Attenuated || Book 1 || ✔

·{ Makeup }·

Jonathan's POV

Pain.

That's all I feel.

Whatever had happened last night was hazy, blurred by the headache pounding against my skull. The uneven light casting a dark red color behind my eye lids. A sound...a sob coming from in front of me.

I peek my eyes open slowly and the sight shatters my heart. Jacqueline kneels there, face in her hands as she sobs. A med kit was sitting beside her, already opened and medical stuff scattered around it.

"Jackie?" I croaked out and her head shot up, her eyes red and puffy, tears staining her cheeks. Her arms reach out, engulfing me in a hug. I ignored the physical pain I felt from her action and wrapped my own arms around her.

"You fucking idiot." She sobs into my shoulder. "You scared me." Her grip didn't let up and the pain it caused was nothing compared to the heartache I have from hearing her sobs.

"Sorry." I whisper into her ear as I bring her closer to me.

Eventually her sobs died down and she pulled away from the hug. She wiped tears from her face as she breathed out her shaky breaths. "I patched you up...nothing too bad. A few cuts here and there and a bunch of bruises." She paused. She never once looked up to meet my eyes. "I'll...cover the bruising on your face with makeup." She sniffed before closing the med kit and picking it up.

I slowly stood up, pain instantly shooting up my leg and making me stumble back against the wall. She jumped and stared fearfully at me. I gave her a small smile as if to say 'I'm fine', a clear lie.

I examined my surroundings. I was in the living room, I had previously been sitting on the floor. I either fainted or fell asleep there. The curtains on the window across from me were closed, only a small ray of sun making it through and shining exactly were I was standing.

"I can call the school...let them know you-" "I'm going." I had cut her off. A shocked look crossed her face as she took a step back.

"You can't." She argued, but I raised my hand lazily towards her as if it said stop before making my way passed her. A small limp in my leg, a hand on my side, and a pounding headache.

--------------

Jackie had covered up the bruise on my jaw and the black eye as well as the strangle marks on my neck. Greta had tried to straggle me, luckily - oh so very luckily - her phone rang. She never misses a phone call, no matter what she is doing or where she is. After her phone call she left the house.

That is some of what I remember. I also remember her attempting to stab me, it was only a cut though because of the dodge I pulled.

The only thing I couldn't cover very well was the limp in my leg, the cut on my lip, and the hand that kept falling to my side. A pretty bad bruise was on my side and a cut was on my leg as well as a bruise. I wish I knew how, but I don't.

"How are you going to play this off?" Jackie asked as we walked to the bus stop. Her hand on my shoulder incase I need her to catch me. Which in all honesty doesn't make sense, but whatever makes her feel better.

"I got in a fight with a random dude." I shrugged it off, slowing down to a stop to wait for the bus. The yellow vehicle rounded the corner, making it's way to us.

"Is that going to be your excuse everytime?" She asked, which I answered with a nod. "Oh! Also..." She took concealer from her bag and put it in a pocket of mine. "Incase it fades."

"I don't know how to use that." I blinked and she gave a small smile.

"You'll figure it out."

------------