Chapter 2 Part I

"I can't believe she'd do anything like that to Mitch Lingston.”

“What in the world does she think she is?"

"He deserves a lot more than that tramp."

Similar things were being said about me. These remarks have followed me to and from lessons for the last two and a half weeks. I could only get away from them at lunch and when I went home. Even on weekends, if I went outdoors, I could hear it.

I hurried towards the library, tucking my head low. I wouldn't say I liked the attention, and the only place where I felt at home was in the back corner of the library. I wouldn't have to be concerned about seeing or hearing anybody there.

I was greeted with sacred stillness the instant the library doors closed. I took a deep breath and moved toward my area. Nobody ever came back, so it was all mine. Mrs. Anderson, the librarian, liked me enough to have one of the janitors place a comfortable chair in the corner. To top it off, I was in the romance department, which held all my favorite novels. It was the ideal little nook.

I sank into the chair with my luggage on the ground. It was by far the softest, most comfortable chair I've ever sat in while it was in use. I've slept in it a few times.

I tilted my head to the right and looked out the window. The glass was tinted so no one could see who was inside, but I could see everything outside. Students milled about outdoors on seats and tables. It was the typical senior lunchtime gathering. I used to sit out there, but that was long ago.

I tried not to feel sad or angry at seeing everyone out there. I wish I could sit outside in the beautiful weather, chatting with friends. But being out there was out of the question. Not any longer.

There are just 144 days; I thought before I left this Place.

Graduation, on the other hand, was too far away. I've spent many days in this hellhole, listening to nasty things people say about me. I'd leave if I could, but I couldn't because this is my senior year. Because I was nearly done. I only had to hang on for a few more months.

I shouldn't care what other people thought of me, but I did. I, like everyone else, dislike having others pass judgment on me for topics they do not know of. However, this is high school. This is where no one believes what is true; they care about themselves and their position and couldn't care less if they injure someone. And at the time, I was at the bottom of everyone's list of people to be good too.

I reached for an apple and a bottle of water as I turned away from the window. I woke up late this morning and didn't have time to get anything. If I had been bold enough, I would have gone to one of the vending machines near the cafeteria or someplace else, but I wasn't.

I'm eating an apple. I stood up to get the book I was now reading. The benefit of having this location to myself was that I could read a book and then set it back down to read the following day without worrying about someone taking it. It also left off one book I had to carry to and from class and home.

I spent most of my lunch hour reading and eating my apple. I took another look out the window before the bell tolled. What I saw caused me to squint. Mitch Lingston, the man who destroyed my heart, sat there like he was the king of the school.

He sat on the table's apex, surrounded by his three closest buddies and tiny entourage. With his all-American features and as captain of the football and baseball teams, he was the popular 'it' kid of Central High School. Blonde hair was well-groomed, beautiful blue eyes, and a figure with all the females salivating.

Mitch is the charming, popular lad you can't help but adore, yet he is everything but. Girls flocked to him and his buddies regardless of what they thought he was like. He treated them like yoyos and couldn't care less whom he wounded. His pals were just as awful as he was.

Mitch's closest buddies since middle school was Brent, Vik, and Rich. You couldn't go anywhere without running into all four of them. And, like Mitch, they only thought with their dicks rather than their minds.

I genuinely believed they were lovely for a time, but it was all a ruse. But, as you can see, that is how they entice all females to sleep with them. It also helped that they were all beautiful and recognized it.

Looking at them now, I can't see what I used to see in them. How could I have missed Mitch exploiting me for a bet? I was completely dazzled by that golden boy Mitch Lingston paying attention to me, dorky Riley Carson. It was a girl's fantasy come true.

I sighed when the bell finally rang. It's time to leave my small haven. After returning my book and gathering my belongings, I proceeded to my next lesson, Biology. I took a deep breath before leaving the library.

This is something I can handle. Riley just ignores them.

That was much easier said than done. I attempted to rush to my next lesson without collapsing. But recently, fortune has not been on my side. I ran into someone as soon as I rounded the corner.

I moaned as I looked up to see who it was. I believe the cosmos was conspiring against me at the time.

"It seems like someone is unable to remain away." My heart clenched terribly when I heard my ex- Boyfriend’s voice.

"I can't get enough of it," I said. "Could you just get out of my way?" Oh, how I wished I could smash that smug off his face.

"Have you been missing me?" He said.

"I'm missing treading on legos," I replied. Mitch was the last person I expected to miss. He may rot in hell for all I care after what he did to me.

"Riley, you may appear as if you don't care, but I know you do. Remember I was with you for five months?"

"Need I remind you of 5 months of lies? Get out of my way now." Instead of waiting for him to move, I pushed him to make it to class on time.

"You may lie all you want, Riley, but you miss me," Mitch said. I rolled my eyes and ignored him. I'd assume he wanted me to miss him if I hadn't known better.

I stepped into Biology and took a seat near the rear window, ignoring all the remarks about me. I could see everyone from here, and they could ignore me as usual.

I got 'popular' while I was dating Mitch. People recognized my name, greeted me everywhere I went, and asked me to parties. I was thrust into the limelight, which I was not used to.

I was back where I had begun despite being despised and having no friends at the time. When I began dating Mitch, I gradually stopped talking to the few people I knew. I was with him almost every day, and because of Mitch, I got estranged from them. They couldn't stand being around me when the entire thing became public. They were well aware that if we were friends again, they would be despised just as much as I would be.

As a result, I was now on my own. While it didn't bother me, I missed having someone to chat with or hang out with. Being alone may rapidly become quite lonely. I returned to class with a sigh of relief.