Disasterology

Chapter 2: The greatest story ever told

The next day at school the first thing I saw was the last thing I wanted to see. Ryn was talking to carter, flirting up a storm. She was smiling and playing with her hair and she kept putting her had on his shoulder. I was furious and I didn’t know why.  It’s not like he was mine or anything. I had no idea why I cared so much about him. I was fucked. As soon as Ryn spotted me she pursed her lips and flipped her hair. Then she went back to hitting on carter.  I turned away and tried to keep back the rage that was building in my chest.

“Alex!” someone called my name and I whipped around to find carter waving his hand at me and Ryn looking pouty. I waved back shyly and smiled a smile that I’m sure was too toothy. I started to turn back around but he yelled for me to come join them. So I did

                Ryn was grimacing behind her blonde bangs but I didn’t care.

“How exactly did you guys start talking?” I said smiling, trying to hide my curiosity.

“Ryn came up to me and told me she was a friend of yours.”

“I know how hard it is to be at a new school and I figured he could use someone to talk too.” She touched his shoulder again.

“Oh that was nice of you, Ryn.” I said through my teeth.

“oh.my.god! Alex why are you so awesome? Your bracelet is amazing!” he picked up my wrist and pulled it close to his face. I was wearing a rubber mayday parade wrist band that had the lyrics to the song miserable at best. One of my favorite songs.

“I can live without you but without you I’ll be miserable at best.” He started singing. His voice was heavenly. A tiny part of me wanted to tackle him and tell him to stop being so perfect. I looked over and Ryn’s mouth was hanging wide open. Then I noticed so was mine.

“You . . . you can si—sing? I choked out

“Oh yeah kinda. It runs in the family I guess but I’m more of a musician.” He said turning bright red

“Ooh what do you play?” Ryn had a thing for guitarists.

“Ummm drums, bass, piano but my favorite to play Is guitar. Ryn whimpered, but I don’t think he noticed. He was too busy turning my bracelet around and around on my wrist.

“Nice! I play guitar and piano and a tiny bit of violin . . . do you umm want that bracelet? I asked.

“Oh my god yes! I mean. . . I don’t want to just take it, I couldn’t” he said slowly pulling it off my wrist. “It’s yours I can’t take it.” For a split second his hand touched mine and this time I whimpered. “But thanks for the offer” he said as he put the band on his own arm.

“It looks good on you, you keep it.”

“Oh thank you!” he jumped up and down and hugged me. I wasn’t prepared for it and it took my breathe away. I wasn’t sure what had happened. Then the bell rang and snapped me back to reality. He let go and grabbed his backpack. “Can I walk with you to homeroom?”

“Su—sure.”

The day sped by. Before I knew it I was home, locked in my room, listening to mayday parade and wishing it was carter singing. I got on Tumblr and promised I would only check my blog and get right off. 6 hours later I fell asleep with my laptop on my stomach.

                Wednesday. I hated Wednesday. I was sitting on a bench on the west side of the school. This side of the building was were the parking lot emptied into the school grounds, it was landscaped and quite. No one ever came over here besides the teachers and some of the seniors who got to drive out for their lunch breaks. I had to finish my math homework but I zoned out and listened to music instead. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against a tree. I would have fallen asleep it weren’t for . . . him.

                I didn’t hear him coming up behind me but I felt his warm breathe on my neck. I jumped in my seat and my headphones were ripped out of my ears. He brushed my hair off my shoulder and whispered into my ear

“Guess who.” He said. Like I didn’t know who. It was Clark my, for lack of a better term, ex-boyfriend. We never really dated but we might as well have. We were glued at the hip but he wanted more than I could give him so I called it off unless he was willing to get serious with me. That’s when he snapped. I wasn’t prepared for the change but it hit me like a moving train. He turned into a complete and total monster. And then he ripped me off my life. I will never again be pure or innocent or even happy for that matter, he left me a shell of the person I formerly was. How could I ever forget him?

                He kissed my neck over and over again and then he moved his lips along my shoulder. I let out a breathy gasp and I could tell he was satisfied.

“I know you so well.” He whispered. “I know you better then you know yourself. I know what gets you going and I know how to shut you down.” He nibbled my neck and I whimpered. “How about we ditch school, get in my car and drive off somewhere we can be alone. Just like old times.” He said in between bites of my skin. Clark was on the road to being an alcoholic and he had completely convinced himself, in his drunken stupor, that I still wanted him. So every few months he would come find me and take me out ‘just like old times’. But not this time, I wasn’t having it.

“No Clark.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I said no Clark. I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” I tried to sound firm.

“Ha! You little bitch! You really think you can say no to me? We both know what happened the last time you tried that. You do remember right?” he was bent over the bench so that I had to look at him.

“Yes I remember. You raped me.”

“I’ve told you a thousand fucking times Alex! I.did.not.rape.you!” he came around the bench and had his hands on my shoulders. With every word he gave me a little shake. “Now come on and get in the car.” He pulled me up from my seat and started dragging me into the parking lot.

“Clark I don’t want to go with you! I don’t want you! Can’t you get that through you fat head?” I twisted and tried to jerk free of his grip.

“You fucking whore.” He slapped me. Right there in broad day light he slapped me. It was enough to stop me from trying to get away and enough to get me to cry. I couldn’t think clear enough to do anything else and I gave up trying. Then he stopped pulling, He let go of my arms. I turned to see why and found him bending over and groaning with pain. Standing just a few feet away with his hand balled into a fist was carter.

“Don’t you ever fucking hit her you piece of shit! Don’t you ever hit any woman ever!” carter said through his teeth. “Come on Alex.” He gently guided me away from Clark and around to the backside of the school.

“Are you alright?” he said looking like he might cry himself.

“I’m fine . . . how much did you see?”

“All of it I think. Enough to know I needed to kick his ass at least. Are you sure you’re alright? Your face is all red from where he hit you.”

                I pulled my phone out of my pocket and used it like a mirror. The right side of my face was dark red and swollen just a little. I started crying even harder.

“Oh god come here.” He pulled me into his arms and slowly rocked me back and forth. I laid me head on his shoulder and he rested his head on the top of mine. He smelled like incense and rain. His jacket was soft and he was as warm as a blanket. I could have fallen asleep right there.

“Come on lets go inside.” He put his arm lightly around my waist and walked me too class. The swelling went down but my face stayed red for a while. I didn’t care though, I was too busy being smitten with carter. My hero.

        That night I went home and refused to eat anything. I felt to disgusting. I fell asleep early and dreamt of carter. They say that if you dream about someone it means they went to sleep thinking about you. I hope that is true.