Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 73153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Oh, he had no idea, but that was a luxury I couldn't have for myself.
I wanted to have someone I could confide in, but I knew what that would result in. I concluded two years ago that the only thing I needed to confide in was death, not a damn thing else. Death didn't open his mouth, didn't feel the need to accidentally spill secrets. You met Death, and everything was silent—peaceful.
I shook my head at him, desperate to get him to see my side of things. "No. I don't feel lonely." I really did. "I don't wish I had someone I could tell everything to." I really wish I had someone.
"You're such a stubborn person, Tracey, you know that?" Kaleb sighed. Finally, he was coming around to my way of thinking. "My friends would love to hang out with you."
I shot my gaze up to his, my eyes wide with fear, my throat closing up with panic. He couldn't possibly get all of his friends to bother me, could he? I couldn't risk that someone would notice anything. I was already risking too much by sitting here with him as it was.
Why did this stupid teacher have to assign this stupid project?!
"If your friends come anywhere near me, I will not help you complete this project." My voice was harsh, but I didn’t care. I clenched my fists in my lap, imagining the panic and fear contained in my small fists.
I meant every word. I couldn't allow anyone else to talk to me, to be able to scrutinize me and every mood I made, everything that I did, and every facial expression that crossed my features.
He put his hands up in the air in a defensive gesture. "Okay, okay, I get it." I breathed a slow sigh of relief. A smile slowly slipped onto his face, instantly putting me on guard. "You'll only be friends with me."
What?!
"I didn't agree to be your friend!” My voice was loud, and I was agitated. I didn’t give a fuck that I was still sitting in the library. "Do you not understand any of the words that have been coming out of my mouth?!"
He grinned. "You're a little spitfire thing, aren't you?" He completely avoided the fucking question.
I just wanted him to give up on the notion of ever being my friend! It could never happen!
"Look," I had to force my jaw to unclench so I could speak, "I agreed to answer your questions, not be your fucking friend."
He shook his head at me and waggled his finger side to side in front of my face. I glared at him in annoyance, tempted to smack his hand away. "No, you agreed to hang out with me. Not answer questions." I gritted my teeth, hating that he was right. "Therefore, I can learn about you in any way that I see fit."
I ran a hand through my straight brown hair, feeling more and more frustrated with every word that came out of his mouth. Did he have a comeback for everything that came out of my mouth? I rarely talked to people, so I was running out of things to say to him!
"I don't like you. I don't want anything to do with you, and I sure as hell don't want to be your blasted friend!"
He didn't even seem fazed by my words anymore like he had been the last couple of days. "Do you really think that I didn't expect you to react like this?" I threw my arms up in the air in exasperation, making him chuckle lightly. He leaned closer to me across the table we were sitting at, and I jerked away, pressing my back into the back of the chair.
Please don't come any closer.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I swallowed hard as sweat broke out over my back in reaction to his close proximity. "You're frustrating."
"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.