We are just roommates

Chapter 3

These few days without school went fast and it did good for my sanity. I walked a lot in the woods, I admired the nature and, since I didn’t have a phone, I didn’t hear any drama about what happened in school in the meantime.

Today was Monday, so I needed to attend school again. I needed to study a lot to pass my exams at the end of the school year, otherwise there was no college for me. I had planned everything already. I would finish high school and I would move to New York with the money that I would get from the orphanage and which I inherited from my parents. I would find a room for rent and a job to pay for college till I can move into a dorm room. I just needed to keep studying to make it happen and I wouldn’t let anything and anyone come in my way.

“Kylie.” I looked up to see Myra in the front of the school. “Finally, you are here. Are you feeling better?” She asked and I smiled at her happily. I was in a good mood today for some reason. I think it was because I was determined to accomplish my plans.

“Myra, good morning. Yes, I feel much better.” I told her.

“I see, you look good too.” She said and looked away nervously while we walked into the school. “Kylie, I need to tell you something.” She looked worried.

“Okay.” I told her and stopped to listen to her.

“When you didn’t come to school the other day…. Damian and Kevin asked me questions about you.” She said and I looked at her in disbelief.

“What? Why? What did they ask?” I asked her. 'Why can't they leave me alone? I am sure they have better things to do than keep track of me.' I thought.

“Well… Damian asked where you were and why didn’t you come to school. I told them you were sick and you needed to stay home for a few days. Then Kevin asked me how you got sick. He wanted to know if it had anything to do with Jade. I didn’t want to tell them , I swear, but they tricked me and I ended up telling them.” She said regretfully.

“Wait, what did you tell them exactly?” I asked her with wide eyes and she looked away from me.

“I am so sorry, but they are good at persuasion.” She said and I looked at her pointedly, waiting for her to spit it out already. “Well, they asked me how you got sick and I told them you slept on the cold floor of the punishment room.” She said while her head was hanging low.

“You did what? Myra, what if they tell someone who will cause trouble and I will be kicked out of the orphanage?” I asked her in panic.

“I am sorry, okay? They promised not to tell anyone.” She said and I looked at her in disbelief.

“And you believed them?” I asked her and facepalmed myself. “Don’t worry, it’s okay.” I told her while I let out a sigh. “Only three months left and I will be out of here.” I stated and she nodded her head while we walked into the school. I tried to avoid everyone from their group and I managed to sneak into my classroom without any of them noticing me. I didn’t want to start the day with Jade bullying me.

I managed to listen to my teachers and I was glad to find out that I didn’t miss so much in the last few days, so I could catch up with everyone. I studied a lot till I stayed home so I could pass my exams without problems when the time came.

Luckily, I hadn’t seen anyone from the popular group till now and it was already lunch time, so I was walking towards the cafeteria happily. I knew they would all be there, but I wouldn’t let them ruin my good mood, so I would just ignore them.

“Hi Kylie. Do you want to eat outside? The weather is beautiful.” Myra asked cheerfully and I smiled at her.

“Sure. Let’s grab our food first.” I told her and we waited in the line when suddenly someone poured something on my jacket. I think it was yoghurt and I heard someone laughing.

“Well, welcome back Kyla.” Jade said and walked away with a proud and smug smile on her face and sat down by their table.

“It’s Kylie and thank you.” I called after her sarcastically while I tried to clean my jacket with some tissue. I was expecting it already. Was she that insecure as to take me as an enemy when I was not even close to her level? She was beautiful and me? I was nothing compared to her.

“Who did this to you?” A deep voice asked from behind me and I turned around to see those beautiful blue eyes. Kevin was standing in front of me in all his glory and I couldn’t get out a word, I was just gaping at him. He looked at Jade with narrowed eyes and started to walk towards her when I stopped him.

“No one, I was just clumsy.” I told him with a small smile and took my jacket off. Myra looked at me in confusion and I pulled her away from where he stood to get our food as soon as possible. I looked back to see him still staring at us. 'What is his problem? Why is he acting so strangely?'

“Why didn’t you tell him it was Jade?” Myra asked when we were already outside.

“I want to stay low in the last few weeks Myra. I don’t want to get into trouble, which could ruin my plans. I just try to play it safe.” I told her and she nodded her head.

“But I think he would have helped you against Jade.” She said and I looked at her like she was insane.

“Myra, my life is not like in one of those novellas you are reading. Let’s just eat our food before it gets cold.” I told her, and we started eating quietly. I knew where my place was and I wouldn’t step over any boundaries because I didn’t want to cause pain to myself. Kevin was one of the popular kids, there was no way he was interested in me and I knew that. I was just an orphan and his parents were rich.

*

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*

In the next few weeks, they left me alone. I got a few angry looks from Jade and her minions, but she didn’t bully me, which I was happy about. I had a feeling Kevin had something to do with it and I liked him even more. I knew I couldn’t get my hopes up, because he always defended the girls Jade bullied because of him and I knew he just did it out of remorse, but it felt nice to know that I could count on him if Jade was onto something not good.

I saw them kissing and hugging each other in the corridor sometimes and I totally didn’t understand what he was doing with her, she was evil.

Only one month left from school and I could’t wait to get the hell out of the orphanage. I have already found a room in New York and I could move in as soon as school ends. I will work as a waitress in the summer vacation, so I will have more than enough money for college and everything else. When college starts, I will move into a dorm room and I will continue working as well as a part timer after school.

I was so deep in my thoughts, I didn’t look where I was going and I bumped into someone in the school corridor and we both fell onto the floor.

“What a hell? Are you blind or did you do it on purpose?” Jade asked angrily as we stood up.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you.” I told her apologetically.

“My a*s, you didn’t. Do you have a problem? Are you that jealous of me that you wanted to push me?” She asked and I shook my head furiously.

“No, what are you talking about? I told you I was sorry. I didn’t look where I was going,” I told her and she walked past me without a word. I let out a deep sigh. I thought she had left, but then I heard her annoying voice again.

“Did you see that baby? She did it on purpose because she was jealous.” I turned around to see Kevin standing behind me and she was clinging onto him.

“I was not. I told you I was sorry. I fell down too, if you didn’t notice.” I told her, but they started kissing like I was not even there. I picked my bag up from the floor and went to my class. I wasn’t jealous because I knew I could never have a chance with him and I didn’t even want to anymore because I knew he would just break my heart. It was just hurting to see them kissing, but it was hurting more that he didn’t even look at me. He ignored me like I was nothing. Actually, I knew why he was like that. He didn’t want me to have feelings for him, so he ignored me, hoping it would change my mind and I wouldn’t like him anymore. I wished that too. I wished I hadn't liked him so much.

From that day, I saw them kissing and cuddling everywhere I went. In the cafeteria, in the corridor and now in the front of the school, everywhere. Like they stuck together and I started to hate them both. They had never acted like that before. They didn’t like to do these kinds of things in front of people, so now it really looks like they are doing it for me.

'I get it, don’t worry Kevin, I will forget about you soon enough. I will be on it with all my mind.'

The first step is…. I took out my diary from my backpack. I know I shouldn’t have brought it with me but they know all of my secrets already anyway, so who cares? I tear out all the pages that I wrote about Kevin, along with the pictures of him, and throw them away in the closest trash bin. He wants me to forget about him and I will do just that. I won’t allow myself to think about him anymore, I will try to burry myself in my books because exams are close anyway.

“Hey Kylie.” Myra ran towards me. “Did you see them? They are disgusting.” She said and I nodded my head sadly. Then she looked at my diary and then at the trash bin. “What are you doing?” She asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? I want to forget about him.” I told her sadly.

“Awww.. Ky, I am proud of you. You will find a caring boyfriend in college. Don’t worry. He is an a*s anyway, who only cares about looks and doesn’t see how big of a heart you have there.” She said reassuringly and I felt much better.

“Thank you Myra, you are the best.” I told her with a smile and pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug.

“Now let’s go for an ice cream, you still have time to go home, right?” She asked and I nodded my head and we walked to an ice cream stall close to the school happily.

*

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*

For a whole week, I tried to avoid them and it was successful. My feelings for Kevin started to subside and I was happy about that. I tried to tell myself how bad he was and an as*hole, so now I think I will be okay.

The next day was Monday again, only one week till exams and Jade found me in the front of the school with her minions.

“Hey nerd, how does it feel to see him kissing me?” She asked and I rolled my eyes at her.

“I don’t care anymore Jade, just do what you want to. I don’t like him anymore. He is with you after all, if he can’t see what a bad person you are, he is just the same as you are.” I told her proudly with a smile on my face and they looked at me with a surprised expression. I just walked past them with my head held high. I don’t care about anything anymore. There is only a week left from school. I have already studied for my exams, so I am good to move right after school ends.

“Hey, Kylie, right?” I turned around to see Ryker Evans, the captain of the basketball team and I looked at him in confusion.

“Yes…?” I told him timidly and waited for him to continue. From the corner of my eyes I saw Jade was complaining about me to Kevin and they were looking at me and Ryker now, but I didn’t care about them.

“That was cool how you put Jade back in her place.” He said with a chuckle. He was cute with light brown hair and green eyes. He was even taller than Kevin, but I was not surprised since he was playing basketball.

“Hmm… thanks I guess. I can’t wait for school to end so I don’t need to see them anymore.” I told him with a shy laugh.

“Agreed.” He said and laughed along with me. “Can I walk you to your class? We can talk a bit in the meantime.” He asked and it surprised me.

“Oh, okay, why not?” I told him with a smile and we started walking in the corridor slowly.

“Where are you going to college?” He asked.

“New York, you?” I asked him and he looked at me excitedly.

“Really? Me too. I applied to NYU. I hope they will accept me,” he said.

“I applied there too, maybe we will be classmates.” I told him with a smile. He looked like a good guy. I knew he just stopped to talk to me because he witnessed my argument with Jade, but maybe we could be friends. I wouldn't mind.