Don't Stop Breathing
Two
Phoenix's POV
The cold air whipping in my face chilled me to the bone as I rode to school, the boy, Calum's jacket draped over my arm. I was going to give it to him today during free period.
Calum seemed nice, but I didn't need his help, I didn't anyone's help, I was just fine on my own.
It confused me why he was so eager to help me in the first place, I had seen him time after time at school, but he had never made any move to get to know me any better, not that I cared or anything, just an observation.
The heated school felt good, as I slid the beanie off my head, tucking Ace, my skateboard, under my arm.
"Hey Phoenix!" The all too familiar voice of Taint called from behind me.
"What do you want dickhead?" I joked, not waiting for him to catch up. I'd known him for six years, this was how we usually treated each other.
"Well, ass wipe, I just wanted to say hello to my best friend."
"Hello."
"What the hell happened?" He asked examining the gash on my head, now scabbed over.
"I fell off my board the other day, my trucks were kind of loose, but I tightened them." I explained as we walked to class.
He gave me a "yeah right" look.
"Really Taint, she doesn't do that. I wasn't home last night anyway."
He sighed shaking his head, before pointing to the black jacket in my arms, "Whose is that?"
"Calum's." I said plainly, knowing the kind of shock it would bring him.
"Calum? Calum Hood? Why? How? Did you guys like, do it?"
"Oh my God no! He was at the park yesterday when I fell off my board and he gave me his jacket and took me to his house because his mom is a nurse and he thought I might have a concussion." I explained.
"Oh...That's weird."
"Very, but, now I have to find him and give him this hideous thing back." As the words fell from my mouth, my eyes met the garbage green ones of none other than Zola. She was the only girl in high school yet to let go of the middle school idea of popularity, convinced she was the queen bee though no one really paid her any mind. She hated me, always had, always will.
"Bitch." Her mumbled words ignited a fire in my bones.
"What the fuck did you say to me?" I demanded grabbing her shoulder so she would face me.
"I said you're a dumb bitch with mommy issues."
I shoved her into a set of lockers lining the other side of the hall, abandoning my board on the ground, "Take it back!"
"But, you are, aren't you?" She smirked, arching her eyebrow at me. "That's all you'll ever be."
"C'mon Phoe, let's just go." Taint tried to abort my pending attack, picking up Ace but I wouldn't have it, this bitch needed to be put in her place, I didn't need his help.
"Just because you walked in on your boyfriend screaming my name, doesn't mean you know me."
Rage flashed in her eyes and before I could tell what was happening her hand came down across my face in a firm slap, leaving a dull sting in its trail.
All I could see was red.
I pushed her to the ground, kicking her in the side repeatedly, not minding the crowed that had gathered, I was glad everyone would get to see me kick her ass, she could use some humiliation.
"Phoenix stop!" I could barely hear Taints voice over the loud chatter.
Zola tried to sit up, but I shoved her back down, only to have her grab my arm and pull me on top of her, completely to my advantage. I used my fist, punching her hard, where ever my hands could reach, having a firm grip on her hair with the other. I wasn't sure how long the fight had been going on but when I felt firm hands grab my waist I wasn't ready for it to be over. It felt so good to let all of my anger out on her, the burning of my knuckles, and the slight splitting of their skin brought me pleasure.
"Phoenix stop!" The voice came from the last person I expected and immediately ceased my flailing limbs.
What the hell was Calum Hood doing, dragging me from a fight?
***
"Well Mrs.Doon, you've got a hell of a punch, Zola has a broken nose, and you have a week of suspension effective immediately. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Mr. Ferguson asked, taking a seat behind his desk.
"No." I stared blankly at him. I didn't really care that I got suspended, well I didn't care yet, I'm sure I would once my mom caught wind, when she heard what I did, I'd be in hell.
"Well, I guess you can go then."
I grumbled standing from my chair being sure to slam the office door behind me.
"Hey, what happened?" Calum's voice surprised me as I turned to see him walking after me, Ace in his hand, and his jacket on.
"I got suspended?" My words came out like a question, not understanding why he was here.
"Oh, for how long?"
"A week." I reached for my board but he pulled it away.
"Come on Calum it's been a long day, I'm not in the mood." I whined.
"Well, if I remember correctly my mom told you to take it easy and so far you haven't done such a great job," he motioned to my busted lip, "I'll drive you home."
"I don't need your help Calum."
"Then I guess it's a good thing it's not an option." He smiled, leading me out of the school.
There was no denying that Calum Hood was attractive, but that didn't quiet my bewilderment at his sudden involvement in my life.
"What's with your sudden interest in my health?" I inquired hugging my arms around my body as we walked outside into the chilly air.
He shrugged, "Why not?"
"I don't even know you. "
His smile faltered slightly and he almost looked sad, "Let's fix that then."
"Don't you need to go to class?"
"It's just one day Phoenix, it will be fine."
I didn't know Calum, not at all really. I had heard people talking about him and had a few classes with him, but I had no idea who he was or what he was about, so it surprised me how okay I felt about spending time with him. It seemed logical though, anything to stay out of the house.
He led me out to a black car, opening the door for me and taking my bag, then putting all of our stuff in the backseat, and climbing in himself and starting it.
The air was thick and awkward, and it was obvious Calum felt the same as he turned up the music, letting it play softly in the background.
"Where are we going?"
"Where do you want to go?" He asked, looking over at me as he pulled out of the parking lot.
I shrugged, not good with decisions.
"Are you hungry?"
"A little yeah." It was nearly noon now.
"How does Panda Express sound?"
"That sounds good." I smiled over at him, taking a stand of my pink hair between my fingers, Panda Express was my favorite.
The cold air whipping in my face chilled me to the bone as I rode to school, the boy, Calum's jacket draped over my arm. I was going to give it to him today during free period.
Calum seemed nice, but I didn't need his help, I didn't anyone's help, I was just fine on my own.
It confused me why he was so eager to help me in the first place, I had seen him time after time at school, but he had never made any move to get to know me any better, not that I cared or anything, just an observation.
The heated school felt good, as I slid the beanie off my head, tucking Ace, my skateboard, under my arm.
"Hey Phoenix!" The all too familiar voice of Taint called from behind me.
"What do you want dickhead?" I joked, not waiting for him to catch up. I'd known him for six years, this was how we usually treated each other.
"Well, ass wipe, I just wanted to say hello to my best friend."
"Hello."
"What the hell happened?" He asked examining the gash on my head, now scabbed over.
"I fell off my board the other day, my trucks were kind of loose, but I tightened them." I explained as we walked to class.
He gave me a "yeah right" look.
"Really Taint, she doesn't do that. I wasn't home last night anyway."
He sighed shaking his head, before pointing to the black jacket in my arms, "Whose is that?"
"Calum's." I said plainly, knowing the kind of shock it would bring him.
"Calum? Calum Hood? Why? How? Did you guys like, do it?"
"Oh my God no! He was at the park yesterday when I fell off my board and he gave me his jacket and took me to his house because his mom is a nurse and he thought I might have a concussion." I explained.
"Oh...That's weird."
"Very, but, now I have to find him and give him this hideous thing back." As the words fell from my mouth, my eyes met the garbage green ones of none other than Zola. She was the only girl in high school yet to let go of the middle school idea of popularity, convinced she was the queen bee though no one really paid her any mind. She hated me, always had, always will.
"Bitch." Her mumbled words ignited a fire in my bones.
"What the fuck did you say to me?" I demanded grabbing her shoulder so she would face me.
"I said you're a dumb bitch with mommy issues."
I shoved her into a set of lockers lining the other side of the hall, abandoning my board on the ground, "Take it back!"
"But, you are, aren't you?" She smirked, arching her eyebrow at me. "That's all you'll ever be."
"C'mon Phoe, let's just go." Taint tried to abort my pending attack, picking up Ace but I wouldn't have it, this bitch needed to be put in her place, I didn't need his help.
"Just because you walked in on your boyfriend screaming my name, doesn't mean you know me."
Rage flashed in her eyes and before I could tell what was happening her hand came down across my face in a firm slap, leaving a dull sting in its trail.
All I could see was red.
I pushed her to the ground, kicking her in the side repeatedly, not minding the crowed that had gathered, I was glad everyone would get to see me kick her ass, she could use some humiliation.
"Phoenix stop!" I could barely hear Taints voice over the loud chatter.
Zola tried to sit up, but I shoved her back down, only to have her grab my arm and pull me on top of her, completely to my advantage. I used my fist, punching her hard, where ever my hands could reach, having a firm grip on her hair with the other. I wasn't sure how long the fight had been going on but when I felt firm hands grab my waist I wasn't ready for it to be over. It felt so good to let all of my anger out on her, the burning of my knuckles, and the slight splitting of their skin brought me pleasure.
"Phoenix stop!" The voice came from the last person I expected and immediately ceased my flailing limbs.
What the hell was Calum Hood doing, dragging me from a fight?
***
"Well Mrs.Doon, you've got a hell of a punch, Zola has a broken nose, and you have a week of suspension effective immediately. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Mr. Ferguson asked, taking a seat behind his desk.
"No." I stared blankly at him. I didn't really care that I got suspended, well I didn't care yet, I'm sure I would once my mom caught wind, when she heard what I did, I'd be in hell.
"Well, I guess you can go then."
I grumbled standing from my chair being sure to slam the office door behind me.
"Hey, what happened?" Calum's voice surprised me as I turned to see him walking after me, Ace in his hand, and his jacket on.
"I got suspended?" My words came out like a question, not understanding why he was here.
"Oh, for how long?"
"A week." I reached for my board but he pulled it away.
"Come on Calum it's been a long day, I'm not in the mood." I whined.
"Well, if I remember correctly my mom told you to take it easy and so far you haven't done such a great job," he motioned to my busted lip, "I'll drive you home."
"I don't need your help Calum."
"Then I guess it's a good thing it's not an option." He smiled, leading me out of the school.
There was no denying that Calum Hood was attractive, but that didn't quiet my bewilderment at his sudden involvement in my life.
"What's with your sudden interest in my health?" I inquired hugging my arms around my body as we walked outside into the chilly air.
He shrugged, "Why not?"
"I don't even know you. "
His smile faltered slightly and he almost looked sad, "Let's fix that then."
"Don't you need to go to class?"
"It's just one day Phoenix, it will be fine."
I didn't know Calum, not at all really. I had heard people talking about him and had a few classes with him, but I had no idea who he was or what he was about, so it surprised me how okay I felt about spending time with him. It seemed logical though, anything to stay out of the house.
He led me out to a black car, opening the door for me and taking my bag, then putting all of our stuff in the backseat, and climbing in himself and starting it.
The air was thick and awkward, and it was obvious Calum felt the same as he turned up the music, letting it play softly in the background.
"Where are we going?"
"Where do you want to go?" He asked, looking over at me as he pulled out of the parking lot.
I shrugged, not good with decisions.
"Are you hungry?"
"A little yeah." It was nearly noon now.
"How does Panda Express sound?"
"That sounds good." I smiled over at him, taking a stand of my pink hair between my fingers, Panda Express was my favorite.