After I got into the hotel room I went to the bathroom to check how I look. I look fine, being I was just brutally beaten up. But I still hurt all over.
For some reason memories of being beaten up and left to die in middle school flood back to me. That was when I met Jackson. He helped me up. He was nice to me. Jackson was my best friend, until eighth grade when he kissed me and I ran away.
After that we were distant. We didn't talk for a couple months. Until he had to be my lab partner. He apologized, and I did too, but that didn't cut it.
I rub a tear off my cheek.
I don't cry. I tell myself over and over again, you're just being a baby.
And that pretty much does the trick.
I walk out and sit in between my bed and the wall. I fit there pretty perfectly, by the way. I grab my phone from my bed and text Rachel.
Roughly five minutes later I hear the door open and close, but ignore it.
"Hey..." Came James's voice, "you okay?"
I glance up, "yeah." I look back down at my phone.
"You sure?"
I nod, and feel tears coming up again.
No, you baby. Don't. I tell myself.
James walks to the gap between the wall and bed and squats down.
"Then why are you sitting there?" He asks, "Liz, I'm really sorry about what happened today. I didn't think-"
"I know." I interrupt, turning my phone off to look at James.
"Amy just..."
"Amy just hates me because she thinks you dumped her because you wanted to date me." I finish. I take a breath and continue, "which you don't."
James tilts his head.
"You obviously wanna break Jordan's heart before mine." I answer as I shove myself onto the bed. I'm laying on my back with my feet to the wall, ankles crossed.
"What?" James asks standing up.
"What Jordan said." I say simply, looking over at him.
"I don't know what Jordan was talking about." James says quietly.
I snort angrily, it's a thing, and glare at him, "wow."
I stand up and walk to the fridge.
"I swear." James says following me.
"There isn't anything in here." I state ignoring James.
"I swear I never touched Jordan." He repeats, "we were really good friends until... Until she saw me and Lily... I'd never hurt her, or do anything to her."
I slam the fridge and turn around, only to be dangerously close to James. He has a weird pleading and sincere look in his eye. I glare up at him for a moment.
"I swear." He says looking right into my eyes.
"A lot of people swear." I say before pushing past him.
I walk back to where my bed is, and pull my duffle bag off the floor. I set it on my bed and dig through it.
"Liz, please." James begs from behind me, "I swear to God I did not touch Jordan. I wouldn't even think about it. I don't know why she said what she did. I swear. I have no clue what she was talking about."
I pull out an over sized shirt and put it on over the tighter one. Then I take the tighter one off.
"Okay." I say as I put the smaller shirt back. "I don't care."
"Obviously you do." James says with an irritated tone.
"Fine. Let me rephrase that." I respond in the same tone, turning to face him, "I don't care about what you say. I don't care about your actions. I don't care about your excuses. I don't care about your feelings."
James flashes a glare, "yeah. Sure. If you don't care so much why is it making you so mad?"
I furrow my eyebrows and look at the floor, "I need ice." I mutter.
I start to walk around James, but he grabs my arm and stops me. I wince and glare at him.
"Answer the question." He commands. I don't answer and he glares at me.
"I don't care about what you do." I say, then mutter, "literally."
James bites his lip and slightly raises his eyebrows in a failed attempt of a smolder.
"Nice." I say half annoyed, half pained.
James rolls his eyes and lets go.
I walk out the door and slam it behind me.
Y'know. I've never really thought about the other rooms with all this door slamming.
When I get back to the room with the ice, I don't see James. I think he left. I hope he left.
I walk to the kitchen area to grab a washcloth or something to put the plastic ice bag on. I find nothing, so I just use a T-shirt.
Laying down on my bed, I set the ice pack on my stomach and turn my music on. I stuff the ear buds in my ears and blare the music.
I find peace in blaring Panic! At the Disco in my ears. I don't know how, but I do. I close my eyes and tap along with the bass.
I can just barely hear the door slam but don't look up, until someone grabs my arm.
I open my eyes and see James.
I pull an ear bud out and he starts to talk, "we have to go."
"What happened?" I ask sitting up with all my might.
"Grab your stuff." James says, gently pulling me up.
"Why?" I ask, zipping my duffle bag and shoving my phone in my back pocket.
James grabs my shoulders and looks me in the eye, "trust me."
I nod and furrow my eyebrows.
"The bus is out back. Everyone else is on. I'm grabbing their stuff, I'll be right behind you."
"What's wrong?" I ask, throwing my bag over my shoulder.
"The enemy found us." James answers as he zips bags and grabs them, "their almost here."
"I'll grab the other bags." I offer.
"No." James says, "I'm fine. You're the top priority. Go. Now."
I furrow my eyebrows and nod, as I jog out.
I run down the stairs, to get exercise, and it's faster, and out the back door. The bus was right there.
When I get on I'm bombarded with questions.
"Where's James?"
"Is he getting the stuff?"
"Is he grabbing my phone?"
"What about my makeup?"
"GUYS." Amy snaps. Everyone looks at her, "where's Bill...?"
Everyone falls silent and looks around.
"He was right behind me..." Lily murmurs.
"I never saw him get on." The bus driver pipes in.
"I was at the hotel most of the day." I say, "was he at lunch?"
They all nod, and Jordan tilts her head. "Why were you at the hotel? Was James with you? Where is James?"
"Yes, James was with me. He said he was gonna grab your guys' stuff." I answer.
"Why were you at the hotel?" Jordan asks again.
I glance at Amy and shrug, "I dunno. But if I wasn't there, James wouldn't be there to grab your stuff."
"James isn't here." Izzy says quietly.
"He told me not to help."
"So you left him?"
"He told me to leave."
"Do you even know what's going on?" Amy asks with actual concern in her eyes.
I shake my head slowly, "I know something is wrong. I know it isn't a stupid beauty thing. And I know it's life threatening. I just don't know what it is."
James runs onto the bus, "Go. Now."
