Perfectly Unseen

20: tough independent girl

T o u g h
              independent girl
                ~+~+~+~

"Ms Dawn, thank you for finally gracing us with-" Mr Sullivan's voice fell away as he took in my battered appearance. "Ailie, are you alright?" He asked worriedly, seeing the small splatter of blood on my polka dotted blue and white shirt.

"I'm fine." I said angrily, dropping my books onto my desk as I carelessly sat down into the seat and yanked my still slightly damp hair over to the side to hide the browning red drops.

"Ailie-"

"I'm fine!" I snapped, glaring at his kind brown eyes. I knew I was taking it out on him and he didn't deserve it. But I couldn't help it. I was just so done with being weak and vulnerable.

I flipped open my textbook, ignoring how silent it had gotten before Mr S cleared his throat awkwardly and kept on going. Of course the silence didn't last, people began gossiping about Ash and I as I kept my eyes glued to the front. This time I was rightfully mad at the right person. Ashton Ryder. He was the one that made me look so damn weak to Lucas just because he could. It was all of his fault.

He could walk off the face of earth for all I cared.

~+~+~

"Little- I mean: Ailie, what hap-"

"Leave me alone." I hissed out before he could finish the sentence, throwing my books in my bag.

"Listen, I'm sor-"

"I don't care." My eyes finally flickered up, looking him directly in his stupid dark blue eyes so he wouldn't miss a single word. "Leave me alone, Ryder." My voice growled out beyond pîssed at the entire universe. With that, I pulled my bag over my shoulder, elbowing passed him and stormed out of the classroom.

"Hey creep! I told you I'd be-"

Before Lucas could finish his stupid supposedly intimidating sentence, my already clenched fist on its own accord swung out, cracking directly into his nose. "Just perfect," I spat, drawing my hand back and flicking it in the air from the sharp pain from the collision, "-you're here." I was furious, "Let me teach you a thing or two about hurting someone." My voice was hard as he watched me with a stupefied expression.

Redness was pouring out of his nose as he hissed in pain, holding his now bloodied face with his hands. "You fûcking-"

"Next time you want to hurt me," I looked up at him with fire in my green eyes, "Don't pull cheap moves like a little bîtch: throw a damn punch like anybody who holds even the slightest bit of respect for themselves. Speaking of cheap moves-" Grabbing hold of his shoulders, I swiftly kneed him straight in the groin. "-now we're even." He fell down to his knees and toppled over. "Even think about touching me again and I will make you wish you had never gotten on my bad side, you poor excuse for a human being." My words hissed out of my clenched teeth as I stepped over his trembling body.

"Dammit, Ailie!" Ashton called out behind me, but I was already gone.

My body was violently shaking by the time I walked down the stairs and stopped at my locker. My heart was in my throat. Nothing felt good. I just wanted everything to stop hurting. It didn't matter how many people I punched in the face, it changed nothing. It probably just made everything worse. Snapping at my teacher didn't help the fact that I was late. Snapping at Ashton didn't stop the whispers around me. And none of the above made my father stop hating me or made my sister healthy.

"Shh, it's okay, Ailie." A familiar voice soothed me softly, at once putting a stop to my spinning out of control thoughts.

I gazed up into the kind golden irises. His warm hand was rested on my cold cheek, smoothing the tears -I wasn't aware I'd been crying- away with his thumb.

"Liam," I choked out, instantly grabbing him around his waist and burying my head into his chest as I cried in defeat for this entire ridiculous week.

You win, universe. I couldn't be the tough independent girl I needed myself to be. I broke within one hour. You were stuck with a weak girl who cried about her problems. It was all I could do at this point.

Liam hesitantly wrapped his arms around me, his hand running down my hair comfortingly. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" He whispered, holding me tightly and securely.

I shook my head, keeping my face hidden in his coconut scented chest.

He pulled me back gently, looking at me with concern. "I'm a really good listener. Are you sure?" His hand pushed the hair stuck on my damp skin behind my ear and glasses. He bit his lip, furrowing his brows when I stayed silent, "Do you wanna get out of here?"

Biting my own lip, I nodded my head with a small sniffle.

He smiled gently, "Okay." Using the sleeve of his football jacket, he wiped away the last remaining trail of tears on my flushed cheeks. Grabbing my hand, he intertwined his fingers with mine and lead me out of the crowded hallways of whispers and more gossip about me.

This time, however, I was with their beloved quarterback instead of bad boy.