A Hard Fall ( Josh Hutcherson)

Tell me -22-

Josh's POV:

All day Allison was quiet and didn't make eye contact. I kept trying to make her talk to me, I would bring things up, like talk about the science test or what is going on with the schools drama, but she would just push it away. On the bus she sat alone even though I had walked with her to the bus. What is wrong with her? Did I do something? I can't get my eyes to leave her as she stares out the window holding her head.

The second we get inside I slam the door shut and almost yell.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I yell. Connor jumps and looks surprised at my outburst, and Allison seemed like she expected it. She turned and glared.

"Can we not talk here!" She hisses and Connor seems to be finding something to occupy himself, but he is still listening. I don't care though.

"That was not a little scratch from falling! God damn it Allison what is wrong with you! What the hell happened?" Connor looks up in interest as her glare turns ice cold.

"Josh..." She starts with a tone just as sharp as her stare. I wince as she comes towards me. She grabs my arm and drags me outside to the back yard leaving Connor inside. She lets go of my arm as if throwing it away and collapses on the hammock and puts her head in her hands. Her usual confident posture is replaced with a new one, she looks almost like a gazelle placed in the cheetah's habitat at the zoo. Her body is like an armadillo, curled up and looks as if she was just punched in the gut. I slowly approach her and sit down.

"Allison..." I say in a calmer tone. She just shakes her head left to right and a tear falls down her face. I wrap my arms around her and she cries into my shoulder. I let her and feel her tears soaking into my shirt, so hold her tighter. "What happened?" I ask rubbing her back. She sniffs and clutches me tighter for a moment. I rock back and fourth on the hammock and wait for her to calm down.

"I'm sorry." She muffles into my shirt. Then sits up, but her posture is still horrible, I have never seen her like this before and it scares me. I look into her eyes and can see she is still holding back tears. "Okay. Fine. Fine I never fell and my head isn't just a scratch."
Wow, what a surprise, my mind thinks, but its not the time for sarcasm. I just wait for her to continue.

"Justin..." Allison begins and a sob escapes her, but she keeps herself together. "He followed me." She looks scared and I put my full attention to her. "In the bathroom, he came into the girls bathroom when I was in there. He pushed me against the wall. He kissed me and I tried to stop him." Tears roll down her face and the only thing I can feel is rage. I can't feel anything else but a pure hatred burning in my gut. I want to go straight over to Justin's house and beat the shit out of him. I want him to feel pain, but for now I listen to what he had done. "He slammed me on the floor and choked me. He choked me." She said as if she is just truly realizing it. I touch the wound on her head lightly and trace the outline of her head. She closes her eyes tightly and blinks. A tear rolls down her cheek and she composes herself. I hold her close to me and can see Connor looking through the slide-doors. He dosen't need to know about this. I glare at him and he walks away.

"Its okay, just stay as far away from that asshole as you can." I will deal with that perv tomorrow"

"No. No no no. Josh. Don't tell anyone. Please, don't hit him you will get in trouble please I don't want to make it a big deal." She begs me. I knew she would say something like this. She dosen't like to tell on people or have our parents know. Even if I did tell someone, then she wouldn't forgive me because she thinks that it's more drama when in reality its drama being solved. All I can really do is agree though.

"Fine. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to be nice to him." I say, and she just falls into my arms. I hold her tight and don't let go. I won't ever let go.