Nadine's Stuck.

THIRTEEN

Nadine's POV:

Cade and I walk down the hallway on Tuesday morning, to the stairs.

I am so tired.

So far, I haven't broken my promises. I didn't sleep last night. I'm hoping to have a little power nap in homeroom so I'm not absolutely exhausted.

I keep a good distant away from Cade as we trail down the hallway.

"Rosewood?" He says, as we get the stairs and start heading down them to the second floor.

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I really thought he gave it up after last night.

I'm fine. I need him to see me as fine.

"Seriously?" He asks, skeptically and slow. "Is this some girly thing then? I can talk about girly things. Or I could get Akiko to talk to you? Elana?"

I think the last person I would want to talk about this with would be with Akiko. Elana would just make it about herself.

I have no one to tell. Maybe that's a good thing. I don't need another voice besides the one in my head telling me I'm being overdramatic.

"Yeah," I nod, "Girly thing. I'm...on my period."

It was the best excuse I could come up with. Guys don't usually care to ask questions about periods. And they don't want to...do things to girls on there period, right? The blood would get everywhere, I think.

"Oh. I can get you whatever at the store. Like, pads...or whatever. Me and Kai were going to go there after school," he pauses for a second. "Actually, you wanna come?"

I shake my head. Too many boys. "That's okay."

"Come on, Rosewood. It'll be fun."

Maybe he's right. Maybe it will be fun. Plus, it's a store. A public place. I'll be fine and I won't show any weakness. I'll try not to, at least.

.

Cade walks me to my first class.

"Hey, I have a question." My question might raise suspesion, but at the same time I might just be grouped into the Riley Admirers for asking it.

His eyebrows scrunch together, allowing me to continue.

"Does Riley have a rooming freshman?"

Cade shakes his head. I know he wants to ask me why I asked him that, but he doesn't.

I'm relieved.
. . .

I'm sitting in my first period class, math. I hate math.

Charlotte is sitting next to me, Xena and Misha don't have math class with us. I like it like this, to be honest. Math class is one of the few times Charlotte pays attention to me and it's always pretty nice.

"Nadia, you got a senior, right?"

I nod.

"Who?" She tilts her head. I feel the amusement radiating off her voice. "Are they hot?"

I shrug. I'm not sure if I've ever thought of Cade as hot. Maybe attractive, but not hot. If I thought of him as hot, that would make me even more vulnerable to his advantage.

"Caden Brown."

Charlotte gasps. "Caden Brown?" She's in  disbelief. "The druggie? Like, the one that sent Luca Penney to the hospital?"

What?

"What?" I look over at her, blinking a few times. Maybe there's a different Caden Brown in this school and that's who she's thinking of? No. There's only one. This school is too small for two.

It's silly, isn't it? I don't believe that Caden could have done drugs or that he sent a kid to the hopital, but I'll believe that he'll take advantage of my anorexic looking body.

"Yeah," Charlotte nods. "Isla Ward said he would always come to school high. And he beat up Luca so bad he was in the hospital for weeks. I don't know why they didn't press charges."

"Why? Why did he beat up Luca?"

"I dunno." Charlotte shrugs. "Drugs make you do crazy things, Nadia."

Maybe this isn't as surprising as I'm making it out to be.

Maybe Cade is a bad person.

He really would take advantage of me.

I mean, what's stopping him from beating me up and sending me to the hospital like he did Luca?

"Isla also said he got sent to rehab and therapy during the summer. I still think he's dangerous, though. I don't know why they let him room with a freshman. I'd get out of that dorm as soon as possible if I were you."

Subconsciously, because of the way Cade and I clicked after a few hours of meting each other: the way I was less anxious than I thought I was going to be, or how I felt comfortable around him, I thought there was a slim chance that he really was a good person. He seemed...kind. But so did Riley.

I have no reason to stay in that dorm. Not anymore.

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Check out the first chapter of my new book 'In His Eyes' on my second account KeepingKeroppi

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[Everyone, I got so many comments on my last chapter, it makes me so, so, so happy!!! It genuinely makes my day so much better!!! I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't have the best writing and that it's short, I've been stressed with school starting. Speaking of school starting, I will not be able to update this story as frequently once I am in school. I will try my best to do weekly updates, though!!! Love you all, keep upvoting, commenting, and following^^!]

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Word count: 891!