The Things That Make Us

Chapter 13

Hannah

It's a big party on the beach, just outside of a huge house. It's even bigger than Erin's house. The back has a massive deck and there's teenagers everywhere - it feels like I stepped right into a movie. It's been awhile, but I've been to plenty of big parties. But here, I don't know anyone except for Seb and Sabrina. And this feels so different from parties back in North Carolina.

  We showed up around 8PM and it's an already pretty packed beach. People are drinking beers from cans and standing around a big bonfire, laughing, talking, playing Frisbee. It's all very casual and loud and it should be fun, but I feel a bit out of place.

  Still, I try to look like I'm having fun because Seb actually invited me, after something pretty traumatic happened to me.

  Cannon shows up about an hour after Seb and I get there. I didn't know he was coming, so I'm surprised to see him about ten feet away, talking with some girls. Seb has stayed pretty close to me for the hour so far, not exactly introducing me to people but also not ignoring me. But almost as soon as I spot Cannon, I notice that Seb seems to have disappeared. Sabrina was hanging off of him, asking him to go get her a drink, so I assume that's where they've headed off to.

  Cannon looks a bit tired but he smiles slightly when he sees me, after a few minutes. Seb is still close by, even if I can't currently see him, so I know I can't greet Cannon how I'd actually like to. After the afternoon I had, I want to hug him and tell him all about it. But he and I don't talk about stuff like that anyway. I don't tell him about stuff like that, even if I wish I could.

  I do move closer to Cannon as he's walking towards me, and that's when I see he's got a bruise on his cheek and his lip is puffy. It's almost fully dark outside now, but we're not far from the bonfire and I notice his face right away, whereas other may have not.

  "What happened?" I ask him, loud enough so he can hear me over the noisy party.

  He touches his lip instinctively. "It's fine."

  "Cannon, what happened?" I want to know, raising my voice a bit.

  But he just gives me a look, basically asking me to stop asking about it. I know if Seb saw us talking right now, he wouldn't think anything of it. But I don't ask about Cannon's family the same way I likely won't tell him that my mom showed up today, and then eventually cut  me out of her life for good.

  But I still want to know why Cannon's face is all beat up. I want to know what happened, because I care about him.

  I step even closer and ask him again, "What happened in the time that you left me at Erin's house this afternoon and now?"

  Cannon swallows hard and waits, but finally looks me in my eyes and answers, even though I can tell he doesn't want to. "I went in to work for a bit and when I got home, my dad was drunk and beating on my mom."

  I suck in a breath. I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting that.

  "I got in between them but he just hit me instead," he goes on.  "I'm fine."

  "Cannon." I reach up and touch his cheek with my hand.  I don't even care who sees us at this point. "It looks bad."

  He steps back though, after I barely touched him. I see him glance behind me, where I know Seb and Sabrina are, somewhere in the crowd of people. He's still nervous for Seb and his other friends to see him interact with me. We've had sex twice and made out plenty of other times and suddenly I'm a bit offended that he is pulling away from me now.