Insecure {AUGUST ALSINA}

5.

[CATALINA'S P.O.V]

From my seat in class, I watch August talk to some girl. If it weren't for my suspicions of him I wouldn't think anything of the conversation; but since it's very odd that he'd ever talk to anyone I let my eyes linger on the two of them longer than usual. The girl does a flirtatious, forced smile that shows her top row of white teeth. I shake my head in disgust before quickly turning to pay attention to the board again.

Nothing suspicious there- just a girl trying to score a spot on his more sensitive side. It so happens that I've never seen him in player mode.

I haven't been able to get his weird interaction with Caden out of my head since it happened. Does he sell drugs to an almost fifty year old man? Does Caden owe him money? Was he delivering a message for someone? More importantly I can't decide why I even care.

I twist the hair tie on my wrist for the feeling, and for my nerves. August's weird behavior is stuck in my head like a new summer song that everyone is dancing to. No matter how hard I try to think about something else, it comes creeping up in the back of my mind.

I don't give a reaction when he takes his new seat, beside me. There was not a single person in class who didn't give us a weird look when they noticed us peacefully sitting next to each other. At least it was peaceful from their perspective. We still argued, just not loud enough for everyone to hear since we were no longer on opposite sides of the class.

"Please don't get too close, and don't copy my notes." I say, scooting my books and chair over.

He nods his head in a manner that made it obvious he doesn't really care about what I have to say.

"Why were you at Caden's store? How do you know him?" The question comes out as if I have no control over what I say.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Easy. My mom-" I start, but he interrupts to say 'fake mom'. "Yeah, whatever. She makes me go once a month to help him out. I don't know why."

He doesn't say a word. I guess if he doesn't respond that means I can't continue a conversation and find out anything about him.

As if programmed, I turn my head to look behind me. Only to find a pair of iced coffee colored eyes staring me down. If looks could kill, lets just say I'd be laying in a coffin well on my way to a burial ground. I don't pay any attention to the girl August was flirting with- whatever her name may be.

I know she thinks he's sitting by me all of a sudden because he likes me now or something. For our age, she should be way beyond making assumptions and not liking someone for it. Truly, she should be way beyond having a crush.

Yet, that doesn't stop me from winking at her to further annoy her before I turn around, scoot even further away from August, and write as the professor speaks.

*********

I trudge through the windy open field, hoping that I make it to my next class before my face freezes off. It doesn't help that the path there doesn't have a single building to block out the wind. Only thing here is a black audi, cruising so slow that it seems as if I'd beat them to class walking.

"Hey-" a voice pops up beside me and I flinch harder that I would've if I was watching a scary movie.

"What do you want!?" I ask in irritation, turning my head in the freezing cold to make sure August sees me glaring at him, "and could you please stop following me!?"

"Don't flatter yourself Annie, I'm on my way to the science building."

"Did you just call me Annie?" I scoff. I thought orphan jokes were way out of his league. He was more of a 'I hate you so I'll make you miserable, not tease you' type.

"Did I?" He furrows his eyebrows, acting shocked. "Huh. I meant Esther- I mean Catalina. Definitely meant Catalina."

"Oh you're hilarious. A real gem. Too bad I haven't watched any movies where mommy runs away and leaves baby all alone with his uncaring dad."

"Well then you haven't tried Lifetime." He puts on a voice you would use when talking to a baby as he shakes his head sarcastically. "I'm sure they have a movie for everything."

He doesn't take offense to my comment like he usually would. I can't tell if it's because he started it or if I wasn't serious enough when I said it.

I've been arguing with him since the day I've met him. He thought he could talk to me the same way he did everyone else, without realizing that he had finally met a match for his unapproachable attitude. He was taken back by my reaction to him, but he only showed it briefly before we had out first 'in the spotlight' argument. Like every other one since, it was loud enough for the whole class to hear.

My science class is fairly small for a college course. Not too many choose it and for that reason I decided to add it to my schedule. The only problem is the other people in this class. There were the guys from creative writing who seem interesting there but odd here, then there's a few med students who pretty much live in this building. A weird pick that I don't necessarily belong in.

"Need help?" Grayson walks up to me and takes a seat, uninvited.

"Actually, no. I'm no future surgeon but I've got this." I mumble before rolling my eyes, hoping my attitude is enough to push him away- it isn't.

"Not a friendly one are you?"

"Nope." I focus on the test tubes in front of me, not bothering to even look at him.

"It's a shame, you're too beautiful to have such a-"

"Are you flirting with me?" I ask in disgust, finally making eye contact.

His soft grey eyes still don't make me change my stance. My expression remains unreadable but harsh at the same time. Grayson doesn't budge, he only smiles slightly to show me that he's as unphased as  I am.

I get up from my seat to replace my scissors with a bigger and stronger pair, but I didn't expect him to follow me.

"You know what I think?" He begins. "I think you could be a really nice girl, but you're so bent on showing people how much you don't care that you don't realize how much you really do care shows."

"Congratulations. Is that all?" I question.

"For today, yeah." He gives me a smile as he walks away which only leads to me rolling my eyes once more.

****

"Where does this go?" August speaks up for the first time in thirty minutes just to ask me where I think the paint brushes go.

Today, we got stuck with cleaning up the art room. I'd take this over trash picking any day to be honest. The classroom was a mess though, it looks like those students whose creativity stretched for miles didn't have any ideas on how to keep their surroundings from being a total mess.

Ugh- don't janitors get paid to do this stuff? I would rather sit in a detention room in silence then to clean other people's messes for nothing.

"I wouldn't know."

"You notice that car has been out there the whole time?" He nods his head towards the window and I look.

The same black Audi from earlier when I was walking to class. If I didn't know any better I would've just assumed it was broken.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"It's following you, that's what about it." His voice doesn't sound smooth like I'm used to, he's panicking and I can hear it.

"Me? Why not you?"

Thinking about it though, the car was there riding beside me long before August even showed up.

"No. Can't be possible. I would've noticed a long time ago if someone was following me."

"They're following me!?" My eyes widen.

Who? I had no idea