Freshly New

"I don't want to go in there" I protest as I stand at the steps of the school. I never once in my life hated school, I always liked it more than I led on. Yes it always felt like a war zone with the bullies but now it felt like a graveyard. Because right here, at the steps entering the school I felt like I was morning my innocence, my once carefree self, destroyed by some beloved, egotistical jock.

"You have to" Nathaniel says as he walks back down the steps and to my side. "You can't stay in that room forever, two days is enough, we have to get you back out into the world" he says as my eyes are clouded by tears as I hear a honk from the parking lot and I shake as I look back only to be meet with harmful memories and a shiver at the thought of him.

"I can't do this" I say as I start to walk back down the stairs and Nathaniel catches my arm.

"I'll be by your side, I promise" he says as he looks in my eyes and his green eyes mean nothing but sincerity as I feel warmth just looking into his eyes, safety, I felt safe.

"Fine" I say as I stand up straight and look away from the parking lot and walk to the school and push out my fear. I knew as I walked into the building that I was going to be meet with nothing but stares.

This wasn't my life and I had to realize that, I was momentarily a sub in. I wasn't Virginia Ralin, I will and always be Francesca Sanchez.

I had popularity for the first time in my life and this happened, I guess I know why it didn't fall into my lap now.

But as I walked through the doors of the school all the head turns, all eyes were down on me. As the thought about running crossed my mind and I turn around, my back facing my newfound audience and I get ready to sprint, he takes his hand into mine. "Promise" he says as I take a deep breath and I turn around and squeeze his hand tighter as I start to make my way down the hallway.

"It's not as bad as it seems" Nathaniel says as he places his hand on my back and leads me outside a classroom and I try not to panic but it seems so impossible.

"I don't know" I say as I want nothing more than to run, run and never come back. Run out the school doors and never come back.

"Don't, just don't Franny" Nathaniel says as I meet his eyes and I know he see can right through me and my disguise.

"I can't guarantee I won't run" I say as I breathe out, "But I'll try not to" I say as he nods and the bell rings as I start to fidget with my hands.

"Listen I have to go to class but I'll meet you here at the end of class, got it" he ask as I nod and try to be reasonable but deep down I wanted to beg him to stay but knew I couldn't. As he watched me walk into the classroom and I try and believe I can make it to the end of the day without a target on my back.

*************************************************

"See, it wasn't that bad" Nathaniel says as I smirk which is rare ever since the incident but seems a little bit more possible.

" I don't know, I still rather be home" I say as he sighs.

"No, you need to stop that. Push that thought as far out of your mind than a person possibly can." He says as I laugh and we head to the lunch room and suddenly I stop dead in my tracks. At that moment in nothing but a deer caught in the headlights, because I'm standing in front of him, Brad.

As he stands against the lockers and Bonnie is beside him as it almost looks like she's swooning over him as he laughs. And just at seeing his face I was brought back down to my ultimate low.

I always hated the term deer in the headlights, why would a deer stop in the middle of the road and look in headlights if it had the chance to run, the chance to live another day? Maybe it was because the deer knew what was coming, that with simple headlights came a car and they knew what that felt like. They stood there scared of what was to happen next, Just like I did when I saw Brad.But it only made it worse when he saw me and started to walk towards me.

"Hey Virginia" he says as I try to be brave as throw on a smile as I see Nathaniel tighten his fist as I stand up straight and smile.

"Hey Brad, how's your day?" I ask as he opens his mouth to answer and I cut him off. "God, what happened to your face?" I ask trying to sound like I care but I feel no remorse. I only feel anger and a urge for revenge.

"Nothing, but how was your night with loner boy over there?" Brad ask as I can hear the hate in his tone as the cliche name loner boy slip off his lips.

As I finally tip my gaze from Brad to hear the snickers from the people behind him and gossip fueled by lips chattering, spreading like wildfire in a open field and I had no other choice but to watch the landscape burn.

"I had a great time with him, how was the rest of your night with Bonnie?" I ask as Brad smirks and I spot Bonnies face in the crowd as her body goes frozen as her boyfriend gazes into her eyes, awaiting a explanation.

"I.....i...I don't know what your talking about" she says as she trips over her tongue but tries to regain balance along with her shattered reputation, damaged by none other than my own tongue. "I didn't see you after the dance" Bonnie says trying to stand tall as she crosses her arms across her chest trying to gain control of the situation but I guess people show their true colors in a storm. So far the storm was raging over Bonnies reputation and no one could save it at this point.

"I sure saw you with Brad now that I think of it you looked more than comfortable" I say as I wink at her and anger overtakes her face.

"Come on" I hear Nathaniel whisper as he holds my hand and I snicker at Bonnie as I turn around and walk to the schools doors. As I hear Bonnie laugh and words with nothing but tar and lies leak from her mouth.

"YEAH, RUNAWAY VIRGINIA HOPES THE LONER BOY WORTH YOUR TIME, FOR NOW AT LEAST." Boonie yells as I try to attack her but Nathaniel grabs my hips and swings me back to him as I see those metal doors close on her face as I wanted nothing more than to pound her head into the metal lockers until she could taste gum stuck to them.

"What is your problem?huh?" I ask him as my anger for Bonnie soon flips a switch and turns to Nathaniel.

"I was just trying to protect you. Charging at Bonnie would not be your smartest idea Einstein" he says as I grit my teeth together.

"I know you did not just say that!" I say as he seems to find this funny as he nods and answers with a concede, "Yes."

As I walk up to him and stand across form him, staring straight up to him and simply extend my arm out and slap him. I've never hit anyone in my life but the anger overwhelmed me and the pain of hiding what happened three days ago took over for the worst.

"I want to fight her, I want to see her hurt because she threw me to the wolves. She wanted Brad to do god know what with me while she looked the other way! You know nothing of what I feel, you try to understand but you don't!" I say as he pushes me slightly back and start to walk down the schools stone stairs as I sigh. "You were never the type to stay" I say as I start to walk to the door and open it only for it to be pushed by someone's hand, towering over me.

"You may think I'm not the type to stay and I don't know half of what your feeling but I've had to live on the shadows since we got here while you pranced around like some show horse. You may think that I am just trying to make things worse for you but I'm looking out for you, I can't say the same for you doing that for anybody but yourself" He says as my blood boils and I can feel the steam blowing out of my ears.

"Oh really" I scoff as I take his hand and turn him back around to face me. "You don't know what living in the shadows is truly like. You have the privilege of knowing once this is over you can go back to your perfect life and perfect reputation as some of us have to collect the pieces after this and put things together all over again, and if I may remind you things were never together in the first place for me. You have the luxury of knowing once you wake up this will all be a big bad dream" I say as I choke on my words and take a breath as I continue, trying not to choke on my tears and hide them well enough so nobody, not even Nathaniel knows. "I can't wake up and not think about what's happened with Brad and Bonnie and sore on how truly horrific people can actually be. I will never be able to look at men the same, but continue to go on listing how horrible your side of things are right now." I say sarcastically as he scoffs and I wait, waiting for his response. "I'm waiting" I say as he starts back down the stair as I laugh, "Walk away then, show me who you truly are" I taunt as I stand their as suddenly he stops walking and runs back up the stairs and stops as he catches his breath and gazed into my eyes.

"I've been by your side this entire time. Are you truly so caught up in the past that you can't see I'm trying? I've been by your side since the beginning, why can't you see that? If you just took a minute to stop thinking about yourself and take care of yourself maybe-" he says as suddenly he stop and I can't help it.

"Maybe what? I can take care of myself" I say as my anger takes over at his opinion of me.

"What I mean-" he says as I interrupt him.

"AND WHY DO YOU CARE? IT'S NOT LIKE I CANT LIVE WITHOUT YOU, GOD-" I say as he interrupts me mid sentence before the rest of my sentence can even make it out of my mouth, taking the words out of my mouth.

"BECAUSE I CAN'T. Because if I could I would. You think I want to feel this? Weak without you, like the days pass and I feel like they no longer have meaning because I can't see you? I don't, I rather it be a illness than this. Because the pain is never ending. I can't just let go because I know that you'll come back. I care, I care with all my heart, but will you let the pain stop. Francesca, be with me?" Nathaniel ask as my fave goes pale and my hands turn clammy with fear.

Was this true? Was it a game? "I....i.....I don't know"