Page 12 of Saving Tracey
"All of these words, and yet you still haven't resorted to violence." A thoughtful expression crossed his features.
My body jerked back instinctively at his words.
Violence.
I felt like I was going to be sick. I hated thinking about putting my hands on someone or someone putting their hands on me. How could you do that to someone, knowing how much it hurt? Knowing how much it could tear that person down?
"No, violence, Tracey?" He was taunting me, but it was having the opposite effect I was sure he was hoping for. "Or are you thinking about it?" His voice lowered to a whisper.
I whipped my head around to face him, glaring at him vehemently, making him jerk back in his seat in surprise. "People who resort to violence are the most disgusting human beings there could ever be."
I jumped out of my chair, snatching my bag off of the floor, officially done with this fucking conversation. I power walked out of the library. I wanted to run so badly. I wanted to get as far away from him as I could and as quickly as possible.
Violence. How dare he even think of something like that? Are people really that ignorant—that low? Did they not realize the damage violence could do, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally? How could someone just resort to violence?
"Tracey, wait!" His shoes slapped against the floor as he rushed after me.
Ignoring the pain that flared through my body with every step, I only walked faster, desperately wanting to get away from him. I couldn't face him. I didn't want to be around him. I couldn't handle being around people! They were all so different from me, and no one would understand me!
Fuck, I couldn't be around people for my own damn safety!
Kaleb grabbed my wrist and spun me around to face him. My breath caught in my throat. I felt my eyes widen in fear, a vice-like restraint gripping my chest. I felt like throwing up, and sweat trickled down my back.
"Let me go.” I stared at his hand as if it would suddenly grow arms, my chest heaving up and down as a panic attack began to creep into my chest—one that I knew I wouldn’t be able to fight if he didn’t release me.
He quickly let me go and ran a hand through his hair. I stepped a couple of feet back from him, desperately wanting some distance between us. "Look, I'm sorry.” His voice was soft, his eyes pleading. "I didn't know you would react that way. I was just trying to find out what you were like."
My breathing was calmer. I wasn't feeling as sick.
I took a deep breath and blew it back out harshly. "Well, you went about it the wrong way." I gestured between us. "Me and you—"
I was cut off when a girl jumped between us and threw her arms around Kaleb's neck, kissing him with a loud smack. She had long, wavy, blonde hair, and she was extremely tall for a girl. She was wearing jeans and a white tank top, a pink and white ruffly shirt on top of it. Her flats were white to match her shirt.
She was definitely gorgeous.
"Lacie, stop. I'm trying to talk to someone." He gently pushed her away so he could have space.
She stepped to the side and glared at me. I recoiled at the anger flashing through her eyes. I wanted to get away from her.I wanted to run in the other direction, far, far away from her. "Who are you?" Her voice was cold and unfriendly, sending chills down my spine.
I stepped back from her and turned on my heel, walking away quickly. I wanted to get away from her. Ihadto get away from her. She was going to hurt me. I could see it in her eyes, in her stance.
"Hey!" She shouted after me, but I kept walking faster. "I was talking to you!"
Kaleb shut her down. “Lacie, leave her be. You're always putting your nose where it doesn't belong, and it doesn't belong here."
I dropped my bag beside my desk and sat in it gingerly to make it less painful on myself, thankful that I was in a place where that Lacie girl most likely wouldn't find me. At least, I hoped Kaleb wouldn't tell her that he had first block with me.
I couldn't face that girl. I just couldn't. She would have hurt me. I could visualize her choking me, kicking me in my stomach over and over. I grimaced at the image.
I clenched my fists to stop them from shaking.She wouldn't be able to touch me in here, I reassured myself. I just had to stay away from her in the hallways.
Everyone scrambled into the classroom as the time got closer and closer to the late bell sounding. Kaleb dropped his bag on the floor beside his chair and plopped into the seat beside me, running a hand through his hair agitatedly.
"I swear, I don't even know why I'm still with her. She's such a pain in my ass,” Kaleb told the friend he was talking to, his tone filled with stress and aggravation.
"Yeah, I heard she was all pissed off because you were talking to her." His friend gestured to me. I cast my eyes to my desk hurriedly. "Lacie has some serious insecurity issues, bro. I love my sister and all, but man, she drives me up the damn wall. She's always asking me if I've seen you with this girl or that girl or if this rumor is true or not. It's so fucking stupid." His annoyance with his little sister was clear in his tone.
The teacher came into the room right when the late bell sounded. The guy Kaleb had been talking to went to his seat. A moment later, the teacher began calling role, and then the classroom filled with chatter as everyone began talking to their partners. Kaleb turned to me with a soft sigh. "I'm so sorry about the way Lacie talked to you today." I arched a brow at his apology, surprised to hear it. He ran a hand through his hair. "Lacie is . . . insecure." It took him a moment to settle on that word.
