Roller Skate || Alex Gaskarth a.u.

Chapter 5: Bruises

Kit

"What happened to your face?"

"I didn't shave this morning."

"That's not what I'm talking about. You know what I'm talking about."

"Well, to be honest, I don't know what you're talking about, because if you haven't noticed, Kit Parker, a face has many features. For all I know, you could be talking about my small nose, or the pimple I discovered on my chin this morning."

She scowled at him and folded her arms over her chest. He was avoiding the topic and she knew it. He knew she was talking about the nasty looking bruise that was on his right eye.

No amount of black eyeliner could cover it.

She hadn't skated past Alex this morning like she had attempted to the previous morning before. Today, she had stopped right in front of him (and just before Mr. Finch's stupid-ass tree with it's dodgy roots).

He was wearing ripped jeans today with a studded belt and a large Guns N' Roses tee. A choker was around his neck and, was that a lip piercing poking out of his mouth? How the fuck was he getting away with this?

"You have a bruise on your right eye." she said bluntly, and he snapped his fingers.

"Ah, yes. Now I know what you're talking about." he said, a crooked smile on his face.

Kit rolled her eyes.

"Bullshit. You knew I was talking about it the minute I saw you." she said huffily.

He sighed.

"Okay, yes, you got me. But couldn't you tell I was trying to avoid the subject of my swollen eye?" he asked, his voice tired.

She tried to cover up her embarrassment with her usual sour attitude towards him.

"Oh geez. Sorry for caring about you." she grumbled, and he looked up at her, a puff of smoke leaving his chapped lips.

"You care about me?" he asked, quietly.

She played with the sleeve of her cardigan and refused to meet his gaze. She didn't exactly care that much about him, but she just...didn't like it when people picked on him for no reason.

For example, they didn't have to slash Stella's tyres, they didn't have to give him that black eye and they certainly didn't have to treat him like he was from a different planet.

"I have to go. Cam will be waiting for me." she said suddenly, ignoring his question.

He looked at her, hurt in his eyes, and for a moment, she felt something.

But then she remembered Cam, and what he had said about Alex.

She left without another word.

~

Alex

School was shit. He hated it. He hated it so much.

But it wasn't the lessons.

No, the lessons were fine, he was passing everything, nearly getting the highest scores in every class already, but the social part of school?

He'd rather boil his head in cabbage water than eat in the cafeteria everyday.

On the bright side, Steve and Penny would sometimes invite him to sit with them, but Alex was awkward, and he couldn't keep up the conversation with them. Plus, they would make-out for most of lunch, which made Alex feel like the biggest third-wheel in the world.