Bruised

15: Hanging On

|Nathan|

Silence seems to hang in the air as Kota and I come to a standstill in the middle of the stairwell. My best friend's face is scrunched up in concern as he takes my words into consideration.

Kota glances behind his shoulder to make sure the girls are still in the bathroom before turning to me. His voice barely a whisper. "A week ago you didn't think Aya was in any danger. You said it yourself she didn't need us." He gestures for us to keep walking. "What changed your mind?"

"Yeah, well, at the time I didn't notice anything off about Aya," I say trailing after him and into the living room. "I thought you and Vic might've been over analyzing things being the brainiacs you guys are." Kota shoots me a look and I put my hands up in surrender. "But I admit I was wrong."

Kota sits down on the carpet and crosses his legs as I take a seat by him. "So I take it that you noticed something?"

I nod. "She's been walking strangely and it looked like it hurt when she does. Although, I can't be sure. One minute she's grimacing and the next she's smiling like nothing is bothering her." Sighing, I flop back on the floor and run a hand through my hair.

"That does seem very odd. Were you able to see any bruises or marks?" 

"Nah. None so far. Bruises aren't exactly enough evidence of abuse. She could've gotten them for any number of reasons." I lift myself up from the floor using my elbows for support. "I think it's just weird she hasn't said anything like she's hiding it. But did you see any?" 

Kota let's out a sigh. "Not sure either. It was about a week ago and I couldn't get a good look but...now that I think about it she was a little off that day too."

"Damn," I mutter laying back down and huff out a breath. "Man, I hope it isn't what I think it is. Otherwise, this world is cruel and unfair."

"Tell me about it," Kota mumbles with a far-away look in his eyes. The one he usually has when he thinks about the lame ass of a Dad he had.

Trust me, I would know.

"He's gone and he's never coming back," I tell him and pat him on the back.

Kota blinks and glances down at me with a chuckle. "Yeah I know, and easy there with the reassurance. You nearly broke my spine," he jokes.

I roll my eyes and chuckle. "So...what should we do?" I say returning to the subject of our worries.

"Same thing we're doing with Sang. Especially in the trust department. It's wearing thin already as it is."

I wince, knowing he's referring to what happened on registration day. Aya isn't mad at us anymore but that doesn't mean the damage went away. Not completely anyhow.

"I've certainly made it easier for us," I sarcastically remark earning a sympathetic look from Kota.

"Don't. It's not your fault and in hindsight, I should've been more aware," he says shouldering the blame himself.

I shake my head and chop him on the back with the force of a baby. "It ain't yours either. Quit being a martyr and go back to being a nerd," I tease him getting a playful punch to the shoulder.

Suddenly, I hear my front door open with a loud creak and a chorus of voices follow soon after. Two, in particular, are being obnoxiously loud that I can hear them from the living room which is on the other side of the house.

"Oy, where are the troublemakers? I didn't leave the house to be surrounded by testosterone," hollers a voice that obviously belongs to Gabriel.

"Aw what, c'mon, you know you love me bro."