The Scars That Broke Her

Chapter 7

The sound of my alarm clock came way too quickly this morning. I groaned, rolling over onto my back listening to the annoying, rhythmic chimes coming from my phone. The sound rang through my room doing everything in its power to persuade me out of bed.

Not bothering to touch my phone, I stared at my ceiling. My thoughts were empty as I tried to run away from the nagging in the back of my mind, trying to pull me back to sleep. It had taken me a while to finally calm down last night. I spent at least an hour pacing in my room trying everything in my power to get my breathing back to normal. And even when I did, my mind was still racing from my argument with Cale. Though I was feeling substantially better than I did last night, the overwhelming feeling still tugged at the back of my mind threatening the pit in my stomach.

I rubbed my eyes, another groan emitting from my lips. I can't believe I have only been here two nights and I managed to piss him off both nights. What was I doing? With a sigh, I finally turned my alarm off and pulled myself out of bed. Let's just get today over with.

My eyes were red and blood shot, probably from the lack of sleep. Deep bags lay beneath my eyes only confirming my original thought. My hair, though pulled into a braid, was disheveled and already falling out. I didn't even try to hide the scar lining my forehead. I gingerly ran my finger over the scar, a small smile tugging at my lips at the memory.

There was a large willow tree in our front yard growing up. The branches protruded from it like thick arms reaching to grab on to something. The surface of the tree was covered in slender, oval-shaped leaves that made it easy to hide within the branches.

My brothers and I spent many days climbing the tree. We would laugh and giggle as we enjoyed each other's company. Of course, even though I was younger than my brothers, I would always do my best to keep up with them. I never wanted to be left behind. My brothers climbed to the top of the tree. So did I. Though, I might have misjudged my abilities in getting down. My foot slipped halfway down, and I crashed to the ground. Luckily, I came away nearly unscathed. Just a gash on my forehead to serve as yet another memory of a happier time.

I didn't start hiding it until my mother got arrested. I didn't want to be reminded how much my life had changed.

A soft knock on my door drew me out of my thoughts. I turned my attention to the door as Cale emerged.

"We need to talk." Cale said, barely giving me time to comprehend what was happening. His tone and demeanor had not changed since last night and I knew, without a doubt, I was about to get another lecture. I bit my lip in anticipation as I threw a sweatshirt over my t-shirt. I put very little effort into my appearance today, settling on a pair of leggings. The name of the game was comfort. Cale ran a hand through his hair before looking at me thoughtfully.

"I know you're angry." He spoke slowly, choosing his words deliberately. I watched him carefully. Out of all the words he could say, all the yelling he could do, that's what he says? No, 'what the hell were you thinking' or 'you're grounded for life'. Just 'I know you're angry.'

How perceptive of him.

"I know you're angry." Cale repeated. "You have every right to be." Cale's hard eyes softened as he reached toward me. "It's okay to feel what you are feeling, Noa. It's okay to be angry and frustrated and sad. It's okay to feel lost. It's okay to feel."

I feel a but coming on. I crossed my arms.

"But that does not mean you get to just do whatever you want. Last night..." Cale trailed off as he took a breath. I could tell he was trying to contain his anger. He knew yelling would not work on me. I would just yell back, louder. I've always been that way. I was as stubborn as they come. "Last night was unacceptable."