Just Kidding | ✔️

Chapter 36: "I'm back baby"

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The rest of the week passes by in the blink of an eye and my melancholy due to Cooper's absence is turning into anger.

"He's supposed to be here!" I groan, hitting my head against the lockers until Chloe yanks my arm back. "And he will be. He said sometime during the week, it's still the week." She reassures me, tucking a loose strand of hair that's fallen from my mess of a bun I woke up in this morning.

The bell rings for classes to begin. "You better be right." I turn and storm away until I'm greeted with my first class of the day. History. Not that I ever enjoyed this class before but now it's just a snooze fest.

Learning all about the wars and who led them, how many people died in them, it's putting me to sleep. Thankfully though I make it to my next class, then the next and soon I'm strolling into Mrs.Lenard's room with a slightly more positive outlook.

It might just be her incense that she says "brings good vibes" but it also might be the fact that I genuinely enjoy this class.

Before I get to my seat, Mrs.Lenard calls me over and I'm heading her way. "I wanted to give you this." She holds up a finger, pulling out a white sheet of paper from her desk to then hand it over to me.

"What is it?" I examine the cursive writing scrawled across the front.

"It's yours and Cooper's grade report for the first quarter. I have to say, the two of you exceeded any of my expectations." She leans back against the mahogany desk and smiles. "You have come so far. I'm very proud of you Kyla." I watch as she opens her arms and before I know it she's pulling me in for a quick hug.

"Oh. Okay." I chuckle, returning the embrace. Once I take my seat, shoving the report into my folder, the teacher begins talking again. This time to the class.

"So, we are nearing the end of the second quarter now. Which means that finals are starting soon and grades are being entered." She claps her hands together and the class groans in protest. "It has been an amazing first semester with all of you, I'm looking forward to seeing what the next couple of weeks bring until winter winter break."

After a class of sitting around staring out of the window, a sort of tranquil feeling washes over me and in no time the bell is ringing. Lunch is beginning.

When I leave class I don't expect to see Bryce. He's been acting awfully off-putting and for the past week he hasn't been meeting me in front of Mrs.Lenard's like he usually does. So imagine my surprise when my hand is pulled out of nowhere and I'm flat against the lockers with Bryce staring down at me.

"Uh, is there something wrong?" I blink. Meeting Bryce's dark eyes is like staring into a bottomless pit. There's nothing but emptiness and fear.

I shiver when his hands cage me in. "You know. I've been dealing with it." Bryce scoffs. He's getting angry. Angry Bryce is a reckless-out of control-blood bath.

"W-with what?" I try to calm him with my hands out to the sides and my voice hushed. I'm taking all of the necessary precautions that Riley, Chloe and I have been told to by his parents when his anger spike like this.

"With the rage." He chuckles cynically.
"Please, Bryce. Calm down." I remain as relaxed as possible while the wandering eyes and passing students move on with their day in order to let me deal with my hot headed friend alone.

The only other time Bryce blew up like this was sophomore year when he'd seen Dawson raise a hand to my face in the school halls. He went into a rage, tackled Dawson to the ground but only ended up in the hospital with a broken nose while Dawson remained clean, only a bruised jaw and a bigger ego.

Now I'm not entirely sure what's gotten into him and frankly I don't need to know why. All I do know is that I need to keep him contained. "We can talk about this okay-"

"About what?" Bryce screams, slamming a hand down on the metal of the locker just inches away from my face. I can't help it, I shriek. "About the fact that I've been waiting for you to finally notice me?" He leans closer.

"I do. I do." I nod frantically.

"No." He shakes his head. "Not in the way I want you to."

"What do you mean?" I gulp.

"I mean that I've sat and watched you pick and point at these boys who will never be good enough for you!"

"No." I shake my head, aware of the direction this conversation is taking.

He leans closer, his finger brushes against my cheek. "I can treat you so much better than Rhodes, can."

"Bryce please." I attempt to step around him but he grabs my arms and he holds me still.

"I know you, Kyla. Everything about you. But Cooper? He doesn't."

"He does. He knows me, Bryce."

"Not like I do." He shakes his head, his hair whipping back and forth across his forehead. "No one knows you like I do, but still you'll never choose me. Why?"

"You're my friend." I say.

His eyes flicker down to my lips. "Then what if we weren't?"

"No. Bryce no-" it's too late.

The only outlet to fuel the fire inside of him are my lips and until now, I've never wanted to go down in flames.

Dawson? It was expected. He was drunk and he's no friend of mine,

But Bryce? It's the greatest disaster that has ever struck. "Stop." I whimper against his lips and at first he doesn't budge. His hands wind around my waist to press me flush against him, I'm afraid I'll never escape but with one push to his chest he's crashing back to earth and stumbling far from my reach.

Staring at him through a blurry vision I nearly choke, holding a hand to my mouth to keep me from vomiting.

Bryce, who blinks once then twice watches me in shock and the shade of concern I recognize returns to his dull eyes. "K-Kyla I'm so sorry, I'm. . ."

I think I'm going to be sick.

Quickly my feet take me the opposite direction of him, towards the lunchroom or the girls restroom where I know I'll be safe.

"Kyla wait!" He pleads, his voice is a loud drum in my ear as I practically run for shelter. I can hear his footsteps gaining on me. Closer and closer then,

They stop.

And it's not until my pace slows to a walk that I understand why. Someone else is here. Someone like,

"C-Cooper?" I breathe.

My gaze locates his shoes first. Then his jeans. Then I move up and up until I'm met with those breathtaking grey eyes staring back at me.

Raising his arms out in front of him, he grins. "I'm back, baby."

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A/N: So what did you think? Who is your favorite character and who is your least?