the wall between us, james beaufort

chapter three.

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my wrist hadnt ached or stomach flipped because james had actually hurt or scared me, but any touch like james' brought back memories. brought back trauma.

i felt his hand on my wrist again. and suddenly, the feeling was on my hips, and thigh, and throat. i squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head quickly, shaking the feelings out of my head.

a car horn blast jolted me forward, and i stepped to the side to let a limo leave maxton's gates just as i did.

focus, cassie, i told myself, let it go.

ruby's face and number popped up on my screen, and i inwardly cheered at the distraction.

"well, what did he want?"

i huffed, "he thought it was me who saw lydia and sutton doing it in his office, someone caught me walking out of his office and sent him proof." ruby gasped on the other side of the line, "and he threatened he'd use it to twist the story if i told anyone."

"what? that's sick!" she spat out, and by her volume i could tell she had already been home.

"im not fazed by it." i shook my head, flicking mud off of my socks that the car had splattered on them, "and i think that just pissed him off more. people in power like other people to fear them for it." i continued, "but he doesnt scare me."

"oh cassie im so sorry!" ruby had apologized as if he did, though, "i deserve this, not you."

"its fine, i'll handle it better, he wont get any entertainment from this at all." i smirked slightly as i strolled up my driveway, "in a week, this will all be forgotten."

ruby apologized again, and we hung up. i flew open both the door to my house and room, and pressed my head deep into my pillow. i groaned.

first encounter with a beaufort today, and i was proud of how i had handled myself. but my pride hated to admit he had an effect on me though. one of my past, with my trauma. he had triggered me. my past, the nights i no longer speak about. and thank God, the maxton elite still didn't know about.

maybe that's why james didn't scare me. i had much more hiding beneath the waters than that picture could ever match up too.

ruby, though blameless, did owe me big time.

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the next day, i strolled into school, vowing to myself to keep my eyes away from two people today, and possible the rest of my time here at maxton.

mr sutton and james beaufort. 

the first one went well. all through class i ignored his pitiful stares and awkward stuttering if i even picked my head up from my desk. and in the hallway right before class, i kept my eyes on my shoes. 

this was easy for me. this was just normal life here at maxton for me, just a bit more enforced; being invisible.

the second one hadnt gone as planned.

i had accidently made eye contact with james in the hallway, in between 4th and 5th. but maybe it wasnt as easy as i thought it could have been; he had made a bee line for me the second he noticed me down the hall.