Breathe

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

*~*~*~*

I pursed my lips into a thin line as I laid across the neatly made bed, staring up at the ceiling as I tossed a baseball into the air, catching it before it could hit my face. I kept doing this over and over again, finding myself lost in memories, wishing things weren't so different from how they were just a few months ago.

"Penny?" I heard Tony yell my name from downstairs, but I didn't pay any attention to him, in no mood to be dragged off to school. In no mood to see the faces of the people that had changed everything so drastically.

So, I ignored Tony's yells, choosing to instead focus on the baseball as I kept tossing it up into the air, focusing on the simplicity of the action. I only stopped at the sight of the tanned hand reaching out, grabbing the baseball before I could.

"I was using that." I stated as I looked over at where Tony was standing over the bed, the baseball in his hands now. I hold out my hand with just a raised brow. "I'll take it back, thank you."

"You can have it after school." He shook his head. "Come on, we're gonna be late if we don't get going."

"Fine," I drew out the word as I pushed myself out of the bed.

"Isn't it weird to be in here?" He asked as I raked a hand through my hair, moving it out of my face as I led the way out of the bedroom and over to mine across the hall. I grabbed my backpack off my desk before we both headed downstairs. I couldn't be more thankful that my mom had the early shift today so I wouldn't have to deal with her questions and carefully chosen comments.

"I actually find it comforting." I admitted. "Being in his room, it's almost as though he's still here. It helps."

"I'll take your word for it." He gave a small shake of his head before we both headed out of my house and towards his car.

*~*~*~*

"What the hell?" I swore as I spotted a crowd of students in the middle of the street, by the school's tennis court. I hurried over, pushing my way to the front so I could see the spectacle that had fascinated everyone. In the middle of the crowd were Alex and Montgomery fighting one another, and Alex seemed to be getting his ass handed to him.

"Stop it. I said stop it." Mr. Porter hurried forward, pulling Montgomery off of Alex.

"All right! All right!" Montgomery gave in. "God."

"Come on, man." Mr. Porter looked between Montgomery and Alex, who was still laying on the pavement. "What the hell is going on?"

"He started it." Montgomery told him.

"Yeah?" Mr. Porter raised a brow as he took in Alex's battered figure, clearly no believing the jock. "So what are you doing?"

"Finishing it?" Montgomery shrugged, earning laughs from some of the other students that were gathered around. I, however, simply rolled my eyes, not impressed in the slightest.

"You think that's funny? Yeah?" Mr. Porter took Montgomery by the arm. "Come on, let's go. Everybody, go to class. Show is over. Go to class!"

"Come on, Clay." I grabbed the boy's arm, leading him towards the school, leaving Mr. Porter to deal with the mess that was Alex Standall. As Clay and I headed towards the school though, we were stopped by Justin.

"Where you going, Clay?" Justin seemed to ignore me entirely as he questioned the other boy.

"Where's my bike?" Clay asked.