Beauty and the Geek

Chapter 14.

"I knew it!" Brett was manic as he bulldozed his way into the room. "I knew I was right!"

He launched himself in Will's direction. I leaped from the bed, making it between the two riled up teenage boys just in time to feel Brett's hardened fist connect with my cheekbone. Silence fell upon the room as my eyes tried to stay open; watery, painful tears sliding down my face. I felt Will's hands on me, trying to pull me up from the ground, but I could barely stay conscious from the pain.

"You hit her!" Will said with no source of emotion, a panic stricken expression crossing his face.
"I...I...didn't mean it!" Brett forced his way over horrified, shoving Will out of the way.

He seized me from Will's comforting arms and pulled me into his own, making me feel nauseous even in my semi-unconscious state. I lay there for a while, my cheek still throbbing, as exhaustion spread throughout my whole body. I was tired of hiding. I was tired of everything.

"P-please," I stuttered, desperately pulling his strong fingers from my arm. "Let me go."
"I don't want to," He said quietly, his rage subsiding.
"Let me go, Brett," I said, gently, looking him directly in the eye as we both realised exactly what I was talking about. "It's time to let me go."

I scurried over to Will and he held me tightly. He had been hanging around the corner of the room near the phone, clearly intending to call the cops. I wanted Brett to avoid that. Sure, he was troubled but maybe it wasn't totally his fault. I was the cheater. Maybe, it was partly my fault he was here right now, almost foetal on the floor. Maybe I messed people up by accident. Maybe that's all I was good at, I thought woefully.

"I just can't believe it," He breathed deeply, refusing to face either of us. "What does he have that I don't?"
"It's...just the way things are sometimes," I replied, approaching him hesitantly and patting his shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner – you didn't deserve that."
"I do deserve it," He clutched my hand like a small child. "I did some really messed up stuff..."
"It doesn't mean you can't change things...you can get better. We can get you help."
"I don't want help," He looked at me darkly, shrugging it off.

Brett stared at us both with contempt; a fire I had never seen only once before blazing deep inside him. His fists curled by his side, his knuckles white and bony, ready for the impending doom they were about to cause. I felt the fear grow inside me; fresh and tingling as it coursed through my veins. Will stepped in front of me nimbly.

"You have a nerve even showing up here," Will uttered, his honesty finally coming out. "You just hit a woman – what do you know about being a good person?"
"Excuse me?" Brett's eyes widened, horrified the school 'geek' had dared to speak to him. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do with MY girlfriend..."
"She isn't YOUR anything anymore," Will poked him in the chest. "I think we both know you lost her a long time ago – way before I showed up."
"That's not true," Brett's eyes narrowed, before sliding to me. "Tell him that's not true, Em."

They both stared at me and the moment I had dreaded for so long had finally appeared; I was forced to choose between Brett and Will. I couldn't believe that Brett was so delusional; yes, I had gone along with him for a long time and I regretted that. I was ashamed of that time in my life that felt so long ago but in reality was only a few months earlier. Lately, he must have known things weren't good and that he had problems. I feared Brett and felt sorry for him all at the time same time - but it wouldn't stop me finally telling the truth. I shook my head in Brett's direction; a symbol of the finality of our relationship.

"Well, shit," He declared. "It just gets better. So, our whole relationship was fake?"
"No, it was real! In the beginning," I avoided his eyes. "But lately...I've changed."
"You're telling me. I guess now that you're doing some nerd it makes you more intelligent and better than everyone else."
"I'm not doing anybody!" I flamed, my cheeks blushing tomato red, as Brett smiled at my displeasure.
"Could have fooled me – you seemed really into the idea the last time we were together," He challenged.