I finally got to the classroom door, and Nina was standing there just like she said she would be. I limped the last few steps, and just as I got out of the room, I saw Tyler walking down the hall toward us.
’Damn it,’ I thought. ’Of all the people to show up right now.’
He stopped right in front of Nina, completely ignoring like I was not even there.
"Hey," he said to her. "Are you coming to the party with us today?"
"I will be right there," she said. "I just need to talk to Kofi for a minute first."
Tyler finally looked at then. The nice, chill guy I t in the hospital was gone. He just gave this cold look, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. He thought I was trying to get with his girlfriend. After a second, he looked back at Nina, shrugged, and walked away without another word.
’Great,’ I thought. ’That’s just fantastic.’
Seeing him and getting that look just made want to leave even more. I had enough drama for one day. I did not need to get into it with so popular kid over his girlfriend.
I was about to tell Nina I had changed my mind when she bumped her shoulder into mine, but not in a an way. It was like she was trying to get to lighten up or sothing.
"Co on," she said, and then she just started walking down the hallway.
I did not really have a choice, so I followed her. We walked away from the main group of students until the hallway was mostly empty. She was quiet the whole ti, and I had no idea what to expect. Finally, she stopped and turned to face .
"Do you hate ?" She asked, getting straight to the point.
I was a little taken aback by how blunt she was. "What? No, I don’t hate you."
"Then why did you tell to stop talking to you?" she asked. "And do not sugarcoat it. Just tell the real reason."
I looked at her, and I thought about just making up so excuse. But what was the point? I was tired of all this crap.
"Because I don’t want rumors spreading about us," I said. It was the truth.
She just stared at for a second, and then she started laughing. It was not a an laugh, but she was definitely laughing at .
"Rumors?" she asked, like it was the dumbest thing she had ever heard. "You are really worried about so dumb high school rumors?"
I didn’t find it funny at all. "Yeah, I am," I said, and my voice was serious. "Do you enjoy it? Do you like having people talk about you like that?"
Her laughter stopped imdiately. She went completely silent and just looked at .
"I an, people are already saying stuff," I continued, because I figured I might as well get it all out. "That guy Jake told everyone thinks you are already looking for another guy. They say you move on quick. I don’t want to be a part of that. I don’t want people whispering about or having guys like Ronnie and Tyler getting pissed off at because of you. I just want to be left alone."
I saw her expression change when I said all that. She just stood there, looking at like I had slapped her. I could have stopped right there. I probably should have. But I felt like I had to make her understand, to really drive the point ho so she would finally leave alone.
"Look," I said, and my voice was a lot quieter now. "I’m sorry if I’m being a jerk about this, but it’s the truth. And I’m pretty sure a part of you knows it is."
She didn’t say anything. She just kept staring at with those wide, hurt eyes.
"It’s nice of you to be nice to ," I continued, feeling like I had to fill the silence. "But do you even know anything about ? Like, one single thing that doesn’t have to do with getting hit by a car?"
She flinched when I said that, and I felt a little bad, but I kept going. I had to.
"You don’t," I said, answering my own question. "And I don’t know anything about you. We’re not friends. We’re just two people who got stuck in a shitty situation. You can stop feeling guilty now. You don’t owe anything."
"Stop," she said, her voice was all shaky.
I stopped talking and just looked at her. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides.
"That’s enough," she said, quieter this ti.
’Okay,’ I thought. ’I guess that’s it. She’s finally going to walk away.’
But she didn’t walk away. She took a shaky breath, and then she yelled.
"Just shut up!" she scread, and tears started streaming down her face.
I was so shocked I couldn’t even move.
"You think I like this?" she shouted, and her voice cracked. "You think I enjoy jumping from guy to guy? That I like having that reputation?"
I had no idea what to say. I just stood there like an idiot.
"My friends pushed into it!" she cried. "They said I’d be a loser if I didn’t have a boyfriend! They kept setting up with people and telling to just give them a chance!"
Her whole body was shaking now, and she was crying so hard she could barely talk.
"I’ve never even kissed anyone before!" she scread right at my face. "I’ve never had sex! I hate it! I hate all of it!"
She wiped at her tears with the back of her hand, but more just kept coming.
"You’re such a dumbass," she sobbed.
And with that, she turned and just ran. She sprinted down the empty hallway, away from , and didn’t look back.
I just stood there, completely stunned, watching her disappear around the corner. My brain felt like it had short-circuited. I kept replaying what she had just scread at .
’Never kissed anyone? Forced into it?’
I had been so sure I had her all figured out. The popular girl who felt guilty and was maybe a little bit of a flirt. But I was wrong. I was so completely, totally wrong about everything.
’I’m such an idiot,’ I thought, feeling the weight of her words crash down on . ’A huge fucking idiot.’
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