In My Eyes

Chapter Eleven

Bianca

Ever since Ben and I started dating, I've been happier. For the first time, I feel complete. With him by my side, I'm invincible.

Except for the fact that I'm not.

Shove. Ashley towers over me as I fall to the ground with my back pressing against the lockers. She also has two of her cheer friends with her.

"Are you deaf? Did I not tell you to stay away from Ben?" Ashley snarls, kicking me in the stomach.

While trying to get up and out of this situation, she pushes me back over, her friends standing idly by and not caring that I'm in pain.

"He likes me. Keep your gross diseased hands off of him or I'll fucking ruin your life," she spits. My heart races, rage bubbling up inside me.

"He's my boyfriend, and he doesn't like you," I return. But that was probably a mistake. She grabs my hair and slams the side of my head against the lockers. She and her friends walk off as my nose starts to bleed and my cheek sears in pain. I start to cry and heave myself up off the ground, despite the aching pains.

I walk down the hallway, trying to get out of sight of any onlookers. I eventually take a seat in the platform area on the top of the stairs, out of traffic. I sit by myself for a few minutes, crying, and not bothering to wipe the blood off my face.

"Oh my god," I hear a familiar voice say in panic. Suddenly, Ben sits down next to me and takes me in his arms. "What happened?"

I sniffle, smelling the iron of the blood. "Don't worry about me," I tell him, trying to refrain from crying more. I don't want him to stress out over me.

"You're bleeding, Bianca," he panics. He quickly grabs a pack of tissues from his backpack, opening it frantically. He hands one to me and I hesitantly wipe the dripping blood off of my face. I pocket the bloody tissue and continue to avoid eye contact with Ben.

"It was just a nosebleed," I lie. He frowns.

"But you were crying, and your cheek is scraped up," he points out.

I sigh. "Ashley yelled at me for 'stealing you' and shoved my face into the lockers." Ben looks at me in horror and rage.

"I hate her so much," he fumes. I frown.

"This is why I didn't wanna tell you. I don't want to make you mad."

"But you don't deserve this kind of treatment. I don't want you to be pushed around and hurt like this," he says sadly.

"Thank you for caring, but I really don't want to drag you into this. I don't want you to get hurt too," I frown. He sighs.

"At least tell me when you're upset. I want you to be happy," he frowns.

I purse my lips and peer down at the dirty tiled floor and my feet. "Okay."

"I don't have practice today. Wanna walk down to that little deli down the hill together?" he offers.

"Sure," I reply. I stand up and grab my backpack, wiping any tears that lingered from before, and we both walk down the stairs and out the front. As we walk along the pillars out front, the sun shining on us in the mild October weather, he peers over at me.

"Have you ever told the people in the office about those bullies?" he asks me.

"Yes," I respond.