Chapter 699: Tree Hill High School
Tuesday, March 14th, Afternoon
After leaving the Commons, she walked down one of the halls. She was looking to find someone, and she knew he would be in the shop area at this hour. She adjusted her TARDIS backpack as she walked down the wing, and she could hear music from the music rooms.
Turning around a corner, Sawyer Scott came face-to-face with the person she sought. Keir Hammel stood there non-plussed, leaning against the school's wall. It's been a while since she last saw him as he walked out of the bedroom of her step-grandma's beach house. Sawyer texted but rarely got more than a one-word response. After what happened Sunday, he needed to respond.
Sawyer steeled herself and walked down the hall to Keir. She stopped and looked at him; since Sawyer was tall for a young woman, they were about the same height. Their eyes met each other, and he held her gaze.
"I've texted you," Sawyer said.
"I saw," Keir said.
"You've not answered," Sawyer said.
"I did, a few times," Keir said.
"Nothing more than a one-word answer," Sawyer said.
"I answered with enough to answer the question," Keir said.
"They weren't always questions, Keir," Sawyer said.
"I answered with what I thought was appropriate," Keir said.
"Keir! That's not how it's done," Sawyer said.
"Not how what is done?" Keir asked.
"You just can't go from long text exchanges and phone conversations to no contact," Sawyer said.
"You can, and I did," Keir said.
"That's ghosting, Keir," Sawyer said.
"Yes," Keir said.
"Even with what happened Sunday?" Sawyer asked.
Keir nodded, "I see," he said.
"You see what I mean?" Sawyer asked.
"I see what you mean and where you think things should be," Keir said.
"Okay," Sawyer said, puzzled.
"We see things differently about what went down Sunday," Keir said.
"Oh, so how do we see things differently?" Sawyer asked.
"You've not figured it out yet, have you?" Keir asked.
"What do you mean?" Sawyer asked.
"Did you think it meant something?" Keir asked.
"What?" Sawyer asked.
"You caught feelings, didn't you?" Keir asked.
Sawyer looked at Keir and tilted her head. "Huh?" Sawyer asked.
"You did, didn't you?" Keir said, "So cute."
"What?" Sawyer asked.
"You saw it as a relationship," Keir said.
"Yeah," Sawyer said.
"It was just fun and nothing more," Keir said.
"I was just fun?" Sawyer asked.
"Yes, Sawyer, it was just fun," Keir said.
Sawyer looked around to see they were alone in the hallway. Her shoulders began to shake as all the emotions rushed through her body. She felt her muscles coiled with potential energy. Being both her dad's and mom's daughter, she felt the urge to act in every nerve and muscle fiber. Brooke had tried to teach her to control the impulsiveness that was core to her DNA.
Sawyer picked her head up and stared Keir down. Her eyes were red with rage; Keir was too busy congratulating himself and didn't notice Sawyer's anger. Shaking his head with a malevolent chuckle, he didn't see her hands form into fists. Like most of the Scott girls, Sawyer studied self-defense, and Sawyer was okay at it but not as good as her aunt and sister-in-law.
"Asshole!" Sawyer yelled and threw a perfect punch. It connected with Keir's jaw, and he partially spun and grabbed his jaw. Sawyer turned and stormed out of the hallway.
Sawyer was on auto-pilot and headed toward where her next class was located. She found herself in the history wing by the field house. She had Gym, so she went to the girl's locker room and sat on a toilet. She slumped against the stall's wall. She felt her head against the wall, and her eyes started to sting as tears rose.
After what seemed like a long moment, someone knocked on the stall door. Sawyer picked up her head as the door opened and saw Alesha Gregg standing at the stall's door.
"Sawyer, what's wrong?" Alesha asked.
"No, no, nothing," Sawyer said.
"Sawyer, be serious," Alesha said.
"I said nothing," Sawyer said.
"Girls don't end up sitting on a toilet in the field house crying," Alesha said, "if it is nothing."
Sawyer snapped up and dried her eyes. Her mind started falling into places she was told to hide your crazy and start acting like a lady. Sawyer stood up, brushed past Alesha, and went to a sink. She ran the water and washed her face. After using a paper towel to dry her hands and face, she turned to Alesha. The words echoed in her ears, got to keep it together, even when you fall apart.
"We have gym," Sawyer said.
"Yes, we do," Alesha said.
"I have to get ready for gym," Sawyer said.
"Sawyer, something happened. Do you want to talk about it?" Alesha asked.
"Nothing happened," Sawyer said.
"Sawyer, you don't end up crying on a toilet if nothing happened," Alesha said.
"It's time to get ready for gym class," Sawyer said.
"What happened?" Alesha asked.
"Just had an emotional surge," Sawyer said, "Have to get ready."
"Yes, okay, if you need to talk," Alesha said.
Sawyer nodded and left the restroom to get dressed for gym. Alesha just shook her head.