Abuse

Chapter 2

    We woke the next Tuesday morning to his phone alarm. My mind was revolving around the thought of being on a brand new bus. It still surprises me that I'd never been on his bus before. I was an introvert when it came to new people. The jolly version of me that you see around my friends was walled up around strangers.

    "Good morning, pumpkin," Kaleb said, smiling at me. He was already dressed for school.

    "Good morning, love bug," I replied sleepily, "How was your rest?"

    "I slept like a baby. It felt nice feeling like one after a while."

    "Good, because you're my baby."

    His smile lowered a bit and he slid out of the front door. I wouldn't blame him for getting tired of the same old phrase. It almost felt as if our relationship was now a half-empty hourglass. He was losing interest in me. I remember when he would always glorify my physical attributes and would tell me how majestic I appeared to him. Now, he can't even conjure up a smile when his eyes meet mine.

I showered myself up well before throwing on one of his shirts and a pair of denim jeans. It was going to be hot today, but I cared not. I adored the shirt that I was wearing, for it was both of our favorites. It was a black t-shirt with a skull on it. The skull had bones behind it creating an x.

As I walked to the road and waited beside him for the bus, I felt his hand slip into mine. Our grips tightened around each other as we stood in the hot sun.

"Lillian," He called.

"Yes? What is it?" I asked, fearing the worst but I didn't express it.

"Don't tell anyone about what happened with my sister."

"Oh. Well, you know me! I would never tell on my baby!"

I pinched his cheek and smiled innocently, but he let out a growl. My hand forced itself back and shuffled its way into my pocket. The two of us stared at each other for a split second before I shattered the gaze and shot my eyes towards the ground. My head hung low until the sound of the bus began to approach my ears.

    We boarded. For the most part, everyone that I had passed was asleep. There were no empty seats, and so Kaleb sat beside this little boy. The kid seemed nice and even offered to hold Kaleb's backpack, but he refused and leaned his head against the front of the seat. I settled down beside this boy my age. He had freckles on his face, short red hair, glasses, and his smile reminded me of a gremlin.

    "Hey," He said, catching my full attention.

    "Hi. Please no flirting. My boyfriend is... very overprotective. I wouldn't want you two getting into a feud. He's dangerous."

    "Ah, okay! No worries. My name is Fred."

    "Lillian."

    The two of us sat in silence after this. For half of the ride, I stared at Kaleb conversing with the little boy. The kid shared candy with him in trade for the games on his phone. Both of them seemed to be having a good time, and it brought a smile to my face seeing him bond with the youngling. My attention was diverted to the sound of my favorite song, everything I wanted by Billie Eilish. Fred was jamming it through his corded headphones, which were somehow loud enough for me to hear.

"Billie?" I ask, catching his attention. He pulled one ear out and nodded.

"Yes. And this is my favorite song by her. It soothes my mind," He replied.

"I love Billie! Can I have an ear?"

He let out a small laugh and handed the earphone over to me, giving me a chance to soothe my mind as well. Carefully, I leaned over and glanced at his phone. The sun from the window had dimmed the light of the phone out, making it difficult to see, but I could still manage. Within halfway of the song, I found myself singing to it. It didn't take long until we were both singing in harmony, and I noticed the blush on his face.

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered, jerking the ear out and throwing it on his lap. My gaze shifted to Kaleb quickly, who was now death staring me and gritting his teeth. My body froze up like a glacier, and my heartbeat began to speed up. Fear struck me and was now pumping through my soul.

"Hey what's wrong?" Jacob asked, but I ignored him and hugged my knees to my chest. His eyes soon met those of Kaleb, and the same fear was struck through him. The both of us finished the rest of the ride in silence.