We were assigned to cook a 3-course meal of Italian food and I will admit I'm pretty excited. The problem is I'm partnered with Jake and I was trying to avoid him all year, and it turns out karma had other ideas. Now I'm stuck with him until we finish this assignment so I'm gonna try and convince him that we need to finish it quickly.
I checked the time on my phone and saw we had one minute left so I grabbed my things, quickly put them in my bag, and was out the door right when the bell rang. Jake tried to chase me down and catch up to my nearly running figure but I was already up the stairs and halfway down the hall into my next class. I was a little worried he would just walk in and try and talk to me further but he seemed to give up and leave me alone for the time being. I sat down in my usual corner of the classroom. I had one foot up on the chair I was sitting on and hugged my leg with one arm just looking at my phone. I was waiting for Jamie, usually, she takes a while cause she has a few other friends she talks to before each class which I understand so I just sit and patiently wait.
Jamie arrives about 2 minutes before the bell rang to begin class. "what happened?" My attention snapped towards her and I put my leg down giving her a confused look. "What do you mean?" She huffed "Every time you sit like that in your chair something happened so spill it." I looked down and away from her "My teacher assigned us a 3-course meal project and choose our partners for us." She nodded "And?" I sighed heavily "She partnered me with Jake." She smacked the table in front of her "What the hell! Did you try to get a different partner?" I nodded "He grabbed my hand and put it down telling the teacher it was fine." I got butterflies in my stomach when I remembered how he grabbed my hand but I shook it off focusing on Jamie losing her shit. "He grabbed your hand?! I swear next time I see him I'm gonna punch him in the dick." A couple of guys that heard that flinched and looked away from us which made me inwardly chuckle. The bell rang and she sat down aggressively grumbling to herself some profanity. I'm sure I can convince him we need to finish this project quickly so we don't need to worry about it later but I'm just hoping I don't lose my shit trying to persuade him. It's hard for me to be around him and I don't really know why but hopefully after school is over I'll be able to move away and never have to see him again. I sighed lightly and just tried to focus on what the teacher was saying.
The bell rang loudly signaling it was time for lunch and I made my way to the nurse's office attempting to not go into the lunchroom filled with people. Jamie had other plans though. "Scar, get over here you are not hiding in the nurse's office all year for lunch again, hell no." I groaned, she found me. I hung my head low following her silently. I hate the lunchroom, it's filled with people, but in our school, if you weren't in the lunchroom you were causing trouble which is why I always sat in the nurse's office cause she would allow me to, knowing about my anxiety. Jamie chose a table more towards the corner so at least that was good, I made sure I had my back to the wall so none of the people in the room were behind me. No surprises. Sam walked in sitting with us even though she could have left right after this hour. I smiled at her as she sat down just to chat for a bit. "So anything new?" I shrugged and Jamie went off. I just chuckled at her words, "Well I'm gonna beat the hell out of Jake for still staying near her after she was very clear she wants nothing to do with him so yeah that's about it also Will called me last night but I ignored him this time, I promise." Sam nodded in approval then looked my way with raised brows. "So what's going on with you and Jake?" I coughed giving her a weird look, "What are you talking about?" She smirked "He wouldn't continue to stay around you if you weren't egging him on. So what's going on?" I growled, "I am not egging him on, I told him to stay away from me but he doesn't seem to want to listen." She laughed dismissing the matter after seeing how irritated it made me which I silently thanked her.
Jake and a few of his friends sat at the table next to ours which didn't surprise me since for some reason he always tries to get close enough so I can see him and it's driving me crazy. There were a few faces I didn't recognize at his table as well but I just assumed they would be the same as his other childhood friends. I put my head down looking at my phone as Sam and Jamie talked about plans for a road trip once school was over. I just smiled and was already ready for school to be over. Sam was close to being done already because she is brilliant, but she planned on getting some experience by being a teacher's assistant. There were a few teachers in the building willing to have her so all she had to do now was decide.
Only one girl was sitting at Jakes's table but she was watching something on her phone. She kinda reminded me of myself which hurt a little bit, it looks like I've been replaced. She looked up towards me with a small smile and I looked away quickly knowing she probably saw my hurt face. I sighed looking up at my friends knowing I needed some air, "hey guys ill be back in a bit, just need some air." They both nodded knowing I wanted some space and I quickly walked past Jakes's table and towards the nurse's office knowing she would allow me outside for a few minutes. I poked my head into her office, but she was dealing with a student who didn't feel well, so I walked away not wanting to disturb them. My dean and principal glanced my way but they didn't seem to care that I was in the hallway without a real reason. My dean saw that I just wanted some space so they left me alone as I stood in the hall having my mini panic attack.
I heard someone coming down the hall towards me, though it sounded like a small group so I tried to look natural as I was heavily breathing and looking down at my phone trying to distract myself. I heard distant laughing and I knew exactly what was about to happen. "Aww look at her, she's gonna cry. She afraid if she eats anything all of her weight will be back." I sighed I can never escape them. I started walking away knowing it was my only chance. I heard Jake call after me hearing him start to walk up from behind his friends. "Scarlett are you alright?" I just scoffed "Like you fucking care." I walked away quickly confusing the hell out of him.
That girl was in my second to last class and came over and sat next to me. Why? I have no idea. "Do you mind if I sit here with you?" I gave her a small glance and looked back down at my phone waiting for the class to start. She tapped the table getting my attention again, "I'm Tonnie and I know why you are mad at Jake." I narrowed my eyes at her, "How the hell could you know?" Tonnie looked down towards the table as her platinum blonde hair covered her face. "I heard what those guys said to you and your response to Jake asking if you were okay, It's quite obvious why you're mad but I just wish Jake noticed what those guys have been saying to you." She glanced at my surprised expression and was very shocked when I hugged her. "Thank you so much for noticing I thought it was hard to see." She shook her head hugging me back. "I've got your back don't worry." I gave her a grateful smile and from then on she was my science partner for sure. We exchanged numbers and made sure to keep in contact. She was going to try and make it easier for him to notice because as much as Scar was mad at him she wanted her best friend back and she didn't want him to continue being friends with people that were so cruel.
I was in my last class with about 20 minutes left and I had already finished my work so I was just chilling on my phone until I got a text from Jamie asking me to come downstairs cause she was having trouble with her ex. I gave my teacher a look and she just smiled and nodded knowing I wouldn't just leave the building but I would like to go and find something to do for the remainder of the school day. Jamie's last hour is art so I ran down the stairs and walked right in and sat next to Jamie right in Will's way so he couldn't see Jamie at all. I heard the growling in the distance so I must have made him a bit frustrated that he could no longer see her. I looked at what she was drawing and I thought it looked pretty nice and we just sat in comfortable silence and she silently thanked me with her glossy gaze.
Jamie packed up her stuff and we headed our way down the hall out to my car. When we get there we hear Will behind us yelling "Hey Jamie! Why weren't you answering me last night?" I gestured Jamie to just get in the car before Will got any closer. When he noticed this he sped walked towards me and I stood right in his way. "Back the fuck up Will right now." In the corner of my eye, Jake was looking very alert at the upset dude in front of me. "Scar stay the hell out of it okay?" I growled and pushed him back taking him by surprise "She's my best fucking friend so I'm not staying out of it." When Will went to shove me away, a very aggressive hand grabbed his arm and pushed him back almost resulting in him plummeting to the floor. He caught himself sloppily and went at Jake but he just caught his clumsy hit and pushed him back again. "Scar, get out of here before teachers start to get involved, I'm not walking away until you and Jamie are gone." I just nodded and quickly got in my car, started it, and drove off.
The drive to Jamie's house was silent, probably because we were both thinking about different things. I can't believe after how I treated Jake today he still stood up for Jamie and me. He even protected me from getting hit. I'm gonna approach, my dean, tomorrow about Will and his actions and I'm hoping Jake with be my evidence for what I'm going to tell him. I pulled up to Jamie's house, and before she got out I said "Just relax okay? Don't answer him at all okay?" She nodded, getting out silently. I understand her silence honestly because she probably feels embarrassed that he even caused a scene just because she's trying to distance herself from him.