Skin

Chapter 3

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"Here's a quarter.." The blonde boy says breaking the silence. "Thank you....??" I say hinting for his name. "Niall. And you are?" He asks. "Bella."

His Irish accent intrigues me.

"Well Bella are you going to take the quarter or not?" I'm tooken aside by his sudden harshness. "Oh. Um yes. I'll just-" I reach for the quarter while he tries to put it in the slot and our hands touch. I quickly pull my arm back and pull my sleeve down farther making sure my scars don't show.

"Uh have you ever touched hands with someone before?" He questions. "Uh yeah." "Didn't seem like it.." He mumbles. "Ok well why are you here anyways? If you just wanted to be rude why did you come over here? I mean I'm perfectly fine alone." "You may say you are perfectly fine alone but I'm not dumb. Not just any girl comes to the mall to sit down on a massage chair. I mean I saw you walking and you didn't have anyone with you. Also you have no bags and you only have- I mean had with you 3 quarters." I just look down. "See exactly," he points out.

"Who are you anyways?" I asked pissed off. "It doesn't matter." I roll my eyes. "So should I leave or you leave?" I ask. "Turns out you have 2 quarters now and it looks like I do to," he smirks. I look at the other massage chair then mine, "Oh no, not with you so I'll get up." "Sit down. So let's get to know each other, Isabella." I cringe. Only my parents have called me Isabella.

"Don't call me that." "Okay Isabella." "Niall I am serious." I bark back choking up. I think he notices. "Bella I'm sorry." I just look up and nod. "I will leave," He declares while getting up. "No it's fine. I still want to know more about you." He shrugs then sits down in the other massage chair to my left and puts two quarters in. "So what could you possibly want to know about me?" He questions. "Anything you would've possibly wanted to know about me." He nods and I think. "So why are you here alone?" I ask curious. "I wasn't." He says. "But you are now so explain." I command. "Its nothing serious to know," he laughs than continues, "I was with my friends then I told them I would stay a little longer since we just moved here and I wanted to just explore a bit." "Okay."

"So I was thinki-" he stops speaking as a couple walks by hang In hand. He tenses and sits up. He calms himself when the couple disappears behind the corner. I just stay silent until I see him start to get up.

"Wait Niall. What did you want to tell me?" "Nothing anymore. I'm going to go." He doesn't say bye or anything. He just walks away.

Girls walking by just laugh at me and I ignore. I still don't understand anything that just happened and I probably won't see him again.

I probably scared him away. I look down at my sleeves and it's rolled up like an inch but surely he couldn't have seen the cuts. I don't know what else could've made him leave. I shouldn't even be worried I mean he seemed like a jerk anyways.

There's just something that seems so dangerous about him that it's almost intriguing to a girl like me who has absolutely nothing to lose.

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It's Monday.

Monday. I shiver.

I hate Mondays. It's just the start of another dreadful week of school. And yes I go to school, sometimes. It's not like I do good anyways but it's a way of getting out of the, uh, house.

I only have one actual friend there since I don't open up to anyone. I mean I'm not her first choice ever so it doesn't make a difference being her friend.

I wake up to the sound of my alarm anyways and walk to the bathroom to wash my face with water because that's all I have. I do fifty jumping jacks mainly to try and get closer to losing weight but also to get some energy. I walk to my mirror and sit down and get out my shitty makeup. I put concealer on my blemishes then powder my face. I also sneak my aunts bronzer and bronze my temples and cheek bones. My hair looks like crap but it's not like I really give a shit considering I hate basically everybody in my school.

Having a little extra time I pull my hair into a side braid and bobby pin fly out hairs to my head. I also squeeze into some light wash skinny jeans and put on a sweatshirt that has my schools name stitched on it. I get my "ugg" dupe boots from fourth grade and slip them on. My feet basically never grow.

While walking out the door I swipe some mascara on, put on my cross body, grab my science book and folder, then walk slow a'f to my bus stop. I'm the only one at my bus stop and I barely ever actually go to school so I won't be surprised if my bus just skips my stop. I live near the school anyways so it won't be to much of a struggle to walk their even though I'll be late.

Sure enough. My bus is "late" which basically means it just totally skipped my bus stop since I'm pretty much never there. Guess I have to walk.

I take my time because there's no way id make it on time and i don't care if I'm late. Nobody will notice I was gone anyways.

Finally I make it to school and then go straight to the bathroom to warm my hands under the dryer. I take one last look in the mirror to make sure I didn't get any mascara on my eyelids while rushing. When I hear someone come in I walk out and just like that I'm on my way to first hour even though I'll only be there for like fifteen minutes.

I open the door then the first thing I notice is that the normally empty seat by the door is now taken.....

By the mysterious blonde boy from the mall, Niall.

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So. That's chapter 3:) hope you like! Please vote and read this chapter and the others if you haven't already. And add this to your library?! If appreciate it! Well please leave feedback because id really like some. I need at least a few votes and more reads to update again, so pleaseee! Well I hope you liked and hope you all have a wonderful christmas!!

- Haylee.