It Started With A Wrong Number ✯

8. Partners

More pain bursts in my stomach as Jaxon's fist hits my ribs.

The tears fall down my face. My body aches all over.

Nicholai and Damon stand by the bathroom wall, watching. Aaron is somewhere else in the school. We were texting during lunch again, and I told him I was gonna head to class. Jaxon pulled me into the bathroom on the way.

"Why don't you just go die?" Jaxon says lowly. "It would make everyone feel better if you were gone."

It would make me feel better too, trust me. But I promised myself I would at least graduate. I hope I can make it and not break that promise.

As Jaxon punches my stomach again, hitting the same spot again, a pained cry escapes my lips. Through my blurry vision, I notice Damon wince, and Nicholai taking his hand comfortingly.

Before I can think to process the gesture, my head whips to the side as Jaxon slaps me, earning another yelp from me. As he goes to hit me again, I hear the door open.

"Hey dipshits," Aaron says, sauntering in. His eyes land on me, curled up on the floor, before they turn to his friends. "Come on, leave the fag. We're gonna be late for class, and I've arrived late enough times already."

"You were late once!" Jaxon says, rolling his eyes but stepping away from me.

"And that's one too many in my books, now let's go!" Aaron retorts.

Rolling his eyes again, Jaxon grabs his stuff and follows Aaron out of the bathroom. Damon shoots me a sad look before letting himself be lead out of the bathroom by Nicholai.

I take a deep breath, trying to ease the pain in my ribs. I really wish I couldn't feel pain. Then I wouldn't feel anything, and life would be so much easier. I could be dying and I wouldn't even know it until it was too late. That would be nice. No pain as my worthless life slips away.

Remembering I need to get to class, I force myself up, hissing as my movements cause more pain to shoot through me. I grab my binder and pencil case and hurry out of the bathroom.

After so much practice, I'm able to keep my face expressionless as I walk quickly to English class. No one would know I currently feel like my ribs are shattered, or that my binder is currently pressing against a big bruise on my arm with the way I'm holding it. I can't readjust it now though, the bell with ring any second.

I walk into class, just as the bell rings. I keep my eyes down as I make my way to my usual seat silently, holding back a sigh as I set my binder down so it stops putting pressure on my bruise.

I zone out as Mrs. Cameron starts the lesson. I catch something about starting a formal report about where we'd like to go for a vacation. I think I'd like to go to heaven. I won't come back.

Thinking more fiction places, I'd want to go to Berk and learn how to train dragons. Then I could have a best friend. I'd go to Hogwarts, but I'm a muggle. So dragon training it is.

I sigh softly. Why can't I just go live in any world I want? I wish I could create portals and jump from world to world. I could go anywhere and do so much that I always imagine I could do. I could escape from my life here and make a new life in any fantasy world I want.

Harry Potter. How To Train Your Dragon. Marvel. The Unwanteds. Rise Of The Guardians. Creepypasta.

If I could go to Hogwarts, I think I would be sorted into Ravenclaw. I think I'm pretty smart, I always get high grades. Or maybe Slytherin... Wishing that the people around me could feel my pain ten times worse than I feel it seems like a Slytherin thing. And I think I can be pretty cunning and ambitious.

I snap out of my daydreaming when I hear the chair beside me being pulled out as someone sits next to me.

"So what are we doing this shit report on?" Aaron asks blankly. I only look at him, confused. He sighs, "you weren't listening, were you?"

I shake my head, and glance around to see that most of the students are heading out of the room, leaving only me, Aaron and two other students in the room.

"The other students are going to work out in the hall," Aaron says, probably seeing my confused look. "Cameron is giving us until Friday to finish the report, and is making us work with the people we shared our poems with yesterday, with means me and you are together."

He smiles at me, and I can see some of his old doofus attitude shining through. I find myself giving him a faint smile in return. I can't help it, I can feel his soft goofy aura in the air and it's infecting me. Like how he could make everyone around him smile four years ago.

When I give him a questioning look, Aaron leans closer to me, whispering in my ear, "I told you, I feel like I can be myself around you."

I feel my small smile grow a little as he sits back, still giving me that stupid smile.

Aaron's face suddenly becomes serious, and he whispers, "how badly did Jaxon hit you?"

I shake my head softly, my fingers automatically going to lightly brush across my bruised chest. "Nothing worse than what I've had before."

Aaron grimaces, dropping his head, looking down. "I'm so sorry, Skye."

I know he means it. I hear in his voice that he's being genuine. And that makes me trust him just a little bit more.

"So... Where would you go on vacation?" Aaron asks about a minute later, looking up.

"Berk," I say blandly. "Or Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts for sure," Aaron replies, nodding with a smile. "Real places though."

"Anywhere far, far, away from here," I say.

"Tropical or not?"

"Don't care."

"Warm or cold."

"Don't care."

"Big land, or small island?"

"Aaron, I don't care as long as it's nowhere near here," I say.

He gives me a small, sheepish smile. "Well, I kinda wanna go to Fiji."

I nod. "Then let's go with that."

"Fiji it is."