Different Inside and Out

Chapter Eight

I move onto my next class where I am alone once again because Ahren is off somewhere else.

I don’t really concentrate throughout the rest of the day and think about seeing Ahren again at the end of the day, wondering what the first thing he says to me will be.

When the bell goes, I rush out of the classroom as fast as I can until someone grabs my shoulder a pulls me back… hard.

‘Who the fuck do you think you are talking to me how you did earlier?! I will hurt every inch of your body if I have to!’ Hannah screams in my face. I can’t stop myself from laughing.

‘Oh please Hannah, you don’t have to be so angry when all I did was state my opinion, knowing it would shut you up.’ I smirk and just as I say that I feel a hand come hard across my face. I can’t keep my balance and fall onto the concrete floor.

Her foot connects against my stomach and I scream out in pain. Everything goes dark and all I can hear is ‘let go of me!’

Everything’s going around in circles and I can hardly stand up straight. I feel arms softly against my back helping me up.

‘Jess! Jess are you okay? Jess can you hear me?’ I hear Joel trying to speak to me and I can only make out some words.

‘I’m fine, I’m fine.’ My vision is coming back to me and I notice him standing almost right in front of me. He tries to let go of me but I clutch onto him, not knowing if I will fall.

He pulls me into his arms and I feel his eyes on me, almost taking in every movement I make.

I immediately let go knowing I’m not doing the right thing and he looks at me confusingly.

‘Sorry.’ I mumble.

‘It’s fine Jess. Why was she hurting you?’ he says softly. I shrug.

‘She didn’t get her own way I guess.’ I reply trying to sound casual but my physical pain washes over the top of my words. He frowns.

‘What do you mean?’ He asks.

‘I just said something to her  that annoyed her because she kept looking at me and mocking every move I made.’ I say almost impatiently.

‘She is out of control.’ Worry washes over his face. “Jess are you sure you’re okay? She hit you pretty hard.’

‘Don’t worry about me Joel, I’ll be fine.’  I try my hardest to put on a fake smile just so he doesn’t have to worry about me any longer.

‘Alright. I’m so sorry I have to get home because I have to do some homework before Ahr…’ He stops halfway throughout his sentence while I realise what he was going to say. ‘Sorry.’ He apologises, and my confusion grows.

‘Why are you apologising?’ I ask.

‘I… I’m not sure.’ He stutters. ‘So yeah I have to really get home. Bye Jess.’ He waves at me as usual and smiles nervously at me and leave the room. He looks so cute.

‘Bye Joel.’ I reply even though he has left the room.

I step to leave but I wince as soon as my foot makes contact with the floor, although I keep going. As I leave the room and make my way to the door at the end of the hallway, it flies open and Ahren bursts through it. His eyes set on me and he smiles.

‘There you are.’ He grins and runs towards me and picks me up. What feels like a lightning bolt goes through me, I scream in pain.

He immediately puts me down and panic washes over his face and eyes.