Kayla's hands trembled as she hastily shoved her belongings into her bag, her vision blurring as tears welled up. The silence in the classroom behind her was suffocating, and she could feel every pair of eyes burning into her back. She refused to look up, knowing that Oliver was watching her with that same cold, seething expression that had driven her out in the first place. His anger was palpable, and it hung in the air like a heavy weight pressing down on her.
She fumbled with the zipper of her bag, her hands shaking so violently that it took several tries to close it. The weight of the professor's disdain and the humiliation of being kicked out in front of everyone was almost too much to bear. Her heart raced in her chest, and the lump in her throat grew tighter with each passing second.
Kayla took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the tears that had been threatening to fall finally spilled over, blurring her vision as she glanced toward the door. The faces of her classmates blurred together, indistinguishable in her watery gaze, but she could feel their judgment, their discomfort.
Oliver's voice, though not loud, was sharp and cutting as he addressed the class, ignoring her completely. "As I was saying," he continued, his tone calm but laced with an undercurrent of fury, "those who can't handle the principles of this class should reevaluate their priorities." His words were like daggers, twisting the humiliation deeper into her skin.
Kayla's breath hitched, and she bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. She couldn't take it anymore. Grabbing her bag, she fled the room, not bothering to look back.
Why didn't she say anything? Why did she listen to him? She could have stood her ground like she always did but she left. He stared at her retreating and took a step forward but he stopped.
She wouldn't learn if he decided to pardon her and what would that say of him? Not that he cared. He clenched his fists.
The sound of the door slamming behind her echoed down the empty hallway, but it wasn't loud enough to drown out the hurt and frustration roaring inside her.
Once outside, her legs gave way, and she stumbled to the side of the building, her body shaking as she let out a muffled scream. Tears streamed down her face as she balled her fists, her knuckles white with tension. She had tried so hard to hold it together, but Oliver had pushed her past her breaking point.
The worst part was he was right about her and she hated that he was right. She was at the end of the day, a nobody. She tried to escape the tag from childhood but it was useless
She barely noticed when Jack and Rose came rushing after her, their concerned voices calling her name.
"Kayla!" Rosa called, her voice soft but urgent. "Are you okay?"
Kayla wiped her face roughly, trying to pull herself together. "I'm fine," she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. She didn't meet their eyes, focusing on her hands as they clutched the strap of her bag tightly. Jack stood beside her, his brow furrowed, glancing back at the classroom door.
"We're leaving with you," Jack said firmly, determination in his voice. "Screw him. This class isn't worth it."
Kayla's heart ached at their loyalty, but she shook her head, still unable to fully look at them. "No. You can't. Go back to class." Her voice wavered slightly, but she forced the words out. "You need this class. He doesn't hate you guys… He just hates me."
"But—" Rosa began, her eyes wide with worry.
"No," Kayla interrupted, her voice sterner this time. "Please… just go back. Don't do this because of me."
Jack hesitated, looking torn between his desire to stay with her and the reality of the situation. "Kayla…"
"I said go!" she snapped, her voice breaking. She couldn't take it anymore—the sympathy, the pity. They didn't deserve to suffer because of her.
Reluctantly, Jack and Rosa exchanged glances, clearly unhappy but knowing they couldn't change her mind. "If you need us… we're here," Rosa said quietly before they both turned and headed back into the building, leaving her alone.
As soon as they were out of sight, Kayla's composure shattered completely. A sob ripped through her chest, and she let out a frustrated scream, her voice echoing through the empty corridor. Rage surged through her, overwhelming every other emotion. Without thinking, she kicked the nearest garbage can with all her strength, sending it clattering across the pavement. The violent motion did nothing to relieve the boiling frustration inside her.
She stood there, chest heaving, tears streaming down her face, her foot aching from the force of the kick, but it was the ache inside her heart that consumed her most. No matter how hard she tried, it was never enough.
The sudden pain in Kayla's chest was like a sharp, twisting blade that seemed to pierce through her ribs, radiating from her heart. It came out of nowhere, stealing her breath, and for a moment, it felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs. Her chest tightened, as though a heavy weight had been placed on it, and each heartbeat was a painful thud, reverberating through her entire body. She clutched her chest, eyes widening in shock, the sensation both paralyzing and terrifying. It wasn't just physical—it was a deep, emotional ache as if her heart itself was cracking under the strain of everything she had been holding inside for too long.
Tears blurred her vision as her knees weakened beneath her, her body trembling from the intensity of the sudden pain. The world around her seemed to blur, drowned out by the thudding in her chest, her pulse erratic, her breath shallow. It was a pain that consumed her, both a physical reminder of her emotional anguish and a warning of how much she had pushed herself to the breaking point.
She needed to sit. To stay calm. She remembered the process. Luckily, she managed to see the outline of the bench and someone must have noticed her actions because the person came to help her.
"The bench…" she wheezed out and the stranger helped her to the bench.
"Are you okay? Do you need anything? Should I take you to the sick bay?" The person's voice was muffled but she shook her head. Footsteps echoed but she didn't pay any heed to it.
She reached for her bag and brought out a white pill bottle, opened the lid, and swallowed about five pills.
"Deep breaths, Kay. Deep breaths." The steady voice in her head reminded her. She listened and breathed through her nose, counting the breaths and after a few minutes her breathing became steady and the pain subsided
No one understood her pain and she couldn't tell them. She wasn't important enough. It surprised her that Oliver had such an effect on her. He made her lose control on a whim and that kind of power was terrible.
Only one person understood what she had gone through. Her hazel eyes fluttered open and she brought out her phone and dialed a number.
After two rings, the person picked.
"My witch, how are you?" A male voice sounded through the phone, sounding happy. However, there were other loud noises in the background.
"Andy?" She whispered.
"Kayla? Are you okay? What's wrong?" The worry permeated even from over the phone.
"I'm fine," she lied.
"No, you're not fine. I know you, Kayla…" she heard some shuffling, cussing and someone even yelling Andy's name. "Boweski! Where are you going!?"
"I'm coming to you, Kayla. Where are you? Are you with Louisa? Give her the phone lemme speak to her."
"Andy, I'm fine. Don't come. I just… I just need to your your voice."
"Kayla, are you sure? I can-"
"Talk to me, Andy. That's all I need from you." It would take him two hours to get here and she couldn't do that to him.
All she heard was his breathing for a few seconds.
"Remember when we went to the Bahamas and you were swimming and you mistook a dolphin for a shark and you couldn't stop screaming for help?"
The memory made Kayla cringe and laugh. Andy could always make her feel better. "I asked you to calm me down not embarrass me further!" She could picture his cheeky grin that displayed his one-sided dimple.
"Are you sure you're okay, Kayla? You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"
"Hmmm. Now go before Coach Shawn penalizes you!" He had practice by this time but for her, he left.
"Alright. Don't forget to take your meds and sleep well. Do not binge-watch any Harry Potter!" He warned her. "Take care of yourself, witch. You know I-" he halted.
"I know."
"Do you still…."
"I never stopped, Andy."
"I know." After saying goodbye the call ended.
Kayla sighed deeply. Today had been a lot for her. She didn't even get to rub her assignment in Oliver's face as she planned.
All that was left was to take a much-needed bath and sleep after watching HP.