Behind Every Smile

You're His Puppet

Two long months had passed, the school was close to finally ending, and summer was just around the corner.

During that time, I confronted Shaina over why everyone was ignoring me. Turns out about everyone was fully convinced I'd moved away because I "hated everyone" at school. As I'd guessed, this rumor was started by Danielle. Amazing how news spreads so quickly.

I was lucky enough to convince my oldest friends, Shaina, Chloe, and Hannah, this rumor was a lie. Except, in the midst of discovering this rumor, I'd found out, Jenna, Danielle's closest friend, had passed away. Which slightly explained Danielle's sudden rage outburst on my friends and I. I just wasn't sure why she didn't tell me! Then again, I wasn't sure why Danny didn't tell me how she felt about me on top of that.

On the other hand, I was still in the process of recovering, and changing along with the help of Colin, the one person I felt could trust. The one person I came crying to at school when days were rough. The one person who I felt understood me.

Though it started to occur to me as time passed by, It wasn't just me who was changing, Colin was as well, but not in the way I quite understood.

The skies were thick with darkly colored clouds, and a frosty wind that gently brushed the dead leaves across the quiet streets. A thunderstorm was coming.

"You're not going to fight me today." Colin told me, stepping outside before shutting the front door to his house behind him. "A friend of mine has offered to instead." He went on, walking on sidewalk that went up the hill of our street.

"Who?" I asked him, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

"You'll see," He grinned, Colin's eyes moving up towards the clouds as drips of water lightly began to fall against the pavement.

My chest shook at the sound of booming thunder-feeling as if an electric shock had suddenly run through my body.

"We're almost there, take a deep breath." He instructed, noticing my sudden reaction. I nodded quickly, taking a hesitant breath in then out as instructed, trying to keep myself from quavering too much.

Eventually, we met an unfamiliar boy just outside his house, who'd been waiting underneath a tree as we arrived. The boy's hair was ruffled and short, having a slight orange tone to his light brown hair. His eyes on the other hand were that same dark tone as Colin's.

"So you're the girl Colin's been talking about." The boy's eyes examined me, as if he were looking for something.

The boy looked about my age, even though he was slightly taller than me.

"The name's Earnie," He cleared his throat, throwing his hand forward.

I glared at him nervously, gently shaking his hand. "Bella," I replied as calmly as possible before another rumble of thunder echoed through the sky.

Immediately, I jumped, gripping his hand harder-accidentally. Earnie grunted, widening his eyes before pulling back his hand with an impressed look on his face. "Quite the handshake."

"She's afraid of thunder," Colin explained, crossing his arms.

"What! It's just thunder, it's not gonna hurt you!" He laughed, watching me with a smile.

I looked away in embarrassment, gripping my arms tightly in attempt to keep myself still.

"Wait till you see how hard she punches, especially when there's a thunderstorm." Colin smirked, now watching me as if he was expecting something.

So that's what this was all about.

"Why don't you show him, just like you showed me." Colin urged on, stepping back away from the tree.

The boy and I glared at each other, his arms rose, in a some what correct fighting stance. "Come on, show me whatcha got girl!" He taunted, narrowing his eyes.

Without question or thought, I followed Colin's instructions.

With one quick move, I pushed the boy's arms to the side roughly before punching his chest as I did once to Colin. Just like Colin, the boy fell back unbalanced, but stumbled back onto his feet, shaking his head.

"W-Woah, alright. You weren't kidding when you said she's fierce." He chuckled, giving Colin a nervous glare.

"Remember what I said Bella, about when to stop fighting." I heard Colin shout over the sudden crack of lightning and shower of rain.

"Don't stop till he can't get up, or till you see blood." I muttered to myself, keeping my eyes focused on the boy, who was completely soaked just like I was.

"W-Wait..what?" The boy cocked his head, just before I turned then swung my leg against his side.

Watching him collapse onto his side, I pinned him down immediately against the muddy dirt, keeping his wrists against the ground with my hands this time.

I thrusted one fist against his face multiple times, pausing instantly at the sound of a weak groan leaving the boy's lips. "B-Bella!" He groaned, only quiet enough for me to hear.

"Don't let him control you.." He whispered, looking up at me in fear.

"What'd I say about stopping!!" Colin shouted in the distance, growing impatient.

I grabbed the boy's drenched collar to his shirt before ramming his back against the tree, holding him there.

"Bella, listen to me, I know you're afraid. Just like me. I don't actually know Colin! We're not friends! It's all fake!" He whispered anxiously, looking over my shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" I mumbled, throwing him back down against the soggy ground.

The boy grunted softly, getting up off the ground.

"H-He threatened me. He told me if I didn't fight you he'd punch me, and he'd tell everyone at school that I'm gay." He explained, gazing quickly over at Colin in the distance before throwing an obvious punch towards me.

With a slight maneuver, his fist flew past me. "Are you?" I muttered, stepping back.

"No! But that's not the point!" He whispered louder, tackling me to the ground quicker than I expected.

"You're the puppet to his show. He's telling you lies to get what he wants!" He went on, lowering his voice.

"Colin's not a liar! I trust him! He's helping me!" I grunted, raising my knee roughly against his chest, watching him fall to his side with a weak gasp. "And I'm not his puppet!" I stood up, watching the boy roll onto his back, mud all over his clothing.

"Y-You don't realize..it..but you will. He's a really..really..good liar, and from what..he's told me, you'd do anything to change. Which is exactly what he's looking for, an obedient dog." The boy explained, staying down against the dirt, probably giving up on fighting me.

"I asked him to help me," I told him, clenching my fists tightly.

"Why would he care about helping you? He doesn't care about anything. Believe me, looking at a girl like you, he has something else on his mind." He continued, both of our heads turning at the sound of footsteps.

"He's my friend," I muttered in response.

"He's a psychopath," He grunted, pushing himself onto his feet. "And the one thing he loves more than hurting people is watching them suffer."