Completely and Utterly Broken

Twenty-Eight

The next morning, I woke up with a bruised stomach, and cheek. Along, with a pounding head, and a sore.... downstairs.... there. It was way earlier than I usually get up, I lied in bed for a while after I was done getting ready. I put neosporin on my stomach, and swallowed a pain pill for the headache. And of course, put concealer to hide the small bruise on my cheek.

Lucky, Leon was passed out so I quickly left the house before Andrew can even get here. But as I was walking down the sidewalk, far enough from my house. Andrew found me, and honked the horn.

I turned my head, as Andrew rolled down the window, and gave me a smile. "Baby, what are you doing walking? I was suppose to pick you up."he tells me.

I smiled back at him, and walked to the other door. "Well, Leon was awake, drunk... and trying to touch me."I lied, putting on my seatbelt.

"Are you ok?"he asked, starting the car and driving away, farer from my hell. Then reaching over and grabbing my hand.

"Yea, I'm fine, honestly. I'm used to it by now. Don't worry about it."I reassured him.

"But it shouldn't be something you're used to, Zoe."he told me. And with his other hand I seen him grip the wheel more tightly.

I sigh. "I know, Andrew, I know. But please don't worry about it. I can handle it myself. Just remember, I was fine by myself before you came along."I teased.

I heard him grumble something under his breath I couldn't understand. Then pulling into the school parking lot, and setting the car in park. He turned to me, and put his hands on the side of my face, turning my face to towards him, as while pulling it closer to him.

"But are you sure you're ok? It's kind of hard not to worry about you."he tells me, looking at me in concern.

And I nodded my head, smiling softly. He sighed again. And pulled me closer, giving me a soft, gentle kiss. When he pulled away he gave me a kiss on the nose. "Ok, ok."he whispered. And we got out.
~*~*~

The rest of the day, it was spent avoiding Andrew, and pretty much everyone else. Now, don't ask me why I'm avoiding Andrew, 'cause I don't know why either. I guess it's just that I don't want him worrying about what happened with Leon, even though he doesn't know the real truth. I do enough trouble for him as it is.

I slammed the door of my locker in frustration. Waving a hand through my hair, I start walking down the hall to go home. But as I rounded the corner, I bumped into someone. I let out grunt, as I rubbed my head. I said sorry, and tried to walk around them, but they grabbed my arm.

"Well, well, look who it is."someone snickers.

My eyes widen as I recognized the voice. And I felt myself slowly panicking. "P-please, Derek, leave me alone."I whispered.

I glance up at him to see him smirk. "No can do sweetcheeks."he whispers back. And he pushes me into the wall. And I whimpered in pain.

Derek let's out a sigh, and strokes my cheek. I flinch at his touch, wiggling against him. "You know sweetcheeks, I'm tired of doing all this running and chasing thing. I mean, it only makes me seeing you the next time even worse than the last."he whispers, his breath fanning my face. My chin starts to quiver, as I tried to hold back the tears.

"It'll just make it so much easier if you just listen to me. But you have to make it hard on the both of us, don't you, Zoe?" Then, unfortunately, a tear slips away. I quickly try to wipe it away before he notices, but he does.

He smirks, and wipes the tear away, making me flinch again. "Aww, baby, don't cry. I won't ever hurt you."he says.

Another tear slips out, and I look up at his hazel eyes. "But you already do." I whisper to him. After I say that, I'm panicked, but I keep on eyes on him.

His eye flash in confusion, but he quickly masks it, putting on a blank face. He puts his signature smirk on his face, and leans in close. "And you think I care?" He says.

I gulp, as the tears threaten to spill. His face comes closer, and his lips brush my cheek. And my body goes rigid. He moves down to my neck, and gives it little pecks. I squeeze my eyes shut, wishing for him to go away, but I'm too aware of his lips trailing up to ear.

"You just wait until that Andrew boy of your's leave you. I'll be right there catching you before you fall."he hisses in my ear, then nibbles it.

My eyes go wide at what he says, but before I could do anything or at least reaction. He whispers bye in ear, and pecks me on the lips. And disappears down the hall. My back sticks to the wall way after he leaves, my eyes wide with shock. I don't know how long I stayed there, but it was long enough that I seen Andrew round the corner.

And I think my eyes widen even more. But I was too slow to move, and he sees me.

"Hey, Zoe!"he yelled, and his voice echoed through the hall. I could see his grin from here.

But before he could get to me. I pushed myself from the wall, and ran away. Trying to just get away from everything, and everyone. I quickly pushed opened the door, I ran toward the way toward the house. I heard Andrew call after me, but that just made me walk faster.

But, of course, me being me, and Andrew being Andrew. He got to me anyway.

"Zoe!"he yelled, his voice closer then before. Making me speed up.

But he grabbed my arm, and turned me around. His eyes piercing into my eyes, searching for an answer of some kind. "What the hell, Zoe?"he says, but his voice wasn't mad. It was sadness and confusion.

It made me waver, but I couldn't let myself be weak, and wouldn't. And I tried to yank myself of Andrew's grip. My eyes slit into narrows. "Let go of me, Andrew."I hiss at him.

"No. What's wrong with you today, Zoe? You've been avoiding me all day, and when I finally see you, you run away. Why? What did I do?"he says, and he steps closer to me.

And I try to push him away, my eyes brimming with tears. But I refused to let them fall. "Just let me go!"I hiss at him again.

Andrew closes the distance us, and puts his hands on my cheeks. "Zoe?"he whispers. When I don't respond, or look him. He turns my face towards him, and at the same time, leaning towards me. "Zoe?"he whispers again.

I blink back the tears, and respond with a frown. I don't even know why I'm crying. I mean, why should I believe whatever Derek says. Andrew and I have been good, we've been great. And suddenly, I'm freaking out by what Derek, of all people, says. But then, I've been believing something good could finally could happen to me. With the life I've had for 4 years? I've been stupid for believing someone like Andrew could like me.

I turn my crying eyes into cold, hard eyes, and look up at Andrew. When he sees me like that, he's shocked. And because of that he doesn't say anything. But before he can, I say.

"Just leave me alone." And I finally rip my arm from his grip. And leave him confused on the sidewalk.