Running Away From a Past Life

Chapter 6

    It was late Sunday evening and I regretfully had to leave Ian’s house to go home and get around for bed for school the next day. My black eye was starting to yellow, but it was still pretty evident. My lip wasn’t really swollen anymore, and the red mark across my face was gone. I could cover my eye with makeup and make it almost invisible as long as no one looked too closely. I fell asleep worrying about what all was going to happen tomorrow. After the party on Friday, I had completely excluded myself from the outside world, I’m sure my friends texted me some rumor or gossip about Luke, seeing as how he was knocked out almost naked in a room at the party, someone had to have found him at some point. Plus they’d all be wondering what happened between Ian and I since I just told them that we left the party together, but didn’t say why. School came much too early the following day. I woke up and followed my usual morning routine, except taking a few extra minutes to blend foundation around my eye to disguise my still faint black eye. Ian stopped by just as I was about to leave and offered me a ride to school. We sat in his car for a little while, which left us no time to talk in the hallways, we pretty much went into the school and had to go straight to our first hour. Madison was desperately trying to get my attention from across the room. I finally looked, glad that she didn’t sit right next to me so she wouldn’t notice the extra makeup on my eye. She pointed at Ian then at me and winked. I just laughed which caused the teacher to shush the both of us. When I walked out of first hour I noticed Luke standing very close to my locker. I hoped that Ian wouldn’t see this too, but thankfully he was already heading the opposite direction to his locker, I had to do something though because eventually Ian would either turn to look at me at my locker and wait for me to walk over on our way to advanced chem., or he would come wait for me by my locker. I took a deep breath and walked to my locker, ignoring Luke.

“You’re lucky you’re boyfriend keeps you on a leash and doesn’t let you out of his sight.” Luke said in a harsh tone then walked away before Ian could look in our direction. Just then, I also noticed Taylor giving me the death glare several lockers down. She was too far away to hear the conversation, but easily close enough to see that her boyfriend was just talking to me. “Shit.” I muttered under my breath, the last thing I want to do is cause more of a problem, I just want Luke to leave me alone forever, and Taylor to have no reason to start problems with me.

I grabbed my advanced chem. book and shut my locker, about to meet up with Ian to walk to class, but Taylor beat me to him.  She stopped right next to him and leaned against the lockers near his, popping her hip out and playing with her hair. I just stood there astounded as I listened to Taylor talk about how she hardly saw him at the party Friday, and asked where he went.

“I went home a little early” is all he said, and he grabbed my hand and walked away towards chem. class. I couldn’t help but feel a little smug that he so easily blew her off and made it obvious he didn’t care about her whatsoever. Taylor and Luke are both terrible, and yet perfect, for each other. They both flirt with other people, but in doing so they are exactly alike. After advanced chem., Ian went to his math class, and I was on my way to anatomy when Taylor stopped me in the hallway.

“You know Ian is too good for you, right?”

I started to just ignore her and walk away, but then she said:

“I will get my way Ashley, no matter what it takes.”

She walked off but I froze for a second.  It’s not that I’m afraid of Taylor, it’s just that I can’t handle anymore drama in my life, and I don’t know what I would do if she meddled with my life. After anatomy, I was on my way to my locker when I saw a group of kids gathering over by Ian’s locker…oh no. Ian and Luke finally ran into each other. Luke made some snide comment about me looking great with my clothes off, and said that eventually he would get another chance with me. Ian snapped and grabbed the collar of Luke’s shirt and slammed him into the lockers. I ran over behind Ian and pulled him back, he loosened up knowing that I was right there, so he let go of Luke, who was laughing through all of this, and walked away with me looking very pissed off.