November // n.h

xvii.

               S E V E N T E E N

I throw my pencil case into my handbag and leave the school books on the desk. Gathering all the stares on my way to the teacher, all that I could think about was getting out of the lesson to leave the building earlier than everyone else around me.

Convincing Mrs. Benson didn't take me very long, as she loses track of time easily and if she had a clock on the wall, I would be told to sit down. In the case of her not having a watch on her wrist or on the wall, the old lady allowed me to leave the class with the thought of me only going to the toilet.

You can call it bunking, or sneaking out, but I left the class only ten minutes before the bell would ring. It took me two minutes to get to my locker and another four to open it. Who would have thought that school lockers can get stuck? Ridiculous.

Either way, closing the locker doors I hear footsteps and I freeze in my spot. After a second, a bloke walks out from around the corner and even though his back is facing me, I know the person so well. In a matter of time, I can feel my cheeks burning, my stomach twisting and that little irritating itch in my throat preventing me from speaking or making a noise of any sort.

I can call it luck, that when Niall takes notice of me, the bell rings and each single human being floods out of their classes making it difficult for him to get to me. They surround him like vultures - which has happened before - and this time, I am not going to help him because I need to keep moving myself.

"Eve!" He shouts, trying to get through the crowded corridor of people who keep on asking him for a picture. I walk out of the building not worrying about the blond lad struggling to get out. No matter how difficult it was, Niall catches up with me, grabs my arm lightly and forces me to look at him. To look into his eyes and listen to each word that he is about to say. "Nina told me everything." He says finally and I can't help but feel mixed up.

"What do you mean? What did she tell you?" I ask clearly confused because Nina says many things and it is really difficult to keep up with her mind.

"She told me about Danny. About his death and how you keep on blaming yourself for it. She told me about your relationship with him and how long it has been happening for. She told me about your nightmares, Eve." He blurts out in one go and I feel my blood boiling. The thought of betrayal clear in my mind. "I was worried about you! I needed to know why you ran away that day and the only person that I could have asked was Nina." The blond adds most probably noticing my bright red cheeks.

"Let me go." I tell him calmly just to seem sane. "Let go of my arm." I repeat myself a little harsher and it works. Niall's hand let's go of my arm but his eyes are still focused on mine. That is when I turn around without a word, and walk away. I hear my name being called over and over again but I don't turn around. I keep on walking with my eyes focused on objects ahead of me just to make sure that I won't turn around.

My legs carry me to the place that I know best and even though the person that I have the need to talk to isn't there yet, I decide to stay and wait. I sit down on the front porch, close my eyes and count to ten. Before she comes, I need to calm myself.

I open my eyes and notice a familiar face approaching me. A small nervous smile plastered on her face, telling me that she is afraid of what is coming. Truth be told, I am unsure myself, of what I will tell her. There is no reason for shouting at the red headed girl, cos she will explain everything with the simple sentence: 'I was worried about you', which would of course, turn into a bigger argument, that she would win.

Nina slows down a little, when she notices me watching her carefully, and I send her a smile, trying to encourage her to sit down next to me. Maybe, it wasn't one of the smartest decisions because Nina just stops and frowns, looking at me mixed up.