SCARS

TEN

~Recap~

Maybe you're right. Maybe I did....

Of course I'm right. I haven't been wrong yet have I?

She expected an answer but I didn't have the energy. I closed my eyes and hoped that this was all some bad dream.

Chapter Quote: you know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.
~ Dr. Seuss
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Over the next few days, the only time Conner and I talked at all was him asking if I needed a ride to school Friday. I said no and probably broke whatever plans he had made to apologize. But it wasn't his fault. It was mine. He sat with his football buddies and I sat at my table, alone.

The cheerleaders went back to making jokes only they understood and the football players kept pointing out my flaws.

"She could be hot, minus the jacket and the scars," one of the guys on Conner's right said.

"Didn't some guy score with her a few years ago?" another asked.

I watched Conner's face change from relaxed to more and more tense as they spoke. I stayed put though, and so did he. The bell rang for the end of lunch and I stood. As I was leaving, Conner caught up to me and moved out of the way of the rest of the seniors that were headed to their next classes, which meant pressing me against the wall. Several of the cheerleaders and all of the football team stopped and stared at him.

He was acting a little different from usaul. He didn't have that weird atmosphere of happiness circling him. His eyes weren't the normal brilliant bright green and his lips were in a hard line instead of a smile.

I tried pressing myself further against the wall to avoid his chest against my own and failed. Every time I moved, he moved closer. I heard a few of the cheerleaders storm off in the opposite direction.

Conner had a look of determination as he moved closer to me.

He is going to kiss you again, Stella.

I kept trying to move out of his way but he wouldn't let me. "Conner stop. Don't do this just because they want you to," I tried pleading him. The football players behind Conner laughed like what I said was funny. When he refused to move a second time I started pushing him off of me.

"Conner move!" I shouted. I pushed him again and he fell to the ground. I quickly stepped over him and went to class.
++++++++++++++++++

The next morning Conner text me, apologizing for yesterday. I ignored him and when he showed up at my house, my mom let him in. He instantly knocked on my bedroom door and let himself in. I barely looked up from my book as he sat down on my bed. I kept the book up but listened to Conner apologize.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. What I did was wrong and I know that but I couldn't deal with one of them doing it. They were all discussing whether or not one of us should do it and then they decided that they were going to and I volunteered. They were going to do worse to you, Stell. They were going to grab you. They think its funny to watch you suffer."

I finally sat the book down and looked at him. "You're right. They do. But when you do what they want you to, it makes it harder for me to believe that you actually care."