JanTom: Complete Opposites

Chapter Eighteen - Coward

"Can you shut up now, Star?" I groaned, tired of her constant blabbering about how cool and how she'd want to be like me too, to have a back-bone.

But who am I kidding? I wasn't a strong girl, and I knew that very well. I couldn't fight up bullies even if I wanted to and I couldn't save anyone from their troubles. After all, I was a coward..hiding deep inside, trying to ignore anything that would harm me.

She pouted, blowing her cheeks like a puffer fish. "You're such a meanie, Janna."

Tom chuckled, eyeing me in amusement. "You just noticed that?"

I jabbed him by the sides, grunting. "Don't encourage her."

The bell finally rang, it's loud ringing echoed throughout the cafeteria and people groaned, the scraping of chairs was unwelcomed. We were going back to hell--and by hell I mean lessons.

I stood up from my seat, pushing the chair backwards as watched Star hand back her emptied tray while me and Tom stood idle, waiting for the blonde to return.

We didn't mutter a thing and I just kept staring at the floor, seeing the marbled floor and trying to pretend like it was the best thing ever. My eyes travelled back to the sweater Tom handed me.

It still smelled like him, and it was comfortable. I felt a slight nudge, then I flickered my gaze to Tom who glanced at me. "You alright?"

"Sure."

"You seem down the passed few days," he replied, looking upwards at the ceilings.

I noticed that there was gum stuck on the ceiling and while that was an amazing feat to be able to do it, I was always weirded by what things could be up there. "I'm fine."

"Janna."

"Tom."

"Just tell me if you need help, alright?" he blew a breath and I nodded, kind of relieved deep inside, as much as I don't want to admit--that at least two people were worried about me.

My past friends wouldn't as much bothered to flicker their eyes at me. They only cared about themseleves, never caring about how others felt and thought of appealing to everyone.

When the stupid rumour rose, they left me in a ditch. I was apparently useless to them anymore and I wasn't as much as a catch. I knew that, but it still hurt to hear it from the people who I cared so much.

Or so I thought.

"Janna, let's go back," I felt Tom's hand squeeze my shoulder and I somewhat felt reassured by just his slight gesture.

"Yeah."

. . .

It was currently History and while I wanted to pay attention, I couldn't. It wasn't that the discussion was boring--I mean war and things? Kind of interesting but the way the words just come out of Mr. Theodore's mouth was enough to make my eyes half-closed.

Aside from that, Mr. Theodore, was an old guy with wrinkles evident on his forehead and grey hair sticking out from his rebonded jet black hair. He was also boring, had a very small voice that only dogs could probably hear and he was just barely reading from the textbook.