Dangerously In Love ~Norman Reedus~

My hands are cold, my body's numb

I'm still in shock, what have you done?

My head is pounding, my vision's blurred

Your mouth is moving, I don't hear a word

-The Script, Exit Wounds

*

I sighed as I walked through the crowded hallway. Another semester at Oakland High. I smiled as my best friend, Savannah Nolan ran up to me at my locker just as I was opening it.

“Where were you all summer?” She asked immediately, not even greeting me first.

“Hi, Savannah! So nice to see you too” I said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

“Seriously, after the first week you just disappeared on me”

“I was otherwise occupied” I smiled thinking about how I spent my summer.

“You met someone” She gasped smiling as I shut my locker.

“Maybe” I shrugged heading towards the Art & Photography building for first period; Savannah right behind me.

“Do I know him? Is he hot? Does he go here? Are you going to see him again?” She bombarded me with questions.

“No, yes, no and I don’t know” I answered simply as we walked up the 2 flights of stairs towards out classroom.

“What do you mean ‘I don’t know’?” She asked, her eyes wide “Are You going to see him or not?”

“Probably not, we agreed it would just be a one summer thing” I told her honestly “We’ll probably never see each other again” I said sadly, brushing a piece of hair out of my face.

“Aw, you love him” Savannah squealed stopping outside the Art & Photography classroom.

“It doesn’t matter if I do, I don’t know where he is now” I looked at my phone to see that there was still 10 minutes before class started.

“Oh shit” Savannah hissed and I looked at her curiously “I forgot my purse, save me a seat while I run to my car?”

“Sure” I nodded walking in to the classroom. I was shocked to see a teacher in the room; he had his back to me and was digging through the cupboard. I didn’t say anything, instead I just walked to the table in the back let hand corner of the room. I threw my bag on the table, making the new teacher quickly turn around.

My eyes widened and I felt the air being knocked out of my lungs. He looked just as bad as me, if not worse.

“Niya?” He said, I couldn’t tell if it was a question or a statement so I stayed quiet griping on to the back of my chair for dear life. “Wha..Wh…What?” He stuttered taking a step forward. I felt physically frozen, like I suddenly couldn’t speak. “Say something” He growled taking yet another step closer.

“I…I um..I don’t know what to say, Norman” I whispered looking down.

“You can-“ He was cut off by the bell for first period ringing. I quickly sat down as everyone else piled into the room, including Savannah.

“Sorry” She apologised “I got caught up talking to Jon” Jon was Savannah’s boyfriend of 3 years. I just nodded, trying to ignore the sick feeling rising up in me.

I didn’t listen to anything Norman said during class. He didn’t look my way once and he stayed on the other side of the class, clearly avoiding me. I didn’t blame him though, I lied all through the summer, the way he saw it, the whole thing was a lie.

I’d never been more thankful for a lesson ending than I was at that moment. As soon as the bell went I was out of there. I didn’t wait for Savannah, instead I ran straight to my car. I couldn’t be in school all day knowing he was there. As soon as I got into my car I let the tears fall from my eyes. Only I would be this stupid…

*Flashback

“Okay” I laughed downing the rest of my vodka and coke “What do you want to know?” I asked Norman. We’d met at the beach that same day and he’d asked me to get a drink.

“Full name?” He asked leaning his elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand. He’d told me practically everything about him and now it was my turn.

“Niya Antonia Hayes” I smiled drunkenly.

“How old are you?” I was then that I panicked. He’d told me he was 44, there was no way he’d see me the same if I told him I was only 18.

“I’m 26” I lied telling him the first number that came into my head. *

After that we talked more and more but I had no idea how bad that little lie would get…