Mr. Arthur didn’t give Dylan and I the chance to talk yesterday. He kept asking questions about school and why Dylan didn’t want him to come and pick us up.
Most times Mr. Arthur over thinks but that’s cool. He never fails to show how much he cares.
“Tch.”, I hissed, struggling to inhale the next breath. Waking up with pains was normal now. I never go to bed, I pass out.
The mad man can’t learn to give me a break.
“Shit.”, I swore, glancing at the clock then standing up immediately and stretching, enjoying the sounds of my cracking bones and letting out a loud sigh as soon as I was satisfied.
“I’m late.”, I said, rushing to clean up the mess my dad made last night and then to the bathroom.?
I had to have a long bath though if not I wouldn’t be able to wash of the dried blood on my hair. I always feel disgusting everytime I wake up but I could get used to it.
After I had made breakfast, I rushed out. I didn’t want to keep Dylan and Mr. Arthur waiting.
I let out a sigh when I got to their front door, pushing the door bell as soon as I could.
I stood there for minutes, waiting for a reply but nothing came. I was beginning to think they had left without me. Just to make sure, I pushed the door bell again and this time I got a response.
The door swung open quickly, you could tell the person behind it was pissed. I gulped, taking a step back when I saw Dylan standing in front of me, with his hair rough and tired, swollen eyes. “Get out.”, he spat at me as soon as he saw me. Giving me the irritated look he usually gave when I was still six.
“Are you o-“, he didn’t give me a chance to talk.
“Just get out. Don’t make me repeat myself. I swear you wouldn’t like it.”, he said, his tone added to the threat. I could tell he wasn’t bluffing.
I took a slow step back but couldn’t make myself leave. I was thinking a lot.
The look on his face had me worried but that wasn’t all. Part of me felt that I was the cause of this but I couldn’t think if a thing I had done wrong.
I couldn’t think of anything he could find out about me to get him to suddenly act like he hates me.
“Dylan-”
“Don’t call my name Avery! Get out! Are you deaf?!”, he yelled, taking a step forward. I took a step back without even realizing. “Just leave.”, he said, calmly this time. The anger in his eyes had turned depressed but that didn’t help my mental health. I was panicking, frozen on the spot. I wanted to move but couldn’t. I needed to know what I did wrong and clear it first. I didn’t want Dylan mad at me. He’s the only person along with Mr. Arthur, that keeps me going. I don’t want to loose a reason to live. I have too little.
He sighed, rolling his eyes then stepping back into his house.
“What-“, I finally found my tongue and was able to utter a word again, but before I could, he was gone. He slammed the door at door at my face, leaving me shattered behind it.
He’s done this a million times in the past but this time, it hurt. It hurt so much.
“What did I do wrong?”, my voice cracked at the end of the question while I struggled to hold back my tears, folding my hand into a fist and digging my nails into my skin to calm myself down. “What’d crying do?”, I asked myself, rolling my eyes still attempting to hold back my tears then finally leaving.
By the time I got to school, my emotions were completely masked, no one could tell I was hurting. Ha, no one could ever read me so what’s the difference.?
I did act different though, I’d say nothing of people accidentally bumped into me or stare. I had to tolerate. Yelling or talking could make me break down and I didn’t need that.?
I head straight to my class then to my desk, letting out a shaky sigh immediately.
“Avery.”, I remained in my position when I heard Alvin call out my name. I didn’t even notice he was in class earlier.
“What do you want?”, my tone wasn’t rude. It wasn’t too nice either. Talking was a struggle so I couldn’t sound exactly how I wanted to.?
“Just checking if you’re okay.”
“I’m not. I never am.”, I knew Alvin. He’s not stupid. Even if I can keep a straight face, he’d notice something was wrong just by a change of my behavior. Denying was pointless and would only make him pester me more to open up to him. “If you shut up, it’d really make me happy.”, I said before he could say what he wanted to.
He sighed, leaving his mouth shut then turning to look at nothing.
“Thanks for caring though. I really appreciate it.”, I just had to say.
“No need to thank me.”
And then the door slammed open but that didn’t earn my attention.
“Hottie.”, A low groan escaped my mouth when I heard the voice in front of me.
“Brett.”, I sighed, calling his name then looking up to lock eyes with him. “What do you want?”
“Still rude as ever. Just how I like you.”, he smirked, sitting on my desk. “Dylan didn’t come with you today. What’s up?”
I ignored his question, picking a random book that laid around. I’d rather read that than talk about what’s going on.
“C’mon. Dylan can’t ignore me so you can’t.”, he said, snatching the book from me then tossing it aside.?
“Brett. I’m not in the mood.”
“Who cares about moods. Come on. Don’t you know me baby girl?”
“Brett.”?
“Babe.”
I sighed, feeling what Dylan usually felt. How can anyone stand this guy.
“I’m curious. Just tell me what’s going on between you two.”
“Why can’t you mind your business?”
“That sounds boring.”
I had nothing to say to him after that.
“What’s the point of keeping this from me when I would still end up finding out through Dylan. Don’t you want me to hear your side of the story first.”
“No. I don’t care whose side you hear or of you even hear what happened. You and everyone else is irrelevant.”, Can’t say that applies Dylan and his family though.
“My feelings.”, he smiled, basically flirting with me with his eyes. “How did someone like Dylan land you? Ms. Hard to get.”
Finally, the bell rung. Brett’s crazy, but that’s not enough to make him stay in my class during classes like Dylan.?
“Ah. Our love discussion, cut short by a bell. I’ll see you later.”, He said, standing up and was about to leave but he paused, turned to me then walked up to me.
“Since Dylan is not around. I might as well have a little more fun with you.”, he smirked, squatting then locking eyes with me.
“What do you-“, before I could complete the sentence, I felt his lips force themselves against mine.
I pushed him away as soon as it came so you can say it barely lasted a second.
I let out a frustrated sigh, not really caring about what he just did, just bothered by the fact that people saw this. I don’t want Dylan hearing this whether he hates me now or not.
“Why’d you do that?”
“A good bye kiss. Come on. Don’t tell me you didn’t like the feeling of my lips against yours.”
“I didn’t feel anything.”
“Then let me kiss you again.”, he said, leaning in.
I pushed him, groaning a bit.
“You just said that cause you didn’t want to admit I was your first kiss.”
“That wasn’t a kiss.”
“Excuse me Brett, we want to start a class.”, finally, the teacher said something about his presence.
Brett rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh then standing up. “I’ll see you later.”, was the last thing he said before leaving.
“Avery. Stop attracting these guys.”, the teacher frowned at Mee before carrying on with the class.
On a normal day I wouldn’t let that slide but today, all I could do was sigh.
I slept the classes away, thankfully, I wasn’t disturbed till break.
Alvin was the one that woke me up. My emotional make up had worn off by then, I looked almost as broken as I was.
“I don’t want to go for break.”, I sighed, putting my head back on the desk.
“You should. Sleeping here obviously isn’t doing you good. You look terrible.”
I remained quiet, starring at Alvin while he starred back at me.
“Are you waiting for me?”, I asked after a while if silence.
“Yes.”, he nodded.
I sighed, pushing my seat back and standing up. “I’m leaving but don’t walk with me. Brett might show up and get you involved in shit that’s not your problem. Don’t worry about me.”
Alvin stood, watching me leave. I knew he wanted to come with but that would be horrible. I was more than sure Brett would show up.
I made a stop by my locker to grab a few books I felt I could read to distract myself.?
“Avery.”, I paused for a second, processing the voice I heard call my name then slowly looking up to see who it was.
“Dylan.”, his name escaped my lips immediately. I dropped the books I had picked up back into my locker then locked it. I wanted to give Dylan my fill attention.
He looked worse then he did this morning. He dressed like he didn’t come to school. Like he planned on spending the day home, crying.
He was wearing a simple grey sweatpant, with a black vest. His hair was rough and eyes tired. I could read so many emotions coming from him.
“I’m so sorr-“, before Dylan could complete what he had to say, the last person I needed to see showed up.
It was Brett.
He stood by my side, pulling me to him by my waist then smiling at Dylan. “Damn. You look horrible today.”
Dylan starred at him for a short while then he glanced at my waist then at me.
“I heard you kissed her.”, he said calmly, giving Brett his eyes again.
Brett chuckled shortly then opened his mouth to give a reply but before he could, Dylan threw him a punch on his face. It didn’t look like he held back.
“Oh crap.”, was all I could say when Brett let go of my waist then took two steps back, struggling to remain on his feet.
Before I could turn to Dylan to tell him to stop, he threw two more punches.
There was already a crowd with Brett on the floor, wiping the blood that was spilling from his nose.
“It wasn’t a kiss. It wasn’t a kiss.”, I said, grabbing Dylan’s arm when I noticed he still had plans on beating him up more.
He ignored me, shrugging off my hand and then squatting in front of Brett and grabbing him by the shirt.
It’s either things were happening to quickly or my brain processed them too slowly. Before I could react, something new is coming up. I was lost. I didn’t know what to do at this point.
“DYLAN!’, everyone except Dylan shook when we heard that voice.?
I could recognize it immediately.
It was Mr. Arthur.?
He was rushing to Dylan who still looked like he wanted to throw a punch. Dylan was in his own world.
From a glance, I knew Mr. Arthur was as broken as Dylan. His hair was rough and his eyes bloodshot red and tired. They both looked unapproachable. Brett really had guts today.?
“You said you came to get Avery isn’t it? Why are you making a scene now?!”, Mr. Arthur yelled at him while he let out a sigh, standing up.
“Sorry…”, he trailed, glancing at Brett who looked pained but still had some fight in him. He wasn’t weak. Three punches from the potential Beta wasn’t enough to knock him off.
“Damn Dylan. Wasn’t expecting that.”, Brett said, sitting up, sighing then touching his lower lip and flinching a bit. The third punch from Dylan had burst it. It was bleeding a lot at the moment.
Brett looked at his blood stained finger then sighed a bit, narrowing his eyes ay Dylan them standing up. “Buddy.”, he said under his breath before he left the scene, probably heading to the nurse’s office.
“Stop transferring aggression Dylan.”, Mr. Arthur scolded him.
“I would’ve done that on a normal day. He deserved it.”, Dylan said, grabbing my hand then walking me out of the school’s building with Mr. Arthur following.
I didn’t ask any question, I just moved with my eyes fixed on Dylan, wondering what was on his mind.?
I had no idea what was going on.