CHAPTER FOUR: Covered In Goo
1585 Words
This is tenth grade. It is gym practice, the boys and girls are grouped into two teams. Sawyer and his team mates are running around the floor trying to get access of the hand ball.
There are cheers from his team mates as he and his rival block each other from getting a hold of the ball.
Sawyer Morgan can sense that it is his moment to grip the ball, he feels it as sweat rolls off his forehead and just when he hit the ball from his rival's hand.
Sawyer gets it and throws it into the court, adding a point to his teams winning. In excitement, he steps back and notices that he barges into someone, he turns when he sees that she loses her balance.
Instantly, he catches her.
His hands hold her waist and he protects her from slipping.
The moment Sawyer helps her regain her balance, she mouths a 'thank you' and runs out of the floor.
Crestville High
Lunch break
2:55pm
Huh?
Angel says, she hears what he says but doesn't understand the feeling behind it.
It has consideration in it and the last time she checked, there was nothing, not even friendship between them, so why this?
Who did this to you? He asks her again.
Angel goes silent. She places her hand on her knee and turns away.
"Stop." Sawyer says bluntly with his deep voice that puts a hold on her feet even when she doesn't plan on stopping.
"I'm fine...I don't need help." Angel says when she has turned away from him.
"Pretend you did not see it." She says, hoping he will let it go.
This is embarrassing enough and she did not need him to make her become more pitiable. Why is it her crush that finds her in this state, this isn't supposed to happen. Angel groans.
I didn't say I was gonna help. Sawyer's face is cold and unapologetic. It confuses Angel.
Huh?
Did someone do this to you? Sawyer asks.
No, why do you think so?
"Because I've seen it." He tells her.
And I will not pretend like I didn't.
"You should, cause it's nothing like what you think." Angel says, hoping he's buying her lie.
Sawyer walks towards her and takes a look at her knee.
He squats and looks at it again, it makes Angel insecure. The boy she likes is gazing so closely at her, right after she got bullied or whatever. All she wants to is run into a hole and hide for the rest of her life, but sadly he is not letting her go.
Come.
Angel stays put and looks at him in wonder and confusion.
I'm not going to eat you.
Don't you think you need to bathe this off?
"The thing is..." Angel decides to lay some of her grief of not having the bravado to walk into school like that.
"You don't want to walk into the hall like that." I figured, now come with me. Sawyer says nudging with his head.
Angel bites her lips and follows him.
After following Sawyer for less than two minutes, he types in a code at a lock and opens the door. Angel follows after him, she is still insecure about everything, but she no choice whatsoever.
Angel has her eyes roaming around the profligate lounge in wonder, what association or club exactly did school permit to have such outstanding meeting room.
Last time she checked, clubs still fought for the drama room. How is a tennis table, vending machine, luxurious couches, a piano, gaming systems get authorized by the school board?
"My friends are not here for the mean time; you can take a real shower." The bathroom is right upstairs and there you can change clothes too with more convenience.
There is a washing machine, dry towels and some plain tees in there. Sawyer says.
Your friends? "You mean..."
PEST? "Whatever it is the school calls it, yes." Sawyer replies.
Oh. Angel remembers. The PESTs were the only ones above school authority so it made sense now after Sawyer told her.
Angel looks at him. The boy is standing right before her. His pitch black eyes are watching her, his brows furrow in curiosity as the seconds go by. He tucks his hands into his pocket towering over Angel with his intimidating height and stature that is more than double of hers.
All manifest right in front of her like an answered prayer, she is bolt from the blue about his presence and when he continues to stares at her, she makes a pretence cough.
Go on.
He beckons with his hands.
Where will you be?
Angel asks.
Sawyer chuckles lightly before he walks out of the room, understanding what she meant by that.
Angel sighs in relief; she looks around the exquisite setting. It looks like an authentic and bona fide abode, it catches her eyes and she feels like studying it but she is currently covered in goo, so she begins to climb her way to the stairs heading for the bathroom.
When Angel gets upstairs, she sees another separate lounge, it has a large pool table that catches her eyes at first, and it has a great view and lightning too. The plain color, aesthetics and choice of furniture amazes her, to think that this was a lounge for high school students and not a home that is up for sale?
Again, it surprises her to the curb.
She begins to walk slowly, searching for the bathroom. Angel enters the first passage by her left and immediately she sees the sign saying 'girls'. She pushes the door open and closes it behind her in relief.
Quietly and quickly, she begins to take off her clothes and underwear. She first rinses some of the goo off her clothes before she spins them in the washing machine, she waits for her clothes to wash and dry before she steps into the shower.
And in about twenty minutes more, Angel steps out of the room, she is wearing a white plain T-shirt. She is in her skirt uniform, but her shirt has gone through some ordeals that have caused it to squeeze and writhe.
She walks down the flight of steps and catches a fright when she sees Sawyer sitting on one of the couches in the downstairs room. After placing a hand on her chest in fear, she inhales and walks closer.
You're Angel? Sawyer says as he closes the book on his lap and stands.
How do you know that?
"It's in the year book." Sawyer says with a smile.
He smiled at her!
Angel nods.
We have two more minutes to Literature class.
What! Angel shrieks.
We have to go!
Sawyer stops for a moment and looks at her.
Sure.
They both pace in the hall as they bell rings, actually Angel runs while Sawyer walks behind her. Atlas, she gets into class before their literature teacher is in and for some reasons every eye looks at her.
Is it because of Sawyer?
Angel wonders as she takes her seat.
Sawyer takes his beside her.
Angel opens her notes, the attention on her is escalating and she wonders what exactly the reason is.
Kids in Crestville High apart from Tess and her goons have no business with her and neither has she with them.
Fortunately, the teach walks in and sets the attention. Angel raises her face from the desk and catches Tess's blazing eyes literally throwing daggers at her.
At this point, Angel knows there is something wrong!
"Whatever it is, it should wait till she gets home." All of this attention in just a day, life is always hectic on her shoulders anyway.
After minutes go by in the class, they are expected to read a passage on their own before the teach starts the explanation. Everyone is silent, concentrating or doing something else, but not a voice is heard.
Psst! A cautious sound comes from someone sitting very close to Angel.
She hears and turns to see Eric, he is the male oppressor and bully of their year and he does worse things to other classmates. "One time he bullied a male student into almost committing suicide and then transferring out of Crestville High." He is one of the boys that likes Tess and Angel can already tell that she is in deep trouble.
He turns his phone towards her.
In it he has written a text and she reads it.
What are you doing after school?
Angel turns to her note book, her heart skips and her palms are sweating. Why is this happening to her? Could Tess have been behind this?
Did she send him to complicate her life more than she has already done?
She contemplates whether to reply him back.
Angel is still thinking when he "pssts" her again. She reaches for her phone in her pocket and sets it on the table. She doesn't want to have anything to do with him. He has a malevolent and ferocious attitude, talking to him would only put her in trouble and staying silently would perhaps do more damage.
She doesn't want to reach for her phone for it would mean that she wants to answer him. And the moment her hand touches her phone, the bell goes off.
The class becomes surrounded by large screeching and chatters from every angle, Angel blesses the timing as she packs her books and rushes out.
- Writer
