I used to get beat up in school a lot. It wasn't that horrible though. After some time you get used to it. It's the same routine every day.
'What routine?' I hear you ask.
Well, it's not just a punch or kick. It was more gradual than that. It would be more like being psychologically mutilated until the end of the day and then getting beat up. It's more complicated than you might think.
I always wanted to tell someone. Anyone. But it would only make it worse. They would follow me home from school, throwing things at me, but they would run away as soon as they saw my dad on the front porch. My mom and dad probably suspected something but whenever they asked I just ran up to my room and locked the door. So they stopped asking.
I would tell them, but I'm already a burden as it is. I don't wanna make their lives even worse.
Anyway, back to the topic of getting beat up. They would insult me all day, and when classes finished they would follow me to my locker and punch or kick me repeatedly. It wasn't exactly like having afternoon tea. But I've grown an immunity to it, I guess.
"Hazel!" I heard my mom shout from downstairs.
"What?!" I shouted back. I'm not getting out of bed at 9 am on a Saturday.
"Come downstairs!"
"You come upstairs!" she isn't winning this argument.
I heard footsteps and the door opened.
"Grace is here to see you."
"You could've texted me or something. Send her up. There's no way I'm getting out of this bed." she rolled her eyes and left the room.
Moments later Grace came in.
"What is it with you and getting up early?" I asked, yawning.
"What is it with you and being up till 6 in the morning?"
I rolled my eyes. "Fair enough. Why did you come?"
"I thought we could go to Target and get some make-up for me. I didn't wanna go alone." she pouted.
I grunted. "Okay. You owe me for this."
I got up and walked to my closet. I grabbed my Iron Maiden t-shirt and leather leggings. I got dressed and grabbed my jacket.
"Are we taking the bus?" I asked.
I hated buses. They're gross and full of awful people that are also gross. So yeah, I'm not very fond of them.
"Yeah." Oh.
I grabbed my bus pass, ran downstairs to say goodbye to my mom and left the house with Grace.
We got to Target in about 15 minutes. I almost screamed when we got to it because this old man decided to sit next to me and casually talk about the earthquake at 8 am in Indonesia.
Grace ran to the cosmetics department and I told her I'll be in the food departament. She shrugged and continued sprinting because 'her favorite lipstick is gonna sell out'. Girls.
Since my mom and dad weren't going to be home for lunch (they have some conference or something), mom gave me money to buy anything I can cook myself. Which means I can either have sausages or cereal. Or I could just go to McDonalds. Yeah, I'll go to McDonalds.
Whilst I was staring at sausages I cought a glimpse of someone looking at soups.
Luke.
Shit.
Don't panic, Hazel. You don't even like him. Come on.
Oh my God. What if he sees me?
My suspicions were proved right when he turned around and caught me staring at him. I looked down and I could almost feel the smirk on his face.
Thankfully, he didn't get close to me. But, I was kind of disappointed. Until someone grabbed my arm.
I was ready to scream when the certain someone whispered:
"Do you like what you see, Hazel Winters?"
I rolled my eyes and turned around.
"You know, you could've given me a heart attack. I could've died right here on the Target floor. And then you would have nothing to live for."
"I guess you're right, Hazel Winters. If you died, I would have to kill myself. We could've been the cliché Romeo and Juliet story."
My heart skipped a beat when he compared us to Romeo and Juliet.
"Except Juliet would die first. And she would die on the dirty floor of her local Target."
He laughed. God, he's perfect.
"Well, Hazel Winters. You are great company."
"So I have been told."
I noticed he was carrying some old lady's clothes in his shopping basket.
"Who are those for?" I asked.
"Oh, they're for my gram." I smiled at him calling his grandmother 'gram'. He scratched the back of his neck. Why is he nervous?
"Well, I'd love to meet your grandma some time."
His face lit up. "You can come to my place after you're finished here."
"Oh, I'm waiting for Grace. I'm kibda the third wheel with her and cosmetics."
"Well, it's a date then." I wish.
Grace shouted my name from the other side of the store and I started walking towards her, with Luke by my side.
"So she's crazy, huh?" he asked.
"Crazy is an understatement." I laughed.
"Calum told me he likes her. Maybe we could get them alone together." he smirked. That's actually not a bad idea.
"Oh my God, Hazel. Which shade is the best?"
I looked at the 'shades' she was holding. Either I am color blind or those are all the same color.
"They're all the same, Grace."
"No, they're not! God, how do you manage to look so good when you don't know anything about make-up?"
"I never look good."
Grace rolled her eyes and Luke mumbled something.
"Anyway, let's get out of here."
We left Target and I was hoping someone would start talking because the silence wasn't helping my anxiety.
"Can you guys make conversation or something?" I said to break the silence.
"Oh, here's my car." Luke said and I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"So, Hazel, are you coming with me?" Luke asked turning to face me.
Grace smirked with the biggest smirk in the history of smirks. Huh, that's a weird word. Smirk.
"Oh, so you're going to his house?" Grace said still smirking. It was becoming uncomfortable by now.
"Yeah, do you mind taking the bus by yourself?" I asked.
"Oh, I'll be out of your hair in no time, kids." she said as she walked away. "Oh, and use protection!"
I rolled my eyes and opened the door to Luke's car. I can't say I wasn't looking forward to this afternoon.
YOU ARE READING
We Are Of The Reckless Kind
Fanfiction"I need you like the moon needs the stars in the night sky. "