The Only Exception Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I had lunch with Adrien. While we were eating, we talked a lot about what we expected out of this year. And we talked about random people, too. Then I brought up Bailey.

Adrien had frowned. “He’s a delinquent. Why do you care?”

Shrugging, I answered that I didn’t know him at all and that he sat beside me in class. Adrien shook his head, still frowning at me.

“Don’t mess with him,” he said. “The guy is bad news. Plus, he’s weird. He has no taste in music and I heard that he killed someone.”

I rolled my eyes and ate a french fry, looking around. The cafeteria we were in was relatively small, and students had the option of sitting outside or in the greenhouse. Only about thirty people actually used the cafeteria, so there were only a few chairs around.

“And we’re not weird?” I answered. “Adrien, your hair is green.” When I pointed that out, he smiled.

“I’m awesome.”

I rolled my eyes again and the bell rang. Time for Art.

Along the way, I thought about Bailey. He sort of gave me a bad feeling, like he was a tiger just waiting to pounce.


We were studying the human anatomy. I wasn’t good at drawing, and I didn’t like the class. I preferred choir to drawing my lame stick figures.

“Ah. Bailey.” The teacher’s voice brightened and my head swiveled around, levelling on the brunette that just walked into the room. The few students in the class (about ten) all gasped and started whispering. The teacher gave the students a look. “Oh hush. Spare me your words of hatred.”

She turned toward him, and he glanced at me, winking. I blushed.

No. There was no way I was going to have a mini-crush on this guy.

Bailey handed her a sheet of paper and he sat down beside me. I just sighed at how the seat was just conveniently empty. But then, I was a new student and my only friend had green hair.

“How goes it?”

I bit my thumb and his eyes widened.

“What was that for?”

I turned to my poorly crafted drawing of the human torso. “Look it up; it’s from a play.”

I could see him frowning from the corner of my eye. “What’s wrong with you? In second period, you were fine with sitting beside me. What changed?”

“I don’t know,” I answered. I picked up an eraser. “There’s something about you that rubs me the wrong way.”

He took the pencil from my hand and drew a perfect nose on his sketchpad, which was positioned on an easel. Then he gave it back to me.

“And what is it that rubs you the wrong way?”

I shrugged and stood up. Class was almost over and I needed to pack my stupid art tools. Bailey started to follow me, but the teacher called him back into the classroom. I met Adrien at the entrance.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, looking closely at my face.

“I’m annoyed,” I answered. “There’s this annoying guy in my class.”

Adrien frowned, looking above my head. “Would it be Bailey Jordan?”

I turned as he walked toward us, a bright smile on his face. He stopped beside Adrien, and looked him up and down, a small frown creasing his face.

“You hang out with this freak?” Bailey asked, turning to me. “I thought you were better than that.”

“I’m getting out of here,” Adrien bit out. He was angered, shaking from the effort of not throwing a punch to the guys face. I grabbed his face and gave a little shake of my head.

“Leave him alone,” I demanded. “He’s done nothing to you.”

“Please. It’s fun to play with undesirables,” he laughed, pulling me close.

I pushed him. “No. That’s horrible. Leave me alone, Bailey.”

Adrien led me away. When we got to his house, I went straight to his room and threw my book bag at his closet door. “I hate that guy!” I yelled. “He’s so annoying.”

Adrien sat at his desk and twirled his office chair around. It was soft and leathery, and I envied him for that. “He was a bully in elementary school. And his parents are lawyers, so it’s in his nature.”

I rolled my eyes and started on my social studies homework. We were both quiet for a while, and then Adrien broke it by standing up and leaving. I looked up as he left, but went back to my homework.

My head was stuck on Bailey. I didn’t like what he said to Adrien. It was wrong, and against my morals. Sighing, I took my iPod from my coat pocket and cut on some Beethoven, trying to clear my mind.

This was going to be a long year.