I felt my mouth go dry as I saw him, I bit the inside of my cheeks, unsure of what to do.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I did not wait. There was no way I was going to stand there and let him say shit.

I pushed passed him, walking away and into the bar, not even looking back to see if he was still looking at me or not, I felt my heart race.

Evan.

The same guy I had nearly beaten to death, the same one that hurt me throughout middle school and high school.

“you are late, again” my manager said, coming out of his office like he had been waiting for me to come in.

“I am sorry, today was my graduation and I told grace to cover for me till 3:15 and...”

“that is none of my bloody business!!” he snapped. “look at the time” he said, pointing to the wall where the clock was.

"I am sorry I just…”

“no” he said, shaking his head while he crossed his arms, “no more excuses I want you packed and out of my bar in the next five minutes or I am calling the cops.” he said, walking back into the office, leaving me there speechless.

I felt my shoulders sag.

'This was it.’ I thought, looking into the distance, while I held in the tears.

I was back to square one.

'but I got here on time, I just.. I got stopped by Evan outside' I said in a soft voice that even I could barely hear.

My colleagues looked at me with pity, they knew that it was not my fault, but they could not say anything to defend me.

I sighed, taking the little things I had here for work back to my apartment.

I opened the door, the afternoon dry air hitting me in my face when I saw him.

He looked unbothered, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth after taking a long drag.

The sound of the door opening must have drawn his attention because he looked up from whatever it was he found fascinating on the floor, looking at me.

“I knew it was you I had seen” he said, looking at me with a smile.

Not the one that screamed he was happy to see me, but the one that screamed predator after they had found their prey.

I looked at him from head to toe, his whole outfit screamed money. One that could make my life a whole lot more comfortable if I had it now.

'I..' I opened my mouth to speak but then I thought against it. It was better I did not give life to the conversation.

“are you not going to speak to me fatso?” he said, that name causing a cold shiver down my spine.

Over the years, I lost the weight, I mean it was inevitable with the pain and hardship I had to go through, but hearing him call me that? There was just a way it made me feel.

"get the fuck off my back, or I am going to break every inch of your neck” I sneered, getting close to him so that he was the only one to hear it, I did not miss the wave of his cologne that hit me, but I chugged it in, preventing myself from taking in a deeper scent of him even though that was the only thing I wanted to do.

“careful, still healing from the broken nose you gave me all those years ago” he said, leaning down to whisper into my ear, just the same way I had done to him.

I took a step back, not wanting to have anything to do with him, and walked home.

All of a sudden, I wanted to crawl up my bed and cry out. What was meant to be the happiest day of my life turned out to be the most irritating.

^^

“get out!!!” the land lady said, as soon as I tried to enter my house"

“please, I just need more time, I lost my job and...” she laughed, like a genuine one, as though I had said some sick joke or something

“last month you were sick” she said, which had me shaking my head because I was.

“I was, I truly was and-”

“the month before you needed textbooks” she cut me off again, making me unable to complete what I was saying. “now you have lost your job?” she said, looking at me with the ‘do you take me for a fool look’

I sighed, trying to get my things back inside, but no.

Instead, she took them back, flinging them further away from the house “girl! I’ve got mouths to feed, so I suggest you get your bitch ass away from here to some charity home that would be willing to take you in” she said, slamming the door in my face.

“great, just great” I said, sitting down in the pile of my clothes that lay on the floor. “just fucking great” I said, my voice shaking as tears ran down my cheeks.

I looked around, there was no where I was going to go, “going home is not an option' I muttered to myself when my mind drifted to my mom and the home dad left behind.

“going home is not an option” I said a little louder, trying to tell myself that I honestly was going to die trying on the streets than going home.

I carried the little things I had left, walking to Linda’s dorm, hoping she would take me in…

^^

I took in a deep breath.

Deep down, I knew she was going to take me in, but a part of me, a very little part felt as though she was going to turn me away.

'only one way to find out' I said to myself as I raised my hands to knock on the door.

One second.

Five seconds

Nine…

I was starting to give up on the idea of meeting her to stay the night, when the door swung open.

She opened the door with a smile, but the smile quickly vanished when she saw me. ‘was she repulsed by how rough I was looking? Was she pretending to be my friend all along because I was smart, and needed the help in school and now that we were no longer in school she no longer needed my help?’ my mind raced a mile per minute as I watched her watch me.

“what happened?” her voice sounding… shocked, nothing like I had expected it to be but at the same time, how I had expected she would sound…