Chapter 5.

"Come on Mellie, we have to meet the guys for lunch, I prooomised." Emma droned dragging me by the arm to speed me up.

The day had passed pretty quick, in a blur almost. I'd had a couple classes already and nothing much had happened, just the basic start of year introductions to topics.

Me and Emma were already getting closer. She was just the kinda person that you feel like you've known your entire life when in reality we met like yesterday.

We eventually got to the lunch hall to meet the guys, who were all already sitting together at their usual spot laughing at some joke Lukas made. "hey guys!" Lukas said when he noticed us approaching. "What took you so long?" Kyle said, I really couldn't tell if it was jokingly or not.

"Sorry Mels here likes to take her sweet time doing everything." Emma said, completely defending herself. Actually you just like not to. I swear everything that girl does is at like a 2x pace.

"I do not! I j-just like to be fashionably late." I answer with a shy smile.

"Yeah right, you're late for literally everything." Blake scoffed.

We both then sat down with the boys casually eating our lunch while talking about absolutely nothing, but apparently everything at the same time. Well everything they deemed important. All they liked to talk about was gossip and rumours. A main one now being why me and Blake moved.

They now decided to spout all the ones they'd heard. none of them being even remotely close to the truth.

"So yea, the craziest one I've heard is that you both moved from like Norway. Apparently your mum and dad split so you moved back with your mum." Carson laughed.

"oh and i heard that Mellie got pregnant." Lukas added, heaving with laughter.

"oh yeah i've heard a lot about Mellie too." Kyle agreed.

"I swear they are getting crazier by the minute." Emma said.

I hated gossip. No. I despised gossip. the idea of others judging me and talking behind my back petrified me. The more i dwelled on it the more my panic built,

My panic hit me with such a force it physically felt like someone had rammed into me. My entire body tensed up and my breathing sped up tenfold. No one apparently noticed though and the conversation kept going.

"So is it true your mum lived here when you were little?" Lukas asked innocently.

Blake looked over and noticed my change in behaviour.

He casually slipped his hand under the table and grabbed mine reassuringly. Giving it one squeeze to ask if I'm okay. (We made a secret silent language to make sure the other is okay. Two squeezes yes, three no and four i think so.) I squeezed back four.

While this exchange took place Blake casually answered Lukas' question, taking all the attention off of me.

"Yeah, mum was born here, but we only lived here for a couple months though when we were like 7. We moved about a lot."

"O'My goodness, that's so cool where did you go?" Emma asked enthusiastically.

"Like everywhere honestly," Blake said with a chuckle. "We've been moving around since a couple of months after we were born, staying a couple weeks in each place."

My panic hadn't subsided yet and bringing up our past was only making it worse. My breathing was getting faster and faster. I was gonna have a panic attack. I needed to get out of here. Now.

I squeezed Blake's hand three times, quickly got up and ran out of the hall. Completely abandoning their conversation.

I couldnt care at all how stupid I looked right now completely bolting out in front of hundreds of people, even though usually thats the only thing i would think about. Right now I had a one track mind and all I could focus on was getting out.

I ran down the hall not waiting to see if anyone had followed. I hope they didn't.

I ran into one of the changing rooms, hoping it was empty because it was lunch.

I fell to the ground the minute I got in and grabbed my chest. I couldn't seem to get a breath in fast enough and my heart was now completely beating out of my chest.

Breathe Mellie, breathe! Calm yourself down. you can do this. Stay here. Its okay. You"ll be okay. I told myself in my head, willing myself to believe it.

You're okay. Nobodys here. You're okay.

Everything around me sounded weird, everything seemed too much. My tears were now flowing down my face freely, drowning me amongst them. They wouldn't stop and I couldn't breathe.

In, out, in, out. I repeated to myself, it'd been minutes now. Nothing was helping.

I distantly heard the back door attached to the field open and then the sound of feet running. Louder and louder until there was a face right in front of me.

oh no not another person to humiliate myself in front of.

"Wow, wow, wow." They rushed quickly. "Hey look at me, calm down. Just breathe Daisy...i'm right here."

I didnt know who it was, but honestly i was too disorientated to notice, or even care.

"Hey focus on me, just look at me, listen to my voice. You'll be okay. I promise."

I forced myself to look at them, straight into their eyes. Their emerald green eyes. Colby, of course.

He said Daisy how hadn’t I noticed?

“Good girl, now just keep calm and concentrate on taking deep breaths. Slowly now, in...and out,” he cooes.

I forced a breath in one by one, never once taking my eyes off his.

He continues until I've completely calmed and relaxed into his arms.

I finally was able to take in where I was and found myself now situated on the ground of the boys changing room! Nevertheless sitting right on Colby's lap, with his arms around me.

"Hey, u okay?" Colby snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Yea, i think so...thanks for that, i'm sorry you had to, you know... see." I stumbled out, slipping ever so carefully off his lap onto the floor beside him.

I was so completely mortified that he found me like he did. I was a mess, my face was red and blotchy and my never ending tears were now all over Colby's shirt as well.

"Hey!" Colby sounded enraged. Where was that coming from? What did I do?

"Never apologise for something like that. I'd always help, no matter what you can come to me. You know that right?" I didnt… I mean we’d just met.

"Yea, thank you..." I replied timidly, completely taken aback. I thought he was mad at me.

"So why? What happened?" Colby asked.

"My friend just said something that brought up a bunch of bad memories. I guess that just triggered it." I said vaguely.

"No I meant why do you get the panic attacks, that obviously wasn't your first one. You're acting like they happen often. Something your friend said can't be the reason you get them."

He was a lot more perceptive than I had given him credit for.

"Oh, I don't really wanna talk about it." I said evasively,

"Okay then we won't." He said simply. I looked over at him with a questioning look. I was really surprised he let it go that easily, just because I asked him to.

"I wouldn't wanna be forced to talk about something painful either." He explained. "When and if you ever wanna tell me, you can."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem." He said with his signature smirk lighting up his features. Most likely trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey what were you doing here during lunch anyway?" I changed the subject.

"Oh.. I wanted extra time on the field, you know practise makes perfect."

"You're on the team?I hadn't heard his name mentioned.

"Yep, I'm the captain." He said with a smile. However this one doesn't light up his features, it almost looked fake?

"That's so cool. My brother just joined the team, i hadn't heard your name mentioned that's all."

"Oh yea, i met him yesterday. I took his tryout with the coach. Seems nice, he's a good player."

"Yeah he is. He's great."

"BOOM!"

The locker room door flew open, leaving a terrified Blake in the threshold.

"Speak of the devil." Colby mumbled.

"Omy. Thank God you're here, I was worried sick. I ran after you but you were already gone, I couldn't find you." Blake said, completely disregarding Colby, only focusing on me.

He stormed over to me and slapped me on the arm. "That's for scarin the shit outta me!" "Never, ever do that again Melanie, I swear I almost had a heart attack." he added dramatically. He used my full name, he never did that. I must have really scared him.

"Hey drama queen I'm fine. I just needed outta there, I couldn't breathe in there." I said.

"Well I can never stay mad at you but at least promise me next time you'll run out with me."Blake said being deadly serious.

"Okay, I promise." I said, giving in to his antics. I got up and gave him a hug, after all he looked like he just ran a marathon, he needed it.

*cough, cough*

I looked over to a very awkward Colby rolling back and forth on his heels. I actually had to bite back a laugh at the sight. Mr. Sure of himself was actually being awkward.

"Oh hey mate. Col was it?" Blake said, finally acknowledging someone else in the room.

"Yea, well it's Colby, we met yesterday. We haven't really spoken much though." "Oh yeah you're the captain, sorry i didn't remember. I'm Blake by the way." Blake said with a genuine smile.

"Yea i know, your sister already mentioned you." Colby said. "Of course she did. I'm her favourite twin." Blake replied cockily.

"your only twin dipstick." I said back. "Sure, sure you still love me though, you can never shut up about me." He said, still smiling.

"Yeah, yeah you're the bestest brother ever." I said sarcastically.

I looked between the two of them before saying to Blake. "Hey, you go back to the guys, i'll be fine here. I just need another minute. I'll meet you in class."

Blake looked instantly wary, but gave in. "okay i'll tell the others you're okay, take care of her man." He added to Colby before walking out. Protective as always.

"I will." Colby answered laughing "don't worry."

At that we both sat back down in our previous spots.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay now?" Colby asked concern lacing his tone.

"I'm fine, don't worry." I said. "You seem like you say that a lot. Of course i'll worry." Colby said back.

"Well you don't need to i promise I'm fine."

"Hey why didn't you tell your brother you had a panic attack?" Colby asked.

"Cause he's seen me have them before and it really scares him. He cares too much and i don't want him to worry." I admitted.

"Oh."Colby said. It seems I've rendered him speechless. With a personality like Colby's I thought that'd be much harder to do.

"Can we talk about something else now, I'm tired off the heavy stuff." I said honestly. "Whatever you want Daisy." This time i didn't correct him, I was actually warming up to the nickname. Not that I'd actually ever admit it.

At that we continued our conversation that seemed to go on for hours. When in reality it was probably only like 20 more minutes.

Colby was surprisingly easy to talk to. Not just on his part though. I rarely opened up to people, so what surprised me most was that I actually wanted to talk to him.

Our conversation was entirely different from with my friends from earlier. We didn't talk about gossip or couples and most importantly the rumours about me and Blake. In fact our conversation was probably to anyone else completely random. As it was last night.

We talked about whether or not we believed in aliens and ghosts, amongst other completely random things and a completely hilarious game of would you rather.

Eventually the bell rang and with a hand up from Colby I got up off the floor and we both headed back to class. "See you later Daisy. Remember 2 o'clock in the same place." He said. "Okay, Sure if you really want me to give up my precious sleep to grace you with my glorious presence." I said sarcastically.

"Ha ha very funny." Colby said. "Well i really gotta go but see you tonight."

"See you tonight Colby." I replied before we both headed off in different directions to class.