The Exception

Chapter 5: So He's Pretty Much Invincible

I slammed my locker and gave it a full frontal kick. So now it had a dent, but it was still stuck.

"Woah, easy ninja," Tyler's voice rang from behind me. Perfect. I had an audience, and I was in a foul mood. I knocked someone out for crying out loud, rushed him to the hospital and still had to make it in time for school. And now, my stupid locker wouldn't open.

"Morning, Agnus..."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Morning Tyler..."

"Do you mind?"

"By all means," I motioned for him to go ahead. Tyler jerked the lock left right and center. He shook it and then slammed the centre. It creaked and opened.

"Great, so I've got  fool-proof locker... thanks..."

"Any time," he winked at me and I blushed. People started crowding in, and I grabbed the rim of my locker and opened it. Before I could even blink, something popped and I found myself soaked...in red juice.

A group of people behind me started laughing and I turned around. They were some of my classmates in English class. Evidently they thought it was funny to recreate my first days events. Bile rose up in my throat and I slammed my locker shut. I shoved past the people that were laughing. I couldn't breath. I wanted to get out of here. I had to. The pain grew inside me.

"Agnus..."Ellie's voice rang out.

"Not now..." I croaked. I kept my pace, but froze as someone stood in my way at the door.  "Out of my way."

"Wow, that's rude...not even  a good morning or a kiss..."

"I'm not in the mood!" I snapped and then I my eyes met with Evan's. Crap. As if things couldn't get worse.

He looked me up and down and I felt  blush of shame creeping up my cheeks. I swallowed the tears building up in my eyes. I was just waiting for that insult.

"Red looks good on you," he said before opening the door for me. I just walked past, not even acknowledging that despite it all...he just gave me a compliment?

                                                                                      ***

I pretty much patched up my top best I could and made to all the rest of the classes. By now the teachers thought I had a pretty messed up fashion taste. Ellie caught up with me at lunch, and I pretty much ranted to her about the whole day's messed up events. She nodded.

"Some of the boys are so cruel here," she said and sighed.

"Like your brother?" I asked her and she nodded. 

"If you didn't save his life, I'm pretty sure he would have been the one behind the prank... if not something worse," Ellie remarked. The bell rang and she stood up. "Come on."

I sighed. "Do I have to?"

"You can't skip class on second day, and besides...it's sports...good place to vent..." she said and I took her hand. I was grateful to have her. 

We changed in the girl's bathroom and headed towards the field. Today was dodge ball, and luckily, when I was paying attention...I wasn't too bad at it. 

We were playing for  a while when I heard  few chuckles and laughter. I turned around to see the same boys behind the prank standing there watching me. "Why didn't you juice-box your sports clothes....girl, you'd look so fine...." one of the guys yelled out.

"Ignore them..." Ellie encouraged me. I nodded, and ignored as they hooted and whistled at me. I clenched my teeth and was struck by the ball square in the stomach. Coaches whistle blowed and I walked out of the game. I kept hearing them, and I was so angry. I headed straight towards them.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"Nothing sweetheart," the blonde guy in the center laughed. "Just that you're the newbie."

"And that gives you the right to bully me?" I snapped.

"Chill, sheesh, are you on your period or something?"

I wanted to slap him. So...so...hard. But then I felt a hand on my shoulder and startled looked to see it was Evan. Why was he here?

"You bothering her?" Evan asked the blonde guy.

"So what if I am? What are you going to do bout it? Sing me to the moon?" the blonde guy asked.

Evan just laughed, and I looked up at him standing next to me. 

"Oh please, you're just a big talker and a waste of space, so why not inflate that ego of yours and grow that IQ, because you walk, talk and look like an idiot in some cheesy over-budgeted high school drama with hair that should be banned and illegal..." Evan retorted. 

The blonde boy took a step closer, and Evan pushed me back slightly taking a step in front of me. My heart skipped a beat. Was he actually trying to protect me? 

"You're gonna regret that..."

"Oh, I doubt it..." Evan grinned.

"You may be the high school heart throb...but you are deep down a wimp..."

"You make a lot of noise for someone who says nothing..."

The blonde boy pounced on him, but he was on the ground before the gasp was even finished. Evan straightened his collar, and my eyes stretched wide.

What on earth?! Evan stared at the other boys, but they soon took a few steps back and ran off. Evan's attention turned to me.

"Afternoon," he spoke, and I shook my head. "What?"

"I am still trying to figure you out...Evan Fletcher..."

"Oh, you know my last name, have you been google-stalking me?" Evan asked and a blush rose in my cheeks.

"Yes, I mean, no, I mean...Ellie told me her last name and considering you are siblings..."

"True, Agnus Rider...too true..."

"How..what, you know my last name?" I asked.

"Yeah, I do," Evan winked. "Don't act so shocked, Princess. I like to know who's who and what's what."

"Sure, I gotto, but thanks...for this,"

"Somebody's got to put him down the bottom of the food chain where he belongs," Evan shrugged. 

"Yeah...I'm sure," I said. I turned around, but stopped. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Evan looked at me, and I wanted to squirm at his amused, confident gaze. "Because you're pretty."

Wow. Just...I gaped again. Really? That was why?!

"Thanks, but I can fight my own battles from now on," I said and stomped off. The nerve of that guy. I was flattered, but still. Such a shallow, horrible reason. But then, I guess I should not be surprised. Ellie was right. Evan was worse than the others, and the only reason I didn't hate him, was because his jabs was not directed towards me. In this school ,he was pretty much invincible. And that gave me  a shot of thrill and scare at the same time.