Everyone surrounds Alex, staring and whispering, asking how he is as he passes them. News got out about him being stabbed and it's all people have been talking about.

I have no idea why Alex is even back at school so early. It only happened a month ago after all. Who in their right mind would want to get back to school as soon as they can?

Standing at my locker, I watch him walk with Santiago through the corridor. He's definitely walking different. I don't remember ever paying attention to the way Alex walked, but somehow I know it's completely different. He's probably still in pain. His eyes search the corridor, ignoring the girls who are trying to talk to him which is pretty rude, until his eyes meet mine.

My heart stops when he looks at me, and for a couple of seconds we stare at each other, until I gather enough willpower to close my locker shut and walk in the other direction. Go me.

At the start of math, i'm chatting away with Red about Mr. Aarons's shoes as Red likes to call them 'Peter pointers' when someone stands in front of our table. I look up, shocked to find it's Alex.

"Hi," is all he says and I stare at him in disbelief. Why the hell is he talking to me after he seemed to freaking hate me last month?

"Hey, Alex," Red says when I don't speak. "Heard you got stabbed. That's pretty bad-ass."

Alex doesn't look at him, he just clenches his jaw. "I need to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say to you." I open my math book, looking down at it so I don't have to look him in the eye when I lie.

"Please, 'Melia. Can you just hear me out?"

"No. Do you just want to use me again?"

"I was never using you-"

"Is this boy harassing you, Amelia?" Aarons says, standing next to Alex with his arms crossed.

"Can you stay out of this, old man?"

Aarons glowers at him, uncrossing his arms slowly. "How about you take yourself down to the principals office?"

"Why? 'Cause I stated what you are? Just trying to remind you that she's eighteen and you're definitely not."

"Get out of my class," he raises his voice and I raise my damn eyebrows. Alex needs to get himself a filter.

"Gladly." Alex turns around and storms out of the class, slamming the door shut so hard that the walls shake.

"That boy needs an attitude adjustment. It was kind of nice not having him in my class for that month," Aarons laughs, and I furrow my eyebrows, feeling the need to defend Alex.

"That's kinda insensitive considering he was in hospital and could be dead right now. Would you have been glad if he did die?"

"Don't put words in my mouth, Amelia. It's you i'm looking out for."

"I don't need looking out for, especially over Alex."

"Maybe you do. Boys like him only want one thing." He's right about that.

"And what's that?" I know what it is but I would quite enjoy watching him trip up over himself.

He shifts, fixing himself. "I just wouldn't want to see you get hurt by a stupid teenage boy who has no values but himself."

He couldn't be more wrong. I stand up from my seat. "He's not stupid." Maybe he is but only I can say that. "And he's the most caring person you'll ever meet. Obviously you know nothing about that though." I throw my bag over my shoulder and pick up my books, walking to the door. I can't believe I just said that.

"Amelia, come back here!" I ignore him and walk slowly to the principals office so that Alex will hopefully be gone by the time I get there. I might as well send myself to the principal since Aarons doesn't give me into trouble for anything.

When I get to the office, Alex is just closing the door to leave, freezing when he sees me. "A-"

"Don't. I'm not in the mood." I pull open the door to principal Harris's office, but Alex pulls it closed again. Great, so we're doing this.

"What are you doing here?"

"I decided to come. And don't get any ideas thinking I came to see you." I open it again and he just pulls it closed.

"You need to let me talk to you. I've gotta explain-"

"Explain what? Why you fucked around with my feelings and used me for pleasure? Out of every other girl, why me? Know what, I don't want to hear it." Opening the door again, he pulls it shut. "Would you stop it!" I yank it wide open again, his hand still on the handle and he gets pulled forward. He makes a weird pained noise and turns away from me.

"What are you two doing?" Harris shouts from inside.

I realise that I probably just hurt Alex, so I move around so I can see his face as he looks down, his body tensed. "Sorry, I forgot."

"No- it's fine. Doesn't hurt at all."

"Tell that to your face."

He looks up, the pain slowly vanishing from his features as he looks into my eyes. It's then I realise how starving i've been for his company and his love, and I never want him to leave my side again. But this is reality, and he hurt me and he won't stay with me and I don't know if I want him to anymore.

I break our stare, going into Harris's office and closing the door shut behind me, and I try to catch my breath.

"How's the breakup going?" Harris sorts papers on his desk while I stand there taking deep breaths and trying to recover from what just happened.

"You know about that?"

"I know everything. Take a seat." I sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk and he continues, "Mr. Aarons called about you storming out of his class. Do you want to explain what happened?"

"He was badmouthing A-" I stop myself. I'll just look pathetic if I tell him I defended the boy who broke up with me.

"Alex," Harris finishes for me. "I get it, but you can't be so disrespectful to teachers."

"But he can say those disgusting things about Alex?"

"I know it doesn't seem fair, but Alex isn't innocent. He has a big temper on him and isn't afraid to say what he feels, which lands him in a lot of trouble." Why is he telling me this? Is he the one that dated Alex for three months? "I need to give you a detention."

"Fine. It's not fair, but fine."

Harris looks at me weird and sighs. "I've noticed your test results have been getting worse recently."

"They have? Didn't notice."

"I wonder why that is."

"Wh-" I stand up, deciding not to get into it. "Can I go now?"

By the time school finishes, i'm just about jumping for joy that I get to go home, and then I remember I have an hours detention. Great.

The detention room only concedes of three people. A boy and two girls – one of the girls looks like she wants to strangle me with her choker, but I ignore it and sit in front of her in the centre row so I don't need to look at her. The other girl is brunette with tanned skin, her messy hair in a low ponytail and she just has that I don't give a fuck vibe about her. She sits a few seats away, playing with a pencil.

"I've never seen you in here before," she speaks to me, making me surprised.

"Hope it's my first and last."

"That's a shame. You could have fit in well with our detention family," she pouts, looking around at the other two. "That's crazy Carla behind you. We call her that 'cause she's crazy."

"Shut up or I'll sneak it to your house and shave your head while you're sleeping," cra- Carla says.

"See," brunette girl raises a brow, completely unbothered. "Ethan is the douche over there."

The boy with green hair raises his hand. "Sup hot stuff?"

"And there's Alex. Obviously you know him." Alex walks in and my eyes widen, but I quickly recover. How did I not figure out that he'd be here?

"Who? I don't know him."

She laughs. "Except he's gotten too good for us now and never gets detention. How've you been, sappy?"

"Shut it, Nicole," Alex scowls at her. "I'm starting to think you just come here out of boredom."

"Surprised you'd even notice anything with your head held so high."

He walks to the back and sits on one of the seats. "Do me a huge favour and shut up."

"Do me a huge favour and die – well, I guess someone already tried to do the job but unfortunately failed."

That was a little too far. I open my mouth to say something, then stop myself. Why would I defend him?

"Are you done?"

"Nicole's a fuckin' bully," Ethan laughs. "Hey, Fuentes, show us your scar."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Stop talking to me."

"Gladly."

The teacher taking detention registers us and tells us to be quiet, then he leaves the class for something. As soon as he's gone, Ethan turns around in his seat and looks at me.

"So, Amelia. Me and a couple of friends are getting together tonight. Want to come?"

"Of course she doesn't," Alex says from behind us.

"Can't the girl speak for herself?"

I bite my lip. "You and your friends? No offence, but I don't really know you so it'd be kinda weird."

"Fine. Your loss."

"You mean your loss," Nicole corrects, looking at him as if there is a secret meaning behind it.

"Nope, her loss. I know how to party."

Carla snorts, and I start to feel that i'm on the outside of a million inside jokes.

"Would you freaks shut up?" Alex says and I feel a little better being reminded i'm not the only one in the room who isn't friends with these people. Maybe Alex knows what they're talking about though, but he obviously doesn't care.

"Calm it, Mr. Protective. You don't own Amelia anymore." Nicole rolls her eyes.

"He's never owned me," I turn around for the first time and glare at Alex even though it was Nicole who said it. He sits there with his arms crossed and relaxed back in his seat. "I'm not a fucking pet, okay?" I look at everyone and Carla looks at me with steam coming out of her nostrils. I so just want to make a dramatic exit right now.

Alex's eyes bulge slightly from how pissed I am, and he tenses his jaw. Turning back around in my seat, I stare at the front and hope time passes quickly.

"Geez, I didn't class you as a feminist," Ethan says.

"Feminist? What? Just 'cause I think it's ridiculous to say a guy owns his girlfriend?"

"You're getting pretty worked up about it."

"Because I can't stand Alex!" I lie, I could spend hours with him, but i'd hate myself for it straight after.

"Damn. How sad that the only girl you like hates you," Nicole says, looking at Alex with a pout.

The chair behind me makes a loud noise from being pulled out, and Alex walks past with his weird pain filled walk and leaves the room. Instinct takes over me and i'm almost following after him, but I stop myself before i'm out of my seat.

"Think you hurt his feelings, Nic," Ethan sneers.

"Think it was Amelia that did that."

Well he hurt my feelings first.

Now we're even. Kind of.

+++

I DO NOT WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL TOMORROW

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