My eyelids are heavy as I try to force my eyes open. My vision is unclear and I can't process what is happening, or where I am. My cheek is stinging, my wrists burn. Someone is in front of me, I realise I'm against the wall, in a sitting position.

I try to make out who it is. My heart rate rises again.

I focus on the eyes.

Brown.

I know who it is now. I still cannot bring my heart rate down, despite knowing who it is. What if he is their leader? The guys. Everything comes crashing down to me. A shiver passes down my spine and I try to breathe.

He is saying something but I can not make out what he is trying to tell me.

He tries to touch my cheek and I flinch. After ages, I see him stand up and put some space between us. It definitely helps me calm down a little. After ages, I can finally breathe normally. My tears stop, I don't even know when I'd started crying.

I can hear him saying 'everything is okay' and mumbling something about how he doesn't know how to comfort someone.

Comfort?

"Who are you guys?" I can finally get it out. My throat feels dry.

"I'm not among them," he grits out, his eyes suddenly turning dark again. I remove my gaze from his eyes and focus on my surroundings. I see the guys from before on the floor. Relief floods through me.

"Did you k-kill them?"

"Should've," he mutters, his voice low. I can feel myself getting calmer.

"T-thanks," I say through my quivering lips as I look into his brown eyes.

"They'll wake up in few hours," he says darkly when he notices my eyes on them. "Let's get you to the infirmary," he sighs, running his hands through his hair.

"I don't trust you," I tell him honestly. Trusting is what got me here. I am not going to fall into the same hole twice.

"Understandable. Call your friends, then."

.

"I'm the worst," Ava sniffles.

I roll my eyes. She's said it over twenty times already and I'm not even exaggerating.

"It is not your fault," I sigh, "I should've just called you."

"No, I should've called you," she groans. It's been around an hour since the incident and I feel a lot better now. We have lunch after twenty minutes and I'm feeling hungry already. Sipping the fruit juice Ava got me, I feel comforted. We are sitting in the school field, under a tree.

"Who was the one that beat those assholes by the way," Ava asks, sitting up straighter.

"I'll show yo-"

"Oh God," Ava cuts me off. Her eyes are wide as she stares behind me. I turn around and see the brown eyed guy leaning against a tree, a cigarette in his hands and his piercing stare right at me.

I turn back.

"He's the one," I tell her shakily.

"No way," Ava whisper-yells.

"What?" I ask her, not knowing why she was so shell-shocked.

"I didn't know that he was capable of doing that. We don't know much about him, he doesn't have friends and he is always by himself. When someone tries to talk to him or anything, he beats the living daylights out of them and everyone knows not to deal with him. Not even the teachers. His dad has contacts, no one can do anything to him. We just act like he doesn't exist."

Unbelievable. I remember shouting at him to wake up, he didn't really do anything to me except a cold stare. Maybe he let it go because he was sleepy.

"That's scary," I tell her. She just nods her head.

Intriguing.

"What is his name?"

"Ace."

Ace

"I've been paired up with him," I breath out. "For my English assignment."

Her eyes grow to the size of tennis balls.

"You what?"

"I sat next to him so-"

"YOU WHAT?"

I sigh, lowering my head and looking at my hands. Why is life so difficult?

"Oh God, he's staring at you again," Ava whispers. I see a glint in her eyes. "He likes you!" she says with a finality in her voice. "That explains everything!"

I look at her wordlessly. My cheeks warm up a bit and I grow slightly flustered.

"Maybe he just wanted to help because he heard me scream for help and maybe he let me sit next to him because he was alseep. Stop jumping to conclusions, Ava," I tell her with a sigh.

She just smiles, the glint still present in her eyes.

The bells rings.

"Lunch break," she squeals. "Let's go," she says standing up and giving me her hand. I take it and we leave, feeling the same pair of intense eyes on me as we walk inside.

A funny feeling develops in my chest.

.

Blake, Samantha and Jackson, I try to remember their names. I don't feel comfortable with Ava's friends just yet but I think I will get used to them over time.

Samantha has chocolate brown skin with prettiest black eyes and dark long hair pulled into a ponytail. She's visibly uninterested at anything going on and is busy on her phone.

Jackson is blonde hair blue eyed, he is a little shorter than us- maybe 5'3 but he has a bulky body. I don't like the way he is looking at me so I try to ignore him as much as possible.

Blake is tall and lean. Unlike Jackson, his presence is comforting in a way and his look doesn't give me creeps. He's warm and friendly and makes funny jokes every now and then.

We eat lunch and I can't help but let my mind drift to everything that happend today. I can't wait to go home. A wave of sadness fills me.

"I'm gonna get some air," I tell them before I stand to leave.

"I'm coming," Ava tells me, worry evident in her voice.

"No, it's okay. I'll be back in ten," I assure her. She thinks about it. After a moment she sighs and says, "call me if something happens."

Mumbling an okay, I walk to the school field.

I sit on the grass and bring my knees to my chest. Everything that happened today flashes in my eyes. I feel tears brimming in my eyes. I would be lying is I said I didn't miss my old life. I may not have had much freedom but atleast I felt safe. Atleast I didn't feel lonely.

"How's your wrist?"

I let out a gasp and put my hand over my chest. My heart almost jumps out of my ribcage.

I turn around and see Ace looking at me with a blank expression, standing tall with his hand on his pocket. Looking intimidating and scary as ever, his dark eyes penetrating my soul.