The Pieces of Me

Wonders and Warnings

"Oh there they are!" Austin says pointing at Wyatt and Garrett from across the cafeteria.

Me, Aliya, and Austin have been sitting at our regular table for nearly 30 minutes with no sign of the two at all. I can see the heart rate monitor in Garretts hand as he makes his way towards us. I wonder what kept them so long.

"You boys are not worth waiting this long for" Aliya says, shoving a bite of her chicken sandwich in her mouth before continuing, "The only reason I'm still here is cause Lily was waiting for you."

The boys chuckle as Garrett sits down next to me, Wyatt and Austin sitting on the opposite end of the table. Wyatt and Austin start talking about football tryouts next Tuesday going off into their own sports world.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I question Garrett in a hushed tone, as the boys keep on rambling, and Aliyas too busy on her phone texting Alec to even notice us talking.

"It's not important...." He says kind of fading off, "Just wanted to make sure you were okay, after the party last Saturday, you ran out pretty fast."

He said it almost like it was a last resort, I don't think it was what he actually wanted to talk to me about, but it made me nervous none the less. Seeing his thoughts made acting normal around him nearly impossible.

"Uh ya....why wouldn't I be." I mutter looking back to my now empty food tray.

"Look..." Garrett says before pausing, looking a little bit uncomfortable, "Just be careful with Austin, I wouldn't want to see you hurt."

"Why would I be hurt?" I question, my eyebrows furrowing, wondering why he'd be worried.

"Lily..." His voice stops again like he's trying to decide what to say next, "He's just not who you think he is."

As he finishes his sentence the bell for the end of lunch rings.

"Can we work on the project at your house this weekend?" Garrett questions and I respond with a quick yes as I pick up my backpack and hurry off to my next class.

~~~~~

"It'd look so good on you, you have to get it." Aliya says, picking up the blush pink dress. It has a straight cut skirt that his mid thigh with a small slit on one side.

Me and Aliya decide to go to the mall after school today. Some retail therapy was exactly what I needed. Although if you asked me I'd probably agree to retail therapy any day of the week.

"What would I even need it for?" I ask chuckling at her dramatics as she puts it up to her body and twirls around.

"For a date with Austin" She says smirking at me her eyebrows raised suggestively.

The comment Garrett made came back into my mind. "He's not who you think he is"  I can't seem to get the words to leave my head, each time I think they've left they'll replay once again.

"I'm not going to go on a date with Austin" I state matter of factly, taking the dress from her hands I place it back on the small rack.

"What happened to flirting with him back? Or that kiss on Saturday?" Aliya questions now stopping in front of me with her hands on her hips.

"Nothing" I say way to quickly, only causing her eyebrows to raise questionably higher. "It's nothing!" I shout once again trying to defend myself.

She just stands still, her face etched in a determined look. Which is her way of saying she's not moving till she gets a real answer.

"I just don't like him like that" I say in an attempt to make up a reasonable excuse for my sudden change in feelings. Although it was a small and offhand comment that Garrett made I can't help but believe over the people I've just met.

Technically Ive only just met him too, but I've known him his life and he's always had an honest character. I have no reason to not believe him, and every reason to believe Austin could be putting on a face for me.

"Kay fine, whatever," she's says before finally side stepping and making her way to another rack of clothes.

Thinking back to the first time I met him I remember him talking about having a bad experience with Stella and not wanting to talk about the story. But other than that he's only acted up front and kind to me.

We made our way through multiple stores, carrying new bags along with us everytime we left. I think it's safe to say that the retail therapy is a success. The pain of my arms from the weight of the bags distracting me from the constant wild thoughts in my head.

I throw myself on my bed dropping the bags at the foot as I sink into the soft mattress. Quickly drifting off into a gentle sleep.

The view of Garretts scar playing through my mind, and the events of the night that caused it, before shifting back to a view of his reflection of his old bathroom mirror focusing in on the corner shaped scar, the view then morphs into a much brighter and more modern mirror and zooming out of the close view of the scar, only to be met with my own face not Garretts, the similarity of the scar being beyond ignorance. All I see is the sight of my scar flashing back and forth with Garretts until the dream fades back to darkness.

I wake up in cold sweats, the sheets of my bed now wrinkled and tossed about. I roll over to look at my alarm clock reading 12:32, I slept for nearly 6 hours.

Rolling off my bed I make my way to the bathroom to wash the makeup on my face off so I can go back to sleep. As I switch on the light in my bathroom i look into the mirror, the cut that's now been forming into a scar is bright red likes it's been rubbed raw, the skin tight and tender like it's been bruised. I reach up to run my fingers across the soft spot, immediately seeing dark spots before it all fades to black.

~~~~~
Please vote and comment!!

Why do you think Garretts warning Lily away from Austin?