The Stockings and The Eyes

Chapter Three

  I got home that day and immediately went into my room. I laid face down on my pillow. I had never felt so exhausted. I felt a sudden jerk on my leg and I was suddenly upside down. I was being tossed around like a rag doll and thrown on the couch. My head hit the arm rest and a plate was placed on my lap.

"You're spending time with the family tonight," My Dad said, "No more of this locked in your room act. Eat."

I took a bite of the garlic bread on my plate. Once I finished that I ate the spaghetti. My Dad and Kat started play the xbox one as soon as they finished eating. I brought down my homework and placed an ice pack against the back of my head. I was so sucked into doing my homework that when I finished I didn't realize the conversation they were having.

"I heard about something Noah did today," I heard Kat say.

"Oh yeah," Dad responded.

"He talked to a girl," The moment I heard those words I felt completely embarrassed.

"Which girl?"

"The transfer student in his class. He likes her," Kat was completely embarrassing me.

I ran to my room and dropped my homework onto the small table by my bed. I hid under the sheets and wondered how much the other students at school knew.

Dad woke me up this morning. He pulled the blankets off me and had me march to the shower when I refused to get up. I had to fend for myself that morning, Dad left for work as soon as he woke me up. Kat ate leftovers from dinner. We packed up and left for school. Thank goodness it's friday, I thought, Maybe I can try wrapping my head around what happened yesterday this weekend.

"Noah... Noah!"My sister interrupted my thoughts, "Noah! Atlas!"

"What," I looked at her, " I heard you the first time."

"Liar."

"Am not."

"I have to go to class. Let go of my hand."

"Oh right. Sorry."

"Weird," Kat said as she left to the Elementary section in Blue River Academy.

I yawned a lot in class. I was still tired from yesterday. It made no sense to me. I looked at Azure. She seems perfectly normal to me, I wondered, So why injure yourself Azure, I don't think you cut yourself out of boredom. Is something wrong? Please tell me. Azure looked at me and smile, I waved back. She raised her hand and called for Mr Swon.

"Yes miss Joy," Mr swon replied.

"I have to use the restroom," Azure said.

"Um... Go on a head Miss Joy. Next time just leave a note on your desk and go on your own," Mr Swon spoke as Azure stood.

Azure wrote on two pieces of paper. She left one on her desk walked over to mine and placed the other down. It read 'Bathroom'. She grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door with her. She pulled me into the girls room and closed the door in the large stall.

"Um..." I was so confused, "I shouldn't be in here with you."

"So put on a skirt then no one will care." She responded.

"I can't do that-" I was interrupted.

"Why not?" She smiled, "I'm bored. Entertain me."

"We should go back to class," I got nervous.

"It's too boring."

"But our grades-"

"Are easy to fix."

She had me there, the work could easily be made up. She pinned me against the wall. Oh geez what do I do? I had never been in this situation before, Do I run? Or stay?

"Come on," Azure came closer, "I wanna play some."

She came even closer. I could feel her chest against me now.

"Fine," She sounded disappointed, "Then let me play with you. We could match."

"What...," I gulped, "What do you mean match?"

"Look," She reached for the bandages on her cheeks.

Underneath were three deep cuts on each side. It looked like claw marks on her cheeks.

"Maybe not that," I said as I covered her cheeks with the bandages again.

"Yeah you're more of a one cut type," Azure pulled a switchblade from her left pocket, in her light gray skirt, "You wanna do it or should I?"

"How about we don't?" I was hoping she'd give up.

"Fine, one side final offer," She held the switch blade to my right cheek.

"Who's in there?" We heard a woman's' voice.

There was a bang on the door. I felt a sharp pain on my right cheek just before Azure pulled me down towards the toilet. My heart was pounding. We sat there listening quietly. I looked over at the stall door. I couldn't see much since Azure's arm was in the way. The most I could see was the cream color on her sweater vest, white of her shirt, and the soft peach of her arm.

"Who's in here?" The woman said, "Answer me. I know you're there. The stall's locked."

My heart rate started racing faster. Azure pulled me closer and covered my mouth with her hand. I could hear her heartbeat clearly with the silence. It was calm, and yet soothing. We heard the high heels of the woman turn and leave down the hall. Azure Let go of me and got up. She looked behind the stall door then closed it again. I noticed blood on her hand.

"You okay?" I asked, "Your bleeding."

"I'm actually not the one bleeding," She took off her sweater vest, revealing the white button up shirt we all had to wear, "Your the one bleeding. Cut looks cute though."

"What?" I touched my right cheek and found my hand covered in blood.

"Yeah, faces bleed a lot more. Like arteries," She placed her seather vest against the cut, "Once the bleeding stops it'll scar. It's deeper than mine."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know what to feel.

"Wait how am I gonna explain this to my dad?" I started getting worried.

"Just tell him you were bored and having fun," She folded the sweater vest to a clean side.

"That's not gonna fly. He knows when I'm lying," I was worrying about my dad's reaction.

"Then I guess you won't be the one who lies," Azure replied.

"So what we send him a letter?" I said sarcastically.

"No. I can lie for you. Your Dad work late tonight?" She asked

"Yeah," I had a bad feeling where this was going, "Why? What's your plan?"

"Not much," Azure replied, "Pick me up by the gate after school today. K?"

"Um.. sure," I felt anxious again.

"Let's go back to class," Azure stood back up and opened the stall door, "I'm bored again. Plus I wanna see you face when you realize you don't know what's going on in class."

"Wait what?!" I chased after her with her vest still against my cheek.