Bad Luck Hannah

That had been horrifying. I had been avoiding Jason and Josh for the past two days like my life depended on it.
If Jamie had mentioned to Jason about me having a boyfriend, my brother hadn't said anything yet, for which I was ungodly relieved, and Josh hadn't come back to the library either.
Or texted me, which is what I'd sort of figured he'd do.
I sighed in relief, anxiously waiting for my literature class to end and the lunch bell to ring. I never ate lunch anyway, I always just headed straight for the comforting realm of books.
I sighed, and finally the bell rang. I sprang to my feet and to the door before hardly anyone else has gotten up, and I went straight for my locker, grabbing my jacket out and dropping off my books.
My locker abruptly closed.
I winced, then glanced over, Jasons hand holding it shut, his ugly green and white letterman looking damp from the rain; he had team sports or something second period.
"So you wanna tell me about your boyfriend?"
No.
I shook My head, trying to open my locker door, but his hand pressed harder against it, not letting it budge.
Why couldn't he just go to lunch like the rest of his friends?
Why did he insist on torturing me?
"Jamie said it's that loser with the big ears. That true?"
"He has gages," I mumbled, fiddling with the zipper on my jacket.
He didn't have big ears.
"What? Hannah, you don't need to be messing around with that kind of people. They're bad news and it's not gonna look good on me if people think I'm letting you run with them." he snapped, his hand curling painfully around my jaw as he forced me to look at him. "It's already annoying enough you're so backward and lame and don't have any friends."
I pressed my lips tightly together, shrinking away from him best I could.
He didn't need to remind me.
"I don't wanna see you around them again, got it?" he hissed at me, and I cringed, trying to push away from him.
"Got it?" he pressed, and he forced me to nod, his fingers biting into my skin.
"Good." he looked satisfied, releasing me, and I shrunk back, crossing my arms protectively as i stared at the ground. "I like it when you agree with me. Now, don't you have something nerdy to go do?"
"Jason!"
We both glanced over as his girlfriend trotted over, smiling. She was pretty, long blonde hair and bright eyes, tan and always smiling, and she was generally a nice person, I thought.
I don't see what she did in Jason, the monster he was.
"Hi, Hannah!" she gave me a genuine smile, which I half - heartedly returned. She'd never been mean to me, and our parents absolutely loved her, she was always welcome over.
It was like the devil convinced an angel to be his girlfriend.
While he was distracted, I quickly took several steps away and escaped down the hallway, glancing inside the lunchroom as I started by, seeing the line long as always.
My eyes caught on Josh where he sat laughing with his friends, him and Chris arm wrestling.
He glanced over, catching my eyes for a split second before I walked past the door, and I upped my pace, panicked he would suddenly decide to talk to me again or kiss me or ---.
I'd never been kissed before, I had no idea how to kiss someone back --- it would be awkward and humiliating.
So I would rather just avoid it entirely.
I hurried into the library and onto the second level where I could avoid everyone, amd then hastily into one of the back tables I doubted anyone even knew existed.
I sighed, plopping down and pulling my phone out, inserting my headphones into my ears.
I frowned as it vibrated in my hand, an unfamiliar number popping up with a text.

It's Chris r u going to avoid Josh forever

Oh my god.
I scowled, and ignored it, not daring to save his number as a contact.
He'd resorted to using his friends against me, this was even more embarrassing now.
I couldn't understand why he wouldn't leave me alone --- there was plenty of other girls in this school who would be interested in him.
Why me?
I wasn't even that pretty.
I grimaced, choosing Chemical Vocation and letting it blare through my speakers as I started to work on my homework so I wouldn't have to do it at home.
I was so weird about that, I mean it's not like I had anything else to do then sit through awkward family dinners and listen to my mother try to make everyone conversate when we all clearly hated each other.
I tapped my pencil against my books, sighing.
Stupid.
I was so stupid.
A guy actually likes me and I flee from him like some backward idiot. He had wanted to kiss me and I'd crawled away from like like he'd been trying to stab me instead.
Why was I so lame?
Ugh!
I let my face fall against my books in defeat.
I could hardly speak to people without saying the wrong thing, let alone get a boyfriend and actually keep him long before he realized what a total freaking loser I was.
I wanted to sink into the carpet.
I felt pathetic.
I WAS pathetic.
I groaned, banging my head against the math book in frustration.
Why couldn't I have been born normal?
Why!?
My headphone suddenly popped out of my ear, and I raised my head in surprise.
What?
I straightened immediately, frowning.
He was stalking me.
Josh gave me a grin as he sat down beside me at the table, twirling my headphone in his hand. "You can't avoid me now."
I scowled, trying to pull it from his grip but afraid if I tugged too hard it would break.
"Ah-ah, not until you talk."
What? I frowned at him.
"See," he scooted a little closer to my chair, still holding my headphone, the other one barely hanging in my ear. "You can ignore me all you want, but I'm not gonna go away until you talk to me, got it?"
I didn't see why he was so persistent, and I just frowned more at him.
He frowned back at me, and for the first time I noticed his angel bites; he kept small studs in, probably why I'd never noticed before, and I blinked a couple times.
How did he get away with wearing those?
"Like what you see?" he murmured, and I cut my eyes to his, flushing as I realized he thought I was staring at his lips.
I started to lean away, but I couldn't, my headphone still in his hand, holding me there.
Why was I playing his stupid game?
I could always just let the other one fall out.
Josh tugged lightly on the cord, forcing me to lean a little closer, and I pressed my lips together in irritation.
What did he want from me?
"So, you gonna talk or not?" he purred, and I grimaced, shaking my head, my eyes catching his enormous gages.
Yeesh.
I could stick a hot dog through those things.
I snorted, my lips twitching, and a small smile grew on my lips.
It was more fun not answering him, to be honest.
He frowned at me when I chuckled, and scooted even closer, tugging so hard on my headphone I nearly flailed forward into his lap in an effort not to lose it. I braced myself against the table, raising my head and stiffening as I realized his face was only inches from mine.
"Are you gonna run away again if I try to kiss you?" he sighed, and I bobbed my head, Miss May I suddenly blasting through my headphones.
He blinked, and then pressed it against his ear, looking impressed. "You do like the good shit."
I rolled my eyes, tugging on my cord as I tried to pull away.
He merely tightened his hold, and his right hand suddenly bracing on my chair, trapping me against the table, and I bristled, feeling cornered.
"Hey, easy there, spitfire, I just don't want you bolting off before we have a chance to talk," he told me in a soothing tone, and I shrunk away from him immediately, not caring if my headphone fell out or not.
I didn't like being cornered.
It freaked me out.
I looked down at my fingers where they knotted in my lap, shrinking down in my chair, wincing away when he reached to brush my hair out of my face.
"Hannah, I'm not gonna hurt you just --- just don't do that." he dropped his hand, frowning with as concerned look. "I would never do anything like that."
Sure he wouldn't.
I stared at my hands, stiff, and the silence started to grow.
When he didn't move his arm or make any movement towards me, I hesitantly flicked my gaze up, seeing he was just looking at me, and I blushed.
He gave me a smile, and I looked away at my books, seeing my scribbled notes where I was trying to figure out how to do the math problem and failing.
Josh followed my gaze, then lifted up my pencil, twisting my paper around. "You forgot to carry the two back here in this step," he told me, and I frowned, leaning forward slightly. "That's why you keep getting the wrong answer here."
so I had.
Why was he good at math?
I hesitated, and raised my hand, pointing at a different problem.
Maybe that was just a fluke.
His eyes flicked over to it. "You have issues with this?"
I nodded.
"If I help you with this will you talk to me?"
I shook My head no, and his lips twitched slightly.
"Fine. I'll just help you with it then, but I'll grow on you eventually, and when I do, you'll have to talk," he warned me, and I tried to repress my smile as he angled the paper toward me, offering the pencil.
I took it hesitantly, and then he started to walk me through the steps, explaining it a lot better then my teacher had.
How did he know this?
I glanced at him curiously.
He was so cute.
I looked down quickly before he noticed me looking, hastily erasing a two when I'd meant a three, frowning as I realized I'd let him distract me.
But how did he freaking know this so well? Math was my worst subject, numbers confused me just as much as people did.
"Ah, no, don't forget to carry the decimal," he reminded me, taking my hand and forcing me to erase.
I stiffened, but he didn't even seem to notice he'd touched me.
I didn't like to be touched, and I pulled away slightly, letting my colored hair fall down like a curtain between us.
I fixed my mistake instantly, brow furrowing.
Ugh I hated math.
I glanced at him again through my hair, his dark hair tucked up beneath his beanie today.
"I know it's hard," he told me after a second when he saw me hesitating on a problem. "I had to repeat my sophomore year because I flunked math so bad, so trust me, I figured out how to do it pretty fucking fast the second go around," he snorted, and I heard someone clear their throat.
We both turned, and I hesitated, seeing one of his friends was standing a few feet from us, grinning.
"Dude, the bell rang, we gotta get to lit."
"Oh, shit, okay." Josh hesitated, slowly rising to his feet. "Go ahead and I'll meet you there in a few minutes, cool?"
"Sure. Hi, Hannah, " the friend gave me a wave, and I just frowned at him; I had absolutely no idea who he was.
He chuckled as he disappeared.
"Sooo, I gotta get to class but --- if you want we can hang after school and I'll help you with that stuff," Josh offered, looking down at me. "Meet me by the back door downstairs?"
I hesitated, but Jason was going to be home today, I think Hayley was actually coming over, and they were so gooey sometimes it actually made me physically ill.
So I'd rather not be there.
And at least he could help me with this stuff.
So I shrugged.
"Is that a yes?"
I nodded, and he grinned, looking like I'd made his day.
"Cool! I'll see you after school then."