Dark Angel

Chapter 12

During English Mrs. Tyson is doing a wonderful job at making class extra boring. I feel like I’m going to pass out of intensive boredom when the paper football lands on my desk.

I’m sorry about last night. I should’ve believed that you didn’t start the pregnant thing about Hallie.

I read over the note a couple of times before grabbing my favorite purple pen and scrawling a reply.

Yeah, you should’ve. Why can’t you just trust me, Hunter? I trust you! How often do I ever accuse you of lying?

Hunter doesn’t look too pissed off when he reads it. I guess I can stand up to him some without him getting upset with me. That is such a relief.

Umm… how about the other night when you tried to tell me I raped you when I already told you I didn’t do anything to that mtn dew or realize that you were too high to know what you were doing?

God, Hunter, I was just telling you that that’s the only way I think it could’ve happening. I’m not saying that you did.

Whatever. Point blank, I feel bad about hitting you last night. I’m more concerned about what I saw on your arm. How long have you been cutting yourself?

Since the stoner slut thing started

Why are you letting Hallie Ryser get to you so much that you cut?

Because it’s not just that, Hunter! Everything has started falling down on me and it’s too much! I can’t take it!

Like what?

I consider bitching about how much he hits me. I’m finding it harder and harder to keep forgiving him for it. It seems like he doesn’t even have real reasons to hit me anymore. I’m pretty sure he just likes pushing me around.

You know what? Let’s talk about this later. Besides, I’m getting pretty into Tyson’s lecture. I want to pay attention to what she’s saying. It’s really interesting

I know he knows damn well that it’s a straight up lie. There has never been such thing as an interesting Tyson lecture, but I’m not going to talk about this. He gets it, I know that, so he backs off. It won’t be forever, though. It’ll definitely be brought up again in the very near future. Just as long as it holds off until the end of the period, I’m fine. I’m not going to discuss this over passed notes in English class.

I'm not all that hungry at lunch, but I eat anyway. I don't need Hunter thinking I'm starving myself or anything. I just can't get my stomach out of knots with the looks he keeps giving me for knowing my secret. I don't like him being the only one who knows. If I have to have someone know, I want it to be Jase. He's still the only one who knows Hunter hits me, and I like it that way. I like having Jase as the only one who knows my secrets.

I spoon another sip of tomato soup into my mouth and nearly gag from a large knot in my stomach. I swear I'm going to puke before I can even make it to the end of the period. I just want to know what Hunter's thinking. I feel like he's planning something worse than when he pushed me off my platform the other night, and that scares me enough to make bile rise up in my throat. Shit. I think I'm actually about to puke.

Just as I'm about to lose my lunch all over the table, Hunter looks at me. His eyes aren't furious or anything, though. He actually looks really concerned. I don't get it. I thought he was going to be pissed off about learning about my cutting.

"Devin, are you okay? You look like you're about to puke," Hunter says. I nod my head and force another spoonful of soup down my throat to convince him that I feel perfectly fine despite my extreme nausea.