Some Scars Never Fade

Chapter Twenty Nine (DD)

*Chris’s Point of View*

Roary caught me before first period. I was talking to Tyler about the meeting for the fighters when the warning bell sounded. We split to go to class and Roary was waiting at the corner.

“We didn’t get to finish our chat yesterday because of your douche-bag friend,” he told me.

I didn’t answer; I just kept walking, telling myself to ignore him.

“What’s wrong? Bitch got your tongue?”

Ignore, I told myself firmly.

“I guess I’ll just have to speak with douche-bag about your issues then,” he shrugged.

I whirled around and got in his face.

“Watch your mouth asshole, you’re going to keep picking on my friends and they’re going to end up beating your ass and leaving you for dead,” I snapped, my voice deadly quiet.

“Why, Chris, is that a threat?” he asked me.

“Absolutely,” I answered.

He shoved me into the lockers and walked away.

“Fuck,” I muttered, holding my shoulder as the late bell rang.

I ran to class and walked in quietly, quickly dropping into my seat.

“Late, Chris,” the teacher told me.

“My apologies,” I mumbled.

Dylan looked over to me in question.

I gave no answer; I just sat there massaging my shoulder.

Needless to say, Seth was angry when I told him.

“Why do you just let him hurt you, bully you, when there’s a solution?” he raged, pacing the room Nathan let him use when he was here.

“If I tell a teacher, it’ll only make him hate me more, and it could get worse, inside school and outside- he could really ­hurt me Seth- don’t you understand?”

“Then fight him, show him you’re not a little school girl that he can pick on!” he told me, “Do something, show him you’re just as strong as he is.”

“I can’t,” I said quietly, “I can’t fight him.”

“Why not?” he asked me, anger still glistening in his voice.

No answer.

He turned to look at me, walking over to me.

“Well?”

“No reason,” I told him, looking away.

“There is a reason- something’s changed since when it first started. What’s wrong? What happened?”

His hand found my chin and he lifted it to look at me.

“You know I’m here for you, Chris,” he told me gently, “I care just as much as Dylan or Haley or Jadyn- any of them.”

I hesitated.

“Don’t tell Dylan,” I finally said, “Don’t tell any of the guys.”

“Why not? They care about you too.”

“They would worry,” I whispered.

Taking a breath, I thought about the way I was going to say it.

“Dad said- told- me that if I got into any more fights, I wouldn’t like the consequences,” I said.

Seth waited patiently.

“He threatened me,” I finally told him, tears welling up in my eyes for a brief moment before I brushed them away impatiently.

“Threatened you how?” He asked me, curiosity and worry underneath the calm façade.

“… With a gun,” I answered.

No answer.

Nothing.

Silence.

I looked up at him and his back was to me.

I stood up and touched his shoulder and he didn’t move.

More silence.

“Seth-”

“You didn’t tell me about this,” he told me, “When did it happen?”

“Friday,” I told him, worried he was going to explode on me.

“I love him Seth,” I explained quietly, “And I know he loves me. He’s going through a rough time- he lost the one person he ever really loved. It’s taken a toll on him- he just needs time. It’ll get better. Like with you- you got better over time.”

He turned to me, finally, his eyes soft but distant.

Then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug.

Nothing else was said about it between Seth and me.

The rest of the day went as planned.

We were off to Wal-Mart when Jacob and Jadyn were finished with their game of Chutes-And-Ladders.

*Seth’s Point off View*

I watched Chris as she walked to the game department with Jacob on her back.

Dylan was hanging back to talk to me.

“So Roary’s been bullying her this whole time?” he asked me.

I nodded, a frown set on my lips.

“And her dad…” I began.

“I hate that stupid bastard,” Dylan muttered with disgust.

I’d told him everything I knew about- her dad, Roary, the cuts.

He deserved to know.

“I get the cutting- but why didn’t she come to me before trying to deal with it on her own?” Dylan asked, more to himself than for me.

I could tell Dylan was in a bad place right now.

His eyes were closed and hard, distant as if he was thinking about doing bad things to something- or someone.

“Calm, Dylan, just talk to her,” I cautioned him, “It won’t do her any good if you go and kill the bastard.”

“I wasn’t thinking so much about hurting him,” he murmured to himself.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing,” he mumbled.

“You don’t do anything stupid,” I told him firmly, “She needs you- don’t make it the other way around Dylan. I’ve tried talking to her; it’s your turn now.”

He nodded and watched Chris turn down the third aisle, where all the action video games were.

Worry built up inside me like a dam that’s destined to break.