Porcelain Skin (NOW ON AMAZON KU)

47. Found You

We stand nearby as the other two teams check out. Chris and Lightning end up winning, seeing as how they ended up buying lipstick, tampons, and "How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days". The cashier was an older lady who didn't hide the fact that she did not approve of their behavior. The look on her face was priceless.

Mallory and Jessilyn took an entirely different route, as they bought the typical pantyhose, duct tape, and pliers. The cashier who checked them out didn't seem even the slightest bit concerned about their purchases.

The day has gone by quickly, and it's been great to forget my troubles for a few easy hours. Laughter comes easy with this group of people, and I find myself yearning to feel this way every day. But, I know it won't last. As soon as the day is over, my ball gown will turn back into rags, my carriage back into a pumpkin, and my glass slippers back into worn sandals. I will once again just be the torn, broken girl who I'd woken up as this morning.

Now, here we are at a random burger joint stuffing our faces. The easy banter and goofy conversations making it easy to pretend that I am okay. They never tire of trying to include me by asking my opinion on different topics, but my heart isn't in it. My thoughts keep floating back to Trevor and his unexpected behavior two days ago. I'm relieved when everyone agrees that it's time to call it a day.

We finally head back to campus. It's nearly dinner time now, but I opt out of joining them for yet another meal. The moment I walk in the door I check my phone. No new messages. I scroll through all of them but never click on the six that were sent by Trevor. They remain unopened mysteries. I'm still not ready to hear his excuses. It'd just be his lame attempt at bringing me a false sense of ease. I don't need his lies to make me feel better. I've survived before without any help from anyone; I will do it again.

----

The next morning I'm awakened by a loud banging on the door, followed by the unmistakable tone of Trevor's voice.

"Emma! I know you're in there." He bangs again. "Open up. Please."

Silence.

I push my sheets away and sit up in bed so that I have a better view of the door. He's pretty strong, but definitely not crazy enough to bust the door in. Still, I prepare myself for the unexpected as I wrap my arms around my knees and wait.

"Emma," he sighs in defeat, and I can imagine him resting his forearms against the door above his head. "Please just talk to me."

The emotion in his voice is heavy, and if I didn't know better, I'd think he meant it when he said he was sorry. It sounded like he meant it, but I'm not ready to trust him just yet.

"I really need to talk to you. Why won't you let me in?"

More silence.

I can hear him tapping his knuckles against the wood impatiently. "Okay..."

I continue to wait for several minutes, but no more sound comes from the other side of the door. I decide that I need to get away. I can't just hang around my dorm room all weekend hoping to avoid Trevor. I need to escape. To Breathe.

I pull on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. Throwing some snacks into a duffle bag and grabbing my violin, I twist the knob of my door and exit my temporary prison.

"Emma!" The voice causes me to jump, nearly dropping my cherished violin.

I turn to face the owner of the voice.

"Hey," I respond lazily.

Lindsey makes her way towards me and looks at me with concern as she bows her head slightly to gain a better view of my face.