Innocent

Chapter Eleven

"Hey you!" I turned around and pushed my geek glasses up the bridge of my nose. I groaned when I noticed that it was Luke's friend who had called my name. They had always picked on me and I didn't particularly like any of them. "I heard about the..." I raised my eyebrows as he motioned towards my neck and I acted like I didn't know what he was talking about.

In truth, I was petrified. I didn't think that Luke would tell anyone about the hickeys on my neck. The worst I feared was that our parents would find out and give me a talk about how I don't want kids at my age. As if. I barely want a boyfriend anymore.

"The hickeys," he said loud enough to get stares from the other kids. He suggestively raised his eyebrows up and down and I couldn't help but give him a disgusted face. If Luke found out about this... I mentally punched myself in the stomach because Luke wouldn't do anything. If it wasn't for him breaking his promise, I wouldn't have had them.

"What do you want from me?" I questioned. The boy quickly grabbed my arm hard and rushed me down the older hallway. I gulped as the giants of the school stared down at me but was in reality tripping over my feet as I was dragged along the halls. Once we were in the secluded hallway, he sat on the stairs and I followed him.

"So who gave them to you?" he wondered. My mouth instantly started speaking without my mind's permission but I quickly stopped myself from speaking. "Eh, not trusting me? Because I'm your brother's friend?" he questioned. I shrugged my shoulders and watched as he pulled a lighter and cigarette out. He offered me one but I denied it. "I'm just warning you that you don't want a bad name in this town or school. So many perves will come up to you and beg you for a trip to—"

"I'm still a virgin," I blurted. He only laughed at me.

"Obviously." I was questioning how he knew but I guess he could tell the confusion was embedded in my forehead. "You're too pure and innocent to do anything active. Hell, I'm even surprised you have the marks on your neck." I wiped my hand across my neck and looked at the foundation that came off. "Wow, there's a lot too." He looked intently at my neck and when I started getting uncomfortable, he stopped staring. "I'm just saying that you have a bad reputation because Luke's been telling everyone he meets about the marks."

"Really?"

"Well, no. He told his girlfriend and she's telling everyone." I felt steam come out of my ears as he mentioned Luke's girlfriend. If she wasn't in the picture, I would've been saved and I wouldn't have to be afraid of my teacher. As the bell rang, I watched as Luke's friend had gotten up and burned his cigerette out. "You coming?"

Since this was my science teacher period, I didn't really want to go. "Not today." Luke's friend just shrugged his shoulders and sat back down. "Can I tell you something?" I asked.

"Shoot."

"Well, first I need you to promise you won't make any rash decisions without consulting anyone first."

"What kind of trouble are you in?" he asked nervously. I shrugged my shoulders and waited until he nodded his head yes.

"You want to know how I got these hickeys?" He nodded his head and I felt myself sigh.

He was the first person I told.

He was the only person I told.

He was the only person who laughed before telling me that I had a wild imagination.

He was the reason I never told Luke.

He was the reason I never I told my mom.

He was the reason I never told my dad.

He was the reason I never told anyone.

He was the reason I became stone-cold.

He was the reason I couldn't talk to a boy without a stutter because he would mock the way I talked. He would make me repeat myself twenty times before laughing with Luke.

That was all after I found out he was related to that teacher, Craig Moore.

***

"Tanner, can I talk with you?" Aaron asked as he sat at my table. I looked over his buddies at their table but they didn't seem to notice that Aaron wasn't sitting with them. Maybe Aaron was just a traveler and didn't have many friends. He always talked about being lonely. Since he was already sitting here, I had no right to move him.

I didn't even look at him before I ran out of the cafeteria. I quickly walked in the bathroom and slammed the stall shut. I couldn't help but sit on the toilet and think about Aaron. He looked so much like his uncle now that I thought of it. Why couldn't I see it before?

The stuff he told me was probably false. He probably was hiding underneath his shell and then would accuse me of making up false stories of his uncle. That's what Luke's friend did and I'm sure that Aaron would do the same. I was never close with Luke's friend but the way he talked to me made me feel as if he cared. That's the same way with Aaron.

I just can't trust anyone anymore.

No Summer.

No Luke.

No mom.

No dad.

Just me. I don't understand why Aaron is trying so hard to be my friend. Usually when I shrug people off, they don't come trying to become my friend again. I just need to have a good head on my shoulder and then hopefully I could make it through high school and onto college. I just needed to count on myself.

If I counted on someone else, they would just let me down and I honestly didn't need that right now.

Hearing the bell for the ending of lunch, I put my smiling face on and trudged out into my gym. When someone grabbed my wrist, I didn't have time to react before they pulled me into a janitor's closet.

"We still have to study together."

When will Aaron learn to stay away from me?