The Quarterback, Outcast and Me ✔

Chapter Seven - Bad Excuse for a Gory B-Movie

I got out of my seat, one hand over my nose to keep the gush of blood from going everywhere.

"Mr. Constantine, go with Miss Martin, please." Mrs. Harrison looked at me, a flash of what seemed as pity in her eyes. I didn't even have the strength to refuse his company. Truth be told, I didn't actually mind him coming with me.

I looked back at Caleb who was staring at me. It almost looked as if he'd gotten hit with the worst of the blood splatter, the front of his shirt and neck stained crimson. His eyes though, they were filled with something. Fear? Was Caleb afraid of blood? Or was it sorrow? I guess my mind was so befuddled of what was happening that it couldn't even decipher a simple look. But it wasn't simple. I knew that it wasn't.

He shifted his gaze back to his desk.

"Yeah, sure," he muttered, putting away a couple of things and got up to follow me out. I could feel every student in class staring on me, and just before I got to the door, I looked back and saw Carrie smiling almost smugly at me. If this had been her plan all along then something was seriously wrong with her.

Mrs. Harrison handed me a bunch of tissues and I could finally replace my hand's poor excuse as a blood-plug.  

 "Keep your head tilted back," Caleb advised as we entered the empty hallway.

 I stuffed my nose to stop the bleeding and obliged. I felt a light touch on my arm as Caleb guided me towards the infirmary. All I could do was follow blindly whilst counting the number of fluorescent lights in the ceiling. Who knew the school's ceiling was that boring to look at.

I guess when you're forced to only look at one thing it so easily becomes the most boring thing - unless you were forced to only look at Zac Efron. I think I could live with that one.

The silence roared in my ears as Caleb led me down the deserted hallways. With only my wayward thoughts to keep me company I knew I'd be halfway to Crazyland if this silence continued. I suppose I liked noise. It was better to listen to than not listening to anything at all.

The Nurse's office was all the way on the opposite end of the building, so we had a nice little walk to get through first.

"I'm sorry for what Carrie did," I muttered, breaking the silent wall that had been put up between us. Caleb snorted and honestly, I couldn't blame him. I would probably have done the same if it hadn't resulted in blood splattering everywhere.

"Her brain is just not functioning properly sometimes. The whole think-before-you-act concept is pretty much lost on her," I said. Caleb chuckled and I could feel it reverberating through his touch on my arm.

"You think?" He laughed, and I let out a small laugh as well, but stopped when it hurt my nose.

"Ouch," I groaned, cupping the fragile skin with my hand and just then another voice, a voice I really didn't want to hear at that particular moment, spoke.

"Chloe? What the hell happened to you? Are you alright?" Jace's voice sounded genuinely concerned, but one could never be too certain when it came to him. Sure, he had his moments when it almost sounded like he cared, but then he'd do a one-eighty and dump water on you, just to say you got all wet in front of him. 

 "Hi Jace," I greeted, waving my free hand, not even knowing if it was in his direction. "No, I'm fine, just a harmless accident, no need to alert the media."

 "What are you doing here?" The change in tone had me convinced that Jace was now talking to Caleb and apparently he wasn't well liked with my stepbrother-to-be.

 "Caleb so kindly volunteered to take me to the Nurse's office." Why I lied I did not know, but the words just came out before I had a chance to run them through my brain. Caleb didn't even correct me.