Briley.
The next morning I woke up to my alarm, immediately making myself get up and start getting ready.
I looked to the large bruise covering my neck and park of my arm, immediately going for a turtle neck, thankful for the cold weather.
I topped the turtle neck with a sweater vest and ripped jeans, adding a pair of Doc Martins.
I brushed the knots out of my hair, letting it do it's natural flow before putting on a light amount of make up.
Soon Ben opened my door, making me internally roll my eyes.
Even Roy knocks.
"We leave in five"
I joined him downstairs, seeing him texting someone before glancing to me.
"Great, let's go"
He got us Starbucks on the way, letting me stare out the window as he sang along to a random song that played lightly in the background.
"Are you mad at me?" He asked as he pulled into the school parking lot.
"No" I told him.
Although I partially was, all of last night could've been avoided if he had just accepted that I wasn't hungry.
He knew my struggles with food and knew how Roy reacted every time it was brought up- but he continues to bring it up.
"Okay- I just wanted to be sure that we were cool-" "cool as a cucumber" I spoke swiftly before getting out and shutting his car door, walking into the school.
I made it through the day slowly.
I was soon in music, playing the piano lightly before my best friend came to me, sitting beside me with a firm smile on his mouth.
"I think we need a cig break."
We made up an excuse to leave class before running to the back of the art/music hall, himself immediately lighting a cigarette, passing it to me for a drag.
We held quiet conversation as we passed it back and forth, something we do quite often.
Until we heard a completely unusual voice, with a partial accent
"And you two must be Briley and Cole"
We both looked to where the voice came from- seeing two tall bodies, dressed in embarrassingly bright colored scrubs, making Cole and I immediately glance them up and down.
"We heard you two come out here for unknown reasons often-" one spoke, making Cole quickly step on the cigarette, interrupting my drag, which instantly pissed me off.
"Who's spreading all the rumors?" I spoke, looking away from the men and to the football team practicing.
"No one in particular- but you two have been being buzzed to the nurses station for the past fifteen minutes- it's time for your yearly assessments."
They ended up coercing us into walking with them to the nurses station, each of them starting conversation with us, the one starting mine immediately heading downhill.
"So how's life?" He asked, seeming genuine.
I wasn't in a genuine mood.
"I'd prefer to just keep the small talk to what you need to know." I mumbled, catching him off guard.
"Well then, what do I need to know?" He has a hint of sassiness behind his voice.
"My period starts tomorrow- quite regular, like clockwork. Virgin Mary, so mark sexually active as a no. I don't work out, at all. No recent surgeries. Not on any medications, no health problems. I do not drink and only smoke when I'm celebrating."
I saw him smile, chuckling lightly as he looked to me
"And what are we celebrating today?" He asked, making me look to his eyes, making me exhale
"Oh- just the pleasure of being alive"
