Page 57 of Knox Academy Omnibus
“I don’t know if I could promise not to break his heart. I make impulsive decisions. I’ve never dated before; my brother was too protective after what happened to me.”
“I would do the same. So what do we do tomorrow?”
“Pretend it never happened,” I sigh.
“I don’t know if I can do that,” he whispers.
Me either, Sawyer, me either.
Chapter Twenty-One
Amelie
The school week has flown by and Kalen still refuses to talk to me, making excuses to leave every time I approach him.
Sawyer is true to his word and we have gone back to pretending nothing happened. Slate has eased up and our singing together has been productive because of it, we practice together nearly every day and I work hard when he’s not around too. I’m desperate not to let him down. We are ready to incorporate some dance moves - his idea, not mine. I’m terrified of making a fool of myself.
Onyx is still the same...we run every day, he doesn’t talk to me, but I don’t miss the subtle touches of his arm against mine either. I did explain what happened with Baxter, and whilst he just grunted at me and took off, at least he heard me out. Our running has consisted of me talking, and him pretending not to listen. I’ll give him that, if anything, he is a good listener because he rarely talks when he is pissed.
I think as a punishment he has started running in the morning, but from my dorm, after he turns up with coffee.
We finish our run and as usual we stop at my dorm and stretch, just as some girls start leaving for breakfast. I think by now rumours are spreading around fast. I ignore them. Things have become so normal that I’m feeling increasingly agitated at myself, and yet every day I keep falling into the same routine.
“Morning sunshine,” Elsie says, coming to stand beside us. On Fridays we have assembly for the first period. Onyx huffs and walks away. “I see he is his usual bubbly self.”
“Yeah, same as always. He still isn’t talking to me since he thinks I screwed Baxter.”
“I still don’t understand why you didn’t. He offered to fuck you. Baxter freaking Branson. It would have been like fucking a unicorn.”
“I should be honoured he offered then?”
“I am just saying, you would literally be the only girl here to ever do it; the guy is an enigma. Rumours say he is a serial killer and girls throw their panties at them.”
“They do not,” I say as we fall in step together on our way to breakfast.
“Um, yes, ask him when you see him next.”
“I will,” I laugh even though I have been avoiding him. Which I will continue to do...at least until after I get Kalen to listen to me.
The dining hall is full, Elsie tells me to find a seat and she will get our breakfast. Our usual table is free. It’s almost like kids are afraid to sit here in case Knox doesn’t like it. Kalen and Slate watch me take my seat. I try not to look, the thought of Kalen still hating me, making me tear up.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Elsie asks, placing a tray on the table. I snatch my coffee and take a sip.
“I’m an idiot.”
“Why?” she says, sifting through the food, sorting out what is hers and what is mine. I don’t understand how she eats those egg white omelettes. Yuck.
“Because I had a plan to get home.”
“Yes, you mess things up and get sent home... I still say do not even try because you will not get sent home.”
“That isn’t the problem. It’s that everything seems so normal, I actually like it here.”
“And what’s the problem with that?” she asks, taking a mouthful of something that looks like soggy spinach.
“I want to go home, Elsie, but now when I do, it will be so much harder to leave.”
“I would not worry about it. You still have a while here and hey, I will always be your friend! Maybe when I am finally free of this place, I can come to Australia with you. I haven’t got anything keeping me here.”
