Beautifully Broken

Chapter 8

Throughout the day all I'm doing is trying to avoid Holden. I don't want to screw up another person like I did myself. We have 2 classes together and it doesn't bother me until he passes me notes. I just hide them away and save them for later. English ends and I make my way to my locker to grab lunch money. I see Fin come up to me, but Holden is nowhere in sight. "What did you and ah, lover boy do last night?" he smirks

"Lover boy?" I chuckle, ",and we didn't do anything..." I say lying

"Spill." he says

"We went to the lake in his truck." I say

"That's IT?" he says questioning me

"I mean we kissed... it wasn't anything though." I say lying once again....about half of that sentence.

"AUB!!" he says biting his lip and fangirling like a girl on Christmas.

"What?" I ask

"You're getting some of Mr. Hot over there." he says nodding towards Holden. I turn around and see him at his locker, putting some cologne on.

I like a guy that smells good.

OFF TOPIC AUB.

"Well.. I think you should know something Fin." I tell him.

"Which is?" he raises a brow.

"You know....um...Gale right?...." I say scratching my neck nervously

"Wait is he?..." he says

"Yep. Holden Hawthorne." I say sighing

"This makes this love thing you guys got going on just as much more exciting." he says laughing and smiling like a little kid

I shake my head and we make our way to lunch.

Basically the same thing happens every day at lunch. Fin and I make our way to our table in the corner and observe the cliques. There's the football jocks who get every single girl in Panem, the girls who dress so much like a stripper that they should be at a strip club, the science geeks, the cute puppy love couples always making out, the somewhat gothic kids, and then there's this one guy who just makes us cringe. He sits in the corner and eyes every. single. girl. I swear he looks at their butts and boobs and then dates them. I mean he went after me once in middle school, but that was when Connor was always by my side making sure I was fine.

Stop Aubrey.

Connor isn't here.

I push my food away and don't eat a thing.

"Aubrey, eat." he says sternly. He knows about me and how I am.

"I'm not hungry." I tell him.

He raises a brow.

"Fine." I say nibbling on some gross macaroni and cheese.

And then he comes in.

Great.

He comes to sit with me and Fin. He pulls up a chair and sits next to me. Slightly closer than yesterday which makes me feel uncomfortable. Fin is just next to me trying to hold back something. A laugh maybe. His face is bright red which makes me want to slap him so he doesn't say anything.

"Aubrey, next time I would put lipstick on. Your lips were pretty chapped." he whispers loud enough for Fin to hear. I am blushing so hard at this point. Fin is just waiting to crack up.

I whisper back, "I'll do that for ya." and we both laugh.

And then she comes over here. Miss Queen Bee of our school.

Blaire.

"So little miss Aubrey found herself another boy to use as a protectant because her brother dies. An idiot Aubrey. You know that right? It's so dumb to get more boys you little slu--" she says before she is cut off by Holden's anger rising and he attacks her. He throws her against the ground before her preppy boyfriend comes over and starts with Holden.

"Why'd you hit my girl?" he says pinning Holden on a wall. At this point, the whole lunchroom's eyes are on them and me.

"She called MY girl a slut and an idiot...." he says.

My girl...

Sounds nice.

Holden throws a few punches and also gets a few punches to the face himself. They go back and forth with hitting and punching and kicking so much that they both look like they've escaped some street fight. At this point I'm crying. The principal comes in and talks to them. They both get suspended for 3 days.

The whole lunchroom goes dead silent and I just walk out. I am followed by Holden, who is still covered in blood on his face and arms. I'm bawling. It's not the first time that's happened to me.

Nobody's just been brave enough to fight back.

He buries me in his chest and I'm wrapped up in his arms. He strokes my hair, which probably has red streaks now. "Why'd you do that?" I ask

"Because I'm not going to let someone sit around and bully you like that. You mean more than to be called those things." I nod slightly and we just stand there hugging forever.

"Sorry for getting you suspended." I joke to him

"It's alright. You're worth it, princess." I smile.

I'm worth it.

I'm finally worth something to someone.

The principal comes by and escorts Holden out. He yells, "Aubrey come to my house later!" I nod.

I'm finally getting somewhere.

Someone finally makes me feel like I can be treated correctly and like I'm not a piece of trash. Like I can finally trust someone and I think I've began to love them.

I've began to love someone again.