Darling & Foster

Six

The next day came slowly, it crept along the week and hid out and when it came, it came as a surprise and I wasn't ready for it. Because Clint was drowning in stress and other things and he didn't talk to me for what felt like forever. And a little stab went through my chest when I saw him and the bags under his eyes. And then I saw Foster and he looked much worse, with new bruises and scrapes and I wondered where they came from and I reminded myself that it's always a bad idea to wonder... 

He roamed through the hallway like a living corpse and I had an inkling to speak to him that seemed to be out of my control. So I placed one foot to the ground and bending my knee, kicked the other to the locker and my back was pressed to the icy cold surface for a minute or two before it grew hot. I watched as Foster approached to get his things because after all, this was his and I knew that all too well. I tried to keep my face calm and casual, but the blood in my veins was going erratic once he came into my line of sight. 

"Move." 

"Where did you get those bruises?" I asked with little confidence and my ribs felt like they were on the verge of cracking in this position. 

He gave me a look with such distaste that it made my heart sink, "Move." 

"Why does Clint think you're dead?" 

"I said move." 

"Oh my God, this one is really bad," I say and make the mistake of raising my hand and touching a long cut on his cheek that glitters with hints of red and blue. He flinches and blinks and he slaps my hand away in one motion, I quickly stumble a couple of feet away from him and the locker and I hope I don't look too shocked with my mouth gaping open and his opens too. In fact, he looks almost as surprised as I do. 

We stood there and I looked at his cuts and he looked at my hand and then I cleared my throat, "Sorry." And then I just walked away, and I actually regretted it. I felt a deep pit of regret in my stomach and I felt like I didn't say enough. I should've said more, and I as I think this, the pit grows and makes me feel light-headed and so I sit down for a minute so that the dizziness can go away, but it doesn't, and I'm tortured by that sinking feeling for the rest of the day.