Love Me Crazy

10. Home And All That Entails

"…How do you think you did?"

"I don't know…you?"

"Same here…"

"I think I passed though."

"Yeah. Of course."

I nodded as did he.

We had just departed from the depths of hell with barely the clothes on our backs; that we being Ryan and me. Mrs. Steel's history test had been worse than we had ever expected. All the dates that had clouded my mind for so many days seemed to be more like a small, dim wind compared to the amount of days and times mentioned in the exam. I glanced at Ryan a few times during the assessment. I sighed with relief, glad to notice that he was struggling as much as I was.

And then there was Bastion. I was hoping, praying, that he was having the same difficulties as well on the exam. But instead of anything such as that, I found him gone. He had finished the test in approximately ten minutes.

"That Welles guy is such a brainiac," Ryan remarked as I nodded in agreement, "He was in there like…two seconds."

"Ten minutes…" I murmured, thinking back to the time he had departed. This made Ryan raise his left eyebrow, telling me all too blatantly that I was obsessed with Bastion. But I wasn't. I just remember the precise moment he had decided to turn in his test. No biggie.

"So…what do you think of prom?" I inquired after awhile. I always seemed to be out of "conversation starters" when I was around Ryan. He made me feel so uncertain of myself.

"Like am I going? Then no…"

"Oh…well…if you were to go, who would you-" I started.

"But I wouldn't," he quickly finished.

I sighed as I tried to work my way around the rather restricted boy. He already hated me. I didn't need him to be witty and droll as well.

"I…I heard Vida say she'd go…pretty surprising, huh?" I murmured lowly as we turned into an empty hallway. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Ryan shrug.

Gulping down my courage, I continued. "I also heard that Melody's going…"

"She goes to every dance," he muttered, "Why would this one be any different?"

"Because…well…I don't know. She and Roy have been…" I paused a moment to think over what I was about to say. In my effort to make conversation, I had delved into the world of secrecy and declinations. "They've been on and off lately. I don't…they don't work. Maybe that means you can-"

Whatever words I was going to say were quickly forgotten. When I felt his chilling hand grab my wrist, I was immediately silenced. Clutching it tightly, Ryan quickly shoved me backwards. I whimpered in fright as I felt my back meet a locker handle. My eyes shut closed as I looked down, away from his view.

"If I were you, I would shut it. Don't be the insolent, scheming girl I expect you to be. Stay the hell out of my life."

I breathed in deeply, my nostrils feeling especially cold and sore. His left arm was smashing my small hands above my head and I could feel my blood circulation begin to close.