A/N: Yep, two chapters at once! That's how I try to make up for my prolonged absence.

CHAPTER 10
RED FACED

Ian figured it was time for a run. He didn't have soccer practice, but he thought he needed some extra time to think. To get his priorities straight. To think about his future, his present, and of course, Wanda. He didn't even change into his gym shorts – just took his shirt off and went for a run in the empty track.

He contemplated using his feet as an indication – left foot "I don't like her" and right foot "I like her". It was a good thing no one was here, because they'd probably think he was crazy, running around barefoot with just his pants on. Slowly he lost track, and decided it wasn't up to chance. It was up to him.

She doesn't want anything to do with me.

She probably doesn't even know that I was about to kiss her.

Did she? Was Wanda the kind of girl who honestly understood these physical interactions? Of course Melanie and Jared had the tendency to PDA, so she had to understand, but did she realize what was about to happen if the bell hadn't rung? Could she really understand how he felt? For all he knew, Wanda still probably thought she was being Ian's charity program.

I bet she isn't thinking about this as much as I am.

But he was obviously wrong. Wanda thought about it long and hard. She wasn't sure what Ian had tried to do back there, but she understood that no ordinary "friend" would be so... near you. She'd smelt his peppermint breath. She'd felt his straight nose. He'd wiped her tear. Was that part of the just-friends regime?

She consulted Melanie.

"Hey, Mel," she said, while standing next to her locker. "How did you start dating Jared?"

"I thought I told you."she reapplied her lip balm.

"You told me he asked you out officially to the Winter Dance."

"So I did tell you."

"No, I was really thinking how you realized you liked him."

"Well," Mel smoothed out the corner of her lip with her finger. "We shared this heat-of-the-moment kiss."

"Heat of the wha?"

"Basically we were staring at each other for a little while, then he grabbed my face and gave me a big fat smooch." she took her bag and closed the locker door. "Why are you asking?"

"No reason."

Melanie made nothing of it.

"You need Jared to drop you home, or are you gonna walk home fine?" Melanie's biggest concern right now was Wanda's emotional well-being. She needed to work on her lab report with Reid, but then again she didn't want to leave Wanda wandering off by herself.

"I'll be fine."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

"How sure?"

"Sure sure."

"You're okay, right?"

"Yes, Mel, I'm fine." Wanda waved goodbye, as she exited the hall. She was embarrassed, jaded, and slightly confused, but she was fine. Okay. No more, no less. Just meh. She'd been through worse in 7th grade. This was just a different sort of bullying.

Ian's state was no different. On one hand, he was quite happy with himself that he'd been able to tell Wanda that, yeah, he cared. On the other hand... Pfft. Of course he cared. She had to know that. What he hadn't told her is that he really cared. Like really, really, really and like a lot.

Ian had the urge to smack himself for thinking so much about a clueless girl who didn't even like him back but he kept running. When the thoughts were too overwhelming, he could always just concentrate on keeping his pace up. It wasn't like that scary few minutes in bed before you fall asleep when your brain decides you should relive all the terrible, embarrassing moments of your life. He felt more in control. That's why he ran.

When Wanda had exited the school building a scary feeling pricked her skin. Like she was being followed. Pretty soon, she felt as if she should run as well, but instead decided to take a detour near the bleachers. There was an exit there, and it was almost always empty.

She didn't make it to the exit, before she felt a force push her over to the fence.

Ian's running was over now, because he had nothing else to think about. He stopped on his right foot. He brushed his hair back and smiled to himself. It was time to hit the shower. As he walked towards the locker room, he thought he heard screaming. Blood was pounding in his ears, loudly. He could just as well have imagined it.

"Did you really think you could beat me?" the voice was unmistakable, but Wanda was in too much pain to move her face and watch her smile vindictively. A echoes of laughter surrounded them, and she knew there were at least five other people watching her suffer.

Ian had this feeling of unease as he washed away the sweat from his body. Now that the pounding had stopped, he was more aware of his surroundings. He almost felt as if the screaming was real. Too soon, he rushed out of the shower, and clothed himself, still soaking. He put the towel on his shoulder, and walked out wearing his shoes without doing his laces.

Maybe he felt that prickling sensation again, but he didn't expect to hear the strange sounds again. He could see the exit near the bleachers, but there was no one there. Why could he hear sniffling and crying?

He looked around for some sort of sign, but the place was quite empty. His told him one thing, and his ears told him another. He relied on them to source the sounds.

It wasn't ordinary crying, but more like sobbing. It was muffled, and there was hiccuping. It sounded like the horrible, uncontrollable kind of sadness. Painful.

He steered himself towards the back of the bleachers, and saw someone curled into a ball in the distance. When he looked closer, he could see her long blonde hair covering her entire face.

"Wanda," he whispered to himself, almost like a question. He dumped his bag and towel on the ground and ran, like he had on the tracks, as fast as he could. "Wanda." he repeated, louder this time. She looked up to meet his eyes for half a second, and retreated further into the back.

Him again. Why does it always have to be him?

There were cuts on her face, splashes of red all over – but not from blushing.

Her nose was bleeding.

A/N: Yes, vastly different, but just to let you know, we'd eventually get here. It was planned for chapter 15 or something originally, but it made more since for it to happen sooner. Thanks all of you for the encouragement and the reminders!