fallout - r.b.

fourteen

i'm sorry - the maine

I'd been sitting in the garden for about ten minutes before I started shaking from the cold. My headphones were blaring "The Girl Who Cried Wolf" by 5SOS, and the lyrics 'is anyone there at all?' were hitting a little too hard.

Lunch hour was nearly over and I was freezing, so I headed inside. My next class was English. I couldn't tell if I was still shaking from the cold or because this was the class I had with Reece.

I grabbed my books from my locker and shut it with a shaky sigh, making my way to class. I arrived a few minutes early; Reece wasn't there yet.

I took my seat, slumping down on the chair. My leg bounced nervously as I watched other students enter the room. The teacher was scribbling something on the board, and the seconds felt like minutes.

My head shot up when Reece came through the doorway. He avoided my eyes, looking blankly ahead as he carelessly dropped his bag to the floor and took his seat in front of me.

I blinked, my face flat. I wasn't surprised he was ignoring me, but that didn't make it feel any less shit.

"Reece," I whispered hesitantly, leaning forwards over my desk. I knew he could hear me, but I guess I shouldn't have expected a response.

I sighed, staring at the back of his head. It was tilted slightly, as if he was paying close attention to the teacher who hadn't even started speaking yet. The bell had rung, but Mr. Wilson was still writing on the whiteboard, everyone making small talk with one another as they waited for class to begin. The longer I sat there, the larger the pit in my stomach grew.

"Reece," I started again, "please talk to me." He shifted in his chair, I could tell from the way his jumper stretched that he'd crossed his arms. The teacher called our attention by shutting the classroom door. I frowned.

"Right, class," he started. "As I'm sure you're all aware, your poems are due today. I saw most of you have already turned them in, so thank you. I'll have grades back by Monday. Now, today we will be talking about..." I tuned out the rest of what Mr. Wilson was saying, only able to focus on Reece in front of me, the subtle rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him in defeat. I crossed my arms over my desk, studying the wooden surface.

Reece stood abruptly, his chair scraping the ground and making everyone turn their heads. He picked up his bag and quickly headed for the door.

"Mr. Bibby!" the teacher bit, but Reece was already out the door, slamming it harshly behind him. My jaw was agape and my breathing quickened. Blake wasn't here to stop me this time. Before I knew what I was doing, I threw my bag over my shoulder and slipped out the door just as quickly as Reece had.

"Miss Fletcher!" Mr. Wilson shouted even more incredulously behind me, but I was already closing the door. I immediately spotted Reece in the corridor and rushed after him.

He glanced over his shoulder, rolling his eyes and walking faster.

"Reece, wait! Please," I exasperated. I caught up to him, grabbing hold of his arm to stop him. He promptly shoved me off, but spun around, finally meeting my eyes. I kind of wish he hadn't because the way he was looking at me made me want to curl into a ball.

"What?" he spat. "What do you have to say to me?!" His voice was sharp, the anger cutting right through me.

"I-" Heat rushed to my cheeks. "I just want to explain."

"No need, I think I get it."

"Reece, they begged us not to tell you," I pleaded.

"Yeah, you mentioned." His eyes were cold. "Guess I'm just surprised how easy it was for you to lie to me."