"So? How was your date?" Alice asked in a sing song voice for the third time this morning and I rolled my eyes as we walked out of class.
"Most people would be discussing about the assignment we just got and you're asking about a date that wasn't a date," I deadpanned and she smiled.
"So it was a date?" She asked and I shook my head giving up on the little matchmaker as she hung from my arm.
"Still isn't?"
"But he likes you."
"It has to be two-sided for it to work," I said and she stopped me from walking making someone bump shoulders with me.
"Don't you like him?" She asked dramatically and I let out a sigh.
"As a person, yes. But I wasn't really looking for anything. I'm not so sure if I want to push it or not. Now will you drop it."
"But you said you liked it," she said as I pulled her with me.
"I'm thinking that's because Jaime was there."
"The guy with you yesterday?" She asked and I nodded.
Jaime, being nosy Jaime decided he had to accompany me everywhere and I had beared with it all weekend till I sent him home yesterday evening with a lot of trouble might I add and I felt like I could breathe again knowing he wasn't here anymore. Speaking of which, Eve is yet to hear it from me.
"He's cute. Are you sure he's not someone special?" She said and I rolled my eyes once more.
"You and my cousin Eve would be perfectly matched. Who says I have to have a boyfriend in high school?" I said and she just smiled as we got to my locker. "What!?"
"I'm curious. Is it because of Ryder?"
"Why would he have to do with anything?" I asked pursing my lips as I turned my gaze to her.
"No reason," she said but that smile didn't waver and I pretended not to see it. I wasn't naive and I had a pretty good gist of the rumors going on.
"Anyway, I have to get back to you later. I have to make a call before next period," I said and she nodded as I walked away.
Of course, I didn't have to make a call but I had to get her to drop it some way. I'd heard the rumors about me trying to get to Ryder and the distasteful looks from Heather, I already had enough to worry about given it was starting to bug me. We had nothing going on between us, but I guess high school will be high school. Haters would haters, I thought getting to my locker and smiling as the packet of Oreos that met me. Though I should be mad that a certain someone had broken into my locker, I was more than happy.
Though my happiness was short-lived as a familiar yet screechy voice reached my ears and I rolled my eyes as I chose not to give her my time of day as I took out my phone when a text buzzed through.
We need to talk. ASAP. - Eve
That's not weird at all, I thought confused as I closed my locker glad I had a free period right about now as I texted her.
What's going on? Call me.
Nevertheless I wasn't exactly surprised when she didn't text back immediately. She tended to do that but I just thought it safe to assume she was working now, given the last time she called she was going busy all week, I thought before moving away my eyes lifted to see Heather throwing herself onto Ryder and I didn't miss the loss of balance as he winced. For a moment, it felt like she meant for me to see it but I'm pretty sure that's just an excuse for the strangest of tinges deep in my chest as I made my way outside.
He wasn't mine to worry about, I chastised myself walking past them realizing ignorance is bliss, right? Call me trusting but I believed him when he said nothing was going on between them. But thankfully, Eve's call came through and I let out a sigh in relief. I clearly needed the distraction.
"Three calls in two days. I'm flattered despite my curiosity. What's going on?"
"Nothing. I just missed you," she said and I stopped short opening the door.
"I still don't buy that."
"I just..you know how it is. We are used to being together and now you're there, I'm here. And now you're in school, I just feel like a lot has happened already."
"Wow, I'm afraid to say anything. It might ruin this moment. I'm fine I actually like it here," I said not actually believing my own words, or hers for that matter, as I found myself making my way towards the gym, where I'd found my spot by the tree towards the back.
It was usually quiet, not quite out of sight but never the less a pretty good vantage point for people watching on the school grounds.
"Oh, is it a boy?"
"You know I can't do that."
"You never know, you might actually fall in love."
"Not a word in my dictionary. I have my own life to worry about already. Though Alice is on your side," I said and she let out a chuckle despite knowing it was true. And mostly the reason I'd moved in with her and why I was all the way here.
"We should do this more often. Just because we're far apart.. doesn't mean we should..stop," she said in between breaths holding her laughter and I stared at my phone horrified.
"How is your resting going on? I told you to ditch distractions. God knows what you've been both doing while I was on the phone," I said and I could hear their laughter.
"Hey I'm not a distraction!?" A voice yelled through the phone and I rolled my eyes bidding a bye before I hang up. I swear that girl's sex drive is abnormal, but then again I'd say with how the new boy toy looked, if I was interested I would be jumping him too, I thought lifting my eyes and automatically they landed on the familiar figure walking out of the building and heading my way automatically my legs were leading me to cut him off.
Just like he was earlier, his hoodie was up despite the leather jacket on him and I narrowed my eyes. Ever since I came here, he never seemed a little off as he seemed now and it's not only the fact that he seemed to be trying to hide away from the world. Even from afar his walking was off, at least to me it did.
"Diana!?" He called out surprised seeming caught off guard but that was the least of my concerns as I stepped closer to his tense form lifting my hands towards him and stopping short as if to ask for permission.
Getting no response, I rose on my toes pushing away the hoodie and it was no use trying to hide the gasp of horror from my lips as I took in his bruised face. His bottom lip was cut, a bandaid covered his brow where some droopy hairs fell and the corner of his lip turning purple on the bruise. And for a moment, a strange feeling was creeping up on me and my breath seemed constricted. There is no way this could have happened without me hearing about it.
"What happened to you?" I asked in a low whisper feeling slightly weak as if it had taken a lot out of me to ask.
"I just sparred with a friend," he said with a small smile that I did not buy as I frowned. His voice was strained and I doubted he could breath as well as he normally would.
"Sparred!? Are you kidding me right now? Have you taken a look at yourself in the mirror lately? You look like you just got into a fight and actually bled," I said the questions flying out of me in one breath and I couldn't hide the concern breaking banks in me at the moment.
"It's nothing to worry about. We were just playing around," he said and I narrowed my eyes at him and he let out a nervous chuckle that didn't quite match his words. "We might have gotten rough."
"We need to get you to the nurse," I declared and he seemed surprised.
"There's no need. I'm fine."
"If you were fine, you wouldn't be limping, you wouldn't be bruised and sure as hell, you wouldn't be this," I blew up and he looked at me resigned as he let out a grimace placing a hand on his chest.
"Diana, it's really nothing to worry about," he said but I ignored him taking the unoccupied arm I pulled him back the way we came and at his place.
"Just how bad was it? Did you defend yourself?" I asked realizing that his knuckles were barely bruised as he seemed to lose his balance and I was at his side in an instant as he let out a sigh.
"I..I wasn't allowed to."
"Why not!?"
"Can we not go to the nurse?" He asked and I tried to hide my displeasure.
"Fine, but I'm taking you home," I said a little relieved that he didn't fight with me on it and I helped him to his car and he gladly handed me the keys, directing me to his house when I figured it wasn't going to be easy to explain to Kate, who usually works from home, why exactly he was hurt when I didn't know myself.
Navigating into the luxurious, and bigger, mansion I helped him up the stairs and into his room and he finally allowed himself to let out a sigh as he sat on his bed and I let my gaze fleet over him not missing the wince as he tried to remove the jacket and I rushed to help him.
"What gave me away?" I heard his voice as I pulled the hoodie over his head.
"The limp and the hoodie. Given the weather around here, it's a bit peculiar," I said letting out a sigh when I spotted the tell tale few spots of blood on his white shirt pulling it as gently as I could realizing I was far too gone to get nervous now.
The dark ink on his back did a much better job to hide the bruises and yet it did nothing to pacify me as I let my eyes roam freely over his skin to the ridges of his broad shoulders and to the small patches of violet and I could feel my heart drop. Whoever did this clear showed no mercy till the end. I thought getting the first aid kit for the more open cuts and bruises however small and a new set of clothes and overlooking the fact he left out the shirt. And yet throughout the time I was helping, it felt like I had memorized all of him despite the fact that I didn't let my gaze lie longer than it needed to. Not to mention the slight warmth I felt beneath my fingertips everytime I touched him, leading to the wildfire raging beneath my skin.
"Care to explain what happened?"