𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆

;mad

Emma Chamberlain

I left the football match after telling my best friends that I had just been sick in the toilets. Amanda brought me soup but never spoke of the rest of the football match.

By Sunday morning I was still reliving the whole situation and the pure fear that had almost immediately returned every time you even thought of Ethan.

The panic I had felt was deep down when I glimpsed at that knife knowing it was meant to inflict pain upon someone that didn't deserve to die.

I return to school on Monday with a fresh face of makeup and Olivia's short skirt again in hopes that my body confidence would over ride my true anxiety.

Double theatre was first and I had been informed that Miss Hough was wanting to create an actual mini school play. I had left the script she had spontaneously given me in my locker.

"Do you think you got the main role?" Amanda asks as I turn the numbers on my lock and shrug.

As the locker opens a piece of paper floats downwards into my hands. I swiftly shove it into my pocket as I grab the script and slam the locker with an eye roll.

As I near the staged area, I open the paper and scribbled upon it was two words

Im sorry

It was definitely Ethan's writing I could spot it anywhere due to it being so messy and rare.

He wasn't sorry, someone couldn't say that shit and not mean it. He wanted me to leave him and most of all he wanted to hurt that boy and that wasn't just forgotten by him scribbling that he was sorry.

He could've wrote that while laughing, I think, as I nod politely at my drama teacher.

"Romeo and Juliet is very stereotypical and cliche which is why I've chosen it, because with your intelligent little brains I want to mix it up and make it different" the teacher explains as Ethan enters the classroom flashing her a smile.

Ethan looks at me so I move my eyes downwards to try and ignore him.

Miss Hough wanted us to not have one Romeo and Juliet, no, she wanted all of us to be them. Explaining that she wanted two main character and that the rest of the class would be different thoughts, feelings and yet be the same person.

"Emma make you're way to the stage please" asks the teacher forcing me to awkwardly stand, showing off my skirt which caught the attention of multiple boys.

She looks me up and down as if she's deep in thought and turns to Justin. I cross my fingers hoping that she was going to partner us two up to keep it simple and sweet.

"Justin get up there next to her"

When Justin takes his place next to me she begins to tut and shakes her head. There are always awkward silences like this when she's thinking about her vision of what's going to go on.

She then to my horror orders Ethan to stand next to me and then smiles in satisfaction which almost definitely meant that she was partnering us two together.

We do multiple 'simon says' games before I'm hit with the realisation that I am indeed the main character and my damn love interest is the devil himself.

Break was boring and consisted of Olivia telling both me and Amanda what Samuel was planning for their date tonight.

"Good luck" I giggle nudging Amanda as I leave her to listen further to the plans as I slide into my math class not a second late.

Mrs P hands me a piece of paper filled with equations and I roll my eyes snatching it in annoyance.

When I take my seat, Ethan enters and does the same but more aggressively making the maths teacher cough down her curses.

Ethan takes his seat next to me and purposefully doesn't swing his legs round and instead leans on the wall to his left to directly stare at me.

I try to ignore him, watching as Mrs P presents a PowerPoint. She begins to read the words projected in front of the class.

As I read ahead, bored out my mind, I spot that one of the characters in an equation has the same name as me.

"Emma buys 4 cans of beer-" the teacher says and a boy at the front of the classroom scoffs.

"Yeah course" he laughs tapping his friend "I think you misspelt calculators, nerd"

I give him a small clap along with an eye roll as the teacher begins to calm the mutters throughout the class.

"Calculators? You mean a longer fucking skirt" says Summer from the other side of the class room.

I stand up angrily but Ethan grabs hold of my arm and I forcefully shake him from me.

"Shut the fuck up" I growl not even able to think of a better come back.

What had I even done to her?

The teacher is now steaming with anger, shouting for the commotion to stop immediately.

I step forward and Ellie looks at me with her mouth hung open clutching her fluffy pen in anticipation.

Ethan grabs hold of me again, but it's tighter and firmer and I notice he's stood up too.

"Step down Summer before I let her at you" Ethan says in an angry tone and she tuts sticking her leg out in a sassy way that basically screamed for him to let me loose.

"Jesus Sums you should REALLY be scared if he lets his bitch loose" a boy says beginning to belly laugh and Ethan growls.

I felt humiliated but also angered and wow did I want to prove him wrong.

Why did Ethan always need to try and save me?

Couldn't he just mind his own business?

"Don't listen to them" Ethan whispers into my ear pulling me backwards.

But I didn't WANT to be told that, I didn't NEED to be told that.

I snatch my body away from Ethan remaining silent and blank as I had ordered myself to be. I wasn't going to fall straight back into his palm because he thought he was tougher than me.

"The calculator joke was pretty funny" I reply sitting myself down quietly leaving the class confused and uninterested that I didn't want to swing.

Ethan is still stood up, he's confused but also he's angry. I knew when he had built up anger because he'd pace and shake madly. But there was no point in becoming violent when I could happily be smug and polite.

When Ethan finally sits down he starts to scribble on a ripped piece of paper, which he slides across the desk.

Talk? Pls

The class is dismissed and I take the paper in my hand with a sad expression because I knew my choice would probably be the end of whatever Ethan and I had been and I was sure it'd hurt me more.

I slide the paper back over to Ethan without a response and walk out the classroom as one single tear leaves my eye.