Twin Entanglement [C]

Chapter 9 - The Grapevine & Its Rumors

[Hello! I know it's been a while, sorry about that! Anyhoo, here is the next chapter! I've decided to spice things up *-* so Enjoy!!]

I walked slowly up the steps to the school. My leg was better, but the warnings of the doctor kept ringing in my ear and I didn’t want to delay returning to the field any longer. I was aware of the eyes that followed me, but I kept my gaze forward, searching for a familiar face in the crowd.

I had only been off a week from school, but somehow the atmosphere seemed very different as I made my way through the hallway to my locker. I caught snippets of gossip as I passed by small groups before they went silent and knew they spoke of me. I guessed my heroics found its way to the school grapevine.

I sighed as I wondered how long the gossip would last before eventually dying out. As I turned to the final stretch that would lead me to my locker, I found myself walking into a broad shouldered, same heighted boy.

“Ouch!”

I could feel a small sting travel up my back as I tried to keep my balance and was reminded that not all my body was healed yet, so much for training in the afternoon.

“Hey, watch where- oh! Hey Amy, you back today!”

I looked up and saw that I had run into Randy. He stood awkwardly in front of me, concern etched in his face with a mix of surprise and something else I couldn’t quite figure out.

“Hi Randy... Yeah, I start up again today.”

A few other students were watching us curiously. Randy smiled as he seemed to convince himself I was unhurt by the collision.

“That’s great, you…um, you seen anyone else yet?”

I was confused by his question as I looked around at the other students. I was clearly seeing everyone there, some looked away embarrassed as I looked their way and I watched in confusion as they scurried away.

“I’m not sure what you mean? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen whoever’s from here to the entrance.”

Randy flinched at the sarcasm in my tone as he glanced at the other students, as if noticing them for the first time. Reddening slightly he turned back to me, rubbing his head awkwardly.

“No…ah, what I meant was, have you seen, um… Michael- or even Mia?”

Understanding dawned on me and I couldn’t help smiling as I looked at him. He shuffled uncomfortably under my gaze.

“I haven’t seen Mia yet, like I said I just got here myself.”

He seemed unfazed by my answer as he looked around and I was suddenly unsure of whether I had read between the lines correctly or not.

“Right of course stupid of me to ask. Well, I’ll see you in class…” he trailed off as he turned in the direction he was coming from and walked away at a speedy pace. I watched in confusion as I tried to make sense of the conversation I just had. As I made the rest of my way to the locker I was aware of a few stares that still lingered on me, spiking my curiosity.

The day seemed to get stranger as the morning moved on. Trish barely spoke two words to me and I was beginning to think I had angered her again somehow, but having been off sick for a week, I wasn’t even sure what I could have done. Most of the other kids I usually spoke with on occasion seemed awkward around me. By the time I entered the last class before lunch break, I was starting to wonder if there was a secret I hadn’t been made aware of yet, Trish always joked about me being slow to catch on.

Mr Olsen stood in front of the class trying his best to teach us social studies, while knowing full well most of us were trying to decide which lunch set to buy in the next half hour. I would have probably been thinking the same, had I not been trying so hard to ignore the constant prickling sensation of someone’s stare on my back. I turned slightly in my chair to confirm who it was and sighed as I saw Michael lying on his arms, eyes trained on me. His face was unreadable, but there was no doubt he was watching me, just as he had been doing the whole morning. It was getting annoying, mostly because it seemed as if the whole school was aware of it.