Purpose

Fourteen

"Here, ice. Leave it there for a little. The swelling should go down." He hands me ice as he sits in front of me.

"Thank you." I look down letting my hair cover my face. Placing the ice over my eye.

"Why did he beat you?"

"Why were you in that roof?"

His become dark once again. As if pain had flooded back it all at once, as if he could just cry at this very moment.

"Life isn't fair..... if it was I would still have my brother and my mother and I wouldn't be going through what I am today. And you won't either."

"I guess you're right. Why were you in that roof?"

"I guess the same reason. But I can tell you that I didn't take myself there. It wasn't even a thought." I sigh. The thought of how I got up there sends shivers down my spine. Just the thought of how someone I trusted from a young age can suddenly change sides.

"Let me see." He lightly tugs as my hand that is holding the ice near my eye. "It's going down. Keep it there for a little longer." He places my hand back.

"Stop taking care of me. What about you? Your lip is still bleeding. And there is blood everywhere." I sit up touching his face lightly, Hovering over the cuts and bruises. "Here." I hand him the ice. "Put it on your lip. It's purple."

"I'll be fine. It's not the first time. And won't be the last." He pushes my hand away. "We should get going." He stands.