hurt at the sight of him. It hurt because I realized I missed him more than anything I ever missed before. My heart hurt because I realized I just didn't like this boy. I loved him.

I loved the way he looked at me, as if I was the only person he saw in this world. I loved the way he makes me feel. Under his gaze, I don't have to try so hard. I talked more about myself and am free around him.

"Hey, Tamsin!" Nina hugged me.

I walked over to Kai and as I got nearer; he lifted a hand up. I slipped mine into his hand. He pulled me into his arms. My back pressed to his front. He wrapped his arms around me and propped his chin on my shoulder.

"Hey," he whispered in my ear. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"It feels like forever since I've last held you in my arms." His arms tightened around me. I sighed and leaned further into his body.

"I feel the same way."

As expected, my first day of school did not go as smoothly as I expected. Students whispered about me. They slipped printed pictures of the videos taken of me into my locker. Girls stopped me and asked if my intention was to sleep with every boy in school since I moved on from Dean to Kai. Was I that low and dirty?

It hurt more than anything. By the end of the day, I felt like shit and wanted to avoid every person I saw. I took my time leaving the school. I waited until the hallways were clear and quiet before stepping out of the bathroom stall I was hiding in.

When I walked out of the girl's bathroom, I was disappointed when I bumped into Ava again. She had her usual friends hanging around her. She pushed my shoulder, and I took a few steps back.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.

"Leave me alone. I don't want to start anything," I responded.

They laughed at me, and Ava slapped me across the face. At first, I was shocked. It stung. I hear them laughing at me. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on breathing. When I could control my emotions, I looked back at her.

"Don't slap me," I said in a low voice.

Ava raised her hand again to slap me, but I stopped her by wrapping my hand around her wrist before she could slap me again.

"Your first slap was unexpected, and I didn't hit you back because I know I am a better person. It doesn't mean that I would allow you to hurt me again, Ava. Touch me again, and I'll hurt you right back." I shoved her away from me. Her friends stopped laughing.

"You think I can't hit you again? You're nothing but an insignificant little slut."

"I don't know what the hell is going on with you and Dean, but Dean and I are nothing more than friends. If you have to be a bitch to control what you can't keep by your side, then that's your problem. Not mine. Frankly, I don't give a shit what everyone says or thinks about me because in another ten years, all of this would mean nothing."