Behind These Bruises...

Behind These Bruises...[Part 3]

"So I think I'm going to the BBQ tomorrow," I said to Alisha. I was in my room. It was midnight and I was still awake. My father was already asleep.

"Excellent! You're dad's cool with it?" she asked.

"Well, he actually has a business dinner to go to tomorrow night. And those usually go until about 9 or 10. So I should be good," I said.

"Awesome," Alisha said. "I'll see you tomorrow then." Then we hung up. I decided to call it a night and go to bed.

*******

"Damn, there are a lot of people here," Alisha commented. We were in a desolate, abondoned field. Someone had brought a grill and there were numerous bonfires going. There were a couple beer kegs and a lot of red cups. I nodded.

"Mila!" Leah called. She was sitting extremely close to a jock-like guy, wearing a mini skirt and a skimpy top. "Did you ever find the number?" she asked. I nodded.

"Yeah," I said. I fumbled through my purse and pulled out the card and handed it to her.

"Oh thanks so much! You're the best!" she cooed, taking the card and sticking it in her shirt. I raised an eyebrow and then walked away as she continued to flirt with the guy. As I turned to walk away, I crashed right into someone.

"Son of a bitch!" I cried, holding onto my now-throbbing forehead. I glared up to see who the idiot was and was shocked to see Derek.

"You have a hard head for someone so small," he muttered, rubbing his chin. I flushed.

"You have a really hard chin for a human being," I snapped back, standing a little taller. He smiled his small smile at me and my anger vanished. We stood there looking at each other for a few moments. His gaze was so intense. "Right, well," I said.

"Yeah, um..." Derek said, looking away.

"I'll just..." I trailed off, stepping to the side. He stepped to the same side. We did the same to the other side.

"All right both go left," he said. We stepped around each other and he disappeared into the night. I felt someone pinch my elbow. I looked up to see Alisha beaming at me.

"What was that?!" she exclaimed in a harsh whisper. I shook my head.

"That was me embarassing myself into the next century," I answered. She handed me a soda, knowing full well that I didn't drink.

"Guess what happened?" she asked me.

"What?" I asked, smiling even before she told me.

"Jason just asked me out!" she said, beaming at me with her perfect teeth.

"Nuh uh! That was fast!" I said.

"Please, like everyone's hooking up tonight. That was the whole point of the BBQ," she said.

"To find boyfriends?" I asked. She nodded.

"That's dumb," I commented.

"A little. But expected," she said, sipping her soda.

"Well, where is he?" I asked. She nodded at a group of guys.

"He's quite the popular one. Apparently, he's a genius, but a trouble-maker," she said.

"Uh-oh," I said.

"Not bad trouble-maker though. He just likes to annoy the teachers. The class clown, if you will," she said. I nodded. "Here, I'll introduce you to him. If we're going to be a couple, then he has to be best-friend approved," she said.

"No, you don't have to do that," I said.

"Come on, Mila. I'm just about the only person you ever converse with. You're going to be friends with Jason," she said, pulling my arm.

"Owww," I hissed. She let go.

"Omg! I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" she whispered, a look of panic on her face. I rubbed my arm where it was bruised.

"I'm fine. Let's go," I said. She still had a worried look on her face. "It's not big deal!" I said, laughing. She smiled uncertainly and took me to Jason.

"What's up, mah lady?" he asked.

"I just wanted to introduce you to my friend, Mila," she said.

"Yeah, I heard you two were like, joined at the hip," he said. "Hey, I'm Jason," he said, smiling at me. I smiled back.

"Nice to formally meet you," I said shyly. We talked with Jason and his friends the rest of the night. I looked at my watch and saw that it was midnight. I cursed under my breath. "I have to go," I announced.

"So early?" Jason asked. I exchanged a glance with Alisha.

"I'm just tired. It was a long week," I lied. The real reason was that I was afraid of what my father would do to me for being out so late.

"Call me when you get back home," Alisha whispered to me. I nodded. As I drove home, my heart was racing. He was going to be so angry. I pulled into the driveway and snuck in through the back door. The lights were off and I breathed a small sigh of relief. He as asleep. I began walking to the stairs to go to my room when the light turned on. I felt my breathing stop and the color fade from my face. He was awake and he was angry.

"Where the HELL have you been?" he demanded. I smelled alcohol. He had been drinking. I winced and stood frozen, unable to move from fear. He grabbed my arm tightly and I let out a yelp. "ANSWER ME!" he yelled.

"I was at the senior BBQ!" I cried.

"And you think coming home at midnight is ACCEPTABLE?!" he yelled, shoving me onto the couch.

"I-I lost track of time-" I began to explain, but he slapped me across the face. I felt my cheek burn and my eyes water.

"And you didn't even TELL me where you were going!" he yelled, grabbing my hair and pulling me up. I felt tears fall onto my burning cheeks.

"I'm-I'm sorry-" I cried. He threw me to the ground and called me a worthless piece of shit and then went upstairs. I lay on the floor in a broken heap, crying. I knew it was going to be a bad idea. I shouldn't have gone. I cried hard, feeling so sorry for myself. I was a mess. And I couldn't do anything about it.