A Darker Love

Chapter Thirty One- Vicious Rumors

Isaac got out of the hospital a day later after he got bandaged up so he could sleep in his own bed. It was weird not seeing him in the corridors and I felt a pang when I looked at his empty place on the bench for football at lunch. I walked along the edge on of the football pitch carefully, watching the quick motions and the careful team work for the players. I had always underestimated the jocks and took the piss out of them but as I watched them carefully I could see they worked with each other with close and careful formations, complementing each other so they could move forward and score. I sighed and sat own on a bench, hugging my school bag and letting my hair flow in the wind.

"Hey."

I looked up and saw a familiar face underneath a tangle of black curls smiling down at me.

"Hey." I sighed.

"Mind if I sit?"

"Go for it." I shuffled over on the bench to let Clara sit beside me.

"So, I heard about the football jock..."

I sighed again. "Is it really going around that fast?"

"Yep, sorry." She nudged me in sympathy.

"I didn't mean it, he just stuck his hand out and then..." I gulped and looked down, hugging my bag tightly into my chest.

"I know you didn't." She touched my arm gently. "Rumors are vicious things and they're mostly full of shit, so don't let it get you down."

"I know, it's just I ruined his chance at playing football and now he won't be able to play again. The coach with probably kick him off the team just like Kai."

She laughed. "No way, Kai was a shit player! He was bound to get kicked off eventually and his broken hand just gave the coach a great excuse to do it. Isaac is a great player, the coach would have to have brain damage to kick him off."

"I guess your right, I'm just so worried that his hand won't be the same as it was." I sighed, looking down at the ground and watching my steamy breath fill the air in front of me.

She looked at me, grinning widely.

"What?" I looked at her, tucking a stand of hair behind my ear.

"You like him, don't you?"

"What?! No, I don't."

"I thought you said you were going out with Caleb?" Then her eyes widened suddenly and she gasped, it was so loud it filled the whole compound and made everyone turn round and notice us. "Oh my god!" She hissed. "Your two timing them, aren't you? I never thought you were that type of girl but you prove me wrong everyday."

"No, shut up!" I looked around to make sure no one had heard and get out a sigh of relief, everyone had turned their attention away from us. "I don't honestly! He's just a friend."

"Mhmmm." She grinned showing her teeth, I had never noticed how long and wolfish they were.

"He is! I really like Caleb, okay? He's cute, funny and I love his eyes, and I love that he has little dimples when he smiles..."

She made puke noises trying to joking about but I could tell she was taking this all in, like she was searching for new rumors to spread and share.

"Shut up!" I laughed and elbowed her arm.

She grinned back and talked to me for a while until I saw Caleb walking over. He was paler than usual and his eyes were trailing the ground, he looked like he hadn't eaten for a week.

"Is that him?" Claras eyes looked over and scanned him like a metal detector, she grimaced. "He looks... Different."

I walks over to him and pulled his frail body into my arms, I pressed my lips to his ear and whispered softly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." He hissed, trying to push me away but I held into him, something was wrong.

"Don't lie to me, tell me what's going on."

"I said, I'm fine." He broke away and then noticed Clara staring at us with a raised eyebrow and immediately tensed up again.

"Umm, Caleb this is Clara. Clara, my boyfriend Caleb."

Her eyes flickered from his messy hair to his torn, dirty converse on his feet and she grimaced again and then waved casually. "Hi."

He nodded awkwardly and flopped down beside her and opened my lunch box, taking a sandwich and stuffing his face.

"Errr." I shot Clara an apology look as she edged away from the crumbs.

"Anyways, I have to go. I'll see you later Sam, hope Isaac feels better soon." She had a weird twinkle in her eyes as she waved goodbye.

"What?" Caleb looked up from my sandwich and glared at her.

"Nothing, I was just worried because some rumors were going around about me and him."

"I wonder who started them." He shoot a look to Clara's back as she walked away, black curls bouncing on her shoulders.

"She's nice." I said, a bit unsure now.

"Hmmm." He took another bite, thoughtfully.

"Hey!" I slapped his arm playfully. "My sandwich."

He shrugged. "I was hungry."

"Still mine." I took it back and licked out the mayo, grinning.

He watched me and laughed. "Your cute when your trying to be sexy."

I looked down at the ground. "Thanks."

"No problem." He took it back when I wasn't paying attention, smirking.

I shot him a look and then shrugged him off.

"Oh come on!" He rubbed my shoulder, taking out the other sandwich and trying to feed it to me like a baby.

I growled at him and crossed my arms.

"One little bite? Plwease?"

I sighed and gave in, savagely biting into the bread and laughing. God, I loved him so much.