Beautifully Damaged

6. Trust

“Where are you from, anyway?” Drake asked out of the blue.

“Sorry?” I asked, silently cursing myself for not thinking of an answer for this type of thing long ago.

“Where are you from? Obviously you haven’t lived here all your life.”

“Uh,” I faltered, panicking. “Not really from anywhere, my family’s been moving around since I was little.”

“Cool,” He answered, as if he hadn’t noticed my obvious slip up.

After that we drove in silence. I shouldn’t have felt so comfortable in this car, with someone I barely knew, but there wasn’t an annoying voice telling me this wasn’t a good idea. Either my instincts’ were having a day off, or this wasn’t as bad as I’d first thought. A little while later, we arrived on a long street of quaint houses. It looked like a neighborhood out of a movie.

“Wait, I thought…” I started, confused.

“That we were going to stop somewhere on the way to your house to get something to eat? Nah, what’s the fun in that?” He smirked slightly as he hopped out of the car and swung round to my door, opening it and motioning for me to get out.

I eyed him distrustfully, but no bad feelings warned me off from getting out of the car and accepting his hand. So I did it. Bear growled lowly at the contact, but quickly understood that he was being ignored. Drake’s hand was warm, and soft on my hand as I slid out of the car to the pavement. He grinned down at me, causing me to blush slightly. I removed my hand from his after a moment and followed shyly behind him as he strode up the path to his house.

 ***

That stupid girl, she had to go and faint for no good reason. Alex thought as he wandered on to his next class. She’d be fine and show up in Math, just some minor thing having caused her to pass out.

            ‘Did you hear what that new guy said to Blaise?’

            ‘It serves her right for what she said to Tina and Courtney.’

            ‘Why is he such a loner? He could be, like, popular if he wanted to.’

The stares and mutters in the school were something Alex was used to, since he had been the new guy for most of his life. It was better that Blaise thought he was a jerk, she’d be less likely to try to talk to him, as if he really wanted her company.

“Hey,” A smooth voice came from beside him.

Alex looked at the blonde girl beside him; she just screamed cheerleader. Turning his attention away from her, he looked at the corridor stretching out ahead of him. “Hey,” He replied, shrugging his backpack a little further up his shoulder.

“I’m Courtney, you’re new here?” She smiled, a little too widely.

“Yup,”

Her eyes flashed in annoyance at his indifference to her. “Well, if you want to come hang out with us at some lunchtimes, you can, you know.”

“Alright.” Alex could feel his tolerance melting away.

“That Blaise girl is so annoying isn’t she? I mean, like please.”

At that Alex’s patience evaporated, but he played along. “Yeah, look I have to go to class.”

Tina’s fake smile faltered but she nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, okay then. See you later!”

Alex sighed and strode into the classroom, feeling a few curious stares, but most were uninterested in the boy that didn’t talk to anyone. Strangely, Blaise wasn’t there. Sliding into his seat, Alex listened to the conversation buzzing around him.