US

in the shadows

Ana's POV

For the past few days I have been out. I'm at school but I'm not. The Only hint that some students got, to know I am here is the factor that is me letting people roam around the school with bruises and black eyes the size of my fists.I'm careful enough to not even dare to cross Tai's path.

I know she has been hearing rumors about me being seen but ever since the incident with me and vas fighting I haven't even tried to contact her and I haven't heard anything from her either.

I constantly check all of my social media just to see if she hasn't blocked me yet or tried to unfriend me and every time I check I let the biggest breath of relief go. This sign could go either way.

This is the thousandth time that someone has made fun of her and it hurts my heart that the situation took this turn. The replay of my actions that day makes me feel so much regret but i cant undo what is already done.
I mightve made it worse for her without even thinking about it the moment I kissed her right on the lips after the fight to show everyone I didn't give a damn about what they said about me, completely forgetting what tai might have felt like afterwards. She must have been burning with embarrassment.
Now that i think about it she was scared of the situation after the fight. She must have been thinking how are my parents going to be. Will i get punished?!? I didnt mean it? Im sorry?shes such a sweet person that constantly apologizes for even the smallest of things.
I didn't even wait to look back after i was hauled to the office to wait in the stupid fading chairs a few seats away from a sniffling vas in the office.

She wasn't ready to announce our love. She was unsure and confused about her feelings towards me and what was even sadder was that her parents were complete homophobes.
I was so caught up in the moment that not once did it occur to me that maybe fighting was the last thing i shouldve done, and instead i shouldve been putting my head together with tai to see how we could cover up this mess once again.
I already told her. We could be in love in secret all our lives, just as long as she never left me and i was loyal.

A frown pulled on my lips as i turned the corner to a few halls away from where tai usually sits at lunch. we always sit at this one bench looking out to the court yard.
she plopped down on the bench in a kind of diacouraged fashion and pulled out a lunch bag from her bookbag. She always had a pb&j sandwich and a banana. Her shirt was slightly wrinkled and untucked and the cuts and bruises she got that day looked like they were getting better but i could see there were a few more bruises that were not there before.

I can't even begin to imagine how she was welcomed home after the call that I know her parents got after the incident.

All day i was a few steps away from her and a few steps ahead from the next idiot that didnt hear everyone elses warnings about me being at school.

I just kept questioning myself harshly on why I did it while I went looking for that last jerk that made fun of her at the end of the day. He'll be sorry he even glanced in her direction.

Once i got home and i was questioned where i was all day by my mother i simply said "out" and took the stairs two at a time.