She's So Nice |Joji|

Chapter 12

Three months ago, I had just seen my ex. Helena hasn't let go of me since then. Any chance she gets, she plays with me. We aren't together, thank God, yet somehow I'm under her toxic cycle once again.
"Helena, I can't do this right now. I'm late for class." She sighed in annoyance and smirked, pushing me under the cramped stairs. When I was about to scream at her, she covered my mouth with her hand while she bit my shoulder hard while digging her nails into my forearm. I tried to contain my moans because I didn't want any of this. I was tired of everything. I'm covered in too many bruises, burns, and cuts. I pushed her hand out of my face and pushed her away from me. "I said no, Helena!"

Infuriated, she slapped me. "I thought you loved it!"

"I used to! I'm not into that anymore. I'm not a freak like you." Trying to contain my anger, I walked away from her, towards my classroom. "Don't follow me anymore."

I tried to contain my tears and anger as I walked towards my class. It's ironic for a guy like me that uses girls not to be strong physically, or mentally. I let Helena hurt me because I feared her. Because I know what she's capable of. I'm used to hiding what she calls love marks from everyone. It's high school all over again, yet worse.
I felt worthless, used and abused. I looked like a mess. I don't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep. The last time I cared about how I looked or wore before leaving my room. Bags under my eyes, dirty hair, facial hair that wasn't groomed at all. I was a different person.

Before going in, I put on my hoodie, in order to hide the scratches and recent scars, and sighed. Upon opening the door, everyone went quiet.
"Mr. Miller! Care to explain why you're late?"

"Why don't you get off my case?" Suddenly someone gasped and pointed at my arm. I looked at it and felt as if my soul left my body. The sleeve was stained with fresh blood. I backed up, opened the door, and ran out. I felt the contained run down my cheeks as I tried to get out of campus grounds. I heard someone call me, but I simply kept running. I wanted to run away from everything. From all of my problems. I wanted to forget about everyone and everything. For the second time in my life, I wanted to die. Just disappear into thin air without hurting anyone.

"George! Please don't run away!" I knew that voice. It's Isabelle. I looked back at her but kept on running. Raindrops started to fall on me, but that wasn't going to stop me... "George, stop!" And I guess it wasn't stopping her, either.
I kept on crying, pushing people out of my way. Right when I got to Central Park, I slipped and fell on the ground. Seeing that Isabelle was incredibly close, I tried to get away from her grip.
"Joji, please." She tried to touch me but I pushed her hand away.

"Don't touch me!" She didn't listen and pulled me into her arms. I cried even more, to the point where I was screaming onto her chest. "I want to die!"

"Joji, please tell me those weren't self-inflicted." She talked softly with worry in her eyes.

"No, I swear! It was Helena, my ex." I couldn't stop crying, even though I felt safe in her arms.

"Why would she do that to you?"

I got out of her grip and stood up. "Why would you fucking care?" I shouted at her while failing to hold my tears in. "No one cares about me. Not Max, not Ian... Not even the girl I fucking love!" I sat under a tree, not caring if my clothes got dirtier with the mud. "I know I did bad things in my life, but goddamn it I just want to forget about it. I don't want to be known as the 'fuckboy' anymore. I want to settle down with someone... and that someone is you!"

She knelt down in front of me and placed her hands on my cheeks. "I've always cared for you. But that first month where I ignored you was because I couldn't look at you. You left a bar with another woman the same night we went out, George. How was I supposed to react?!"

"I thought you weren't taking my dates seriously because of how much of an asshole I was to you sometimes." She sighed and caressed my cheek.

"Let's go back to my room. We'll stop by yours so you can get dry clothes and then we'll go to mines. I have to clean your cuts. Is that okay?" I nodded and held her hand. For the first time I felt safe.

___

"Hold it, like a man." I tried to contain my screams while she poured some drops of alcohol on my fresh cuts... or scratches. "She scratched you really deep, you know. If you would've ignored this, you could've gotten a bad infection." After putting some ointment, she wrapped a white cloth around and over them. After she tied a knot, she stared at my old scars. "Did she do all of these to you?"

"Except that long scar. That was me skateboarding. Everything else was her."

"Why?"

I scratched my head, thinking on how to explain to her. "I used to like being hurt physically. It was like a fetish, I guess. But then I realized that she wasn't doing it for my pleasure, but because she didn't love me. Cigarette butts, bite marks, scratches..." I looked away embarrassed.

"Don't feel ashamed." She placed her hand under my chin, moving my head towards her. "You're safe now."

And suddenly, our lips met. Her warm, soft lips kissing me. Hell, I didn't want this moment to stop.
The door opened...

"Belle?"