The Lost One

Chapter 4:Awkward

I was sitting on Lauren's bed now. Lauren was sitting  next to me and Kale in the chair a few feet in front of us. "So you two are dating?" Lauren asked, perplexed. I nodded. "How do you even know each other?" I looked over at Kale. "I ran into her this morning." He smiled. Lauren shook her head. "Figures you pick your first girlfriend in one day."

I looked back at Lauren, confused. "You know him." She nodded, smiling. "He's my brother." My eyebrows went up. "Really? But no one says you are." She shrugged. "We only share the same mom." Surprise went over her face. "Oh yea!" She stood up and went into her dresser drawers. "Here, put these on." She handed me a pair of short pajama pants that would probably only go to my upper thighs and a spaghetti strapped shirt.

I looked back at her. "Why?" She looked over at Kale. "Unless you want to leave, I'm not letting her get naked in front of you." He looked confused. Right, the check up. I went into the bathroom, each room has one, and changed out of my uniform. I was a bit embarrassed before I left the room. I've never been this exposed in front of a guy before.

I never even wore a bathing suit in public. Needless to say, I don't know how to swim. I took a deep breath, took my hair, and draped it over my body before I opened the door. It was quiet for a minute. "Over here." I looked up and saw Kale was still sitting in the chair, staring at me. Lauren was standing next to the bed and had a first aid kit.

I walked up to the bed, put my folded uniform on the floor and laid down on the bed on my stomach, avoiding his piercing gaze. "Move your hair." I grabbed all of it, placed it to my left, and turned my head right, so I was looking straight at Kale. He was sitting there, frowning, but not saying anything.

I felt Lauren lift up my shirt and heard her sigh. "E, when did you get this?" Kale stood up and looked over Lauren. "What?" I asked, sensing that she was probably talking about my back. Taking 2 hand mirrors, she gave me one and pointed the other so I could see my back. A big black and blue bruise was sprawled across it. I put the mirror down. "I don't remember." I looked away.

"How could you not remember how THIS happened?!" I heard Kale say angrily. "Kale calm down. Does it hurt when I do this?" I felt her lightly touch my back. "Ach...Yes." I sat up slowly, wanting to get away from them looking at my back. "There's nothing I can do for a bruise like that. Take some Motrin or Tylenol for the pain and try not to lay on your back."

I nodded. "How can you two act so normally about this?!" Kale seemed angrier, but I didn't look at him. "I don't know why you're so upset. It's not as if it happened to you." I said bluntly and stood up. He stuck his face in front of mine. "Because you're my girlfriend." I picked up my uniform. "'Fake girlfriend', remember?"

Lauren looked confused, but Kale didn't seem to care about that. "How did you get that? Was it Josh?" I shook my head. "He's just one soldier of an entire army." I went back into the bathroom and changed, faster this time. When I walked out, Lauren was gone. "She won't tell anyone that you're my 'fake girlfriend'." Kale was calmer now.

I nodded, putting the clothes she gave me back on the bed. "If I'm going to be your fake girlfriend, what do we have to do?" He was behind me, but I could hear the curiosity in his voice. "Do?" I paused. "Are we going to hug, hold hands, and other stuff in public?" I turned around and saw him smiling. "Nothing too lovey dovey. I'll just keep my arm around you, eat lunch, maybe have a date or two." He winked.

I shook my head. "You're ridiculous." I started walking out of the room and into the hall. More people were out now. "What's so ridiculous about me?" Kale was next to me, smiling. "You're acting like we really are dating." I whispered. He laughed and grabbed me by the waist, but not tightly.

"Maybe you'll fall for me." He whispered in my ear seductively. It sent chills up my spine. People were looking. I 'playfully' pushed him away and turned the corner. "Yea, sure." He laughed and rubbed the back of his head as we got closer to my room. "What, you think I can't make you?"

I walked up to my door and took the key out of my pocket. "This is your room?" I nodded, opening the door. I went inside and kept the door open a crack, looking through at him. "And no, I don't think you can make me fall for you." He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" I looked down at his smile. That's one thing I hadn't done in a while.

"Because, I don't have a heart." I said, closing the door. I locked the door, walked over to my bed and laid down. It's true, I don't have a heart anymore, and I didn't give it away. I locked it up and lost the key.

(Lunch the next day)

I was on time today. Kale skipped the first half of the day again. I swear, how does that boy keep his grades up? Just thinking about it makes my blood boil. I walked into the cafeteria just as people were starting to sit down, over to the vending machine and got a bag of chips, not risking getting into the line again.

I didn't want to run into Josh or Maren, especially if Josh spread the word as fast as I thought he did. Maren and Josh were 'together' even though they cheated on each other daily. Luck was never on my side though. As I was walking away from the vending machine, Maren and her girls were sitting at the end of a table.

One of them blocked my path. "Excuse me." I said, not looking at her. "Oh, so you're actually eating today?" Maren said from the table. "Now, is that on a table or the floor?" They all laughed, and anyone nearby who heard it. I felt an arm go around my waist. "Excuse me, girls, but I'd like it if you wouldn't talk to my girlfriend like that anymore." I looked up and saw Kale giving them an evil grin, noticing how he said 'girls' with a lot of venom. Well, now everyone else knows.

Maren gave him a 'what the hell' look. "Girlfriend? Her?" He nodded. "You have a problem with hearing? Yes, she's my girlfriend. I would've thought Josh would've told you that yesterday." So did I. She frowned. "How would Josh know?" Kale chuckled. "He was in the dorms yesterday, having an issue and attitude problem, just look at his arm." I frowned, confused. I hadn't seen Josh since yesterday when he left.

Now Maren was really pissed. "You're lying. Josh was at practice until 9 last night." I looked away, making a sound somewhere between a scoff and a chuckle. "I guess he met a hooker last night then." Kale chuckled and pulled me closer. "Come on babe." He led me away, towards the door I ran out of yesterday.

He did it. Kale really stood up for me. As we walked out of the school he laughed and looked at me. "So, are you happy?" I shrugged. "Maybe." He frowned like a goof at me. "When are you gonna smile?" I did a little bit-forcably, which made him smile even bigger, but then, I stopped smiling and looked away, sad.

I can't ever smile again. I don't deserve to. Even when I do...I remember what happened and I want to cry.