A/N: A little heads-up - these upcoming chapters are completely different from the earlier ones. This is not because I have changed the plot, but because I have changed around the sequence in which the events occur. Should you have any queries, or any words to say, please PM me. Multiple reviews aren't permitted (unless they're anonymous) so that's the only way we can communicate. So if any confusions still persist, just send me a message.


CHAPTER 9
LITTLE TOUCH

The sympathy period didn't last very long. It was to be expected that after garnering an actual place and uncloaking herself of her invisibility, that something bad would happen. Wanda thought it was a given in her life, for bad things to keep happening.

And today was full of them.

On one hand, she had that History test that she barely had any time to even revise for – on the other there was Melanie, judging her throughout the ride to school.

"I'm just saying," Melanie said. "I think there are smarter, more sensible guys out there."

"Please don't start a fight at the start of the day."

"I'm not fighting, I'm trying to have a constructive discussion with you."

"It's hardly a discussion, when all you're really doing is putting down my choice of friendships."

"Except he doesn't think this is a friendship, he's just trying to-"

"Use me?" Wanda cut in.

"Well, yeah."

Wanda thought about this for a moment, crossing her arms. "If he is, I don't really care, because I owe him my help."

"If you're going to be professional about this, then why are mingling with his goddamn family?"

"Because Ian's my friend." thankfully they'd reached the school parking lot. "And I accept my friends' invitations." She tried not to slam the car door, but the anger bled out of her.

Why does she have to be so blind-eyed about every friend I make here?

He's my only friend anyway.

As it turned out, Wanda was not the only one suffering from unfair judgements. When Ian arrived to school that morning, his jock "friends" had decided that it would be funny to laugh at him simultaneously in one large group.

One of the dudes chimed in saying, "I didn't know 'freakshow' was your type, O'Shea."

"Frankly, Ian," Brandt now joined in, "Virgin-Queen Stryder is not the smartest choice for a rebound."

"Dating her is basically dating her sister," Dude no. 3 said. "Gross."

"Y'know we had this secret theory in the 7th grade she was an alien, right?"

"She'd just hug trees and stare at shit."

Aaron was caught in his own reverie. "I bet she's nuts in bed. She must put her energy somewhere."

"Yeah, into thinking about O'Shea's package. Seems the type." Brandt made suggestive noises in a girlish tone.

"Get a fucking life guys." Jared's cadence shut them right up. Ian walked past them to his locker, his hands fisted. "Try not to give a shit."

"I don't," Ian snapped.

"Is there really something going on?" Jared raised an eyebrow. Ian stopped at his locker. "She's my girlfriend's sister. We're practically family. I care."

"Naw, I just invited her over. She seems pretty lonely."

"Probably is. You're doing a good thing."

"Got any idea why Melanie hates me so much?"

Jared scratched his chin. "She thinks you were the one who threw Wanda in the ditch."

"In flipping kindergarten?"

"Yeah."

"And she's still holding onto that?" Frustrated, Ian smashed open his locker.

"She says it's cause of Kyle. He smashed her soccer trophies. Like three times."

"Well, I saved her sister from being a potential rape victim. And she's concerned about fucking trophies."

"Personally, I just think she's just trying too hard to be an adult."

"Why is that?"

"Well, her Uncle Jeb left a couple months ago and kept her in charge of the house. She's just trying to do what she thinks is best for Wanda."

"Keep her away from boys?"

"I guess."

"It's not even like I want to sleep with her or anything. I'm just... curious."

"About?"

"Who she really is."

"Quite the enigma, isn't she?"

The bell rang, and Ian rushed some books and pens out of his bag. "Sort of. She's hiding some interesting stories in there."

"Good to know." Jared started walking off. "Later, dude."

He figured that would be the end of it, some taunting, some warnings, a history test, and he would go home. But like Melanie, he'd been growing this sense of caring, this need to protect. Maybe he understood where Melanie was coming from, when he watched Wanda get teased by some of the boys. Up till now, he'd only watched her get picked on by the girls, about what she wore or how she looked, and knowing Wanda, she didn't really care too much about what they said.

But he got increasingly worried during lunch. Even he could hear what Brandt and Aaron were saying.

"O'Shea wants your body, Stryder." they laughed at their own "jokes", the morons they were. "Come out, come out, big girl."

Ian had every intention of knocking their teeth out – and he would.

Only if Melanie hadn't beat him to it. She kicked both of their groins, grabbed their heads, and bashed them together.

"Do not fuck with my sister." Melanie brushed the dust off her clothes. Wanda was nowhere to be seen. She was so gentle, she really was, and this made him worry. He had to find her. The back doors of the cafeteria were still swinging when he looked, and he ran the direction in which he felt he would be able to find her, alone for a change.

He didn't care about the remarks that flew past him as he ran. He only needed to make sure she was alright. He didn't see her near the lawn, nor the hallways, nor the lockers, so he decided to take a walk around the whole school.

He thought he'd looked everywhere, when a thought struck him. There was one place he hadn't looked. However unlikely it was for her to hide out there, he still felt the need to check. He walked down the familiar hall, running as he had on the first day. Not away, but towards – towards her.

He recognized the familiar door near the set of lockers he'd hid behind, the first day he'd met her. It was awfully quiet, so he almost didn't open the door.

But when he did, there she was, hiding inside the same classroom they had together, about three months ago. Holding her books protectively to her chest, hiding behind her golden locks. He could easily see the fear in her eyes.

"Wanda," Ian started, but an almost teary-eyed Wanda began shaking her head.

"I can't." she gulped.

"Wanda, honey-"

"No. I just can't," she moaned. "Leave me alone." her feet were on the floor, ready to shuffle out.

He grabbed her wrist. "I just want to help."

"Then go away."

He held onto her wrist for what felt like forever. She was going to burst, he could tell. He didn't want to see her cry. He didn't like the anger, the pushing away – couldn't she see that he really cared? Why was she being stubborn with him?

You dumbass, Ian thought to himself. Of course she's pissed at you. You are the problem. This started because of you. You're the one making her cry.

For a moment he could not think, but only feel. Feel guilt. Of all the terrible things he'd done, none had ever touched him and made him feel this cold inside. He didn't want to feel that surge of guilt flowing through him. Right now, he had no one to blame but himself. He hurt her. He was hurting her.

My fault. It's all my fault.

It was one of those moments where the only sounds they could hear were there breaths. The only thing they were aware of was each other. Where neither of them could understand what was happening, or what they were doing, like their bodies had a separate, individual mind. Where neither thought, but only moved in sync.

Wanda was only aware of Ian's hand that was advancing towards her, and she could look nowhere else. She liked his eyes on her when she was looking away. Words were stuck in Ian's throat, and they escaped as one heavy breath. It blew strands of her hair away. He only focused on her face, which came closer and closer until their foreheads touched. A tear that had been hiding near her eye, now travelled down her cheek. Ian brushed it away with his thumb.

The words finally escaped, "I'm sorry."

"Why?" she whispered.

"Because I care."

"Why do you care?" she looked in to his eyes.

And again he was lost, lost in her scent, lost with the overwhelming sensations – his hand against her pale skin, his nose touching hers, his free hand slowly snaking around her waist, her eye lashes fluttering against his cheek.

But Wanda was now wide awake, aware of the closeness, aware of her surroundings, aware of the bell ringing in the background, and aware of the footsteps making their way down the hall. She shoved past him, and slammed the door on her way out. She wiped the remaining tear away, as she tried to understand what had just happened, but it made little sense. Her naïvety got in the way finding a real answer, which was now stuck in Ian's mind.

I think I like her too much.

But scratching his head, he felt as if that had always been the case. Only now did he understand, how much.