The Hair Tie

Chapter 3

"Hey, stalker."

That was the first thing my partner said to me when I walked in the next morning. "Takes one to know one," I retorted.

He smirked, "I pegged you as a shy, quiet girl. But you're pretty confident.. And moody. You also happen to be a stalker."

"Gee, thanks for noticing. And I didn't choose to move onto the same street as you," I rolled my eyes.

"Yeahh, sureeee. But really, at first you're super chill, then you're aggressive, and now you're pretty sarcastic."

I wanted to say that I was complicated, that I was acting like this to him because I wanted him to stay away from me and my traumatized self.

I wanted to be friends with him, not that I was going to tell him that. I was doing this for his benefit. Being friends with me would only cause problems.

But, of course I didn't say this. That would be too forward. And he would most likely try to pry, the one thing I didn't need right now.

"It's only with you. Like I said, you should feel special," I smiled.

"Ouch, that hurt. You hurt me so much, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that," I snapped.

I felt the familiar heavy weight on my chest. My breathing became labored, and I started playing with the loose hair tie around my wrist.

He put his hands up. "Calm down, I was just joking." He tried to grasp my shaking shoulders, but I flinched away from his touch.

He needed to realize that I was always like this; always so uptight and guarded.

How could he not dislike me already?

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Crap, did I say that out loud?

"Oh, um, forget about it. Just leave me alone, okay?"

"Well, I can't really do that, partner."

"Shit," I said under my breath. Usually, people who were forcefully paired up together for school work didn't become friends. At least, not in my world they didn't.

I noticed I was still playing with the hair tie that wouldn't fit on my wrist anymore. I couldn't believe I still had this stupid elastic. It was there since the lowest point of my life, and for some reason, I refused to take it off. Maybe I kept it to remind myself of my resolve?

My resolve... Oh yeah, I needed to separate myself from the world, from other people. Especially from people who didn't give a shit about anyone else. They would deliberately lie and do whatever to get what they want.

Fuck life, honestly.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Aidan's voice brought me back to reality, a place I didn't want to be in.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Because you're crying." He had a worried look plastered on his face, and it kind of bothered me. He barely knew me, why did he care?

".. Why do you care?"

"Because you're my friend, and stop acting like you're not."

Oh my gosh, couldn't I just punch him in the face? "Stop insisting that you are. I am not, nor will I ever be, your friend."

He stayed quiet.

Finally.

"We'll see about that," he whispered before class started.