To stay awake and unseen or sleep in oceans of blue

Chapter 8

A/N: I'd just like to say that the word 'emo' *cringe* is my biggest pet peeve. I hate it more than life itself and it makes me sick but since there will be bullying in this chapter, it will be included. If it bugs you as much as me, sorry.

Xo.

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"Harley," Mr. Collins calls on her in English class, "while we're on the unit of poetry, would you care to recite your favourite piece of something?"

I can't help but turn to face her in anticipation and the rest of the guys do the same.

"My favourite piece is from my favourite novel, is that alright?" He nods and I listen, extremely excitedly, as she clears her throat and begins to speak. "'But when it came right down to it, the skin of my wrist looked so white and defensless that I couldn't do it. It was as if what I wanted to kill wasn't in that skin or the thin blue pulse that jumped under my thumb, but somewhere else, deeper, more secret, and a whole lot harder to get.' I know it's kind of dark, but Sylvia Plath is a goddess of literature," she blushes but speaks confidently and the guys are obviously impressed too.

I mouth 'wow' at her and she smiles and looks at Mr. Collins, avoiding my gaze so, I'm assuming, she can stop blushing.

"Harley, that was amazing. Thank you," he says, sounding awed, and proceeds to ask a few more people for favourite pieces, including me.

I keep my answer simple and short, Edgar Allan Poe. "'I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.'"

"It seems to me that we have a class full of people that enjoy old and dark literature," the teacher smiles and thanks me, carrying on yet again.

Harley slips a piece of folded paper onto my desk but keeps her eyes straight forward.

'I loved your quote, and I love you.'

I smile and pull out my pen to write back.

'Yours was beautiful, kinda like you.'

We pass the note discretely back and forth a few more times before the teacher walks down the row of desks, snatching it from my fingers.

"This is rather rude," he unfolds the sheet and starts to read as Matt 'oooo's' from his desk. "'I wish you'd make this sanity not too horrible.'" He blushes bright when he's done reading and looks absolutely mortified that he just read it aloud, but not as mortified as Harley. "No note passing in my class," he steadies his voice and continues his lesson over the laughter from the boys, along with snickers from other random classmates.

After a period of Harley and I keeping our heads firmly planted our the desks, I get up to go to math with George and Jordon.

Some guy I've never talked to before stops me before I get out of the doorway and gives me a props. I don't really get it, but whatever.

When I turn back to look at Harley, a few of the girls I've come to know as the school's 'popular girls' are walking behind her and whispering. Harley looks upset, but when I go to hug her, she pushes past me and keeps walking.

What the fuck were they saying?

I shake it off for now while I meet George and Jordon outside the door and we walk to math. I talk vaguely with them about the band, but my mind is still trying to put things together.