What Collides Us

Leslie

It only feels like yesterday, but it was last week when we shared that kiss. It felt weird but with him, it felt like I was learning how to breath and how to be a whole person on my own. I was by my usual oak tree, reading poetry unable to find this lacrosse captain amid his group when Cassandra and the cheer squad showed up.

“Get up.” She demanded but I didn’t comply.

“Did you get a little arrogance from sleeping with my boyfriend? I know you spent the night at his house, if there’s anything. I will not be fooled by your supposedly innocent face when you’re nothing but a whore.”

She snatched the book and pulled me to stand on my two feet, I am not surprised that she can pull me up. I barely have the weight to stop the wind from taking me away.

“I really love that book.” I said surprising the both of us.

She slammed my back onto the big oak before pulling and throwing me back on the floor by my hair. I balance with my wrist which was probably not a good idea.

“You’re nothing but a pathetic bitch!”

She grabbed on the hoodie along with a bunch of my hair literally kneeing my entire face then she threw me on the ground. She got on top of me slapping the life out of me and I can’t even do anything but pull on her hair hoping to leave a patch, other than that I couldn’t even fight to save my life!

Someone pulled her off me and she had already been screaming like she had lost her mind. Two boys I recognised from the lacrosse team were pulling her back while someone took my hand, but I snatched it back.

“Baby hey, it’s me. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

He pulled me into a tight hug hiding my face while I hysterically cried because I just lost in a girl fight, and I had not had my body ache like this in months. I was even losing my ability to see; I was never scared to a point where I’d pass out in this newly found life but if there was any moment this was it.

“No no no, princess wake up.” He picked me up and started walking.

I think that’s the last I heard before waking up from beeping machines. I coughed but then my throat was extremely dry.

“You’re awake.”

Lisa reached for my forehead, and I shrined back. She sighed and moved back.

“How are you feeling?”

I didn’t reply, she got me water and I drank before the door opened and he walked in. He stopped walking then had a relieved face before he proceeded to walk towards the bed, but Lisa turned and stood in front of him.

“She’s not in good shape right now, not to talk to anyone so please go home.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean your high school girlfriend sent my sister 7 months back in her recovery, I don’t think you should be here. Go.” She emphases her statement like she was not happy at all.

The next few days were horrible and going back to school felt even much worse. I looked at my hands and they were literally shaking. I know she got demoted and suspended but that didn’t make me feel any much better about her or myself.

Over my absent days I realised that not everyone was going to walk on eggshells with me and because that was life, I’d need to toughen up a little.

I watched him continuously swing and score on the net before someone called his name then pointed at me. I just wanted to watch him be in his own world however, I preferred having my Saturdays in bed reading all those coming-of-age stories that I had found myself being fond of.

He turned and I realised I missed seeing him every day by my side, talking and joking. That’s how far we’ve came, he walked towards me, and we found ourselves being the centre of attention from every person who had lacrosse practise, cheer practice and friends of friends who liked to watch people practice.

Before he could say anything, I stepped on the chair as he stood in front of me then I kissed him. Catching him off guard.

I pulled him into a hug and rested my head on top of his, while his hands rested on my waist.

“What’s going on, something’s going on.” He quickly said and my eyes became warm.

“I am coming back to school and I’m not happy but then I realised how much I have missed you, so I did the first thing Elinor did when she finally got to see Ryder again after a really long time. Show him how much she missed him and how much everything has changed about her.”

Then I made a smile.

“Who are you even talking about?”

“books” I said giving him a small punch pushing him playfully.

“Oh, so you’re in your character development phase?”

“Maybe, I hated losing that fight. I spent days thinking about it. I then realised I actually didn’t lose much, just a fight then I thought about it again until Lisa became concerned.”

He laughed in disbelief.

“And here I was banned from seeing you while you were busy thinking about some stupid fight.”

He picked me up and made me stand on the ground. The idea on Frank and Lisa was something familiar between us but because we were both in high school, we were leaning more to Elinor and Ryder. The difference between Elinor and I was that she worn the high school fight.

That didn’t sit right with me, but I had to be okay with losing a battle, but I had just enough time to prepare if Cassandra ever came back to the school again. I’d hit her like Elinor, though I wouldn’t use my small hands I’d slam her face with a book and be the one to get on top of her and hit her.

“Tell me about this book.” He said as he abandoned practice and we walked to his car.

I could only narrate a few scenarios because he was making my face hot with the amused smirk he gave me.

“I can’t tell you everything if you’re looking at me like that.”

He chuckled starting the car.

“Did you come with your sister?”

“Yes, but she left. I told her I’d be fine and that you would be here.”

“And if I wasn’t here.”

“Then I’d call you and you’d come.”

I thought that was obvious, at the end of the day I had come to school on a Saturday to meet him, I’d have to meet him one way or the highway.

He laughed pretty much content with himself as he drove to the direction of his house.

“mom’s home and she promised to make lunch.”