Safe Haven

Part 4

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The school day drags by unbearably slow. When the last bell of the day rings, I jump out of my seat and race out of the classroom. Finally, the day is done.

Speedwalking down the hallway, I feel myself collide into somebody.

"Sorry!" I yell at the poor person, trying to make myself heard above the mass of voices surging through the hall.

The kid stares at me like I've violated him and I groan. Some people here are just asses.

Over the sea of people, I see a familiar flop of dirty blonde hair on a familiar figure and start to walk in the other direction.

I think about all the things that have happened so far. Why is Nick trying so hard to be my friend? I'm practically invisible at this school and he's the apple to everyone's eye.

"Yo Elena!" A deep voice shouts from across the hall. I turn around and see Nick jogging towards me, smiling and hair flopping adorably.

Okay, time to stop. Enough with those thoughts of yours.

I cock my head to the side and narrow my eyes.
"What do you want?"

Nick has this confused look on his face and looks taken aback. "Whoah, I just wanted to say hi. No need to get all.."

He trails off. "You know what, nevermind." He turns his back to leave.

His pride slightly hurt, he walks away from me. I take a moment to reconsider how I've been treating him.

"Okay, Nick, I'm sorry alright? It's been a rough day that's it." I yell after him. Before I know it, I'm weaving through a slowly dissipating crowd of people, trying to catch up to Nick.

Nick hears me and turns back around. He let's out a sigh and eyes me suspiciously. "So.. it's not me?"

I pull him to the side, near the lockers so we don't get stampeded by people. "Not everything is supposed to be about you." I let myself smile a little.

He snorts loudly. "You can't keep treating me like this. I'm trying to be nice, that's all. I see a gorgeous girl at the gym and I try to talk to her, but I can't help but feel wounded when she bulldozes over me afterwards."

"I'm not trying to bulldoze anyone, this is just me," I try to explain. "I keep my guard up around everyone. It takes me a while." I scratch the back of my neck. "It's hard for me to make friends." I finally admit this, both to myself and Nick.

It wasn't always hard for me to have friends. Not before Mitchell, not before mom.

I feel myself trusting Nick, even though my brain is telling me to distance myself. It's almost instinct for me to go all, STRANGER DANGER around people I don't know.

His face shows confusion, and then understanding. I can't tell if what he's thinking is good or bad.

We stay like this, in another silence. It's not uncomfortable anymore.

The crowd of chattering high school kids slowly dissolves into an empty hallway. Nick and I begin walking again, each of us unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry." Something escapes from my lips, softly but surely.

Nick eyes me, and I see it in his face that he knows I mean it.

"It's alright."

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