Consumed

Chapter 3: Milan

I stare after the fleeing girl in astonishment. She trips over her shoelace and hits some other guy as she fights for balance. His cherry soda spills all over her and down his white polo shirt. I barely hear her stammered apology as she rushes out the doors to the cafeteria.

Meri. I knew her name couldn't be Heidi. Meri fits so much better... It's such a pretty name too. Why didn't she want me to know, anyway?

Glancing around, I push past the two jerks who made her run and follow after her. I'm still not sure how to approach her about the whole outburst in the cafeteria, but someone obviously needs to confront her about this. She's terrified of most of the student population. And she's hurting over something else too. I can see it in her eyes each time I've run into her.

That doesn't address the bruises I saw on her wrists when she pulled my jacket off either. Those are confusing to me. Is she being abused by someone? If so, is it family or someone else? Even though I've only just met her, I'm still worried. Anyone can see that she needs help, but no one's offering it. Well, if no one else will, I will. Someone's got to do something.

***

I follow her into the library.

It's a gigantic space with worn red carpet and towering oak bookshelves. The whole place looks like a place from the 1800's. There's a second floor, but it's open in the center, creating a frame like structure for the skylights in the domed roof of the building. The sky is grey and stormy today, and snow swirls about above us.

I haven't been into the school library yet, but now that I have, I wish I'd come sooner. My gaze wanders around the gigantic space. Tables sit in strict rows in the center of the first floor, and old computers sit on the ancient desks in the center. Moving further into the library, I see that the overhang created by the second floor covers another row of bookshelves and tiny tables for studying. Corinthian columns support the balcony-like second floor, and to the left, near the reference desk, a set of marble stairs leads up.

Meri's brown hair flashes in the warm glow of the lamps and hanging lights as she hurries up the stairs, clutching a book tightly to her chest. This jolts me back into action. I hurry after her, admiring the cast-iron railings on the marble staircase. They're made up of ornate swirls and etched leaves. Shaking my head, I move on. Time enough to find out about the reasons for the library's build later when I've figured out Meri's issue.

My footsteps ring dully on the marble as I go after her, and it seems muffled suddenly in the library. The air is stuffy, like no one's let in fresh air for years. Dust floats about in the light cast by the lamps. No one speaks, not even to whisper to one another, and as I draw closer to Meri's hiding place, even her sobs are muted.

Uncertainty shivers through me, slowing my steps until I come to a stop just feet from Meri.

She's huddled in a leather reading chair, eyes closed as the tears drip down her pale cheeks. I can just make out that through the sunglasses she refuses to take off. The silence that envelops us screams louder than any words she could ever say. Anguish runs through my soul as I watch her weep. Her arms wrap around her legs as she buries her face against her knees.

I force myself to walk over to the matching chair. Setting my backpack quietly on the floor by my feet, I reach across the small, round table between us and touch her knee.

She freezes, her soft sobs cutting off abruptly. No words pass between us as I pull my hand back and settle into my chair. There's a lump in my throat as she raises her head, eyes opening behind her dark lenses to regard me. "Please go..." She finally lets words coast out of her lips on a soft breath. The whispered words hang in the air, worn and dripping with pain.

I shake my head. "What's going on, Meri? You didn't have to leave just because of those jerks."

She looks away, shaking her head. "Yes, I did. They're right about me, Milan. I'm only going to hurt you." The fragility in her voice makes me sad too.

"No, they aren't. They aren't right about you..."

"That girl they told you about," Meri murmurs. "I wasn't after her money, but I did make a mistake. I cost her a lot of time and caused emotional pain. She's lucky she left when she did. If she hadn't, she probably would've been hurt even more." Her head drops as she bites her lip.

"Don't..." I whisper. "Don't blame yourself for whatever happened." Despite the look on her face I reach out to take her hand.

She yanks away, and the sleeve of her sweater slides down as she brushes back her hair. There are bruises all over her arm. Some of them are faded, and others are still fresh. There are a few cuts too, and one of them is oozing blood now. It's worse than I'd imagined. Certainly worse than the brief glance I got in the cafeteria earlier.

"What happened?" I ask, my voice going flinty. "Who did this?"

"N-no one..." She looks at me, pressing her lips together as she pulls the sweater's sleeve down frantically. "I-I... I fell."

My eyes narrow. "Really? Why are you so nervous about it, then?"

"B-because it's embarrassing..." she says, her voice shaking.

I watch as she knots her fingers in the fraying hem of her sweater. They tremble as she fumbles with the thread-bare material. She loses her grip on it and goes to stand up. "Stop," I snap. "Stop lying to me. I can't help if you keep doing that."

She grabs her backpack and goes to flee the alcove. Before she can, I grab her hand. Meri stiffens and then begins to tremble in my grip. "I c-can't tell you... I can't, Milan."

"Is someone abusing you? It's a simple yes or no question."

"N-no," she whispers.

"No? Then why are you all bruised and cut up? Don't tell me you fell." I spin her around to face me and finally notice the bruise on her cheek that her hair was covering. Reaching out, I gently take her sunglasses off. She's got a bruise around her eye too. I point to it, handing the sunglasses back to her and then slide the sleeves of her sweater up gently. Both arms are covered in small lacerations, scars, and bruises. "This isn't the result of a fall."

She ducks her head, not willing to look at me. "I'm not being abused," she insists. "I did fall... But the scars... I cut." Her lower lip trembles as she finally looks up at me again. "I don't like talking about it."

I look down at her, my heart constricting. She cuts? I don't believe it... She's covering for someone. That type of bruising doesn't happen in a fall, and her cuts are jagged, not clean like a knife's blade would make.

"Can I go now? Please... I have class." She shoves her sunglasses back on when I don't move to stop her.

"Meri," I say, letting go and stepping back.

She stills, looking at me quietly.

"You can tell me the truth, you know. I can help. And I can be discreet too. You're lying to me about cutting... I know that, and you know it. When you're ready, I'm here." Pulling off my jacket, I hold it out to her. "Take it. You need it more than I do."

She reaches out hesitantly, taking it with trepidation as though she believes I might be trying to trick her into something. "T-thank you..." She looks down at it, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I can't... But thank you."

"I won't take no for an answer." With a smile, I slip past her and head down the stairs. Before she can respond, I walk out of the library, backpack in tow, and head for class. After school, I think I'll pay a visit to her house. Something's not right.