This Is Worth The Pain

I knew he was watching me. I could just feel his eyes on me. I had gone accustomed to his gaze lately. I was always in it. It sucked too watching everyone around me stare in confusion. The questions always would leave someone’s mouth.

“I thought they were dating?” or the “He must’ve gotten tired of her ass.”

They hurt. I couldn’t just blow them off no matter how much I tried. It was just too hard to do it. I used all my energy to just try and move around on these stupid crutches and get the flashbacks out of my mind, I had nothing left to subside the pain of everyone’s words.

I was like the plague again. After a few weeks of me just walking around on crutches everyone got used to it and ignored me again. The remorse’s stopped and I was barely talked to again besides from my friends and Oliver.

We didn’t get a chance to go on our date since Oliver’s dad made him work at the Auto Shop that his family owns so we rescheduled for this weekend. I would be crazy to say that I’m not excited to go on this date, but something in me just wanted to get it over with.

Oliver was nice, don’t get me wrong, but I just didn’t see us being more than friends.

I should’ve told Ash about everything with Rachel, but I never got the chance. Whenever I was home, someone was watching me, but when it was Ash’s turn Rachel was always with him, glaring at me behind his back.

I had really fallen for her innocent act when we first met. She seemed perfect for Ash. We got along great also, but obviously I was wrong. It was all just an act that she was putting on for us. I was just angry that Ash hadn’t noticed it yet.

“So, how does that movies sound?” Snapping out of my thoughts I looked up from my lunch to see Oliver standing above me. Confused, I just nodded and put on a smile.

“Sure.” I told him. His lips pulled into a big smile of his own and I laughed. He was too cute for his own good.

“How about I pick you up around 6?” Oh, he was talking about our date. Now I get it.

“Sounds great. I’ll text you my address on Friday night.” He nodded.

“Sounds good.” He gave me a quick hug before walking off towards his table for lunch. The eyes behind me seemed to burn and I knew why.

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Kale’s POV.

I just watched as Oliver walked over to her. My girl, he was walking up and flirting with her. My hands clenched together into fists. I couldn’t help it, but my emotions were getting the best of me. Ever since she turned me down in the hospital I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Nobody had turned me down like that before.

Yeah maybe I lied to her, but it was to protect her from something that I didn’t mean to continue on. I was so pissed off at Blaze after the accident that I literally beat him for it. Only a broken nose, cuts an bruises, but I didn’t give a shit. He deserved it.

If Zeke wasn’t a girl I would’ve beat the shit out of her also. I was just so enraged with what the two of them had done. She tried coming around my house to explain to me that she just didn’t want to see Izzy get too attached to something that wasn’t going to stay forever. Needless to say, I slammed the door in her face.

She had no right to say that. I loved Izzy. She was my everything at the moment. It hurt to see her flirting with Oliver all the time. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her red hair. I wanted so badly to just open and hold the door open for her when she walked by, but someone was always there faster than I could be. Her friends were giving me dirty looks ever since she had come back to school. I had always gotten them from Greg, but Candi was sending them also.

Ash hadn’t talked to me for awhile, but I don’t think he had a problem with me which raised questions.

Had Izzy told him about us?

I wouldn’t get to answer that question for awhile because I noticed I had only a few more minutes until photography and god did I need my plan to work well…

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Izzy’s POV.

I took a few nervous breaths and wiped my clammy hands onto my jeans. It was time for photography and for some reason I had a feeing it wasn’t going to be good.

All we had been doing the last two weeks or so was going out and taking pictures on our own. We didn’t even come to the classroom, we just went off and took pictures. I always managed to keep Candi by my side so that he wouldn’t come near and try to talk to me, but today we were asked to go to the classroom. I rushed over to take a seat next to Cee who had luckily saved it for me since she had gotten to class earlier than I. I was still on crutches you know.

“Class will you please sit and quiet down. I have some important news.” Ms. Bowmen told us. Mostly everyone quieted down, but when the door opened and he walked through I began talking to Cee to try and keep my eyes off of him.

“What should I wear for my date with Oliver?” I asked her. I knew she would be super excited to start talking about it. Cee’s face lit up and she was about to answer me when Ms. Bowmen’s voce rang through our ears.

“Izzy, didn’t I tell you to stop talking?” My cheeks heated up and I turned to smile innocently at her.

“Sorry Ms. Bowmen.” I replied. She shook her head.

“Once more and you two will be split up.” She eyed Cee who only smiled in return before she turned her back to us to grab some things off of her desk.

“Close one.” Cee muttered to me. I only laughed in response, trying hard not to speak and get moved away from her. She was the only person in this room who I could talk to to keep my mind off of you know who.

“As you all know, I put some of your photos in the art show that’ll be at the school this weekend. The student council chose the one that’ll represent your class for the year and I’m happy to announce that the winners are…” I didn’t even bother listening to her. I didn’t care whose picture made it in. I never went to the Art Show even though Rachel had tried to drag me to it last year.

That’s back when she wasn’t who she really was… She ended up making Ash go with her though while Cee and I hung out at the mall.

“Congratulations.” Ms. Bowmen finished, clapping excitedly. The rest of the class started clapping as well. I joined in, not really realizing who had won. I looked around to see who wasn’t clapping to see who had won. The only person who wasn’t clapping…

“Why are you clapping Iz? You won.” Candi whispered to me. Instantly I froze. No. No, no, no, no, no. We couldn’t have won. I took a big gulp before looking at him. His eyes locked onto mine instantly as we both stood up.

“The student council wants to have a word with you to discuss the caption that’ll go under the photo so if you two will just…” I stopped listening to her after that. There was no way in hell that I was walking out of this room with him. No way! “We’re just going to continue on with our final project for this quarter if you two want to go now.” Before I could say no he replied.

“Sure.” I glared at him heavily, but he ignored it. The one moment he’s not staring at me has to be when I’m looking at him, doesn’t it?

“Maybe we should do it after my crutches are off.”

“They need to speak to you guys as soon as possible. The show is this weekend.” I swore inside of my head. Damn…

“Can someone help me then?” I asked Ms. Bowmen, sending a look of help towards Candi. She raised an eyebrow, but caught on.

“I can help her.” Cee offered. Ms. Bowmen smiled and looked at Candi.

“Thank you for offering.” She said while smiling at Cee. She got ready to get up and help me out of the room when Ms. Bowmen continued. “Kale can help her though. They both are going to the same place anyways.” I cursed again. Damn you Ms. Bowmen! Can’t you see I don’t want to be with this man right now? He’s a liar and a heartbreaker and… the list could really go on forever.

“I sure can.” Kale replied, a smirk forming on his lips. I wanted to slap him so badly in front of anyone, but I would only be sent to the principal to talk about our whole situation and that wouldn’t help anything so I just grabbed my crutches and placed them under my aching armpits and continued to limp out of the room. I could feel him close behind me as he placed a hand on my waist to steady me. As soon as the door closed I snapped.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? I’m not some helpless animal. Let go of me.” I hissed at him, pulling away from his grasp. Too quickly might I add, sending me to the floor. I groaned in pain and the crutches fell from my reach. My legs hurting and my ribs aching. I looked up to see him still wearing his smirk and a tinkle of amusement in his eyes. The bastard was enjoying this.

“Need some help?” His voice asked. God, his deep, sexy voice. Snap out of it Izzy! He hurt you badly. I shook my head.

“Stay away from me.” I told him, trying my best to get up on my own, but failing miserably.

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Kale’s POV.

She was so cute. Her shocked expression made me want to laugh out loud. Of course she would be shocked. She hadn’t even though about our picture. She didn’t even know we had submitted it until it was time to present it. I smirked to myself remembering the day that I took it.

We had been together the whole day and the idea just popped into my head and I set up my camera, waiting for her to sit in my lap so I could take it. I wanted to surprise her so I turned the flash off so she wouldn’t notice the picture being taken. I ended up distracting her by whispering sweet nothings in her prefect little ears.

Man was she surprised when I presented it to the class.

“Stay away from me.” She warned me, scrambling helplessly to get back to her own two feet, but she failed horribly. She ended up back in the same place, laying on the tile floor in the hallway with her legs sprawled outward and her crutches away from her reach

Disobeying her warning I grabbed her crutches and handed them to her. Before she could tell me to stop I grabbed her by the arms and lifted her upward.

“You need me.” I whispered in her ear, pushing her forward.