Chapter Five.

The conversation between Jedd and I whirls round and round in my thoughts all night. I don't sleep much but when I finally manage to nod off, the sun begins to rise, peeping through my curtains.

I finish lacing up my converse and stand off my bed, stretching. A dull aching pain flares up in my sides and I wince, placing my hand over it. I walk over to my mirror and gingerly lift my hoody, examining the tender area. A light bruise is beginning to form, looking alien against my pale skin.

Now I'm tired, grumpy and in pain.

Great start to the day Bella.

I reach for my backpack before heading out of my room quietly. The plan is to leave the house before Dad and Jedd wake up. I don't want to be interrogated further and an awkward car ride with Jedd is the last thing I need today.

I tip-toe down the stairs, avoiding the creaky ones that will alert Jedd of my presence. I reach the bottom of the stairs and turn to walk towards the kitchen to grab some breakfast. A shadowy figure moves on the other side of the glass door and I immediately duck, mimicking something out of a action movie. Abort Mission Bella!

I crawl the opposite way, heading straight for the front door instead. Opening the door without making noise is a difficult task however after a minute or two of fumbling with the locks, it springs open. I let out a sigh of relief before darting outside into the crisp morning air.

I sprint down the road, my converse slapping against the concrete floor. A small smile appears on my face that eventually widens into a grin as I realise I left without being seen.

Watch out James Bond, Bella Winters is in town.

*****

I'm halfway through class when my phone begins to go crazy inside my pocket. The vibration surprises me, causing me to jump up in my seat. I throw an apologetic look to the person next to me who's staring at me as if I've sprouted another head.

I warily pull it out of my pocket and glance at the screen. Three unread texts from Jedd and two missed calls. I physically wince knowing that he's mad at me for ditching him this morning. Whenever Jedd is mad at me, he lets me know why and then will proceed to ignore me for days, weeks even until I whole heartedly apologise.

I unlock my phone underneath the desk and read the texts quickly —

What the hell Bella? Where are you?

Not cool. You could have told me you'd rather walk to school.

Hello? You're actually impossible.

I instantly feel guilty, knowing I should have let him know I was walking to school. I quickly lock my phone, deciding to reply back to him later.

"Belinda Winters, is that your phone underneath the desk?" The teacher says loudly, causing me to snap my head up in her direction. She's staring straight at me, her eyebrow raised and I hear sniggers erupt around me.

"My name is Bella." I say quietly, my eyes glued to the desk in front of me. I feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment and I quickly stuff my phone back inside my pocket. The teacher pauses and stutters a little, realising that she'd gotten my name wrong.

No biggie Miss. It's not like you've been teaching me for the last year or anything. . .

"Miss Winters, hand over the phone please."

She holds out her hand and tilts her nose in the air as if she's above and beyond the rest of us in this class. I can't help noticing she doesn't even try to use my first name. Anger and annoyance curses through my body and I sit up straight, staring at her firmly.

"I wasn't on my phone." I lie, fully aware of the entire class staring straight at me. An uncomfortable silence falls upon us and I feel the tips of my ears burn red, spreading down to my cheeks.

"You know the rules regarding phones."

"I was checking the time, that's all." I murmur, my voice growing quieter. I can feel multiple sets of eyes on me, causing me to squirm under their gaze.

"That's a lie, I saw her. She was texting underneath the desk."

I snap my head up, meeting Beatrice's burning gaze. She appears amused yet it's so clear in her eyes that she's lying intentionally to snitch on me. I feel my throat tighten, my breathing becoming restricted. The rest of the class are now glancing between Beatrice and I, waiting for the explosion to happen.

Will I stand up for myself or will Beatrice win as she usually does?

"Is Beatrice telling the truth?" The teacher sighs, her hand still outstretched ready for my phone. Beatrice is challenging me with her narrow beady eyes, waiting to see whether I'll stick up for myself or not. I tear my eyes away from her, squaring my shoulders up bravely. I won't let her win.

"No I wasn't texting, I'm aware of the rules. I was checking the time, I swear."

I can practically see Beatrice seeping with anger from the corner of my eyes but I will myself to keep my back turned on her. The teacher glances between Beatrice and I one last time before she sighs and drops her hand.

"Very well but if I catch a glimpse of it again, I will confiscate it Bella."

I nod quickly, letting her know I understand. At least she knows my name now . . . I slump back in my chair in relief, grateful to have the attention diverted away from me. I spend the remaining part of the lesson trying to avoid catching Beatrice's burning stare.

*****

The bell rings and I stand up, grabbing my books and putting them inside my bag. As usual I wait a little longer before leaving the classroom so the students can disappear out of the corridors. The second I step outside, I'm surrounded by three girls . . . Beatrice & Co.

Beatrice towers over me and her two friends stand on either side of me, keeping me trapped. From the look on Beatrice's face, she's very angry at me.

"What is your problem mute? I can feel you glaring at me all day." She hisses, closing the space between us.

"I d-don't have a problem with you. Can't you just leave me alone?" I whisper, hating the way my voice became so mouse-like around her. Her lips curl up into a sneer and she takes another step forward, her heels clicking against the floor.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"

I feel myself beginning to shake in fear, I hate confrontation. Beatrice continues to take steps towards me until I'm cornered between the wall and a locker. I have nowhere to go. Being confined in small spaces limits the amount of oxygen filling my lungs and I can feel panic begin to settle in.

"Let me go, I need to go." I plead with her, my voice trembling. I don't want to have a panic attack in front of Beatrice and her friends, not here. Beatrice scoffs, her eyes running down my body and back up again.

"Weren't you wearing the same clothes yesterday? Oh my god, you're disgusting!" She teases, holding her nose and wafting the air in front of her. Multiple students pass us and choose not to help despite seeing the terrified expression plastered across my face. I guess I'm not good enough or popular enough to defend.

"It's a different hoody." I answer her, my eyes glued to the floor. My hands begin to tremble by my side and I force myself to remain calm despite it becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.

"Do you always shop in the boys section?" Beatrice asks me, giggling at her own joke. Her friends on either side of me burst into laughter on cue and I feel fresh tears prick the back of my eyes. I bite the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to block out their laughter. It doesn't work and the sound continues to ring inside my ears mockingly.

"Oh my god, she's going to cry. Look at her girls, she's turning into a crying mess." Beatrice scoffs, flicking my cheek with her pointy acrylic nails. Her floral perfume invades my senses and I squirm, backing up into the wall. The dull ache in my body begins to throb and I let out a small whimper, clutching it with my hand. At this point I'm beginning to breathe in short little pants, desperate for oxygen to relieve my strained lungs.

Beatrice's eyes widen at my distress and before I know it, she's disappeared from my view. I finally hear the click clack of her heels descend down the corridor. . I let out a deep breath, feeling like I can breath once again. The pain in my side continues to throb and I close my eyes, grateful that the corridors are beginning to empty.

I don't know how long I remain slumped against the wall, grateful to gather my thoughts in the silence whilst I have the chance. The thought of going to my next lesson causes my stomach to stir and I groan, doubling over slightly.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?"

The voice is low, lined with concern. I quickly snap open my eyes and when they land on the person standing in front of me, my mouth drops open too.

Brody Baxter.

I stare dumb founded, my mouth hung open unattractively. Brody Baxter is in front of me, inches away.

The Brody Baxter.

Brody transferred to Heywood High a year ago. Within a month or two of starting Heywood High, Brody moved up the school hierarchy system and became one of the most popular boys. He's captain of the football, cricket and cross country team.

Heywood High's perfectly perfect pupil.

I stood in the shadows whilst the hype around Brody grew within the school. His dark brown, almost black hair that he never styled but always fell perfectly. It would occasionally flop over his forehead and he'd run his hand through the thick strands, pushing it back whilst every girl in school stopped, stared and drooled. I listened to numerous conversations focused around the beauty of his bright green eyes, how enticing and charming they are. Even I couldn't deny the beauty of his features.

Brody always appeared older than his age, his entire presence screaming maturity. The fact that he's almost over 6ft doesn't help his ever growing fan base of teenage girls. I don't know him very well but he always appears friendly to people he crosses paths with.

Other than a few rumours, no-one knows Brody Baxter well, not even his closest friends in school. No-one knows anything about his family or his past which makes him one of the school's biggest mysteries. On the surface he's a stereotypical popular boy however the more attention you focus on Brody, the more the pile of questions grow.

He's never once had a girlfriend much to the despair of every single female in Heywood High. Now I have the dream boy stood in front of me, asking me if I'm okay. Holy smokin' cow.

Up close it became so obvious why a person pauses and stares whenever Brody is around. His eyes can instantly stop you in your tracks as you become hypnotised from the intensity of them. Looking into them now, the green holds small flecks of gold and I stare harder, scrutinising how enchanting they are. My eyes fall, lingering on his distinct cheekbones and the stubble along his angular jaw.

"Are you alright?" He asks me again, his eyebrow arching higher as he speaks. It takes me a few moments to realise he's talking to me. Me. Not just talking to me, he asked me a question which means I have to answer it.

My eyes widen a little and I instantly feel my body heat up becoming clammy with nerves. I grip on to my other hand, fiddling with my fingers and my eyes drop to the floor. I open my mouth to reply but no sound comes out.

Great job Bella, act like the mute you are.

I mentally scold myself, battling with the simple task of speaking. My eyebrows knit together closely in frustration —

"S-sorry," I choke out, gripping onto my bag tightly before dodging out of his way and speed walking down the corridor. A waft of cologne hit me as I brush past him and I feel my head go light headed, woozy.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I mutter to myself, swallowing the thick lump in my throat. My entire body is heating up in embarrassment and right now all I want to do is get the hell out of here.

"I'm such an idiot." I add, feeling my eyes fill up with unshed tears. I force my legs to walk faster away from Brody and out of the corridor despite the burning sensation I can already feel in them. My side continues to throb from colliding with the wall but my pride is equally as bruised.

I push open the double doors, squinting as the sunlight streaming through the windows greets me. I'm supposed to be heading towards the Language department however my feet have a mind of their own. They immediately turn left, heading straight for the school doors. As I approach them, I feel a single tear escape from my eye running down my cheek.

It isn't fair, I don't want to be like this.

I didn't choose to be like this.

I can't help but worry that I'll spend the rest of my life being a socially awkward mute who has no friends, no life.

The stabs of pain in my heart grow stronger and I begin to run through the empty streets, further and further away from Heywood High.