Broken

Chapter Seventeen

Sleep was difficult for me that night. Justin riddled my mind into the hours of the morning just like he appeared in my dreams every other night. I distanced myself from my father since my exchange with Justin. I didn't want to talk about it. I only wished it had not happened.

I trusted Justin. I trusted him more than anyone in my life, but right now he was hitting all my nerves. I hated to admit what was really going on with me, but I knew it was the root of all this. I was jealous. I was jealous of Nora and I hated it. I didn't think I was the jealous type, but I hate thinking of her with him. I was upset over everything else Justin had done, but if he was not with Nora I think I would have forgiven him already.

This was a new kind of difficult for me. I had no clue what to do. I wanted the answer to just appear out of the air, but no such luck came to me. I knew that Nora probably hated me now and that only makes everything worse. Justin and I are fighting, Nora and I are fighting, Grandma and I are fighting, and I hardly know the man who calls himself my dad. I felt like I was alone.

I did not want to go to school. I had no desire to face Justin or Nora or anyone else for that fact, but I knew that I was not in the mood to stay home with my father all day. I knew that eventually he would get the truth out of me and I knew all my held back tears would come out. I didn't want that, not today. I wanted to be strong.

"Hey, Hayley."

I looked over to see Martin Alonso as I walked into the school building. He fell into step with me as I walked down the hallway.

"Hey," I said.

"How are you doing?" asked Martin.

I looked over at him, "I'm fine. How about you?"

"I meant about everything that's happened," said Martin.

I narrowed my eyes, "Does Justin tell you everything?"

"Pretty much," said Martin with a shrug.

"Got it," I nodded. "And like I said before, I'm fine."

"Good," said Martin with a nod. As we walked down the hallway, both of us became very aware of the eyes that followed us. It was an uneasy feeling that I was not used to in the school hallways.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw my locker. It was like any other locker in the hallway except for the piece of paper taped to it. Normally, I would have thought it was a mistake, but my picture was printed on the paper right below a four-letter word in all capital letters: Slut.

Martin instantly pulled the paper off my locker and crumbled it up. I took a deep breath and looked around the hallway, wondering what to do. Everyone was waiting for my next move, but I was frozen.

"Who did this?" asked Martin. He threw the piece of paper on the ground as people began to gather in the halls. "Why would anyone do this?"

"Because it's true."

The words stung. Realizing who they came from stung even more. Cody stood there in the group of people with all eyes suddenly on him after his claim. I took a deep breath and tried to hold back all the emotions stirring inside of me.

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Martin.

"I would like to know that too." I looked over to see Nora join the group. What was she going to do? I knew I was already on her bad side.

"Miss Perfect, Hayley, was with your boyfriend after the dance," said Cody.

"How would you know?" asked Martin. He didn't deny it. I took a deep breath, afraid of what was going to happen.