Do They Bother You? (Editing)

Chapter Two

I'd forgotten about cafeterias.

Big, scary rooms filled with kids who stared and just waited to make fun of you. I was not looking forward to going in there. I'd avoided the cafeteria at Montville High like the plague, choosing to hide out in the library or music rooms until the period was over. Most days it didn't do much good.

I stood just outside the double doors that led to Cafeteria Three, leaning against the wall and practically hyperventalating as memories overtook my thoughts and stole my sight. I shouldn't have agreed to come, shouldn't have promised James...

"Delena? Is that you?" I looked up from my crouched position on the floor, seeing the redhead from this morning a few feet away from me. I'd not even realized I had slid to the ground.

"You're friends with LJ." I stated. She looked surprised.

"Uh, yeah. Didn't he invite you to lunch with us?" Her grey pants looked more like skinny jeans than slacks. She was missing her tie and her shirt had the first three buttons undone. I was pretty sure she was wearing a boy's blazer. Her black heels clicked on the ground as she walked closer.

I swallowed. "Yeah. But I don't think I can go in there."

Her hands were on her hips. "Nonsense. He wouldn't shut up about you in third period and he's known you two hours. You are perfectly capable of having lunch with the poor boy." She held out her dainty hands, pulling me to my feet. Even in her heels, her eyes were level with my chin. "Come on."

She held my hand as she walked into the cafeteria, drawing the attention of just about the entire room. But it wasn't me they looked at- it was her, the sway of her hips and the absent bite of her lip and the promise of those three undone buttons, which I was pretty sure was against dress code. But she didn't seem to care as she led me to a round table in the very back corner of the room, where James, Finnley, and the boy I'd seen this morning were sitting.

"Hey boys." She said causally, sliding into one of the empty seats. This left me in the only one left, between Finn and LJ. "I heard someone really got Holmes with a zinger this morning. Something about him making out with Crowley-"

"It was Professor Crowley I saw him with?!" I exclaimed before I could stop myself, instantly blushing and twisting my hands in my lap. When I looked up, the boy who's name I didn't know was looking at me with his mouth opne.

"She speaks?" He asked, looking at me with wide eyes through the edges of his brown hair, which fell over his eyebrows to the point where I wondered how well he could actually see.

"Come on, dude." James said. The other boy winced.

"So now you've met Asher." Finnley said, turning to look at me. "And I'm Finn, LJ's roommate."

"I know. I've heard about you." I glanced at the table over to our left, where a large group of people in letterman jackets and large blue cheerleader bows sat. "If you're on the football team, why don't you sit with them?"

He shrugged, his gaze steady. "I don't belong there. Why'd you sit here with us and somewhere else?"

I didn't crack a smile. I looked at him just as seriously as he was looking at me. "I don't belong anywhere else."

"Where do you belong?" Kambri asked, sitting forward. I dropped my gaze, suddenly self conscious.

"Nowhere." I murmured. "I don't belong anywhere."

There was a silence. I wonered why I ever even opened my mouth. "Well," James said finally. "Maybe you can belong with us."

"We're not the best crowd, though." Asher added, pulling Kambri closer to him. "We're kind of touchy-feely."

"And we skip class." Finn sighed.

"And we hand out in each other's rooms after lights out." Kambri said.

"Speaking of which, who's your roommate? We can tell you yay or nay on their personality." Finn said, taking a bite of an apple.

I shook my head. "I don't have one. I got the empty room on the fourth floor, east side."

"You little lucky-!" Kambri cut off, looking irritated. "Jessica's moving out in two weeks, but I'm going to be stuck with Mercury for another half a year! God, if I could have your room..."

I twisted my fingers in my lap. "I'm sorry."

Kam looked taken aback. "Don't be sorry. Why are you sorry?"

"Kam." James sighed.

"What? It's an honest question."

I was staring at my lap, trying not to look uncomfortable. Why James was defending me when he didn't really know anything about me was beyond my understanding, in all honesty. No one had ever done that before. Matthew had always looked out for me, but he was my brother- I'd met James in the hallway this morning.

"Lena? Lena." I looked up, seeing James's piercing blue eyes staring into mine. "Do you want to take a walk with me? I get that this is a little overwhelming."

I nodded, standing and sliding my books from the table. I hadn't thought to bring a bag this morning and was carrying half my locker arond with me, hoping this wouldn't be an everyday occurance. James pulled my books from my arms, leading me from the cafeteria.

"You don't have to."

"I want to, Lena." He said over his shoulder, a cockeyed smile gracing his features. "Besides, you look like you're about to fall over. Come on, I want to show you something."

Lincoln Prep High School was six stories and resembled something of a church. The top three floors were the residential rooms, and floors two and three were classrooms, the library, and cafeterias. The first floor held offices for the teachers and the front office. I could not for the life of me understand why James was taking me to the ground floor.

"Just wait." He chuckled, seeing the confused look on my face as we headed down the stairs. "I promise it'll be worth it. They've a garden in the center I think you'll enjoy."

Leading me around the front desk and down a deserted hallway, our footsteps echoed in the silence. Finally, he stopped in front of a glass door, though my vision was blocked to the outside by some rather overzealous plants.

"Ready?"

I remembered something. "It's raining."

He grinned. "Not in here." He pushed the door open and gestured me through. I took hesitant steps forward, the humidity and sounds of running water and birds hitting me all at once. I blew out a long breath, pulling off my blazer and gazing around the room in wonder.

It was gorgeous, like an indoor forest. The garden was open all the way up to the sixth story, but a glass roof protected us from the rain. It was small, and square, but had little alcoves hidden away where one could read or simply sit and watch the multicolored birds fly. Bird feeders were placed every few feet along the stone path that led to the center of the garden, where a stone fountain sat. It had enough room to sit along the lip of it, and I did so, trailing my fingers in the crystalline water.

"It's gorgeous." I breathed. "Like the secret garden."

"I'm glad you like it." He said, his voice low as he leaned against a mossy pillar. "Students aren't really aloud to be down here, but they won't kick us out as long as we're not doing anything stupid."

I nodded, feeling the cool water skim along my skin. I rolled my sleeves up, feeling the humidity start to get to me. "Is it always this hot? Or is it just because..." I had moved my left hand up to brush my hair away, and it was now frozen there as his gaze locked on it.

In an instant he was by my side, gripping my arm and letting his thumb brush gently over my wrist. "Oh, Lena." He sighed, cradling my wrist in his hands. His gaze was fixated on it, on the skin there.

On my scars.

I pulled my hand away. "I have to go." I whispered, standing abruptly and pulling my books away from him. I swung my blazer over my shoulders and rolled my sleeves down in the same movement, covering up the damage done to my body.

"Lena..."

I raced out of the garden, refusing to look back at him as I did.