The Chosen Few (On Hold)

Chapter 24

"Okay Mercetie, just breath."

"I-I'm trying to." I stutter a little as I look at the entrance of the school. Bunches of kids flood through the door as I stand in the middle of the quad, not moving.

"Just take a deep breath." Adrienne instructs. I do as told and inhale a lot of air, then let it out. The breath comes out jagged and sounds worse than it did before. Macey sighs and bites her lips. Luna walks up to me.

"Don't let him see you like this. You need to walk in like a strong, independent woman." She says forcefully.

"But I'm not that, Luna." I state.

"Well act like it. Don't let him know what he did scared you." She continues.

But he did scare me. He made me feel unsafe in my own skin. Never in my life have I felt that deserted. Not even when my parents died, or when I first got down to Earth. It was just how he smiled that sinister smile, desperation in his eyes.

And how had I not notice it. All the late night texts telling me to come over so we could "chat". Me always having to be the one to cut-off make-out sessions before it got too serious. All the signs were there. I was just being ignorant and irresponsible.

I guess my parents were right. Love does blind you. Even fake love, or so-called love. The truth is, I was feeling lonely and really alone, and then he stepped in. He made me feel special, and for a second, that empty void in my heart seemed to be feeling back up. But no, it was all a lie. And now I feel even worse than I did before I even knew him.

I start walking the opposite way from the school. Nope, I can't do it. I can't bare to see him and his oblivious self roam the halls. And what if he tried talking to me? Or he tried to pursue me again. I can't chance it.

The squad chases after me as I walk swiftly away. They stop me, and I try to break free so I can leave this hell place.

"Let go." I growl at them, but they seem to grip on me tighter.

"No Mercetie, you need to confront this head on." Macey says calmly. I roll my eyes.

"Don't tell me what I need to do Macey! What you need to do is stay in the corner and BUTT out!" I yell at her, Macey flinching the whole time. I rip myself out of there arms and continue, infuriated.

"In fact, all of you need to. I'm so tired of you guys running me around, telling me what I ought to do. Well, what y'all ought to do is get out of my face, cause I'm about to pop off, and y'all bout to catch it." Aamora snorts.

"You don't need to, you already did." I glare at her. She ignores me, Making me even more pissed.

Macey comes comes up a second time, trying to calm me down. She reaches for my shoulder, and I slap her hand.

"Macey, don't touch me. I swear, you are gonna get slapped SO hard of you don't back up from me." I almost shout. Macey looks a little hurt, but I could care less right now. Kenya suddenly snaps her finger.

"That's it." She points at me. I look at her like she done lost her mind.

She snaps her finger again, walking toward me with her finger pointed straight at me.

"Keep that attitude you got right there when you get in school. He won't say a word to you, and if he does, he's go in to regret it. Instead of taking your anger at on us, take it out on the cause of your anger, Josh." I flinch at the use of his very name. But I still nod. I've cooled off a little.

"Yeah, alright." I say, my temper steadily going down.

Luna claps her hands together and smiles. "Alright, let's go girls." She throws her arm around my neck, and we walk to the school. I walk in there with a new found confidence.

~o0o~

It had finally come to the dreaded hour. All day, I was able to avoid him, but now, it was biology, and there was no way I was getting out of this one. I literally sat at a table with him. I breathed in a hesitant breath.

I took as long as I could to go down the hall to the class, but just my luck, right when I get to the door, he's there, and he's heading straight for me. I can feel my body start to panic, and I feel like throwing up my lunch. Nope, stay strong Mercetie.

He rushes toward me, and stops right in front of me. My heart starts pounding in my chance, and sweat is dripping down my forehead. I try to go around him, but he blocks me. I look up at him, extremely intimidated.  This is the first time I've really seen him since the "accident". His hair is all over the place, his clothes are ragged, he has stubble all over his face, and his eyes have bags under them.

"Mercetie, please don't go, let me talk to you. I-"

"Get away from me you pervert. Don't even think about touching me." The words come out of my mouth so easily and I stand a little taller.

Josh grabs my shoulder. I scowl, and slap it, hard. He immediately slips his hand off me and holds his hand in pain. He looks at me, guilt, and sadness in his eyes.

"Mercetie. I made a huge mistake and-" I cut him off with a simple movement of my hand.

"I don't want to here your messed up excuse for trying something so sinister." I spit out at him harshly.

"There is no excuse for what I did, just-"

"Yes, there isn't, glad you finally acknowledged you're wrong, but I don't care."

"Please, I'm begging you Mercetie, just forgive me. I-I can't live with myself thinking you think I'm a-a..." He trails off, not finding the words. Well I can.

"I know good and well what you are.  You are the most disrespectful, nastiest, boy I've ever encountered in my life!" I scream at him. People have stopped to look at me and Josh, but i dont care. Tears start rolling down my cheeks.

"JUST MOVE ON! DON'T TOUCH ME, DON'T TALK TO ME, JUST LEAVE ME BE!" I screech. They now have one of the assistant principals coming down the hallm rushing to our steadily intensifying conversation. The woman grabs me, holding me back, but she doesn't fase me.

Josh reaches for me, one more time, and this flips me off into a tangent.

"GET OFF ME! NEVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!! JUST GET AWAY! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING!! The lady shushed me as I flail around in her arms. I finally collaspe In her arms, and start sobbing. I don't care that everyones looking at me like I'm crazy. I'm hurt, scared, frustrated and i can't handle this right now.

"You're alright honey, he's gone, were leaving. You're going to be okay.

As I walk with the assistant principal to the office, crying in her arms, I realise I've really hit rock bottom.