The girl from New York

20| Window visit

A little advice, you may want to get some tissue for this chapter:)
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I readjusted the ice pack resting on my head, annoyed that it didn't erase the beating bass drums in my throbbing head. But of course it didn't, I'm just getting annoyed over nothing.

Aiden was at a friends house doing research for his slides, so my room was silent. Behind my closed door I could hear Colin's muffled voice arguing with John in another room. I sighed and stared at my ceiling.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I looked over the window, which was concealed behind my violet blackout curtains. The tapping stopped, so I returned my gaze to the ceiling.

TAP. TAP. TAP

My tiny fist clenched as I slowly pulled off my covers. The tapping stopped. I blinked, wondering if I was hearing things.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

I stood up and wobbly legs. Now I know I'm not hearing things. I stumbled to the window and opened my curtains to peek through the blinds. Alex waved weakly. Oh, now he wants to talk? I pressed my my middle finger to the window, before closing the curtains again.

The window opened and Alex climbed in. I quickly picked up my pillow and threw it at him, while yelling. "What do you want? Do you want to be cruel to me some more or beat me up like Blair?" His eyes were more gentle, than they have been all week. He stepped closer and opened his mouth, but my slap interrupted his words.

"Okay... I deserve that, but will you just listen." He pleaded, holding a hand in his cheek, where I slapped him.

"Damn right you did! Now hurry up, before I get my dad." I growled. Who do I even bother to listen? Why am I giving him a chance, after what he's put me through? I crossed my bruised and bandaged arms, waiting for him to speak.

"I... I know you only just moved here a little while ago, and I know you probably hate everything and everybody here so far, but if you'd give me a chance to make it up to you?" He asked.

"I have! I've given you so many chances, you wouldn't believe it!" I said a little too loudly. He sighed and pinched his forehead.

"Okay, the give me one more." I slapped him again, this time on the arm.

"Why? So you can break my spirit again? You were a rude, self-centred brat all week. For no reason. And you...you ignored me, when they beat the crap out of me, when y-you heard me crying. You don't understand how much that hurt me. It h-hurt more that their punches and kicks." I said seriously, my voice cracking.

"Oh my God, you're being so stubborn." He said exasperatedly.

"Yeah, go on." I replied rudely.

"With what?"

"The names. What? You think I haven't heard them all?" Tears prickled at my eyes. Don't cry. Don't let him see you cry.

"Brook, I'm not trying to call you names, just..."

"Right, of course you aren't." I quipped sarcastically, hoping it hid the hurt in my voice. Voices I've pushed off for so long returned into my head, calling out the names and insults, I've grown to accept.

"You don't understand anything about me, Alex. Don't you see? They were right. They are. I am stubborn, ugly, s-stupid, a loser, a nerd, an accident, a-a waste of space. I'm all of those terrible names and m-more." The tears started to slowly drip down my cheek, but I brushed them away with my sleeve. "Maybe I should isolate myself away from humanity, j-just like they said. It would probably make everybody happier. Just. Like. They. Said."

"Who? Who said that?"

I choked on the words, finding it hard to talk as more tears tried to blind me. I gave up on trying to wipe my face constantly and instead just buried my face in my hands. "Everybody! They-They all agreed and it was all I heard almost everyday. Like I said Alex, you wouldn't understand. You CAN'T understand."

"Brooklyn, I...I didn't know..." He started.

"Nobody does." I whispered, hiding myself under my bed, so Alex couldn't see me cry. "Get out. I don't need to be telling you these things, so just get out! And don't talk to me again, I don't ever want to hear it." I didn't hear any movement from him for a moment, but then I saw him lie down on his stomach, his cheek pressed against the floor, so he faced me. I looked away.

"Brook. Maybe I can't understand right now, but I want to understand. Maybe if you talk to me about it, I will understand."

"Why? After a week of neglecting me and causing me so much pain, why now? Why do you want to understand?" I asked, maybe a little harsher than I intended. "No, before you answering that, tell me this: Why did you even start to ignore me in the first place? Why go through the trouble of trying to be friendly to me, if all you wanted to do was hurt me? Why?"

A look of guilt flashes over his face as he told me. "I...can't tell you that. Not—Not right now. You wouldn't believe me. But I am sorry for doing that. I was being stupid and selfish and wasn't using my brain." I scoffed with disbelief.

"Just...get out. I don't want to see you and your stupid face, just go."

Alex peered at me with his piercing blue eyes for a moment longer, before standing up and walking to my window, exiting through the same way he entered.

After I was sure he left, I belly crawled out from under my bed and locked my window. I shut the curtains tight and buried my face in my pillow, before I let the tears run free.
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"How the hell did you get the tomato soup to explode all over the stove?"

-Alex