Beautifully Designed

Chapter 10-Daredevil

The following week went by in a blur. Tons of recent events flitted through my brain as the days passed one by one. Finding out that the boy was still alive kept me tossing and turning the first few nights.

I kept wondering how they had found out he was well. Why had we just recently been told that he was alright? Why lose contact with us suddenly, only to come back months later?

All different forms of questions whirled around my skull, begging to be answered by anyone. Annie was nowhere to be seen this week, since she was heading down to Florida for vacation. Now I was truly and utterly alone.

I haven't seen Jason at all that week, not even on the day we had homeroom. My heart was still aching at the way we parted when we last saw each other, but every time I thought of that I also thought of Scott. The way his lips moved over mine, the way his hands wrapped around my waist.

It was Monday now, a week and one day since I saw the Casanova himself. He was probably waiting for me to call him, but I wasn't thinking straight lately and the only way to do that was keep a safe distance from boys for a little while.

Mindlessly, I wondered through the halls to my next classes. Shoving and being shoved was happening more recently, as I didn't care who was in my way. But as soon as I plowed headlong into a sturdy body that caused me to wobble, it snapped me from my trance.

A pair of large hands gripped my shoulders to keep me from falling, I looked up to see who the brick wall was.

"Whoa there. Oh Spencer, I've been meaning to talk to you." Jared looked down at me with his muddy brown eyes, sorrow filled within them.

My stomach lurched in fear at the closeness of his body to mine. The side of his face had a faint bruise along with a slightly busted lip, and I wondered where it had come from. I didn't answer him, but waited for him to speak. My voice would shake if I would dare to say anything.

"I'm sorry about the other day. I realize how wrong it was to do that, considering you were probably scared out of your mind." He tried sheepishly, running a hand through his brown locks.

My head started spinning at his words. Apologizing? It's been weeks since the locker room, that wasn't the other day. What am I missing?

"What do you mean, the other day?" I questioned my thoughts, wary of the way he turned his head and sighed.

"You know," Jared started, then refocused his eyes to the ceiling. "The other day, in the hallway. Nick was there..." I continued to stare at him for a moment, then the memories came flooding back as if a dam had broke.

Alone in the hall, Nick holding me against my will. Screaming into Nick's hand as he restricted me from moving. Thrashing to get away from both of them.

A fist connecting to the back of Jared's head and Nick's nose. Jason. Jason was there to help me. He never even told me what had happened.

He probably didn't realize I actually may have forgotten after blacking out

I felt woozy as the incident repeatedly swirled in my head, my stomach rolling in trepidation. My breathing became labored, slow yet deep breaths straining to deliver oxygen to my lungs.

"Hey, whoa, Spence are you okay?" Jared steadied me by gripping my upper arms and holding me in place.

Adrenaline pumping through my veins, my body reacted without me realizing until it was over. I swiftly pushed his chest backward and he barely stumbled before I swung my fist with a newfound power. The moment it connected to his jaw a small crack resonated through my eardrums.