From The Start (1st Draft)

Chapter 29

The next day was school, and I was happy and thrilled knowing that Alexander was going to be following me around for the entire school day. I quickly rolled out of bed, got dressed into jeans and a warm black coat, because the minute I looked out my window I knew it was going to be freezing the second I stepped outside. He picked me up, and weirdly, Jake met up with Stephanie in the back woods because he didn't want 'to walk alone', but I knew he was starting to have a little crush on her.

The car ride was pretty quiet, but I the moment I buckled myself in, I reached for his hand. He smiled, leaving me breathless, and I knew that everything was going to be alright. Well, for today, at least. We walked through the parking lot, and everybody was staring at us. It really pissed me off, and I wanted to punch them all straight in the face until Alex took my hand and looked me in the eyes.

"It's alright," he told me, calmly, but avoiding their curious eyes. "I haven't been back for a while. Everyone is probably remembering the stuff that happened the last few days I was here."

"I know, that's what's getting me so mad," I admitted, giving almost all of them dirty looks.

"What is? It doesn't matter. They're just admiring how strange I am to be wearing this huge jacket, gloves, and hat when it's not even that cold out," he joked.

I shook my head, not liking the laughter. "I hate it when they look at you like you're some sort of freaking alien, okay? It bothers me..."

"Don't let it."

"Alex it really hurts me to understand how badly they're treating you for something this serious. Everybody should be kissing your ass."

He laughed, sighing, and pulling me with him by all of the students who never looked away. "Hardly," he mumbled.

"I hate all of these bitches," I whispered, looking down at the ground so I wouldn't be able to make eye contact with anyone who would make me angrier than I already was. "Almost as much as I hate God."

And then he stopped walking, suddenly, staring into my eyes without saying a word.

"What?" I finally spoke.

"Why would you say that?" he asked, almost frightened.

"Because it's the truth. I hate him."

"For what reason would you lose faith in god now?"

"He's not helping you get better," I snapped, not meaning to, but I couldn't help it. "He doesn't care."

"It's not in his power," he began to say.

"Well then, he must be fake or something, because it should be in his power."

"I made you lose your hope in him," he frowned, making that into a statement.

"That's not true," I forced out, as he tried to unlock our hands.

"Yes it is. And I'm not happy with that. How is it that I still believe in him, and have a cross hanging from the rear view mirror in my car, while you just stop?"

"I don't want to talk about God right now," I told him, shaking my head rapidly and walking up the stairs.

"Fine, but I'm not happy about this. Remember that," he said, somewhere behind me.

"Alright," I said, us both walking silently to my locker. I opened it up and pulled out an extra notebook I had stored in the far back. "Here," I handed it to him.

"Um," he hesitated, looking down at it confused. "Thanks?"

"You're following me around remember?" I asked, smiling. "Just because you're a junior again doesn't mean you won't be doing any of the work."