We're Still Nerds

15~ A Lie, a Secret, and a Kiss

        Many, many weeks had passed, and I never told Trent's story. 

         Though he never told me to keep it a secret, I felt it was something private between us, and Trent seemed relieved. When I was asked how bad I beat up Trent afterwards, I simply replied: "It's not true. He was framed." No one pushed me any further, which surprised me. But I had a feeling that they all sort of knew what had happened. Shaun came back to school the next day, and everything had seemed to be normal. Well, except for the fact that Aidan and I were starting to be friends again, and I had completely forgotten about the tension between him and Shaun. 

       Aidan didn't attempt to take me to school again, knowing very well that Shaun always did that. However, the day after we became friends again, Shaun and I were walking up to the school from the parking lot, and Aidan saw me. He gave me a lopsided grin and waved, and I smiled back. Shaun saw the exchange, and shot Aidan a hostile look that made Aidan narrow his eyes before turning away. "When did he decide to start being friendly?" Shaun muttered to me. "Since we agreed to try being friends again," I answered. Shaun shot me an incredulous look. "After how he's treated you?" he said. "Shaun, he's been my best friend since I was a kid. I'm not going to abandon him now that he wants to bring that back." 

         Since then, Shaun didn't protest our friendship, although he did glare and walk away every time Aidan talked to me in school. I tried hard to keep them separate, and Aidan usually respected that at school and kept his distance, unless the boy-in-question wasn't around. Then, he'd hug me in the hallways. This had been going on for weeks, but we still got weird looks. We had definitely gotten closer, although we didn't have that nerdy bond as before; Aidan preferred to still act like he didn't know anything about comic books. 

           Now that things had quieted down, I spent a lot of time talking to my friend Kara from Ohio. She had a boyfriend now, whom she was very eager for me to meet. "He's just so perfect," Kara had gushed. "I'm sure he is," I replied. "No, seriously, Cassie. He's the most flawless human being I've ever met!" she exclaimed. "I don't doubt you, Kare," I had answered. "You seem to attract those kind of people." Kara snorted. "So do you!" A memory of my last boyfriend flashed in my mind, and I shuddered. "I  attract the worst of people." 

            Halloween was growing close, which meant two things: geeky costumes and horror movies. "I'm really good with make up," Reagan offered now. She was sitting on my bed, using my laptop to look at different costume ideas. "Obviously," I murmured as I flipped through the channels on my television. "Shut up," she replied mildly. "I'm really not going to need a Halloween costume, Reagan, let alone makeup. I'm going to where a superhero t-shirt, and that'll be it," I said. "No way in hell," she snapped. "You're wearing a costume." 

           I sighed. "Whatever you say, Reagan." I settled on Pirates of the Caribbean, and we both stayed up until midnight watching the movie. When the credits rolled, I cracked my knuckled and sat  back in my desk chair. "Well, we sure accomplished studying, didn't we?" Reagan wasn't paying any attention; she was staring at my hand. "How did you get that?" she asked, pointing. I looked down to see one of my scars, a jagged pink one that stretched from my knuckle to my wrist. The happiness fled from my face, and I ducked my head so Reagan couldn't see the way my face paled as memories flashed before my eyes. 

              He was drunk again. I could tell by the redness of his eyes, the anger in his face, the shaking of his hands. I knew that I should've left, should've taken a walk until it was over. But I couldn't leave my mother in the house alone with him. "I think it's time to go to bed," Mom said, her voice unwavering. She took the bottle from his grasp. That was a bad plan. "I didn't say I was done with that," he said, anger shaking his voice. He ripped the bottle from her hands, and raised it. "Oh, no you don't," I muttered, and jumped forward. I caught his wrist tightly, stopping him. "Don't you touch her." His face curled into a sneer. "Bitch," he snarled. He ripped my hand off his wrist and swung the bottle at me. I raised my arm to shield my body as it shattered into my hand. A rush of pain hit me, and I stumbled backwards, clutching my wounded hand.