by Green, Maree
I shrugged him off. “I am not a bitch. Well, not to anyone other than you anyway…”
He chuckled.
Jace was still tense though. “Aiden, you know what Melissa’s like. I can’t see her letting this drop so easily. The whole school just about knows what’s happened. She’s going to want payback.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “People like Melissa don’t frighten me.”
Jace smirked. “Okay little wild cat.”
“Shut up,” I grouched, but a grin slipped out anyway.
Aiden unlocked the car and opened the door. “Okay, let’s get you home before you turn feral.”
“HA HA.” He was a smart ass.
He jumped in behind the wheel as the guys all called out their goodbyes, leaving me and Jace just standing there.
“Can I call you later?” he asked.
I smiled. I was beginning to like not having to hide. “Sure.”
* * *
It took until the next morning for the full effect of what was happening in my life to kick in. The second Aiden pulled into the parking lot, I felt the stares. I wasn’t sure if it was because of Jace’s interest in me, or the altercation with Melissa in the bathroom, but I thought maybe it was both.
Funnily enough, the attention didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. Melissa deserved to be put in her place. Bullying was the one thing I wouldn’t stand to put up with.
Kaeli jumped on me the second I was out of the car, her exuberance bubbling over. I raised my eyebrows at her. “Er…good morning? Did you accidently swap your morning juice for red bull or something?”
She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me away. “Very funny. I thought you’d be interested in knowing what was going down in Facebook land.”
I groaned. That was the last thing I wanted. I seriously needed to ban her from that place. “Do I have to know?” I whined.
“Oh come on, it’s not bad. Melissa was trying her best to down play it, but everyone now knows Meaghan and Claire were there, so they’re all trying to get it first hand from them.”
Unease crept into my stomach. This whole situation could turn bad for me so easily. “Do you know what Claire and Meaghan are saying? Are they telling people I was mean to Melissa?”
Kaeli’s eyes widened. “God no! They’re definitely on your side, Mia.”
I exhaled with relief. “Okay.”
We walked into the locker hall and I was instantly met with people I didn’t know, smiling and saying hello to me.
Kaeli cleared her throat beside me. “Well, this is new…”
“I’ll say,” I muttered under my breath. I didn’t actually know if I was going to be able to see the day out at this rate, and the day had only just started. At least I had Jace with me second period. That had to count for something.
Getting through first period was a lot tougher than I anticipated though. It seemed Kacey and Violet were on a mission to see who could give me the most venomous glare, not to mention the occasional snide remarks muttered under their breaths. At first I thought they were glaring at me because they were ‘Team Melissa’, but then I remembered Kacey and Melissa didn’t get along, so that left only one other explanation. They were pissed about Jace.
Second period was definitely a step up in the better day department. Walking into the classroom to see Jace saving a seat for me almost made me forget about the bitch squad altogether. I almost kissed him for it.
Having had people see us getting closer over the last week definitely had its benefits. I was surprised to find that no one really made a big deal out of us sitting together like I thought they would. And it was the same for when we walked back to the locker hall after class. Oh, people definitely looked, but it wasn’t the whole jaw dropping reaction I was envisioning.
I noticed Jace touched me a little bit more too. Just fleeting little touches that didn’t seem too obvious, but if seen, spoke a thousand words.
As we made our way out to the green, I cringed when I saw all the girls hanging around the guys’ usual table. Of course Aiden was already there with Matt, lapping it all up. I slowed my steps, looking around for Kaeli.
“What’s up?” Jace said, stopping and turning to face me.
I caught sight of her standing by a group of girls that were sitting in the sun, then looking closer, realized it was Amber and the other girls who’d come to Aspen with us. I knew they usually sat with the guys, so I was a little confused to why they were sitting somewhere else.
“I’m going to go say hi to Amber and the girls, okay?”
Jace looked over at the group and frowned. I could tell he didn’t want to give up his time with me, but he nodded anyway. “Okay. I’ll catch you a bit later then.”
The girls all looked up at me and smiled when I walked up.
Amber laughed. “And here’s the girl of the hour. Can I shake your hand? I’ve been waiting for someone to take Melissa down since our freshman year.”
I smiled shyly and folded myself down on the grass beside Kaeli. “I didn’t really say much. I just called her on her bullshit.”
Amy shook her head. “Yeah, Kaeli was just saying how she and Kacey just made it all up about being with Jace.”
“And Violet…”
Jessica laughed. “Poor Jace.”
Amber rolled her eyes. “Yeah because Jace is bound to be upset some girls made up stories about how great he is in bed.”
“I wouldn’t say upset, but he was annoyed,” I said quietly.
Kaeli nodded as she swallowed her bite of food. “Yeah, but that was only because he was worried you’d be upset.”
The three girls stared at me. “So you and Jace are really together?” Jess asked.
Shit. I hadn’t thought about what I’d say if someone asked me point blank. “Uh…can you ask me again on Monday?”
They continued to stare at me for a few more seconds, grins spreading across their faces. I plucked a blade of grass out of the ground and stared at it. “So why aren’t you sitting over there with the guys?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
Amber groaned. “I couldn’t stand one more second with the skanky squad. It’s hard to eat your lunch when you constantly have a little bit of vomit in your mouth.”
I glanced over at the table and saw some brunette chick reach up and touch Jace’s hair. Even from where I was sitting I could see the scowl on his face. He swatted her hand away, but she just laughed and leant closer to him, showing off her cleavage. “Yeah, I see what you mean.”
A few squeals broke out and a couple of girls climbed up on the table. I didn’t know what they were doing, but Aiden was in fits of laughter. It actually made me smile.
“Speaking of skanky…” Amber said, looking over Jess’ shoulder.
We all turned to see what she was talking about and saw Melissa strutting out onto the green with her clones.
I looked away because I didn’t want to stir up trouble by making her think we were all talking about her.
“By the looks of things, she’s moved on to her next victim. Poor Brendon,” Amy said, although she sounded far from sympathetic.
I glanced back to see Melissa all over one of the football jocks. Poor Brendon indeed. Unfortunately, Melissa chose that moment to look up and when she saw me watching her, her eyes narrowed into slits and her mouth formed a rude word.
“Jesus,” Jess said. “Did you see that? What a bitch.”
I raised one eyebrow in a ‘what are you going to do?’ type gesture and sipped on my drink. I refused to get into it.
“You’re so much better than her. In every way,” Amber said, obviously pissed on my behalf. “She’s so full of self-importance.”
A hollering from the guys table, followed by raucous laughing drew our attention again. The guys were high fiving each other happily while a couple of the girls walked away, throwing glares back at them.
“Is anyone going tonight?” Amy said, still watching the guys.
I drifted off
in my own thoughts while the girls started talking about all their plans for that weekend. Jace and I hadn’t actually talked about trying to catch up after their gig. I wondered if he would want to. I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.
Turning my attention back to Jace, I spent the rest of the lunch break more or less watching him laughing with Aiden. It was refreshing to see the both of them so relaxed for a change.
The bell rang not long after that and, other than a quick hi-goodbye, I didn’t really get a chance to see Jace again before Kaeli and I had to rush off to gym class.
Kaeli was telling me about her latest design assignment as we rounded the corner towards the gym, when something slammed into my shoulder. I gasped, more from surprise than pain, and spun to see what had hit me. My eyes connected with Melissa’s cold ones as she walked away from me.
“You better watch yourself, bitch,” Kaeli said quietly.
Melissa simply smirked before turning and continuing on her way.
“That girl is seriously pissing me off,” Kaeli mumbled. “Are you alright?”
I nodded. I was a little taken aback actually. I hadn’t really anticipated Melissa going at me quite so blatantly. I guess I needed to be a little more aware.
We made it to the gym and I managed to get through the class without too much of an incident seeing as my head was all over the place. After that I had biology, and considering we had an assessment to complete in class, I forced my head to focus enough so I didn’t completely stuff it up.
As the final bell rang for the day, I packed up, ready to run out the door, but Mr. Carrington decided to recruit me to sort out the test tube samples for him. I knew he only did it because he knew it’d get done properly, but still.
By the time I got out, most of the halls were relatively empty. There were still a few students wandering around, but the mass of the student body seemed to be missing. I frowned with confusion. I hadn’t been that freaking long. Where the hell was everybody?
I got my answer when the gym doors suddenly crashed open behind me and the halls instantly became filled with hundreds of yelling and cheering football fans.
I’d forgotten about the pep rally.
Fuck.
The sudden noise and crowds of people hit me like the full force of a steam train and there was no way of stopping the anxiety that sprang up into a full blown panic attack. It was too much like that day.
I pressed myself back against the lockers, my breath rushing in and out. Too fast. The crowd hollered and cheered, banging on the lockers as they filed past. I couldn’t seem to get enough air into my lungs. I gasped for it, but it wouldn’t come. The pressure of it on my chest was brutal and relentless.
Oh, god. Air. I needed air. Please. Someone. Help me!
The thunderous noise continued. I squeezed my eyes shut, just wanting it to be over. This was it. I was going to die. Right here. And they wouldn’t care. Wouldn’t notice. They’d just walk right over the top of me like they did with my dad.
The banging got louder, making me flinch with each jarring sound. I whimpered, tears stinging my eyes. My vision blurred. Everything in my peripheral sight started fading, quickly turning black, my field of vision growing smaller and small until there were only pinpoints of light before me. My face started tingling with pins and needles, spreading down my neck and arms until it reached my fingers.
Air. I needed more air…
Somewhere in the fogginess of my brain I thought I heard my name, as though being called by a ghost. Please, god, no.
Then, out of nowhere, I felt myself being wrapped in familiar arms, enveloped by a familiar smell, my face pressing into a familiar warmth. Jace. I wanted to cry because he found me, because he was trying to protect me.
I clung to him, breathed in his calming scent, concentrating with everything I had on the slow rise and fall of his chest. I tried to match my breaths with his, focusing on only those things. His breathing, his smell, and the feel of his arms around me.
Sweet, reviving air streamed into me, and I gulped it down greedily, taking in as much as I could. My head swam with it, making the world around me tilt, but I wasn’t afraid of falling. I knew Jace would never let me.
With my face still pressed into his chest, the sounds of the crowd continued to terrorize me, ripping me violently between past and present. I tried to concentrate on things that would help me distinguish between the two, to help me feel safe. It was the murmurs of my name and Jace’s that finally brought me back to reality. I still couldn’t move, couldn’t face the volumes of people I knew were still flocking around me, but I knew I’d be okay as long as I stayed in Jace’s arms.
My heart lurched when someone suddenly started pulling on my arm, trying to drag me away from him, and a half whimper, half scream escaped me. I clung tighter to Jace, panicked, silently begging him to not let them take me. Jace growled.
“Mia, it’s only me,” I heard Aiden say. I relaxed a little at hearing his voice, but I couldn’t let go of my lifeline.
I shook my head in a rush and gripped Jace even tighter again, silently pleading with Aiden to leave me in my safe haven. Thankfully, Jace tightened his arms in response, sending relief through me in waves.
“I’m here, Mia. It’s okay,” Aiden said. “Jace and I are both here. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”
I could feel Aiden’s hand pressed against my back, and the waves of relief came stronger. I nodded a little in response, but kept my face pressed into Jace’s chest.
My body shook uncontrollably, and my knees went weak. I let myself sag even more against Jace, no longer able to fully support my own weight.
The sounds of the crowd were growing less and less, but my body was still humming with fear. I just couldn’t let go yet. Jace’s hand came to the back of my head, holding me against his chest, and I immediately felt safer.
“Hey guys, Mr. Daniels is waiting for you,” I heard a low voice say.
“Well, he can fucking wait!” Aiden growled. “I need to make sure my sister’s okay before I go anywhere.”
No one spoke for a few seconds, then the owner of the voice said, “Okay, I’ll go let him know...”
Then, “Is she okay?”
I knew that voice belonged to Kaeli. I exhaled slowly at the sound of her voice. My shoulders relaxed a little.
“I don’t know,” Aiden said wearily. “Are you staying? Jace and I are going to have to go out there soon, and I don’t want to leave her alone.”
As they talked, Jace slowly brushed his hand over my hair before burying it underneath my curls and cupping the back of my neck. He kissed the top of my head, and I felt my shoulders relax a little more.
“I’ll take her home and stay with her. She’ll be fine,” Kaeli said.
I liked that idea. It meant getting away from the crowd. But, unfortunately, it also meant leaving Jace, and I wanted to stay right there, in his arms. I took a deep breath, knowing I was holding them up. I needed to let them go.
I moved my hands so they were resting on Jace's hips, and adjusted my face so it was just my forehead resting on his chest. I took another deep breath. Baby steps.
I licked my lips. They tasted salty. Shit. I’d been crying? Taking a deeper breath, I tried to move back a little, but only managed to get as far as lifting my face to Jace's.
Jace’s embrace loosened and he carefully reached up to brush a tear away with his thumb. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern thick in his voice.
I nodded.
"Ah...guys? Mr. Daniels is kinda getting mad..." the low voice said again.
Without taking his eyes off me, Jace said, "I'm not going."
Aiden didn't say anything, but I could feel his surprise.
"Man, it’s not like they can do it without you," the voice said.
"I don't care. I'm not leaving Mia."
"Jace..." Aiden said. "We have to do this. Trust me, Mia’s okay. She’s a tough little machine.”
I still hadn't taken my eyes off
Jace's. It was obvious he was about to dig his heels in.
“It’s only one song,” Aiden continued. “Ten minutes tops. Mia could probably wait for us.”
I could hear the pleading tone in Aiden’s voice. For some reason this performance was important. I needed to show him I was okay so he would go.
I licked my lips again and swallowed against the dryness. "I'll be okay," I said, my voice lacking the conviction I needed it to have. I tried to strengthen it. "I’ll go wait in the car with Kaeli."
Jace studied me. I could tell he didn’t believe I was okay for a second.
"Really, Jace. I just want to sit down. Kaeli will be with me. You go."
I forced myself to step away from him, closer to Kaeli, and took her hand. Bewildered, I noticed her holding my books. The ones I obviously dropped when the crowd surged. Before I could say anything else, Kaeli squeezed my hand and gave it a gentle tug to encourage me to move. Giving my brother and my boyfriend a reassuring smile, I turned and walked away.
Just as I was about to walk out the door, I looked down the other end of the hall and saw Melissa watching me with a calculating stare.
Chapter 32
Jace
I waited until the doors closed behind her before I let out a long assed fucking breath. The same fucking breath I felt like I’d been holding onto since I first saw her trapped against the lockers.
I swear I’d never felt so fucking helpless in all my life. Seeing her like that made something inside me break, and I couldn’t stand it. I wanted to fucking smash something.
“Still want to ask her out?” Aiden said quietly beside me. His tone was scornful.
I looked up and met his hard gaze with a defiant one of my own. “More than you’ll ever know.”
With that, I turned and strode out to the green to get this shit over with. The sooner we could pump out this god forsaken song, the sooner I could be with Mia. If it wasn’t for the dumb assed fucking reporter from Music Scene, I wouldn’t even be fucking going.
Dean and Matt were both already on the makeshift stage that’d been set up on the green, talking to Mr. Daniels who looked like he was about to pop a vein in his temple. The crowd was fully amped, spurred on by the cheerleaders and football team who were keeping them hyped with team cheeriness. Retch.