Everglow

Chapter Three : Paranoid

Rowan's POV

"So how did the science lesson go?" Victoria opened her locker next to mine, both of us stacking our school books away, ready for tomorrow. "Did Mrs.Winters let you off with your incomplete essay?"

I poked my head around my locker door and shot my bestfriend a blank look.

"That bad huh?" Victoria read my expression well.

I slammed my locker shut and leant back against it. "She went off at me and Eva in front of the whole class, she may as-well have read out my predicted grades over the tannoy and let the whole fucking school know that I'm failing."

"Damn, Mrs.Winters sounds like a bitch, I'm glad I don't have her for any of my classes." Victoria shut her locker. "You should complain to the school board though, why is she talking about private matters in-front of everyone? Surely that should be just between you and her."

"I know." I sighed, gripping onto the straps of my backpack.

"I'm serious though, maybe get your dad to complain?"

"My dad?" I questioned her with a laugh of disbelief. "My dad will probably be on Mrs. Winter's side. His expectations for me are high and I'm absolutely dreading going home and facing him with that damn report card."

"I'm sure he'll understand, Ro." Victoria leant her shoulder up against her locker, facing me.

"Hm.." I wasn't convinced.

"Wait.." I watched as Victoria's eyes widened at me. "Rowan, turn your head to the side." she got closer, seemingly looking at something on the side of my head.

"What? What is it? Is there a bug in my hair? I swear to god Victoria you need to get it out!"

"No no, it's not that." Victoria starting parting my hair to get to my scalp and I winced as her fingers touched the sensitive area that took most of the blow when Melissa shoved my head into the lockers.

"What? What is it?" Her lack of explanation was making me fall into a slight panic.

"There's blood in your hair. How hard did Melissa shove you into the lockers?"

"Is it really noticeable?" I ignored her last question. "Is there loads of it?" Why did no one in my science lesson point it out to me?

"There's a cut, but the blood isn't gushing or anything, it's dried out a bit. You should maybe get that looked at though, There's a lump forming too." Victoria stepped away from me and I lightly rubbed my hand on the sore spot.

"I must've hit it on the lock that was sticking out. I'm sure it'll be fine." I opened my locker again and grabbed Hunter's red beanie which I had stolen from him. "I'll just wear this, I'd rather not walk around with blood in my hair."

"More like, you don't want your brothers or dad to notice it.." Victoria cocked an eyebrow up at me.

"Vic.." I blinked back at her; She was right but I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of being right.

"Melissa was way out of line doing that to you today." She muttered as I slipped the beanie over my head.

"Can you please drop it, Vic?"

"Rowan, you need to do something about her. You can't go on like this for the next three years. I can only do so much to help you when I'm around. Look at what she did to you today, this could get worse. You should tell an adult." Victoria ranted on.

"I'm not talking about this now, it was only a little shove alright? I can handle it." I checked myself once over in the small mirror attached to the inside of my locker, making sure the blood tinted spot of hair was covered by the hat. "I shouldn't have pushed her away from me in the first place."