Bryan's POV
I run into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I'd been trying to shake Ricki off this whole morning; it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.
I lean against the wall, wiping the sweat off my forehead. Too much stress... Ricki always said it was bad for me, that I needed to relax... but how could I relax with all this going on in my life?
With a fatigued sigh, I shuffle to the sink, spitting at one of the drains and gripping the counter. I pull up the sleeve of my jacket to peer at the thin cut that had appeared this morning.
"So... everything's great, huh?"
I look up, and let out a yelp when I recognize the figure emerging from the shadows behind me. I hurriedly shake my jacket sleeve back over my hand.
"Why are you follo--hold up, WHY ARE YOU EVEN IN THE BOYS' BATHROOM?!" I thunder, suddenly feeling very exposed.
"How do you know you're not in the wrong bathroom?" Ricki answers tersely, lowering her black hood. "But that's not important," she growls. "I want to know why you've been avoiding me all day."
I lower my eyes. I can't tell Ricki. She would think something was wrong with me. She'd call a therapist, or a psychologist, and that was more trouble than I already needed. And... I didn't want to stress her out more than she already was.
"Fine, don't answer me," she grumbles.
I reach up to brush my bangs out of my eyes, when she suddenly closes a hand on my wrist.
I clench my teeth to suppress the pain that shot through me, but my left earlobe twitches--a strange spasm I have in reaction to pain, and Ricki knew it. Thank God my hair covered that side of my head.
"So, Bryan," she says quietly. "What were you up to last night?"
"Nothing," I mutter truthfully, mustering the strength to look her in the eye. "Nothing suspicious."
"Oh, really? Did you do any, you know--cutting?"
"Cutting? What do you mean by that?" I can't tell her. I don't want her to worry.
"Cutting," she repeats, "like, cutting paper, or meat, or... skin?"
Suddenly it dawns on me. My scalpel! She must've found it when I dropped it, and seen the blood! I feel like smacking myself. How could I have been so careless? Who the hell carries around a scalpel as nonchalantly as the way I did anyway?
"O-oh!" I exclaim, as if struck by sudden remembrance. Her eyes narrow. "I w-was using m-my scalpel to cut--raw steak, you know--blood and stuff all over the place--not pleasant--"
"And you decided to keep the scalpel." Her eyes have a fiery glint. "How... touching."
Her grip on my wrist still causes pain, enough to slow my thinking. She steps forward menacingly.
"I want to know the truth."
"All right, all right!" I growl. "We were dissecting animals in Science, okay? I have to go now." I yank my arm away, cringing inwardly when a tremendous bolt of pain shoots through my arm. "Oh, and there's no need to walk me home today," I snap before scampering out.
* * * * *
Ricki's POV
Dissecting animals in Science? Really? I might have bought his lame excuse if I hadn't known that he was taking Chemistry this year.
Of course I knew. Of course I noticed his ear twitch. Did he think I was blind enough not to notice that?
"Bryan, stop hiding from me," I said quietly. "You can't hide the pain forever. Sooner or later, you will have to spill."
I glared at my reflection in the mirror. If I was Bryan, what would motivate me to remove my jacket?
The door behind me opened suddenly.
"Ricki?" came a shocked guy's voice. "Wait, why are you in the boy--"
My black hood flew back up as I delivered a quick blow that caused the intruder to faint silently. He won't remember a thing.
Hands in pockets, I calmly exited the boys' bathroom.
