Set Free

Set Free Chapter Six

Chapter Six

 I saw Nick walk through the doors into Alexander Hamilton High and straight to my locker, and I quickly turned my head back into my locker. A minute later I heard him tap the locker beside mine with his fist, and I jumped at the slight sound. I looked up cautiously to see Nick's face, then quickly looked down. He couldn't see the expression on my face.

"What do you want?" I turned to him and asked with a blank look on my face.

Nick's eyes were searching mine, looking for answers to unknown questions. What must he be thinking? I wondered aimlessly if it was even about me...

"Wow," Nick said to me. "That's a great way to address someone who just saved your life yesterday. I mean, shouldn't you be thanking me?.....Oh, right, I forgot, you didn't want to be saved.....my bad."

 I cringed at his his comment. It was way too harsh. I mean, it's not even like he knows how I feel! No one does. "It's not your business whether I live or die. Stay out of my life." 

Nick seemed to consider this for a second, before he spoke again. 

"Hmm. Do you have multiple personalitys or something? You treat me one way one day, and then the extreme opposite the next. You know that makes you look bad, right?" Then he lowered his voice a little and it lost its sharp edge, "But about the whole dying thing, don't you know how stupid that is?"

  "Shut up." I told him, and I began to walk away, but of course he followed me. Like a stupid lost puppy.

And somehow I knew he was still there, so I continued sarcastically, "Well, yesterday, I just wanted to know why YOU have multiple personalities."

  "Wow, we have something in common, huh?" Nick replied. "Except, you know, I don't have a death wish or anything. Had to have been some guy, eh?"

  After hearing that, I snapped, spinning around to face him with a deadly look in my brown eyes. "Who told you?" I asked.

  "Oh, your dad. Pretty nice guy. I think he wants us to be friends!" Nick smiled fakely. He was being so obnoxious!

  I pressed my lips tightly together, and walked into my classroom, ignoring him

Little did I know that right outside of the classroom door, Nick was smiling for real for the first time in a very long time as he walked away. Because actually he did understand me. But he wanted to keep his secret to himself a while longer.

                                                                                ......................

   "I hate you." I said as Nick joined me later that day at what had become my regular lunch table.

  "Really, I hadn't noticed." He said back, dragging his fork through whatever the nasty stuff was on his tray. Man, do I hate cafeteria food.

"So, seriously, what was so special about this guy?" He asked, an indecipherable emotion in his warm brown eyes.

  "Hmm, well, for starters, he didn't act a thing like you. He had surfer blond hair, broad shoulders, and green eyes. They were like the sea. Oh, and he loved to surf......"

  The conversation continued on like that until, without I even realized it, I'd told him just about everything about Justin. I had never before talked about Justin so casually since he'd died.  I wondered now why it had all come out so easily. I'd never guess that Nick was the reason. I blamed it on.....food poisoning!

But seriously....I don't know what this is that the cafeteria was serving today. It looks like hamburger helper, but it's kind of....watery. It's disgusting! But I had to take a bite of it to see if it really did taste as bad as it looked....and let me tell you, bad idea.

  Anyway, Me and Nick began laughing together about random things, and sharing things about ourselves, and before I knew it, I was talking and acting like we were close friends. I had almost completely forgotten that I absolutely hated this guy. At least, I had forgotten, until Nick suddenly decided to go and ask a serious question that I couldn't answer.

 His face was completely serious as he asked quietly, "How did Justin.....die?"

And no, that's not the one I couldn't answer. I was fine with that.

But I did stop laughing, and unexpected tears suddenly sprung to my eyes. I wiped them away inconspicuously while looking away so Nick wouldn't see. I'd begun to care about what he thought about me without even realizing it.

  "Umm, a car accident. A drunk guy in a semi-truck." I replied after pausing a minute. I glanced at him and then averted my eyes quickly from his face. More tears were starting to well up faster than I could wipe them away.

And here comes the question I couldn't answer.

  "But, why do you think that makes it neccessary for you to die, too?" he asked, his voice soft and sweet like honey to her ears. But though his tone sounded like that to me, his words awakened a hidden anger inside me.

I'd realized just who I was talking to.  

I stood up abruptly from the table, my expression fierce.

"I can't answer that. It's none of your freaking business." I said quietly, though the venom in my voice was beyond obvious.

And with that, I stormed off.