The Boy Next Door

Chapter 36

Damon pulled me closer to him as we walked up the stairs heading towards the cafeteria. I told him about trying to talk to my mom the other day, and how she was no help whatsoever. Neither of us went to school yesterday, so the hours long phone call we had didn't allow him to coddle me like this.

"You sure you don't want me to talk to her? You can try again with me there or something." Damon said, a heavy sigh leaving my lips at the thought of going through that mindless conversation again.

"I doubt you being there will mean anything. I talked to her like you wanted, and nothing happened like I said." I said as he opened the doors to the cafeteria, his eyes looking down at me guiltily for the outcome of the conversation. "I'd rather not go through it again."

"He hasn't been near you, right?" He asked, his eyes noticeably scanning the room for Grayson. I haven't seen Grayson since the night I had dinner at his house, that fact only known between Grayson and I.

"No," I answered, "I haven't seen him." He unhooks his arm from around my shoulders, his hand sliding into mine as we near the table, my heart pumping out different emotions as I look at the twins and Tyler.

Hayden looks over his shoulder, his eyes meeting mine as a warm smile crossed his face. My shoulders slump, a weak smile plastered on my face as my eyes are drawn to the large bandage across his whole nose. He gives me a pointed look as he stands from the table, his long legs jogging over the short distance.

"Look who decided to come back to school." Hayden said while looking between Damon and I, his hand resting on Damon's shoulder. "I trust the two of you didn't ditch and spend all day together."

"Shut up," Damon laughed while rolling his eyes, a deep chuckle coming from Hayden before he looks at me. "Give me your stuff," Damon said while pulling on the straps of my book bag, a confused look on my face in the process. He hikes the strap on his shoulder and walks over to the table without a word, leaving me with Hayden.

"You need to stop with this," he said while waving his hand over my guilt ridden face.

"Does it hurt?" I asked while raising my hand to touch it, but stopped myself midway. He knits his brows together slightly, his bottom lip jutted out as he shrugs.

"A little, but its inevitable. I'll be good in a couple of weeks." He said, my eyes rounding as I slump my shoulders. He hooks his arm around my neck as he chuckled, "stop with that, you didn't do anything."

"It's pretty much you look like that," I countered as I unwillingly walked with him to the table. Kristen's gaze flicked away as I looked over their way, her eyes holding minimal emotion as she looked at us.

"Stop telling yourself that," Hayden chastised. "He's not going to say the shit he said and think I'm not going to do anything about it. So no, you didn't make me hit him, regardless of what you or Kristen think."

I looked up at him shocked, not expecting him to know what Kristen said to me the day of the fight. I kept my mouth shut as he rubbed my arm before letting go, our bodies sitting in our respective seats at the table. The mood was more than awkward for me as I tried not looking at Kristen, despite her sitting in front of me.

Her lips are presses in a firm line, her whole expression seeming as if she wanted to be anywhere but here. "What's up, Cam Cam?" Tyler asked, his eyes flicking up from his phone briefly to look at me.

I shook my head as Damon handed my my lunch box, "nothing much." I caught Hayden and Kristen mumbling to each other, a hard expression on both their faces as I take out my phone.

[Adeline 💛:] hey, come to the office I just got here

[Me:] ok