Water And Sand

Candy stood in the middle of the quad, arms crossed over her chest, shivering with cold and fear as the kids around began laughing and jeering loudly. Matt just stood where he was, staring at the tableau before him for a few minutes. Then he shook himself out of the temporary paralysis that had overcome him and strode across to where Candy stood. She cringed when she saw him push his way through, backing away as he approached. Matt simply went right up to her till they were mere millimeters apart.

"Clarke!" His voice was firm and authoritative. "Clarke, stop freaking out and listen to me."

"S-s-sir, I – I –" Candy was trembling so hard she could barely speak.

"Nate." Matt spoke to his friend, his eyes never leaving Candy's face. "Get my jacket from my locker." He tossed his keys towards him as he spoke.

"But Matt -"

"Now." Matt's voice was grim.

Nate hurried off, and Matt looked at the other kids gathered around. "The rest of you, fuck off." They straggled off, leaving Matt and Candy alone in the quad.

"Clarke." Candy cowered, trying to move away from him. "Clarke, I'm trying to shield you with my body, that's all. Stop freaking out and stay still."

Candy looked up at him in shock. For once his brilliant blue eyes were serious, completely devoid of the mocking look he reserved for her. Her breath hitched as she suddenly realized how close he was to her.

She could feel the heat radiate off of his body and her nipples tightened in response. She shivered, though not from the cold this time. Luckily for her, he misunderstood the reason.

"It's okay, Clarke, Nate will be here any minute now," he said gruffly. They stood together awkwardly, bodies practically touching, till at last Nate returned.

"Here you go." Matt draped his thick fleece-lined jacket over Candy's shoulders. It was so huge it enveloped her completely, coming down almost to her knees.

"Wh-what about you, s-sir?" she stammered out.

"I'm good. You can return it to me later." Matt sauntered off with Nate, hands in his pockets.

"Th-thank you, sir," Candy called after him feebly, but he was already gone.

ONE WEEK LATER

This was a good day for her, Candy thought happily. She had managed to find Matt and wish him without interrupting one of his make-out sessions, just for a change. Then, the results for last week's tests had come in and she had topped again, making it the third time running. At least she was making good use of the scholarship Fate had given her, she thought gratefully. And best of all, Aunt Lucy had been in a comparatively benevolent mood that morning and had allowed her to make herself a sandwich from the leftovers of the previous evening's dinner. Yes, today was her luckiest day in a long time, by far. Her stomach growled happily in agreeable anticipation.

She grabbed the brown paper bag in which she had brought her lunch from her locker and went to the cafeteria. Most of the tables were already occupied and since she had no friends to sit with, Candy made her way to a small table at the far end of the room.

"Loser! Who let you in here? You're a walking health hazard!" Her heart sank as Nora's bitchy voice rang out over the noise and chatter of the cafeteria. She saw Matt and his friends seated at a table next to the one she was headed for, and her heart sank further. Doing her best to ignore the laughs and comments around her, she subsided into a chair and tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.

"Ignoring me, bitch?" Nora slid into the seat across from her, egged on by Vince, Gina, and a few others. "If we'd known YOU'RE going to be here we would've worn masks or something!"

Candy fumbled nervously with her paper bag, her hands trembling uncontrollably. By now the cafeteria was silent, with everyone's attention on her. Matt looked on, fidgeting uncomfortably as Nora suddenly snatched the bag from Candy and held it up triumphantly, out of Candy's reach.

"What do you think is in this, guys?" She waved the bag in the air.

"Hmm, let me see." Gina pretended to think. "I know! Cheese!" She looked around and giggled. "That's what rats eat, right?"

Candy flushed as some of the kids around snickered.

"Better be careful, Nora, or you'll catch some disease from that bag!" Riley called.

"It's probably garbage." Vince laughed loudly. "After all, sewer rats eat garbage, right?"

Candy simply sat quietly, eyes downcast, while they continued to make fun of her. At last, Nora got bored of trying to get a rise out of her.

"Here." She tossed the paper bag on the table and stood up. "Here's your sandwich, you little rat."

Gina and she burst into giggles again. Something was up with them, Matt thought, just as Candy took her sandwich out of the bag and self-consciously bit into it.

"Uhhh…!" Candy gagged as something dry and gritty filled her mouth. She grabbed a napkin hurriedly, spitting into it. Coughing, she ran to the water fountain.

"Now you know why they call it a 'SAND'wich," Nora chortled. "C'mon, guys, let's get to class or we'll be late."

Still laughing, they walked out. Matt said nothing, although he did not join in their laughter. As he passed the table where Candy had been sitting, he glanced down at what was left of her lunch. A couple of thin, hard slices of bread and - peanut butter? He couldn't be sure because of the thick layer of sand smeared on them. He swallowed hard, thinking of Candy's thin frame. Was this all she would have had for lunch today? Come to think of it, he had never even seen her in the cafeteria before today.

"We did her a favor, actually." Gina paused beside him and indicated the sorry remains. "Better to starve than eat that crap. My maids eat better than that." She looped her arm through his and gave him a sharp look. "What's the matter, Matty? Don't tell me you feel sorry for that little shit."

Matt shook his head absently and let her lead him to class, his thoughts still on Candy. He looked around for her but she was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't like studious little Candy Clarke to miss a class, he thought uneasily. Maybe that sand had made her really sick? He sat through his next two classes, paying no attention to what the teacher was saying, all kinds of unpleasant ideas in his mind. It was actually a relief to him when she quietly slipped into English class, which they both shared, sometime later. Matt glanced at her curiously but aside from looking a little paler than usual, she seemed her usual mousy self, and eventually he forgot all about her.

Candy slipped into English class the next day, trying to be as invisible as possible, which was her daily aim. She slid into her seat beside Layla, not making eye contact with anyone. She could hear the usual whispers and laughing comments about her faded, threadbare clothes but she resolutely ignored them. "You're here to make a future for yourself, Candy Clarke," she told herself sternly. "Nothing can affect you – unless you let it."

As usual, she enjoyed Mrs. Denvers' class, losing herself in the timelessness of the classics. When the bell rang, Candy was sorry the class was over. She stood up to go to her next class and felt something rip.

"What th-" She twisted herself around to see that her T-shirt had snagged on a nail sticking out of her seat, tearing the thin material. "Shit!" Where had that nail come from? She caught sight of Nora and Vince sniggering a few rows back. Okay, so that answered that question. Obviously, Nora or Vince had driven the nail into her seat to torment her, as always. She glanced at her T-shirt again. She couldn't go around school in a torn T-shirt, nor did she have any change of clothes with her. She would just wear her jacket to her classes today, Candy thought resignedly.

A couple of days later, Candy had just entered the classroom when Nora walked up to her. She looked around uneasily and saw some of the other kids join her as well. Matt stood a little behind, arms crossed across his chest, his face inscrutable as he watched.

"Hey, Vince!" Nora's voice was deliberately loud. "Isn't this the same shirt this loser tore the other day?"

"Yeah – sure looks like it," Vince replied with a smirk.

"Well, guys, can you believe it?" Nora circled around Candy. "She's such a loser she actually mended this awful tee and worn it again!"

"Wow, that's really pathetic!" exclaimed Riley. "Like, super pathetic!"

"She's a real disgrace to Carter High," said Gina, looking down her nose at Candy. "The old man must be turning in his grave right now, seeing the trash allowed in his school!"

Candy bit her lip, her face flushing at their unkind remarks, but she kept quiet.

"Maybe she's too cheap to get herself anything decent to wear," continued Gina, smiling maliciously. "Should we take her shopping with us, Nora?"

Nora laughed. "Yeah, but do you seriously think they'd let her into any of those stores, Gina? They'd think she's planning to shoplift, or something. She probably shops only at thrift stores."

"Well, I give my stuff to my maids after I've worn them a couple of times. Maybe I should add Clarke to my charity list."

The kids around laughed as Matt's friends continued to poke fun at Candy. She couldn't get past them to go to her desk because they had formed a circle around her, so she waited, eyes downcast, cheeks burning, till at last the teacher came in and everyone went to their places.

Matt had watched as his friends and the other kids made fun of Candy. Sure, it was true that Clarke's clothes were pathetic but still, he didn't feel comfortable with picking on her for the way she was dressed. Come to think of it, he had only ever seen her wear the same two or three T-shirts and her ratty old jeans ever since she had joined Carter High. He shifted uneasily as Nora and Gina and the rest of them continued to torment Clarke. She had guts, he had to give her that, he thought suddenly, making it to school every day in spite of the way the kids treated her. Maybe he should say something, stop them from ragging her…Just then, the teacher swept into the room and everyone hurried off to their seats.

"Thick skin – or strong spine?" he wondered, watching Clarke scurry to her desk.