Author's Note: Thanks to all who reviewed! And sorry for the long gap in between chapters… I've had a busy week!
Chapter 8: Quick Exits
Rushing out the door of the classroom, Faith hopes Nick will not follow her. Picking up her pace, she navigates through the crowded hallway of students and teachers.
"Hey, Faith! Wait up!" she hears Nick's voice somewhere in the crowd behind her. Dammit. She stops and waits for Nick to catch up to her.
"Why'd you run out of History so fast?" he questions her. She knows she's confused him.
"Sorry, I just… I don't wanna be late for gym class." She lies and it passes through her lips easily. She's had practice to refine her technique.
"I'm walking that way anyway." He assures her.
She smiles halfheartedly and turns her head to look at anything other than him. Don't ask, don't ask… please don't ask…
"What did you get on the test?" he holds up his test paper, an A+ is clearly written at the top.
She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and mumbles something that he cannot hear. He leans closer and asks her to repeat what she said.
"I said I failed!" she replies irritably. She shows him the test paper with the letter F circled in red at the top. She finally looks up at him and watches his facial expression change from surprise to worry. He is about to speak but she cuts him off as she begins to back away.
"Don't worry about me, okay?" she nods her head towards the gym doors. "I gotta go."
The warning bell rings as she walks away from him, leaving him speechless. She doesn't look back because she doesn't want to see the hurt look on his face.
Slamming open the gym doors she receives an angry look from the gym teacher but she ignores it and slams open the locker room door, too. When she turns down the aisle where her gym locker is she runs right into another girl.
"Oh, sorry." She apologizes as she walks around the girl.
The only reply she gets is a sound of disgust. Looking back, she sees that the girl she just ran into is the same girl that had been talking to Nick at lunch. All her anger towards Nick melts away and is quickly replaced for seething hatred towards… What was her name? Oh, yea. Ivy.
She grabs her sweatpants and tank top from her gym locker and begins to undress. Ivy, she notices, is looking her way with a disapproving glance. Faith, however, is not in the mood for it.
"You got a problem?"
Ivy looks down at Faith's right arm.
"Nice tattoo." She says sarcastically, "Did you get it while you were drunk?" Ivy puts her foot up on the bench and bends over to tie her sneaker. Just above the line of her sock, Faith sees a band of leaves around her ankle.
"No." Faith replies, "Did you get that while you were high?" Closing her locker, Faith walks away before Ivy can respond.
Once all the students have gathered on the bleachers, Mrs. Marcus announces that they will be running the mile today. The assorted groans and complaints echo off the gym's high walls as the class comes down off the bleachers and files through the narrow doors that lead to the outside track. The teacher stands at the starting line, writing things down on her clipboard and preparing her stopwatch. A few students claim they are sick and have to go to the nurse, but that excuse never works. Distanced from the various cliques of friends, Faith stands alone and stretches her muscles.
A few minutes later, when everyone has finished warming up, they line up at the starting line. Ivy appears next to Faith.
"I hear that hangovers are horrible. Do you think you'll still be able to run?" she asks with fake sincerity.
Pulling her hair into a ponytail, Faith replies, "I hear marijuana causes brain damage. How much did you have to smoke to get this stupid?"
Mrs. Marcus blows her whistle and the crowd of unenthusiastic teenagers takes off at a quick pace that will not last. Faith doesn't mind though. With her new slayer strength and speed she easily passes the majority of the runners and quickly completes her first lap around the track. While running her second lap, Ivy appears beside her again.
"What do you want now?" Faith asks, clearly annoyed.
Breathing heavily, Ivy is striving to keep up, "I just wanted to know…" she wheezes, "How long do you think you're gonna keep a cute guy like Nick…" she smiles, "with a bruised face." Ivy's foot unexpectedly shoots out towards Faith's legs. It would have tripped her, but Faith's reflexes are quick. She jumps and avoids Ivy's leg and laughs when Ivy loses her balance and trips.
While Ivy is still on the ground, Faith continues running and as she approaches the end of her second lap the teacher calls her over. Confused, she slows her pace and comes to a stop.
"Ms. Matthews," Mrs. Marcus says sternly, "I saw you push Ivy. What did you think you were doing?"
"What?" Faith is outraged. Clenching her fists, she wonders if gym teachers fall under the realm of evil demons. "I didn't push her!" she insists.
"Don't lie, Ms. Matthews. I know what I saw. You have detention after school today. Three o'clock, don't be late." Mrs. Marcus walks away leaving Faith shocked. Looking up, she sees Ivy limping towards the gym door. She turns her head and waves innocently at Faith and then disappears into the locker room.
Faith feels a tingle in her stomach, telling her something is not right, but she dismisses the sensation and sits down on the bleachers. Holding her head in her hands, she wonders why her life seems to be cursed.
Later, after her last class of the day, Faith hurries to her locker and grabs the books she will need to do homework. She sees Nick turn the corner at the opposite end of the hallway and quickly shuts her locker and runs down the stairs before he can reach her. Narrowly escaping him, she misses the disappointed look on his face when he sees her quick exit.