B:
I didn't go to school at all that week and despite all of my arguing, Zack stayed by my side most of that week as well. My parents had interrogated both of us about what happened but we both stuck to the same story: I was so clumsy that I slipped and fell down a flight of stairs. I knew they didn't believe us, but they let it go. Seline visited three times and Sophie four times, one time with her girlfriend. They were cute together and both had dyed their hair matching shades of blue. I couldn't move on Monday, and really felt the pain Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday I managed to eat and get out of bed, the bruises fading. Friday Zack brought me Chinese takeout and we watched horror movies all night. No amount of blood fazes me anymore. Saturday I went outside and dipped my toes in the pool. The sun felt nice on my skin. Sunday I cried. I sobbed for hours and didn't stop until Carson called Zack. He came and held me until I stopped.
Now I'm sitting in the passenger seat of Zacks car, trembling.
"Don't worry Brooke, I'll be by your side all day. He's not going to get anywhere near you. I'll just skip a few classes and we'll be golden." At a red light, He looked at me and reached over a hand, gently rubbing my thigh. He was trying to make me feel better and he was failing.
It's Monday again and I was told I had no choice but to go to school. Andy was going to be at school and just that thought made me want to breakdown all over again.
I heard Zack sigh beside me as the heat of his hand left my thigh and the car started moving again. I closed my eyes and tried for the first time in the past week to not let the images of that night flood my mind. I failed and nearly screamed when the car stopped and Zack got out, going around to the passenger side and opening my door to help me out.
Z:
It broke my heart to see her trembling, on the verge of tears, in my passenger seat. She had been having near non-stop nightmares ever since that night and the bruises had just started to fade. I was going to take the first chance I got to kill that Andy-guy.
"Come on, Brooky. Let's go to school." I sounded like I was trying to coax a child out of a hiding place with a lollipop as I held out my hand to her and she softly grasped on to it, getting out. She limped behind me as I slowly led her into the building, people staring at us. I instantly felt self-conscious and pulled her to my side, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and earning a small squeak from her. For an instant I was terrified that I had maybe hurt her but as soon as I spotted Andy out of the corner of my eye, I couldn't help the smug smirk that crossed my face as we entered the building.
The rest of the day dragged on painfully. Every class was the same thing; Brooke trembling in a corner, not answering any questions and not doing any of her work. The most interesting part of the day was lunch when I took my eyes off of her for barely two seconds and she vanished. I was terrified and ran all over the school to find her and earned myself an in-school suspension for punching every asshole who wouldn't answer me when I asked about her or said they didn't know where she was. Finally, with sore knuckles and labored breathing, I found her curled up in a hidden corner of the library with a book, looking at peace for the first time in days. Didn't she know I never went in the library? Was she trying to escape me? Little Bi-
Then she had looked up at me with a faint smile and put the book back, getting up and going over to me, taking my hand. Ugh, she was going to make me lose my mind.
The ride back to her house was uneventful and painfully quiet, so i decided to turn on the radio and listen to some Mötley Crüe. I was just starting to rock out when Brooke reached over and turned it off. I looked at her in confusion for a moment.
"Is... Is there something you want to talk about babe?" She simply shook her head in response and i was instantly annoyed. So, she turned off MY radio for no reason? Whatever. I turned it back on and... the same thing. She turned it off again. So I turned it on again.
"Cut it out Brooke." I could barely hear my voice over the music and smiled, until she turned it off again. NOW I was getting pissed.
"Will you fucking stop that already?! I want to listen to my damn music!" I turned it back up and out of the corner of my eye, I saw her flinch. Something in me ached, but I ignored it. It was her fault for messing with my radio for no reason.
I parked outside her a few minutes later and she unbuckled her seatbelt, about to get out of my car when she stopped and softly mumbled something.
"I'm sorry..." and she got out, closing my car door behind her. I sighed and watched her walk inside of her house before putting my car into drive and starting home without another thought of Brooke.
