I've Been Sitting In The Corner Novels & Stories

I sat with my back to the wall in the corner of the little twenty-four-hour café I'd found to kill time in for the night. I'd already cased the place inside and out, but it's going to be a long time before I ever feel comfortable out in the open like this, if ever. All around me, people were going about their regular lives.

Layla's pov I sat in the corner booth of the café, heart pounding harder than it should’ve. The place was tucked between a bookstore and a tailor’s shop, far from the sleek chaos of downtown. Its windows were foggy from steam, the scent of roasted beans thick in the air, wrapping around me like a blanket I didn’t deserve.

If only they knew the truth! As I looked around for a place to sit, I saw people quickly turning away or covering empty seats with their bags. Meanies! It was like I had some gross, contagious disease or something. I sighed to myself. Why were they being so mean, even if I had sent that video (which I totally didn't!)? It's not like I'd committed some horrible crime. People can be so dramatic sometimes! Oh well, I thought. Who needs them anyway? I'd just go eat in my new special spot - the little corner behind the gym where no one ever went. At least there, I could eat my lunch in peace without feeling like I was on display in a zoo.

I grabbed a tray and found an empty table in the corner, as far from everyone as possible. I picked at my food, not really eating, just pushing it around the plate. Then someone sat down across from me. I looked up. Seraphina. “What are you doing?” I asked. “Sitting,” she said. “Is that allowed?” I looked at her surprise, Seraphina choosing to hang around with me. “Need company?” she asked. I hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. I guess I do.” We sat in silence for a moment. Then I spoke.

I headed towards the counter, scanning for the bartender. But then I stopped on the track. Seated at the corner with a glass of whiskey in one hand and that same smug that annoyed and irritated me so much,was someone I never expected to see here.

I already knew what they'd look like when they saw me. I walked straight to the back. My spot. The back row had four desks. I took the middle one. The desk to my left was empty. The desk to my right was empty. The two behind me? Empty. The one in front? Empty too. No one wanted to sit near me. No one wanted to be seen with the loser. The fatty. The girl who made a fool of herself in front of the whole school. I used to hate sitting here. Now I was used to it. It was safer anyway. Less people to whisper about me when I was alone.

There weren't many people in the theater. We were tucked into a corner, with no one sitting nearby. My heartbeat picked up again. I already knew things weren't going to stay calm. Without warning, Rex reached over, his hand brushing under the edge of my dress for a second before pulling back. "Babe, how many times did you come on the way over?" he murmured, amused. I immediately pressed my legs together, trying to block him. "There are cameras in here." "It's fine. No one knows us."

“There you are. I thought you’d bailed.” “I wouldn’t bail,” I said quickly, tugging at the strap of my bag. My voice sounded off even to me but I pushed past him and grabbed my own tray. “The hallway was just choked up.” We found a table tucked toward the corner, away from the loudest groups. Usually I liked it this way because it gave us room to talk and to laugh quietly but today the corner felt like a spotlight. I could feel it, their heads turned in our direction, their mouths curving into half-smiles, and their whispers.

The back corner table, bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun, was my sanctuary. Close to the window, it offered a panoramic view of the school grounds, a silent observer of the drama unfolding below. A convenient lie, a flimsy excuse to mask my desire for solitude. "I just love the seat because it's close to the window and I could see everything going on from there," I said, forcing a casual tone.

Yet my inside felt air tight, I opened my mouth to breath in air but it was useless, I stared at the floor hoping a hole would appear and I'd disappear without any trace. "Sit…" he grunted. The weight of the silence between us was so heavy that I could hear my damn breath. My head was spinning, I clenched my fist to give me a little balance if that even worked. I managed to stride back to the corner of the room where I always sat, a tiny inconspicuous corner that held a tiny wooden stool. I plopped into the stool intentionally avoiding his gaze. "You know I'd give anything to not see you go," he drawled.