The late bell rang and I was still in the hallways stuffing my books into my bag. I was just thankful this was fifth period, the first class after lunch, and Mr. Pin-Head wasn't my teacher.

Imagine me receiving another detention after just completing a months worth of it. I was grateful that Mrs. Fletcher was a chill teacher.

I filled my thoughts with homework assignments and teachers that I liked instead of what was really trying to flood my mind.

Seeing Tristan this morning simply walking the halls wasn't easy on me, but it was something I just had to get used to. I would be fine without him. I did it before, I could do it again.

I took a deep breath before zipping my bag up and finally shutting my locker... only to find Walter waiting on the other side.

I greeted his slimy smirk with a blank expression as I adjusted my bag on my shoulder. He just stared back.

"Great talk, Walt," I said as I turned on my heels to walk to my class. His footsteps followed close behind.

"Do you feel lonely, Adelaide?"

"Don't know what you mean," I responded without looking back.

"I notice things you know. Like how quickly you and your boy Tristan got so close. How you two have spent a lot of time together. So, I mean it's weird, right? Now all of the sudden he's nowhere around?"

"Sure Walter, very weird. Maybe you can go and have a chat with him about it. I have to get to Chemistry." I picked up my pace a little and began to walk up the stairs. I was hoping this is where Walter would go his separate way, but his footsteps still followed.

He took two steps at a time, quickly bouncing ahead of me, and turned to stand right in my way. Being two steps higher up the stairs, he was abnormally taller.

"I don't want to talk to him, I want to talk to you."

"That's unfortunate. I'm still late." I walked around him and climbed the rest of the steps until I made it to the landing.

That's when he grabbed me by the arm and spun me around. "Why would you want to go to Chemistry when we have that all right here?"

"Walter, I don't want to talk to you and I don't want you touching me. Leave me alone." I pushed my hands into his chest, sending him back a few steps. However, he latched onto my arms and took me back those few steps with him until I was pulled into his chest.

"No no no, because I want to know what it was Adelaide. What is it that makes that son of a bitch so special to you when I've been nothing but nice and all I get in return is your fucking attitude."

"Stop acting like I owe you something Walter, you're not entitled to shit. Get off of me." He adjusted his hold on my arms as I tried to pull from his grip.

"Ask me nicely," He smirked.

I stopped struggling. "No, you know what, what's your fucking plan? You wanna try something in the middle of a school day? Go ahead, be a dumbass and get yourself caught on camera."

He looked to the wall behind me, up to the corner where I had just remembered a camera was.

All he did was give me a lame shrug with one shoulder, his grip still firm and his smirk still tight. "Perks of being a star football player, right? They won't let me get in too much trouble." He gave me a wink that sent a wave of disgust through my body. I ignored the feeling, not wanting to let it show.

"You willing to bet that? Coach Fowler is one of my dad's closest friends. Try again, Walt." His smile finally faltered. He knew it was true.

He stared down at me and I read his expression immediately. He was annoyed now. I raised my eyebrows at him in question, giving a tug to my arms still in his hold. He slowly loosened his grip until I was able to step away from him.

I didn't waste any time, climbing the rest of the steps and leaving him there on the landing. Once I was on normal ground again, I felt the need to pick up my pace. I didn't hear him following me and I didn't want to wait around for him to change his mind.

In my rush, I looked back to make sure he wasn't behind me. He wasn't. But apparently, someone was now in front of me.

I gasped as I slammed into his chest, knocking his things to the ground in the process. A notebook was sprawled out, a folder was open with a few worksheets fallen out of its pocket. I saw the name on his paper before I saw his face.

Tristan Presley.

I looked up to meet his gaze. His features were steady, his expression neutral. Without saying a word, he lowered himself to pick up his things. I crouched down with him to help. Our hands bumped a few times as we silently picked up his things.

"Are you okay?" He asked. I looked at him again, the only thing that changed in his look was the slightly confused furrow in his brows, barely visible. If I didn't know him, I probably wouldn't have even noticed it.

"I'm fine," I replied quietly, stacking the last of the papers. He went quiet again as we both stood up straight. I took a look back to the stairway I just came from.

"What's wrong?" He reworded, causing me to look at him again. "You have this look like-"

"It's not your business anymore Tristan," I cut him off unemotionally. "We're not friends, remember?" I forced the papers into his hands and walked around him.

My classroom was just a few doors down and I placed my hand on the door handle. As I opened it to walk in, I looked back at him, but he wasn't looking in my direction. He was looking in the direction of the stairwell I came from.

I let the door close behind me as I tuned in to the chemistry lesson that already started without me.

—————————

"So, what are we doing on this very much needed girls night?" Leah asked. Maylan and I met her at her locker at the end of the day.

"French fries," Maylan pitched in. "Lots of French fries, so I say we hit the diner first thing."

"I love that plan!" Carson's voice came from nowhere. He walked over to us and leaned on the lockers. "I don't give a fuck who's driving, I call shotgun."

"No no," I said. "This is a girls-only plan and you have lots of friends who'd love to spend time with you. Be gone."

"That is no way to talk to your most favorite brother who takes care of you and gives you money when you're in need."

"You literally just took ten bucks from my wallet this morning, you're the one in need. Darren!" I called for Carson's friend from down the hall. He snapped his head up and looked at us before making his way over.

"Here's your bestie," I pushed Carson towards him. "He's your responsibility today. Take him to the game and keep him out of trouble?"

"Yes ma'am," Darren responded. Carson became too distracted in conversation to care about being shunned and the two of them walked away together.

"Wonder where he got that shiner from," Leah commented and I followed her gaze.

Walter was now sporting a black eye, walking down the hallway with some kid from the football team. His friend was talking to him and Walter past us without even glancing my way.

"Props to whoever it was. That must have felt good," Maylan mumbled.

I thought about it for a second but kept quiet. I didn't want to make any assumptions or jump to any conclusions, so I kept my thoughts to myself.

Leah finished with her locker and the three of us walked towards the exit doors together. We parked towards the back of the school, walking past the side exit.

I caught a glimpse of Tristan going out the side door and decided to watch him for a moment. He reached out with his hands to push the latch open. That's when I saw his knuckles, the bruised knuckles on his right hand that hadn't been marked like that just earlier today.

I shook my head in disbelief at the coincidence as we kept walking. Walters freshly bruised eye and Tristan's freshly bruised knuckles. What the hell was I supposed to think about this?

His actions were telling me he still cared. Was I comforted by this or did it make me even more upset about everything he said?

Maybe I would just settle on staying angrily confused.