*Thursday lunchtime
After history, I headed to that quiet spot on the third floor for lunch.
I sit there alone for a bit when I hear the the door next to me open as a person enters through and carries on walking down the hallway away from me but I don't take much notice.
Subconsciously, he looks over his shoulder. "M-Madison?" I look up and see Chandler walking towards me.
"Uh...why are you up here alone? He asks and I shrug my shoulders.
He takes a seat next to me. "I...uh...I'm sorry I walked away yesterday after you...uh...told me about your...anxiety" he stutters, avoiding eye contact with me.
"Its...okay" I say quietly. "I...uh just...didn't know what to say" he says scratching the back of his head.
Before I say anything else, my book slips off of my lap and onto the floor.
As Chandler bend down to pick it up for me, his sleeve rides up, revealing a huge, dark bruise on his forearm.
Chandler notices where my eyes are drawn to and he quickly pulls his sleeve down, then hands my book back to me.
"What happened?" I ask softly. "Doesn't matter" he mumbles.
"Yes it does, it looks extremely painful" I insist.
He sighs and drops his head. "My parents..." He says quietly. "They...they...abuse me" he finally says.
My eyes widen. "Is that... why you had a red mark on your cheek before?" I cautiously ask him. He nods.
"That's...that's horrible" I look up and make direct eye contact with him. "What do they do to you Chandler?" He looks up at me and I notice his once crystal, blue eyes are filling with tears of pain and suffering.
What am I supposed to do? Do I hug him?...I mean I barely know him but I feel he needs someone right now.
"Come here" I say as I embrace him into a hug.
When we release, he has a small smile on his face. "Thank you...I needed that" he says, his voice is slightly raspy from crying.
He takes a deep breath. "My parents...they fight all the time...when the other one isn't there they...they take their anger out on me...by..." He tries to hold back tears.
"By...beating me, hitting, punching, scratching and...verbally abusing me. Sometimes they take it out on my little brother too" he looks down.
"That's...uh...that's why I'm shy and...I...uh I have trust issue" he continues.
"I understand...I...um...I have trust issues too" I say nervously.
He pulls his sleeve up slightly and run his fingers gently over his huge bruise on his forearm. "This...this...uh...it was my dad. Last night...they were arguing again...so...uh they took it out...on me. He pushed me to the floor and...and I tried to squirm away but...but he stood on my forearm. I...I couldn't escape but eventually he stepped off"
"I'm...I'm so sorry Chandler. No one should have to go through that" we both look down and there is an awkward silence.
Suddenly he gets up and leaves, avoiding all eye contact and without saying goodbye.
I brush it off as I know he probably wants to be alone. So, I head to my next class.
A/N
Well...in one of my other A/N's I said to pay attention to one of the questions Madison asks Chandler in chapter 3 because it will come into play soon. Well...here is the start of it. It may get talked about more later on. This chapter was a little shorter, I hope you don't mind.
