Blind side

Chapter 3

No... no.

I check again to make sure he wasn't one of my main antagonists. I sigh, slightly relieved.

 He was just a bystander, watching, laughing, somehow never fully grasping the whole thing, the severity of the trauma. 

I'm pretty sure he moved halfway through middle school. I don't blame people like him, but that doesn't mean they don't remind me. 

"Do you know him?" I hear from the side of me. I swing around, I almost forgot Liam was still there.

" I don't know, he just looked familiar..."

I can tell he doesn't believe me, he saw my reaction. But I pray he won't pry further.

What does he want with me? This can't be good, nothing good ever comes from people like this, always prying and asking questions. 

I make a point to practically ignore his presence completely. 

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After school, I go to the local gym and swim for hours, taking my mind off things. The gym is packed, it's Friday after all.

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When I get home I collapse on my bed and fall asleep, my cat Simba curls up next to me. 

I get up in the middle of the night, and wander into the kitchen. It's pointless to try to go back to sleep, laying alone in the dark, waiting for my brain to rest, it reminds me of things I don't want to remember. 

I get a cup of water and some snacks, then wander back to my room. Grabbing a pillow, a few blankets, and a candle, I head out on the balcony attached to my room.

I Set the candle down on the table and light it, then sit on my small bench. The air is crisp and cool, and the sky is strikingly clear. 

Tonight I'm star gazing, it takes my mind off of everything, absorbing me into the freckled abyss.

When I was little, me and my sister, Ella, would sneak outside at night and fabricate stories around every car we saw pass by.

The wind blows the candle out, and I fall asleep for awhile, waking up ever so often through the night. 

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The next day, I wake up early and get ready. It's still hot out, so I throw on shorts and a t-shirt, and i'm ready to brace the day. 

After eating a small bowl of cereal, I feed Simba and say morning to my parents. Then I pull out my bike and put in my earbuds. My final destination is the ice cream shop/cafe a couple blocks away.

When I arrive I lock my bike and walk in. After ordering a coffee chip ice cream, I eat by the left wall. 

A boy about my age, leans against the wall right next to me, he's wearing an employee uniform, but looks like he's on break. 

I feel his eyes on me, and I glance back at him. He has beautiful bronze skin and black ruffled hair with light brown eyes. He's made of muscle, and stands at least a foot taller than me. 

He sees me staring back, and he smiles, I give a slight nod and look away. People like him always have an agenda.

I grab my ice cream and rush out, finishing it on a bench nearby that faces the lake. The lake is beautiful, the sun reflects off it like a diamond, I want to jump in but I know it'll be cold, even if it is still technically "summer". 

I tip my toe in and settle on the decision to come back tomorrow and take a swim. After all it will be a welcome break from the radiating heat and humidity of the air. 

Before I head home I stop at some stores, and give them my resume. By the time I get home it's around 6 p.m. and the house is empty. 

After my sister left my parents started to drown themselves in work, it was like I lost my whole family. 

I go into my room and log onto my computer. I connect to discord and look to see who's online in the voice chat, then I connect.

"Hey guys!"

"Hey Cora, it's been awhile, how was moving?"

"eh- Good I guess... A lot of work though"

"Yeah I bet, you pick up any boys yet" 

Everyone chuckles "Nah, but I was the talk of the school" 

"Yo, she's practically a celebrity, can we even talk to her?" 

We continue to talk and joke thought the night, It's been forever since I've talked to them.

I met Susan and Evelyn through swimming, and Matt from him being their mutual friend. They were some of my first real friends, and really only friends. Ever since then we started video chatting and playing games together.  

I now live considerably closer to them, they live a town over and are our schools arch rival. So now I'll finally get to see them more often for things like basketball games. 

For once in my life, i'm looking forward to the future.