Dating Story

Chapter 6

Well, today can't get any worse? Can it? I sure as hell hope not... I really do...

Cortez and I sat across from each other at the table in the detentions office. Alone. Not like anyone would dare be late... like us...

"So, now that were alone, can you tell me about Mar?"

Cortez leaned forward into his chair. I looked at his bruise. It's a good thing that the detentions office conspicuously has an ice dispenser... or else that bruise he got might have been worse. It's probably best he is holding a small bag of ice held against the bruise on his cheek.

"Bro. Are you going to tell me? I am your coach after all, right?"

I realized what he asked me.

"Oh, uh... sure... I suppose you need to know..."

"Well, tell me then!"

He looks a little too anxious about this...

I remembered something that he had said to Mar earlier. He called her 'sweater girl'. And Mar didn't really seem to like that.

"First... can you tell me something?"

Cortez looked at me disappointed.

"Fine. But you are going to tell me why you two were walking to school together."

I hesitated. Do I really want to know? Do I? I think... I think I do.

"Why did you call Mar sweater girl?"

Cortez backed off a little.

"Oh you know, because she was wearing a sweater and I didn't know her name."

Cortez just tried to dodge the question.

"Then how come she didn't like it?"

"I don't know. You can't expect me to bro-!"

"Don't give me that!"

I found myself stand up and slam my hands onto the table.

Cortez looked at me a little shocked.

"A-alright. Trust me though. You aren't going to like it..."

Cortez sighed. He took the ice bag off of his cheek and laid it on the table.

I calmed down and sat back down.

"S-sorry about that..."

"Oh, don't worry about it. It just makes me feel like you have a chance, just a little more."

And I thought he believed I was as going to get out of this scot free.

"Well... go ahead then..."

Cortez bit onto his lip.

"Okay. They call her sweater girl because people have heard she cut herself. That she tried to commit suicide before. Her dad died a few years ago. She was her only family, besides her mother. After her dad died, she became more distant. At least, as the rumors go. She was shy before her dad's death, but she was even worse after her dad had died... and many people treated her as if she didn't exist. So... she tried to end it. There. You happy?"

She tried to kill herself? She... cut herself...

I stared at Cortez mortified. How does he know all this? He looks more serious than I've ever really seen him before. I stood up and walked next to him. Did Mar really...

"How long ago did this happen?"

Cortez looked me with spite.

"It happened 4 years ago..."