Held Back

CHAPTER 4

I woke up to a gentle tapping noise and my mum softly calling out that it was 7:45.

Shit! I'm running late!

I found myself sprawled over my bedroom floor with a serious pain that constantly shoot through my neck. But I still jumped to my feet and started shoving books into my bag. I grabbed a piece of toast and headed for the front door only to tragically get a glimpse of myself in the hallway mirror.

You've got to be joking.

I stared at my sorry reflection. My boring brown eyes sit in bags big enough to hold my schoolbooks, my mousy brow hair a total mess, and a sad, soggy piece of toast dangled from my mouth. I just accepted that it was going to be one of those days and headed out the front door. I thought I had some concealer in my bag anyway.

On the bus, I attempted to cover the bags under my eyes and pull my hair up into a messy bun because it was the best I could do. I then got my timetable up on my phone and double-checked that I had grabbed the right books for the day.

Shit. That French assignment is due in on Wednesday. Wait, is today Wednesday?

I sorted through the loose pieces of paper in my bag but couldn't find my assignment.

Shit. Okay, well I have a free up second, then, English and then French so I'll just grab it then...

By some miracle, I make it to school in time for my first class.

"Hey," I nearly bowled Abby over in the school hallway. "Could I please, please borrow your car? I'll be super careful I promise!"

"Woah, slow down! I didn't drive today. Could you ask Conor? What's this even about?"

I have no idea where Conor is though and I don't have time to look. I'll just have to catch a bus or run...

"Ahh, I'll explain later. Promise."

I put my bags in my locker and headed out gate C (the one near the caretaker's shed because no one ever came around there).

Okay, I have 45 minutes to get home, find my assignment, and then get back here in time for English. That shouldn't be too difficult...

I reached the bus stop and saw that a bus wasn't due for another 15 minutes. It was a 10 minute bus ride but a half hour walk. "Shit." I looked around nervously and decided to start jogging home. I would just speed walk along the route of the bus so when it caught up I could just ride it the rest of the drive home.

Good plan. Optimism, that's all I need.

I started at a pace somewhere between a speed walk and a run and watched as the minutes ticked away. 5 minutes gone, 8 minutes. I developed a stich somewhere around the 10 minute mark.

I need to get back into running, this is just sad.

I got home with 18 minutes till my next class and spirnted up the staircase, three steps at a time. I flung open my bedroom door and furiously started rumaging through all the papers on my desk. "Yes!" With the essay in hand I sprinted off back down the stairs and madly tried to lock the front door. 10 minutes...

I'm screwed.

Then I was off again. As I approached the street's corner, feeling like my vision was starting to darken around the edges, I saw the bus.

Thank god!

I caught up to it and jumped on. 5 minutes... I sat at the back of the bus puffing my lungs out and clutching my assignment close to my chest. I made it to school 13 minutes late for class but actually got to the classroom 20 minutes late. "Ms. Avery. You're late."

"Sorry Miss."

"Take a seat." She did not look happy but I couldn't care less. I turned to walk to my desk but saw that it was already occupied by a curly haired boy.

So now he turns up and steals my seat. Great.

Harry had his elbow on the desk and his hand covering his mouth in a failed attempt at hiding his stupid grin. I stalked to the back of the class and slumped down in my chair. Tired, sweaty, and pissed off.

*

At the end of the lesson I slowly packed up, not wanting to have to run into Harry, and was the last to leave the class. I was quite surprised Mrs Stenson didn't call me over but I wasn't about to question her on it.

I got into French and triumphantly put my essay down on the teachers desk. "You look like you've got a good story to tell," Abby stated as I sat down next to her and we grinned like idiots.

*

That lunch time, Abby and I walked to the cafeteria so she could buy a chocolate brownie. I stood next to her and listened as she told me all about how Jessica Mayers has been flirting with Bub at the last frat party they all went too. "There's another one coming up this Saturday, remember?" That was the group chat I was apart of but I hadn't checked it in ages. "Please come! I need back up against Jessica. She's even worse when she's tipsy. Honestly, some girls!" I gave her an unsure look. "Come on! It'll be fun I promise!"

"Okay! I'll think about. If you give me a little bit of your brownie."

"Okay deal."

Abby then leaped back into more gossip about Jessica but I stopped listening because I had a straem of evil dialogue running through my head when I saw Sophia sitting on Harry's lap. They were sitting a few tables down from us, a table which, by the way, had three spare seats that Sophia could be sitting on.

Argh I hate that girl.

I wasn't sure what I was feeling but I was sure it wasn't jelousy. Right? Why would I be jelous of her. I didn't like the way I felt towards her but she was horrible and she didn't try to stop how people thought of her, if anything she encouraged it.

She was constantly running her fingers secudtivley over the outlines of Harry's arm tattoos and tossing her ombre hair over her shoulder everytime she laughed, which seemed to be after every sentence Harry finished. It was then that I realised they were looking at me and not only was Sophia laughing but their whole table was, including Harry. I turned away quickly and felt extemeley embarrassed. I imediatley feel insecure and that frustrated me. "What, what's wrong" Abby questioned in a hushed tone. This is why she is my best friend, she can tell when something's wrong and how not to draw attention to it. "I just did something stupid," I muttered back.

"Okay let's go," and we calmly pace out of the cafeteria.