Diamond in the Sky

Chapter 8

I knew I was in trouble with my friends. I stood at the postbox where we usually met before walking to school together and they didn't show. At first I waited, just in case they were late but they never turned up. If I didn't get walking I would be late to school so I began to walk.

I had to walk briskly to make up the time. It made me hot sweaty and out of breath. I kept checking that the girls weren't behind me. There was this little glimmer of hope that maybe I was wrong and they hadn't ditched me. But when I walked into our home room I knew they were ignoring me. Neither acknowledge me when I walked in. I sat down next to them in my usual chair to join them and they turned their chairs so to block me out.

I slumped onto the desk in front of me, tucking me head into my folded arms. I looked out to the side and behind me. Seeking out Jace. My heart fluttered seeing him. I cursed myself that I thought I was over him. As he scowled at me I felt terrible. The eye wasn't as swollen this but it was still pink around the socket and you could tell he had been punched. In some strange way it made him even more attractive. His vibrant blue eyes shining through the inflamed skin. I turned away and buried my head in the darkness my arms provided. Fallon wasn't an enemy you wanted.

I wondered what she was mad about. Had she figured out there had been more between Nate and I than the blindfolded kiss she arranged. Or had she heard about how Jace had obtained his black eye. I knew lying was something she venomously disapproved of.

I was relieved when the bell rang and I could get to class. As I walked the halls my paranoia told me that everyone was staring and whispering. My first lesson was textiles and fortunately not with the other girls. I was designing a new uniform for my final exam. IT was the sort of class where I could just get working on my project without needing to talk to anyone. Even as I worked alone, I was conscious of the whispers around me. When the class ended, I waited until the room was empty so I can enjoy the peace of the empty workroom. One night and my life had unravelled.

This was Nate's fault. Why had he told Murray where I was. I could have snuck home and nobody would have known that we had spent the night. I thought he was trying to get with me. What he had done had undone everything.

In my fury, I picked up my mobile and text Nate.

Nate: Why did you drop me in it?

I hadn't expected a reply message very quickly and I certainly hadn't expected a my phone to start ringing. Nate's name flashed on my screen and the sensation of rushing to school returned. I took off my cardigan to cool down before answering and was paced back and forth before clicking answer. "Hi," I said nervously.

"Where are you?" Nate demanded.

"In the Textiles workroom," I answered.

"Stay there."

He hung up.

I tossed my mobile back in my bag and pulled up a chair. I didn't want to wait here for a fight. I had hoped we could have battled this out by text where I was in control of what I wrote and when I read his response. Where I was able to block him or switch my mobile off if it got too much. There was no escaping face to face. Yes, I didn't want to run. Where would I go when everyone seemed to be judging me. Nate was about to invade the one room in the school I felt safe.

I didn't want to wait for him. He had been forced upon me when I was at my lowest and he had fed my vulnerability with his lies, gaining my trust only to destroy everything I had left when I needed him most. Tear pricked my eyes and my heart pounded in my chest as I thought I heard the door. It was just someone passing.

Screw it. I was gone. I hurried out the door. Almost running down the corridor to put as much distance between the workroom and Nate impending arrival. I had no idea where I was going. It felt as if there was nowhere safe in the school. Nobody wanted to know me.