FACELESS

Chapter 31

AFTER 

I run to the washroom, after I throw my punch to Mia. The pain in knuckles still lingers, pulsating. My breath is heavy as I throw my weight against the washroom door. The lights flicker on, and the blood is so loud in my ear I barely hear the heavy door shutting behind me. 

I stumble my way to the sink, trembling, my arm aching; I think I pulled a muscle. The thought almost made me laugh, I pulled a fucking muscle from punching Mia in the face. I stare at my knuckles, which is turning redder by the second. My fingers shake under my gaze, and I tuck my fingers into a fist and stuff them into my pockets. 

I am still trying to catch my breath, trying to put my mind across the fact that I just punched Mia in the face... god.

I have wanted to do it for so long.

A laugh escapes out of me. It bubbles out from my stomach, through my throat and bounces out of my lips. I lift my head up and meet my own gaze in the washroom mirror. My hair is messy, with the fringe hanging in strands in front of my face, blocking my view. I swipe away the strands of hair, and stare at where the scar is on my face. The concealer has worn itself out, so it sits on top of my skin, which has started to sweat. I can see the redness and purple undertones coming out from underneath. Inside my right pocket, I caress the cold metal cosmetic tube holding the concealer. 

I turn on the tap and splash a handful of cold water into my face, flinching when it hits my skin. Wash away the old concealer, put on the new layer... go back to class, and act as if everything remains normal. Normal. What a word.

As I grab a piece of tissue from the dispenser, the washroom door slams open. I lift my head, just in time to see Gwen staring at me with her wide eyes. 

"You realised what you just did, right?" I blink, my mind trying to get around the fact that she has an accent. "In front of the whole school... in front of the Principal?"

"Yeah, it's slowly setting in." I reply, dabbing the tissue onto my damp face. "My knuckles still hurt and I probably pulled a muscle."

"And you're okay with that? Pulling a muscle for a punch in her face?" Gwen says as she made her way to the sink. She pumps a handful of soap and starts to wash her hand. Her bun is falling off, the strands of hair dangling apart to decorate her face. 

When I keep my silence, she glares at me. 

"What I'm trying to say is that, you pulled a muscle for a punch in Mia's face, is that a good exchange?"

"What?"

Gwen wipes her hand on her skirt, disregarding the tissue dispenser. She unties her hair and bites the hair tie with her teeth while readjusting her hair. 

"What I mean is," she plucks the hair tie from her hand, and then reties her hair into a pony tail in a swift motion. "You punched the girl who disfigured you... only once? And you pulled a muscle?"

Gwen props herself up using the sink, then struts towards me with her arms crossed. 

I take a cautious step back.

"I mean, for god sake, you let her hurt you twice?"

Yikes, that kind of hurts to hear. I cringe. 

"See it from my point of view, Gwen." I reply, giving her a soft smile, then I point to my face. "She can't do worse than a pulled muscle."

"Good humor." Gwen walks up to me, then locks her arm with me. I flinch slightly, but it seems like it doesn't bother her. "Come on," she says, pulling open the washroom door. "We can skip school and get some food to eat."