Faking my Death

Yeeeehaw!

RING! RING! RING!

Like clockwork, I turn off my alarm and get out of bed like a zombie. The day before comes rushing back to me as I remember that it started with friends and ended in tears because I got slapped by Tim and now my mom thinks I'm out to ruin her happiness.

I let out a long breath.

Oh boy, I think, it's going to be a long day isn't it.

It was only a slap I try to assure myself. That's nothing. I'm a big girl I can take it, I just have to play in the lines. Easy enough. Maybe Tim was just raised different, maybe this is normal. Maybe normal parents slap their kids as repercussions for their actions. It doesn't mean he's a monster, he still made my mom happy. I'm going with that because if that's not it... I don't know how else to wrap my head around it.

I head to the bathroom and sure enough I see a big red mark on my face right where he laid his hand on me. Great.

When I look closer I can even see the outline of some of his fingers. Damn.

Luckily, I have some concealer from he dance last year that I apply to the mark. Then I put on my mascara because you can't really wear concealer without mascara. At least, that's what I think. Plus it's suspicious, I would not want anyone finding out about this because I don't want to answer their prodding questions.

After I'm done I quickly grab a protein bar from the kitchen and sneak out of the house. I really don't want to see my mom right now. I'm still hurt that she didn't believe me and she thinks I'm trying to rob her happiness.

This time I beat Brody to the school gates and I wait for him. But not for long as I see him towering over the other students on their way to school too. My god I feel like he's grown more since yesterday, he's got to be at least 6'4.

I hold out my fist and he bumps it.

"My lord Brody its time to stop growing. I feel like a midget right now," I say matching my pace to his as we walk through the school gates.

"Maybe that's because you are," he says to me flashing his dimples grin.

"Hey I'm not that small," I say defending my height.

"Whatever you say Lo. Whatever you say," he says chuckling.

I elbow him in the ribs making him grunt.

"You didn't need to do that," he says through gritted teeth but still laughing.

"I'm just trying to condition for you as your new role as the star quarterback of Highlands high," I say dramatically.

"I don't know about that Lo," he says rubbing his neck like he always does when he's unsure "the other quarterback is a sophomore and has more experience."

"Nonsense," I say trying to hype him up "no one on the field has worked harder than you. You deserve that spot QB1."

I give him one of my infamous winks. It was true though, Brody worked like a crazed man this summer conditioning himself to be the best quarterback the school has seen. And he looks the part. Now when I poke his abdomen, my finger practically bends where it used to land in soft flesh.

"Yeah yeah," he responds all humble. I roll my eyes.
We finally reach the court yard and stand near the lunch tables.

"Anyways," he says changing the subject "how was the dinner?"

I hope he can't notice how my body involuntarily tenses and I close my eyes briefly. I can't tell him. He'll go into overprotective mode and I'm an independent woman, well 15 year old girl, but still I can handle this by myself. So I plaster on a smile and look him right into his beautiful blue eyes trying to convey confidence in my expression.