Not the Same

Chapter three

"What are you doing?" I ask Hailie as she frantically runs throughout our cramped dorm room throwing my clothes into a suitcase.

"Packing your things," she exclaims, out of breath.

"Hailie, calm down," I say while grabbing her shoulders, trying to stop her from moving.

"It's not safe for you to stay here!" she exclaims while throwing my clothes in the air. "You saw the way Cameron looked at you! That look can only mean thing: you're done for!"

"First of all," I reply in a calm voice, "thank you for caring and going into protection mode, I really appreciate it, but I don't think it's necessary."

"But-"

"Seriously. I'm not going to leave school just because some guy smirked at me" I say trying to hold back my laughter. I mean, really it's stupid. I'm not going to drop out just because some guy stared at me a certain way. My education is way more important than that.

"You're still not getting it," she stressed. "He's not just some guy, he's Cameron Owens! I don't even want to imagine all the horrible ways he could torment your life."

"Then don't," I answer her. "If I can deal with going to school with Adam, I can certainly handle Cameron."

Hailie reaches for a tissue and starts dabbing her eyes. "She was so young, so naïve, so-"

"What are you doing?" I ask, amusement clear in my hazel eyes.

"Practicing my speech for your funeral. What do you think of it?"

I jokingly roll my eyes. "I think it could use some more tears."

To Hailie's surprise, the next couple of days go by pretty uneventfully. The first week of classes is officially over and it's finally the weekend.

"I was sure you would have died or been severely injured or embarrassed by now," Hailie muses as we walk out of the school building and towards our dorm.

"There's that optimism of yours that I know and love" I sarcastically comment, causing her to laugh.

As we're walking past the quad, for the second time this week, I get hit in the back of my head, fall forward and am left with a very painful feeling in the back of my head yet again.

I look up to see Adam laughing and jogging towards me with Kevin and Tyler.

"Seriously, again?" I growl at him, causing him to laugh even harder.

"Calm down, feisty pants, I was just trying to get your attention" Adam says, throwing his arms in the arm in mock surrender.

"And a simple, 'Hey Avery' wasn't good enough?" I say back in annoyance.

"Didn't cross my mind," he replies with a shrug.

"Whatever," I snarl and continue to walk with Hailie.

"Wait!" he adds and grabs my shoulders, turning me around.

"How can I help you?" I respond in a fake, chipper voice.

Something strange happens. I've only seen this happen a few times and even this, it was only for a few seconds.

Adam gets nervous.

"Has Cameron approached you at all?" he asks after a few moments.

Seriously? This was about Cameron?

"Why do you care?" I ask him cautiously.

"I don't" he spats quickly. "Just answer the question."