Social Experiment

47 | Prove It

I changed the cover of the story, what do you think? Enjoy the chapter and remember to vote & comment! :)
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Walking through the halls at school on Monday was the least of my worries, and yet the constant stares and whispers that continued to follow me around was the icing on top of the strange past two days. All day, teachers frantically tried to finish covering the material before the end of school, while the checked out students just stared at the clocks. 

As I sat slumped in my seat in the back of one of my classes, it hit me that I would be graduating high school in about a month, and then I'd be off to Drexel after summer. I've never been nervous about college- I mean, I would be close to home and I've known where I wanted to go since the end of last year- but right now, things were changing. 

All year I've been excited for high school to end and to start a new chapter of my life. One that didn't involve any Thomas Clark's, Nina Alexander's, or Holden Brook's. But, for the first time all year, I suddenly didn't want to graduate. I knew, of course, that these mixed feelings were at the fault of a specific bad boy that I didn't want to leave. 

The specific bad boy who happened to catch up with me at that moment and curl his fingers around my waist from behind. I jumped a little in surprise and heard his deep laughter shortly after, and then he was standing next to me with a boyish grin on his lips. I tried to narrow my eyes at him, but his smile was infectious, and the corners of my lips turned up a little. 

"Sorry," Nathan excuses poorly with eyes glimmering with mischief. "I had to. You're too easy to sneak up on."

I give him a light shove and pout, "Go away."

"Aw, you don't mean that," Nate coos, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as he guided us through the halls confidently. "You love me."

I roll my eyes at his usual confidence and mutter, "In your dreams, buddy."

As Nathan laughs, I glance around to see most of the students in the hallway staring at us. By now, I was used to all the staring and pointed fingers and whispering, but this was different. It felt like more people were watching.

"Are you going to see your dad today?" Nathan asks suddenly, his voice much softer than before, and I feel his hand slide into mine. 

His question takes my attention off all the eyes on us, and I look at him with a nervous nod. "I'm going to his hotel now."

When we walked through the doors and exited school, I felt the soft May breeze six with the warm sun to concoct a beautiful day. Nathan walks towards our cars, conveniently parked beside each other, and I still notice people staring in our direction. The girls were whispering furiously to each other, the guys smirking as we walked by.

"Are you nervous?" Nate asks next.

"No," I answer dishonestly, and then sigh. "A little. But I'm trying not to be."

"Do you want me to come?" This is probably the third time he's asked, and while I want to say yes, I know this is something I have to do alone.

I shake my head and give him the same reason I give him every time: "I need to do it alone."

We stop walking when we approach our cars, and Nate smiles at me sideways. "Don't be nervous, it's your dad. Just hear him out."

You wouldn't expect it, what with the whole bad boy reputation, but Nathan Rhodes gives tremendous advice that manages to calm me down every time I feel on edge. I muster a smile back at him and squeeze his hand, but as my gaze slides behind him and I see everyone staring at the two of us, my smile drops.