Can You Keep My Secrets?

**Chapter 1**

I'm just a normal 15 year old girl, trying to find love, failing from time to time. But this person seemed to have the best connection with me, and his name was Keaton Stromberg. He was in a band called Emblem3, a former act on the X-Factor. He was 16, we both lived in Huntington Beach, but he moved here from Washington, while I had been living here my entire life.

"Nicole, hurry up the bus is going to leave soon" my sister Cassadee yelled from the steps leaving off the front porch.

"It's fine, I'm getting a ride from Keaton today" I said as I put my shoes on and tied them.

She nodded and walked onto the bus and  sat down by her friends. I heard a knocking on the door and went and opened it. It was Keaton, the first thing I saw when I let him in was his radiant smile.

"Morning there sunshine" Keaton said as he shut the door and swooped me in his arms and hugged me.

"Morning Keaton" I said with a yawn following it.

He smiled and got my bag from the island in the middle of the kitchen and handed it to me. After he did that, he sat down and watched me pull my hair into a ponytail.

A few minutes later Keaton lead me out to his car and drove to school. I was looking out the window as I usually do, but he knew that there was something wrong this time.

"Nicole, is everything okay" he asked as he drove into the parking lot covered with gravel and parked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I guess" I mumbled as I slipped my book bag, and walked into the school trying to stay silent.

I made my way to my locker and tried to avoid eye contact with anyone, I just didn't want to stop and talk to people.

I eagerly waited for the bell to ring, but right before it did Keaton stood right in front of me "Nicole, something's wrong and I know it, and I'm not letting you go until you tell me what it is" he tried to whisper.

"Nothing's wrong Keaton, I'm just tired, yeah tired" I looked at the ground and mostly lied through my teeth and walked to my first class.

Sitting in my first period class, I wasn't paying attention like I usually don't. Thinking about how I could tell Keaton why I haven't been as happy like I used to be. But it's harder than you would expect it to be, and I don't really know what's going on either.

"I just wish I could find a way to tell him, and I wish I could know what's exactly wrong with me" I thought to myself as the teacher ranted on about the lesson.

As soon as the bell rang, I put my notebook back in my book bag and walked out the door and went down to the music room, then I grabbed a chair and sat it down in the corner of the room where nobody else sits.

"Zoey, Mason, Riley , Toby, Brayden, Nicole" Our music teacher called out for attendance.

"Here" I said in a low tone "But I really don't want to be anyway"

As she called Keaton's name he bursted through the door and shouted "Keaton Stromberg is here, your day just got better"

That put a small smile on my face, but didn't really make me feel better.

After he did that he grabbed a chair and attempted to sit next to me, but I just looked down at my folder and got my music. As usual Keaton "forgets" his music so he can share with me, but then the teacher makes him share with a boy.

"Nicole, there's something wrong, and I know it so you should really tell me" Keaton whispered trying not to get caught.

All I could do was shake my head because I was too shaken to find the words to describe what's wrong with me.

Soon the girls had to go up to practice our songs, while I tried to get up, Keaton struggled to keep a hold of my hand. I shook my arm so I could practice. She soon lined up up and sang, and all I could do was look at Keaton the entire time. Looking at him just made me want to run out of the room and hide, where nobody could find me.

"Girls you can go sit down so I can get our orders fixed up for the concert" the teacher said as we walked back to our seats.

As soon as I sat down Keaton moved his chair next to mine and gently laid his hands on top of mine. I looked at him and down at his hands, then got up and went to my bookbag. I sat on the ledge and the strap over my shoulder, and waited for the bell to ring.

As the bell rang, everybody pushed and shoved each other to get through the door. A few classes went by, then it was lunch. Standing in line usually took about 5 to 10 minutes. As soon as I got my food I sat down next to Keaton and my sister.

Cassadee kept on staring at me when ever I took a bite, but soon I just stopped eating and pushed my tray to the middle of the table.

When Keaton went to dump he took my tray along with him and walked out of the lunchroom.

"Nicole, you need to tell Keaton what's wrong" she said watching out for him "He's getting really worried"

"Nothing's wrong, I'm just tired" I said waiting for the bell to ring "and that's all I'm ever going to be is tired"

Then a few minutes later the bell rang, and that meant that I could go to art, the place that I can express my feelings even though the teacher hates me.

I would sit back at the same table every day and work on my projects. I've never been the most artistic kid, but I try to do good.

About a half an hour went by, then the bell rang, and that meant that it was time to go home. I rushed to my locker and got my bookbag and right as I walked out the doors to get to the bus and Keaton grabbed my arm "You can get a ride from me back home"

I nodded and turned around and walked out to his car and sat in the passenger seat. When he started the car I turned on the radio, and as he pulled up to my driveway I opened my door and ran straight to my room and shut the door tightly.

"I'm a screw up, I can't even tell my own boyfriend what's wrong with me, I'm just stupid" I whispered to myself as I hear a knocking at my door.

The knocking continued, but I tried to ignore it knowing that it would probably be Keaton wondering what's wrong with me.

I soon got the courage and got up and opened the door, it wasn't Keaton, but it was my dad, tapping his foot and looking at me with a concerned face.

"What did he do to you, did he hurt you, break your heart" he ranted on not taking breathes "If he hurt you, I'll hurt him"

"Dad, take a breath, calm down, Keaton didn't hurt me, I hurt myself, I've been letting my mind bring my confidence down" I said as I tried to shut my door.

I heard a sigh of relief as he walked out the door, and soon came in Keaton, questioning why my dad was asking him what he did to me and why I was acting this way.

All I could do was look down at my legs and avoid eye contact with him, or else he would accuse me of things. But the first thing he did when he sat down next to me was gently grab my arm and slide up the sleeve to my hoodie, then would look at my wrist. Right after he slid it up, I heard a quiet sigh slip out from his mouth, then he mumbled something.

"What" I asked him slightly.

"Why are you asking me what, you should know why I did that, I'm worried about you, and you don't seem to care enough to stop doing that" he said trying not to yell.

"Keaton, it's harder to stop than you think, if someone wants you to stop, that's not enough to have someone stop. It takes time, it takes people who really care and want to spend time with someone" I said trying not to let a tear slip from the corner of my eye.

But the tears came flowing out like a river, my eyes slowly turning into a gray shade. I turned my face straight to my pillow until my sister walked in right in the middle of it all, she ran to my bed and mostly pushed Keaton away from me and started to question him.

I just laid there, crying, soaking my pillow with the tears. There was really only one person who could make the tears stop. Keaton. But he was sitting there being questioned by my sister.

"Cassadee leave him alone" those were the final words that slipped out of my mouth before I somehow passed out.