Chapter 4

I hurried to school the next day, deep in thought.

It seemed as though the mortifying bathroom incident hadn't done anything to keep Jason away. He'd pestered me for almost all of yesterday, annoying me about why my lunch was so small. I had just ignored him, and glared at Nicole so she wouldn't say anything either.

After school, Mom had hit me again, so today I was forced to wear a big, loose sweater to make sure the huge bruise on my hip wouldn't show.

The chilly morning wind nipped at my skin, but I forced myself to keep going through it, speed-walking as fast as my legs would allow. For the first time in weeks, I had woken up late.

I should've seen this coming. Last night had been the new moon, after all.

Over the past few months, I'd noticed a strange – really strange – pattern. Every new moon, I slept deeply and profoundly – and apparently sleep-walked too. I had fallen asleep yesterday perfectly normally, on my bed, and I woke up this morning in the kitchen, sleeping standing up while slumped over the counter. I'd had a metallic taste in my mouth that finally went away after I brushed my teeth for what felt like the tenth time.

I hurried across the school lawn filled with hundreds of bustling students, hanging out in groups by their cars or by some benches, laughing and hanging out.

I ran to the tree just in front of the school's main entrance, where Nicole and I had decided a couple of years ago would be our designated meeting spot every morning. Nicole was already waiting for me by the time I arrived.

"Hey, Nicole!" I chirped.

"Hi, Emma!"

Excitedly, she threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly.

I let out a noise of pain as her arms dug into my bruises. Nicole instantly let go and backed up, eyes wide with horror.

"Oh my gosh! I am so, so, sorry! I forgot about–!"

Nicole was interrupted by a familiar voice behind me.

"Forgot about what?" Jason asked casually. He glanced over at me lazily. "Good morning, Emma. Nice to see you didn't come an hour early like yesterday... Which reminds me. What were you doing here?"

"U–Um– H–Hi, Jason! Don't you think the weather is just perfect today?" I exclaimed, gesturing excitedly up at the sky.

Ironically, it was going to rain. There was a huge mass of gray storm clouds that covered the sun and stretched as far as the eye could see. A huge raindrop slipped out of the clouds and hit me on my head. I flinched, the icy cold water seeping into my scalp.

"It's perfect for catching a cold," Jason remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Now stop changing the subject; you're bad at it. What were you doing here?"

I opened my mouth, my brain desperately grasping for an excuse, when the bell rang. Saved by the bell! I let out a sigh of relief and followed Nicole into the building.

•≈•

I walked down the crowded corridor, trying to avoid elbows and outstretched feet. My classes had been pretty easy so far, but I was not looking forward to the quiz I had after lunch. The hallway bustled with chattering students, all streaming to the cafeteria like I was.

Just as I passed a group of cackling guys, a paper airplane swooped through the air and stuck into my bun of hair on my head. I stopped, rolled my eyes, and glanced back to see them exchanging high fives and fist bumps.

I opened it up, and saw this note written inside:

Hey, loser! If you have this, you are a loser and deserve to crawl into the sewers and die. The nearest sewer (then there was an arrow pointed at me). Oops wait, you stink just like a sewer. It's a wonder why no rats are attracted to you.

From, THE BOYS

I smiled sweetly and venomously. I took out my pencil, which I kept behind my ear at all times, and wrote back in my very loopy and graceful handwriting:

I don't think the stink is mine. You reek so badly of desperation and sweat, it probably just wafted over everyone else. It's no wonder the rats you call your friends are clung around you.

From, THE LOSER

I folded it back into an airplane and was about to let it fly through the hallway at them, when a large hand plucked it out of my hands.

"Hey!" I protested, glaring at Jason.

He held it out of my reach easily, since he was taller than me, and opened it up again.

"Let's see what you wrote here." Jason's blue eyes scanned the note. His lips twitched and he commented, "Very nice handwriting, indeed. The contents of it are not so nice though. But, they deserve it for what they wrote to you. May I have the honor?" Jason mocked a bow.

"Yes, you may," I replied in a very fancy accent, curtsying.

He threw his hand back and let it fly. It hit the leader of the group of stupid, immature guys smack-dab in the middle of his stupid, immature forehead. I let a triumphant grin slip onto my lips.

I nodded all business-like at Jason, and we started walking to the cafeteria again.

"You little-!" I heard a male voice from behind me.

I turned around just in time to see the guy we'd hit charging towards me. My eyes shut, bracing for impact, as he shoved me down... but I never hit the floor.

I felt strong hands grip my waist, catching me before I crashed onto the floor. I gasped. My eyes fluttered open, and I craned my neck back, to find that Jason had been the one to help me. I blushed intensely.

Jason lifted me up, set me down on my feet gently, and folded his muscular arms, a look of pure fury on his expression.

"I don't think it's very nice to push a lady," he said lowly, blue eyes blazing.

The guy, terrified and intimidated, took one step back, then two, and then turned tail and ran back to his friends. I heard Jason scoff quietly, shaking his head with disapproval.

We started walking again. Unfortunately, since I was solely focused on Jason and trying to figure him out, I tripped over my own shoelaces.

"AAH!" I screamed as I fell.

Jason caught me again.

"Seriously? I am such a klutz!" I shouted to myself.

Jason nodded his agreement.

"Oh no. No no no no no! Only I'm able to say I'm a klutz! No one else is supposed to agree with it! Especially not a kid I just met!" I scowled, turning to face him again.

He smirked down at me. "You can't tell me what to do. Klutz."

I shoved him– but it was like trying to move a mountain. He didn't move an inch. His smirk widened.

Smiling sweetly, I kicked him in the shin.

"Ow!" Jason grunted. "Jeez, lady! You almost killed me!"

He stumbled backwards dramatically, and pulled me along with him. Not expecting it, I stumbled into him, palms flat on his chest. And not expecting it, his hands went onto my waist to steady me again, gripping the fabric of my top.

We both froze. His blue eyes darkened. Our lips were breaths away from each other. As if hypnotized by his gaze, by the warmth radiating off his muscular body, I couldn't move. Neither could he, I realized.

Silence ensued.

I realized my sweater was bunched up around my waist.

"No no no!" I hissed, wriggling out of his grasp and tugging the fabric down, praying he hadn't seen it.

But he had. His eyes widened a fraction of an inch at the sight of the fresh, fist-shaped bruise on my hip.

Jason's eyes bored into me for a long, long moment before shifting away. His gaze swept up to scan the corridor: empty. Without any hesitation, he gripped my arm and dragged me down the hall.