Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 73153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
There was a slight ache in my body as I walked, but I was so used to the soreness by then that it hardly ever fazed me. Someone could poke my bruises, and I probably wouldn’t even flinch.
No—what always hurt was getting the fresh ones.
I sat in my seat in the back corner of the classroom like I always did and kept my eyes cast down toward the top of my desk, focusing on the scratches and writing on it from the years of misuse.
On any normal day, I always did my best to avoid everyone at school, and normally, I succeeded, but I guessed that luck wasn't on my side that day.
Someone tapped my shoulder, and I flinched away instinctively, my heart pounding erratically in my chest as I prepared myself for a blow. However, when I slowly looked up, my eyes locked onto a pair of pretty blue ones. The eyes looking down at me didn't seem cold or harsh at all. In fact, they were extremely warm and friendly.
I let my eyes trail over the guy's facial features quickly. His skin was tanned, and his lips were a little chapped, most likely from the wind. Dark hair fell over onto his forehead a little in slight disarray.
I instantly recognized him as Kaleb Brinson.
Kaleb was well-known around the school for playing football, basketball, and running track. It was common knowledge to pretty much everyone that he lived with his single mom in a two-story house in the better part of the county–closer to the city. He had a twin sister named Krista and a fourteen-year-old sister named Emily.
I had seen him around school a lot, but this was my first class ever with him, considering he was normally in all advanced classes.
Now that I thought about it, I was actually kind of shocked to see him in this class.
"A new girl took the seat that I was planning on sitting in, so I was wondering if this seat next to you was free?" he asked me with a small, non-threatening smile, gesturing to the seat next to me.
I opened my mouth a couple of times to answer him, but no sound would come out. So, I just nodded my head dumbly and quickly turned my face away from him, not wanting to make myself look any stupider. I moved my hair over my shoulder so that he couldn't see my face and fixed my scarf to make sure the scars and bruises on my neck weren't visible to him or anyone else that may have been looking.
I didn't want questions, and I wasn't going to chance him asking them.
"I've never seen you around. Are you new, too?" Kaleb's deep, smooth voice asked from beside me.
I shook my head, hoping he would get the hint that I really didn't want to talk to him. I always played mute when people had tried speaking to me in the past, and I was hoping that it would work with him too, considering I really just wanted to be left alone.
I should have known better, though. If Kaleb was known for anything, he was known for his kind heart.
The teacher stepped into the classroom and shut the door loudly behind her, making me jump in my seat in fright. I fisted my hands on my lap, desperately trying to contain the panic attack that had almost happened. I took a deep, calming breath and slowly and silently released it, trying to calm the racing beat of my heart, imagining my fear clutched in my small fists–contained and controlled.
The teacher's heels clicked against the tile floor as she crossed the room to stand in front of her desk, and I gritted my teeth against the sound.
I fucking hated loud noises.
"Okay, class. Welcome to the new year! How is everyone's year going so far?" the teacher asked in her loud, nasally voice.
There were some great and some other not-so-great answers in response to her question. I just kept my mouth shut.
"Well, since this is a new semester and a new class, starting here on the first row and going across, I want everyone to introduce themselves and give us all three interesting facts about yourself." I rolled my eyes at the cliché, typical introduction almost every single teacher did. Students began groaning and complaining in protest. She shot the entire class a stern look. "You will do it, or I will make you write a four-page essay over why you decided to start this semester off badly and have it signed by your parents, do I make myself clear?" she snapped.
The protests went silent after that remark. She gave us all a bright smile as if she hadn't just had a complete mood swing and began to introduce herself to us.
Mood swing much?
If it had been my choice, I would have just chosen to write the four-page paper, but I didn't have a computer, and I wasn't allowed to stay after school or come to school early. And the school was pretty strict on papers being typed and printed out.