Behind Blue Eyes

Chapter 4

            The next few weeks were interesting. That weekend Damien and I went on our date. He took me out to dinner. And it was actually nice and a lot of fun. Then he asked me to be his girlfriend. And I said yes. That was the biggest mistake of my life.

            At first things were great with Damien and then they took a turn for the worst. About a week into our relationship I was at his house on a Saturday night.

            “Damien, what time is it?” I asked him.

            “About 8, why?”

            “Shoot, I have to get home,” I told him. Yes, eight was early, but my parents were a little over protective of me. If this had been Max they would have let me stay out later because they trusted Max completely. And well they barely knew Damien at all.

            “It’s only eight,” Damien said, there was a slight edge to his voice.

            “I know my parents want me home though.” I stood and waited for Damien. “Can you drive me home?”

            Before I knew it I was being slammed against a wall and Damien was grasping my shoulder roughly.

            “Damien…what are you doing?” I asked him quietly trying to keep the fear out of my voice.

            Damien didn’t answer, he just shoved me against the wall again. My back began to ache, but I said nothing afraid of what he would do if he knew I was in pain. His fingers continued to dig into my shoulders. And I knew they would be bruised soon, not that I would be able to see it.

            “Damien,” I tried again my voice gentle, “I have to get home.” He still didn’t answer. “We can hang out tomorrow,” I reasoned.

            “I’m not ready for you to go home yet,” Damien hissed. His voice scared me; it was completely different from the one he usually used with me. It had an edge to it and a threatening one too. What the hell had I gotten myself in to?

            “Please Damien,” I begged. “Just take me home.”

            Damien withdrew his hands from my shoulders and I let out a sigh of relief. Maybe he realized that it was pointless to get worked up over this. I waited patiently for him to say he was going to take me home or that he was sorry.

            Then there was the unmistakebale sound of flesh hitting flesh. I raised my hand to my now stinging cheek and looked in Damien’s general direction. I wasn’t able to form words. I was too shocked.

            “Rowan!”

            He came towards me, but I pushed him away as best as I could.

            “I am so sorry,” he apologized. “I don’t know what came over me.”

            I didn’t know if I should belive him or not. But at this point I was tired and just wanted to go home. I was just going to let it go.

            “It’s fine,” I told him sharply. “Just take me home.”

            I reached around for my cane and began walking towards the door. Damien said nothing, but I heard him walking to me. The ride back to my house was silent. And I was okay with that. I wasn’t in the mood to talk. I was still processing what just happened. I was hoping that it was a just one time thing but I wasn’t so sure. When he apologized he didn’t seem the sincere.

            The next day after school I was walking with Max to his car. Yes, he was still driving me around. But he had yet to say a word to me since our fight. And I was beginning to think he never would.

            Then he stopped walking and turned to face me. Something was wrong.

            “I guess a congratulations are in order.”

            “What?” I was confused I had no idea what he was talking about. And also I was shocked that he was actually talking to me. “What are you talking about”

            “It’s going around school that you and Damien are an item,” Max said. I surpressed a groan. That’s not how I wanted Max to find out. Acctually I didn’t want him to ever find out. “I take it the date went well.” He sounded so bitter it made me want to hug him.

            “I didn’t think you wanted to know. We haven’t talked in a while…”

            “Well its obvious you don’t need me anymore. Just go be with your boyfriend.”

            And the footsteps I always had been happy to hear were getting softer. I wanted to scream after Max that I needed him. That I needed him badly. But he was already gone. He didn’t know about the bruises on my arms and he never would. Because I was too much of a coward to tell him what Damien did to me. Maybe he wouldn’t even care.

            It was then that the footsteps belonging to the person that had caused this whole mess were behind me. I didn’t extacly want to talk to Damien right now. But he was my ride home now.

            “Can you take me home?” I asked him.

            “Actually I was thinking you could come over to my place. My parents are gone for the week.” I understood the implication right away. That was not how I wanted to spend my weekend. Then the realization hit me. Max was right. Damien was only being nice to me so he could sleep with me.

            “No thanks,” I tried to decline politely.

            Max's words rang through my ears. “Don’t come crying to me when this all goes wrong.” This had all gone wrong and I had no one to go to. Max didn’t want me to come to him even though he was the only person I wanted to go to.

            “What do you mean no?” Damien asked. He was getting angry and I knew this wouldn’t end well for me.

            “I mean no thank you. I don’t want to go to your place. I want to go home,” I told him. I was being bold and it wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

            Thankfully for me there was nothing Damien could do. We were still at school and there people around.

            “Fine. Have fun getting home on your own.” And with that he walked away from me. I let out a sigh of relief. Now I just had to find a way home.

            Then I remembered mom was home from work today. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.

            “Hello?” she answered on the first ring.

            “Mom? Can you pick me up from school?” I asked.

            “Sure honey,” she said. “I’ll be there soon.”

            I was glad she didn’t ask why Max wasn’t giving me a ride home. I didn’t want to talk about it at all.

Here's another chapter. I apologize for any errors. Please, please comment, I would really appreciate it.