Chapter 13

I strolled into the school, sighing as I trudged through the metal doors. I needed to make new friends, fast. My combat boots clicked against the floor as I stared down at them, wanting to impale myself so badly. I went up to my locker and swung it open, only to realize I accidentally hit someone.

"Ow!" a yelp startled me.

I hastily swung the locker door back to its original spot and checked on the injured individual. She had brunette hair and her face was like a porcelain doll's, so pale yet her cheeks were rosy.

"So sorry, I'll bring you to the nurse's office. Wait, do I know you?" I apologized, then gaped at the familiar face.

"Oh yeah! We met at the outdoor movie screening! I'm Teresa Valdes, Klaus' girlfriend?" she promptly introduced herself.

I leaned against my locker and chatted with the gracious soul in front of me. I smiled for once, and then finally accepted that I did not need to be popular to have friends. Wearing a huge grin on my face, I was proud to deem Teresa Valdes, a friend.

•

"Ava!" Beck shouted.

Darn it, he found me in the crowd again. I bolted and turned the corner, hoping he wouldn't catch me. I peeked around the corner to see that he was gone. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

"Ava, please talk to me again. I really want to be friends, " he pleaded with me.

I jumped back in shock. He ambushed me. I had been nothing but petty, while he had been nothing but kind and mature. Maybe I should stop acting like a child.

"I give you one more chance Beck. No wasting my time, no using me to get over your girlfriend. No more, " I conditioned. If he wanted my friendship then he was going to stuck by the rules.

"Sure, sure, " he laughed, pushing his hair back.

"You better be, " I glared.

However, somewhere deep in my soft heart, I was relieved. I had some form of tenderness for him, but I didn't want to lose the friendship we had.

Maybe I was normal, maybe I was boring, maybe he didn't like me. But I cared for him, and nothing could change that, and I didn't want to lose whatever we had left.

Hey, I was growing a heart. I was going soft. What I didn't know was that he would not only break my promise but my heart as well. The soft heart and tenderness I had would soon turn me into a stone-cold person.