Chapter Eight - Broken

I haven’t been to school in two days. All thanks to my foot. Mia and Emily also came to visit me. During this time, Sana really helped me. She brought me notes, helped me with studies and even brought some snacks. Even if she is Carter’s ex girlfriend, I can never find myself to hate her. She is really amazing girl. She is one of the nicest girls. It still confuses me why she broke things with Carter.

Sana never talked about Carter to me. She talked about all other things. About what happens in school and that usual stuff but never once did she mention Carter’s name. It makes me wonder if she is still pursuing after him. I really hope she isn’t. That’s really selfish of me. Because I know for sure that if Carter and Sana get back together, they will be together always. For me, there won’t even be a chance.

I groaned out aloud in self depreciation. I’m really a hateful character of a story. Thinking things like this. I’m really selfish. So insensitive.

The car stopped in front of the school gate. Due to the condition of my foot, my mother gave me a ride to school. I immediately spotted Sana who was talking to a couple of students. The girl looked really cheerful. It’s not a surprise that she is loved by all. Even after she got rejected by Carter, everyone still loves her. No one makes fun of her like others girls who get rejected.

I decided to go to the class but just then, I heard Sana’s voice. She must have seen me.

“LEAH!” She came skipping to me. The sight was quite funny. She looked really cute. I just had to smile.

“How are you today?” She asked looked at my wrapped foot.

“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt at all now.” I told her moving my foot easily. It was not a bad sprain and that two day rest really helped. So everything is mostly fine now.

“Can you walk? Shall I lend you a hand?” She asked me in worry.

“No, there’s-“

“Forget it.” She came to my side and put my arm over her shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“But, I’m fine.” I protested.

“I don’t believe you. You are the type who will bottle up her pain inside her.” My eyes widened slightly at her words. She noticed? “If you keep your feelings inside you,” she poked my stomach with her index finger, “your heart will grow lonely. And a lonely heart can’t connect with heart of other people. So help when one needs it and get help when you need it. It won’t hurt if you do it for the right person.”

“If you do it with the right person?” I heard a voice. It was Kelly from our class. She is one of those extrovert girls. She is not my friend exactly but we are on friendly basis. The way she said ‘it’ implied something different.

As Kelly giggled, Sana gasped and smacked her arm with her free hand.

“Get your mind out of gutter.” She scolded her.

“Leah! LEAH!” I heard two more voices from my friends. Emily came barreling towards me and Mia was following her.

Emily stopped when she looked at Saya and blinked. “The pretty, creepy girl.”

“Huh?” Sana’s mouth opened in surprised. My eyes almost bugged out off my head as Emily said that bluntly to Saya.

“You are Leah’s neighbor, right?” Emily said cheerfully, trying to cover up her slip of tongue. But Kelly burst out laughing.

Sana gave Emily a tight smile with a nod and then glared at Kelly.

“Kelly, your boyfriend is with Anna.” Sana told her. I didn’t know what was going on but Kelly left us in search of her boyfriend as if she was on a mission.

Emily didn’t apologize to Sana. She didn’t even talk to Saya much. They asked me about my foot and Saya helped me to the homeroom.

“I’m sorry about Emily,” I told Sana. “She just speaks without thinking.”

Sana sighed. “I knew I was pretty but this is the first time I’m told that I’m creepy too.” She complained in a teasing voice.

“That you are,” the voice made both of us stiffen. It was Carter. He took his seat. Oh yes, the three of us are neighbors. A former couple and a girl. I’m completely out of place.

“Did you hear something?” Sana asked me, ignoring Carter. “In our conversation, I’m hearing voice of a third person.”

“That’s Carter.” I told her in a small voice. I didn’t know whether she was acting or not. But if it was acting, she was so damn good.

“Hello lovely boy,” she waved a hand at him. Again, if she was acting, her acting was so good. “Do like listening into girl talk?”

“I do. What will you do?” Carter retorted. Sana was silent. I couldn’t see her face as she was sitting behind me. But I side glanced at Carter who was giving her a cold look.

The atmosphere was tense. They are an ex-couple. I didn’t know what kind of tension was it but it sure wasn’t sexual tension.

“Well then,” Sana turned back at me. “Hey Leah! What kind of tampons do you think are the best? You know I hate the starting days of-“

Carter coughed violently interrupting Sana. My face flamed at her words. When I looked at Carter, his cheeks were slightly tinged red.

“What happened lovely boy?” Saya asked in her amusement filled voice.

“Shut up!” That was Carter’s reply. Behind me, Sana chuckled. It was the first time I had seen Carter so flustered. I didn’t know Saya had it her to make Carter act like that.

It made me wonder the status of their relationship. Sana is in this school to win Carter, right? Watching the two interact like that, I feel like a third wheel. Even the banter between them is intimate. I feel like I’m in a world I don’t belong to. I feel like I’m going to be hurt. My heart… it’s in danger. And I don’t know what to do about it because I have no longer any control over it.

** **

“Oh Crap!” I was going to club room but it was so difficult.

We didn’t have any club activity but I had to see the president and tell him that I won’t be able to take part for a couple of weeks. But my foot hurt. And I didn’t know where Sana was. She suddenly disappeared.  And my foot had suddenly started hurting. I think I should have stayed at home.

“You should have stayed at home.” I heard my heart’s voice. Nah! It came from someone else. But the way my heart had jumped at that sound startled me. I was really in big trouble.

“Hi Carter,” I smiled weakly at him as he stood in front of me. His brows were furrowed and he was gazing at my foot.

“It hurts, right?” he pointed at me foot and I nodded my head. “Then why did you come to school? Couldn’t you just stay at home?”

He sounded irritated which in turn made me irritated.

“Sorry, I was worrying about my studies.” I said sassily making him arch his eyebrows at me.

“I think you should worry more about your foot. What if you walk on stairs, your ankle starts hurting, you lose your balance and BAM!” I jumped when he said that. I lost my balance and started falling backwards. I could have caught myself if my foot was not hurting.

Then it was like a scene from a movie. Two arms immediately came around me and caught me before I feel. My eyes, that had closed, flung open when I was steadied. Carter’s face was so close to mine. I could clearly see his beautiful stormy eyes.

“I was not serious.” Carter stated as he stepped away from me. The moment he stepped back, I lost my balance again and stumbled but he caught me before I could fall again. I guess I had hurt my foot by putting extra pressure to it. Now it really hurts.

“You better stay at home today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.” He said. His face was again so close to me. I ended up nodding nervously. My heart was thudding rather violently. And I was sure my face was red because it was already burning.

“What are you doing?!” A voice screeched. My eyes widened and I turned my head towards the source. I found Isabella standing a few feet away from us. Her murderous eyes were fixed on me. “Are you trying to snatch my boyfriend away, you bitch?!”

She stomped to where I was still in Carter’s arms and pulled me from my arm violently. I was jerked towards her and winced as pain shot from my foot. This girl! I want to punch her in the face!

Before she could pull me further away, I felt a tug in my other arm. It was Carter.

“What are you doing? Can’t you see she hurt her foot?” Carter told Isabella in a deadly calm voice. The sound sent shivers down my spine. Oh boy! He sounded angry.

“I don’t care! You are my boyfriend! You don’t need to think about her!” She said so selfishly.

“Then I’m no longer your boyfriend.” He retorted flatly as if it was nothing.

Isabella’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“She is hurt. I don’t want her to get hurt. But she is already hurt. Even though I thought she was not going to get into any problem. She still got into one. It’d be better for me to be by her side and take care of her then watch her suffering. It’s over between us Isabella. Don’t bother me or Leah again.” He told her and my mouth hung open. My heart was going crazy. What did he just say?

Did he just break up with Isabella? Is this how break-ups happen?

***

I just realized I had spelt Sana wrong in the previous chapter. Same with this chapter. So if you see Saya instead of Sana then please inform me.

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-nerdinspects