AN: I present the next chapter because I have insomnia and you guys are cool reviewers.
Ch. 2
So you feel everything and everything should be
All that you wanted
Four periods down, I attempt at consoling myself. I wasn't entirely left to fend off questioning looks and bitchier cheerleaders by myself, either; Manny, Emma, Peter, Spin... they were all there. I scuff my shoes along the ground and wait for the girl in front of me to get out of the way of my locker. She turns and it's spotlight on me all over again. "You're Darcy Edwards, aren't you?" Silence. "Weren't you the one found attempting suicide?" A blank stare toward the floor. "You've got a perfect life, why would you do that?" At this I make a choking sound, blinking back furiously.
"Off the topic and if you ever mention it again, you and your fellow freshman will be sorry," a voice growls roughly, and I make sure my eyes aren't watering before I look up to see Spinner staring down my short opponent. She ducks hurriedly out of our way before Spinner looks at me cautiously.
"Darce," he begins, using his nickname for me since we were dating,"I... the others are waiting for you." I nod mutely, forgetting entirely about putting my books away as I dodge around him and other students and head off to the cafeteria. I can't even wonder what he was going to say, too preoccupied with trying to find a safe haven in these halls I used to call my sanctuary away from home.
I feel the stares as my pace quickens in a fast walk, hurrying to sit down with the rest of my friends. Swallow, breathe. I repeat again inside my head, feeling heads turned toward me and eyes on me. I can't do this, I cannot do this. "Never seen a girl before? Stop staring and get back to lunch!" Peter shouts jealously at the males staring for probably an entirely different reason. I wouldn't know why, though. I haven't been wearing the same fitted clothing. It's usually jeans and an oversized hoodie for me these days. I refuse to aid myself in being noticed.
"Losers at 12 o'clock, group of five," a younger tone that's all too familiar from earlier today nearing us. Four faces turn and stand tall against Holly; I'm sitting and prodding at my apple with a plastic spoon, feeling small. She scoffs and slams her palms onto the table just inches away from my plate, and I shiver as her hot breath tickles at my ears. "No one knows what the fuck happened to you, but does it really matter? Keep it up, Ms. Mute, and I'll be cheer captain in no time."
And just like that, her hand pushes my lunch tray onto my lap, soaking through my hoodie and causing me to cry out in discomfort. Before I can even process her harsh, barklike laughter I notice two heads of blonds grabbing onto her arms to relocate her somewhere else. Emma and Spin. At the same time, Peter and Manny both lean over to remove the worst of what's coloring my white jacket. I notice the difference of their hands in that moment.
Peter's hands move quickly and successfully, slightly calloused yet welcoming all the same. He's brushing my hoodie as he works to remove food, and even at that I start trembling. Manny, on the other hand, doesn't even skim the top of the fabric as she picks off small pieces that my boyfriend had missed. I watch them both. Peter's eyes are narrowed as if he's thinking of a way to get back at Holly; Manny's face is concentrated solely on me, biting her bottom lip in that way I know she's completely absorbed in whatever she's doing. I don't feel the spotlight anymore even though I know it's still there. All I notice are the two people in front of me.
Before I have time to contemplate about what that means, Manny grabs my backpack and books while Peter looks expectantly at me. I stand up and follow both their leads back into the empty hall, our mixed footsteps matching the erratic beating of my heart. We stop in front of the girls' restroom, and Peter wraps his arms around me in an embrace. I stiffen at first, but slowly I start to relax and place my arms loosely at his waist. Progress, I think. "I'm sorry that witch did that to you," he murmurs in my hair, and my eyes dart around the floor. Still mute, I notice. I don't notice, though, the slight trembling of my body. Manny does, though, and I feel him reluctantly pull away from me as she opens the door for me. I enter inside without looking back at him.
"We should probably get that off of you unless you want to go around smelling of applesauce and mashed potatoes," she attempts at light humor, and I see her eyes light up with the slight twitching of my mouth. It feels good to smile. I nod in agreement, peeling the still damp garment off of me. I'm wearing nothing but a tank top underneath, the jacket being my only source of warmth. She knows, too, as I see her strip off her hoodie and hand it to me. I look at her, confused.
"Longsleeves are my friend," Manny brushes off my silent question, directing toward her better choosing of clothing than mine. I pull the black hoodie over my body and I'm surprised to see how well it forms around my body. I'm enveloped in the scent of cinnamon and slight vanilla as I inhale deeply, not knowing if it's her perfume or just her. "Perfect fit," Manny interrupts my thoughts, sounding content and something else I can't place. I look at her, and I inhale again. Not for her scent, but for something else I'm about to do. I reach out and squeeze her hand softly before releasing her hold. It would do, as I see her face change from curiousity to wondrous amazement.
"Thank you." I manage to speak for the first time today.