In a heartbeat

Chapter 18: First day of Junior Year

Carlos’ POV
Seb has been avoiding me. I wish I knew why. I tried to talk to him yesterday and it didn’t go well. I'm walking with Kourtney and talking to her to Seb. He told her that he's not coming to the preview of the show. We meet in the bomb shelter and miss Jenn announces the musical. HSM 3. I wish Seb was here. I was distracted the whole time.
Meanwhile
Seb
I'm doing my best to avoid Carlos and we don't have any classes together yet. Thank God. I would love to do the musical but I know he will be. Finally, it’s time for lunch. I exit my classroom, eyes down and run into someone.
“Oh I'm sorry,” I say.
I bend down and grab their books. When I look up to hand the books to them, our eyes meet and my heart races. Shoot, it's Carlos.
“hi,” he says.
“Um-”
“Seb?”
“Got-go-bye.”
I rush away.
Carlos
Seb practically runs away from me and I just stand there in shock, confusion and pain. I shake off the feeling and head to the cafeteria. I enter and see the drama kids. But no Seb there. I scan the cafeteria and find him, sitting alone. I decide to approach him.
“can I sit?”
He meets my eyes and I see that they are puffy and red. Oh seb. He looks shocked, scared and unsure.
“please?”
He shrugs and looks down again. I sit down to next to him.
“Are you alright?” I ask.
He shakes his head and pushes his food around on his plate.
“please talk to me,” I say.
He shakes his head again and starts to stand up. I take his hand.
“let’s talk please.”
He pulls his hand away and leaves.
-Later-
I enter my last class of the day and see Seb sitting in the back. I sit next to him but he doesn’t look at me. The final bell rings and he rushes out.
After school
I'm hanging out at ash’s house with her and Kourt.
“So what happened with Seb?” Ash asks.
“He basically avoided me all day. And he looked like he had been crying at lunch,” I say.
“Poor Seb. Poor you,” Kourt says.
I decide to text him.
C: are you okay?
S: no
S: please leave me alone
C: are you doing the musical
S: I don't even think I'm coming back to school
C: what?
S: probably going back to homeschooling
C: why?
“Carlos, what's wrong?”
“he’s threatening to go back to being homeschooled,” I say.
S: because I don't want to see you right now
S: I can't see you
C: please tell me why
S: I can’t