Leave Your Sins At The Door

2 “Psycho”

CHAPTER 2

“Why aren’t you saying anything!?” Amelia wailed, her fists clenching so tightly her long, painted nails dug into her palms. Her bright yellow dress was drenched in espresso, and it stained the ends of her long pearl-blond hair—hair she’d always kept that way because he’d told her he loved the length.

Her cheek was bright red from Tiffany’s slaps. All she could do was cry, feeling ashamed and, most of all, hurt. “How are you not defending me?!” she choked out, acutely aware of all the phones recording her desperate display for everyone to see. “Please tell me what I did wrong? Please don’t leave me like this, my love.” She grabbed his hands and begged.

He pushed her hands away from him. “My love?” He mocked while scoffing. “Why are you being so obsessive? Psycho.” His light blue eyes looked away from her as Tiffany smirked.

Anger surged through Amelia, and her hand immediately swung out, connecting with his cheek. The loud slap echoed through the coffee shop, drawing gasps from the other customers.

“How dare–”

Amelia slapped him again, cutting off any chance for him to speak. His eyes widened in shock; he hadn’t expected such defiance from someone he’d always known as meek and shy. She slapped him once more, her palm stinging from the impact.

“I f*****g hate you!” Amelia gritted through clenched teeth, glaring at Kyler. Her gaze then shifted to Tiffany, who was cradling him and cooing as if he were a wounded child. “And you!”

“Psycho!” Tiffany shrieked at Amelia. “Get away from us, you psycho!” She pushed her away strongly. “My love, are you okay?” she cooed, stroking Kyler’s reddened cheek.

“My love?” His voice pulled Amelia back to reality. His finger gently brushed against the ends of her short, pearly-blond hair. “I still like you with your long hair.” His lips curled a bit, and she saw it right away.

Amelia didn’t waste any other second. The moment his mocking words finished, she spun on her heel and bolted, the humiliation of the coffee shop fresh in her mind, amplified by the sudden, sickening appearance of him.

She could feel his eyes on her back, even without looking. That calculating, knowing gaze that stripped her bare. She didn’t care where she was going, only that it was away from him.

Every instinct screamed to escape, to put as much distance as possible between myself and his toxic presence. Her legs pumped as she wove through the scattering students who were looking at her with that familiar look on their faces, their faces a blur of judgment.

The familiar paths of the university campus, once a comforting sight, now felt like a labyrinth designed to trap Amelia with her past. She panted heavily, trying to catch her breath, as she was able to make her way towards her first class of the day. She felt herself sweating as she entered the familiar stadium seating classroom with theatre seats.

Amelia subtly pulled her baseball cap lower and settled her backpack in one of the back seats, determined to avoid any attention from anybody. As soon as the professor walked in, she kept her head down and pulled out her book.

“Good morning, everybody,” the professor greeted, prompting giggles from the women in class. But something inside Amelia began to burn, a churning in her gut that intensified the moment she looked up. Kyler smiled, his eyes locked onto hers, as he announced, “I’m your new teacher’s assistant, and I’m thrilled to work with you all.”

Her heart plummeted down to her stomach. Of all the possible scenarios she had played out in her mind, this wasn’t one of them. “I’m looking forward to getting to know every single one of you.”

Seeing Kyler standing at the front of the classroom, smiling at her, almost in a smirking manner, as the new teacher’s assistant, felt like a cruel joke.

When he began calling out names for attendance, Amelia nearly gasped as he announced, “Amelia Rose Prescott?” His voice sounded so firm and formal.

Amelia exhaled heavily through my trembling lips as she answered him almost in a whisper, “Here.”

“Is Miss Prescott here?” Kyler called again as his eyes were glued on hers even more as the corner of his lips curled.

She slowly raised her hand to the level of her ear as she cleared her throat, then said out louder, “Here.”

“Ah, Miss Prescott?” Kyler called out once again.

Amelia slowly turned her eyes toward him as he added, “Some ground rules for this class.” He then pointed to the other side of the board and read aloud, “Hats off in the room.”

Amelia nervously breathed out as she noticed immediately that everyone had turned their attention towards him. She’s always known him as the kind of guy who wanted attention from everyone, and she’s known that he loved to embarrass her after the viral video of her slapping him repeatedly.

“We won’t start till you won’t take it off, Miss Prescott,” Kyler spoke authoritatively.

She slowly pulled off her baseball cap as she exhaled heavily through her parted lips. A collective gasp filled the room, and she wondered why—were they surprised by her very short bob haircut with layers and side bangs, or had they finally recognized her from the viral video?

“Oh my God, isn’t that…” A girl whispered from right across Amelia, a few chairs away.

“Holy s**t, it is.” The other whispered back as both of them looked back at Kyler and then back at her.

“Dude, it’s the viral obsessive freak girl from the video.” Another man chuckled with his other friend.

“The girl who got pregnant and threatened to abort the baby?”

His emerald green eyes shifted to Amelia as soon as he heard the other guys talk, catching the light as they landed on her pearly blonde, very short bob hair. His palm rested thoughtfully beneath his chin as he chewed his gum.