before?"
"Oh, I just moved here a couple days ago. But this is the first time I've seen you."
"Yeah well," I said, pointing to my bruises and my arm to explain.
"What happened to you anyway?" he asked.
"Got beat up," I replied, as if it was no big deal. I didn't know why I was sharing so much with a complete stranger.
His eyes widened slightly. "Seriously?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I broke two ribs and my shoulder was dislocated."
He stared in disbelief. "Who did this to you?"
"Boyfriend."
"Why would you date a guy who does that to you?" he asked dumfounded.
"Oh, he's not my boyfriend anymore. I wouldn't keep dating him after that."
He sighed in relief. "Good." I studied his face. His eyes were intensely green and his hair a golden blonde. His features were strong, making him appear beyond his years, and he was built like no other junior I knew.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"Almost 18," he said. "I'm a senior. What about you?"
"Sixteen," I replied. "Junior."
"I'm sorry about your bruises," he said. "I can tell there's a pretty face behind them."
"Then pray they heal quickly."
He grinned wide. "It was nice meeting you, Nevaeh. I gotta go now. Maybe I'll see you around." I waved at him as he departed, wondering if this was some sign to let go of Cael. I didn't think too much into it. Brett seemed harmless, but then again, so had Nathan. It was hard to know who you could trust.
When I walked into homeroom all eyes turned. Cael's jaw dropped slightly, as if he was surprised to see me.
"Nevaeh, what happened to you?" Mr. Kelly asked. "Did you get beat up?" He grinned, thinking he had made a joke. I saw Cael looking at me out of the corner of my eye.
"Just an accident," I replied quickly, taking my seat next to Halley.
"God Nev, what happened?" she asked. I hesitated, wondering if I should tell her the truth.
"It's nothing," I said. "Just fell down the stairs." She looked at me suspiciously, and I wasn't quite sure if she bought my story.
She didn't question my excuse. "Well, that offer still stands about coming to my house. I mean, if you're really desperate or something."
I smiled weakly. "Thanks." I was almost afraid to leave school that day, like I would see Nathan waiting for me in his car. I stood outside the school doors as kids rushed past me, staring at the spot where Nathan had been that first time he hit me.
"He's not there, Nevaeh." The voice behind me startled me. I turned around to see Cael hovering over me. He'd read my mind.
"I keep thinking he's going to come back," I said quietly. "I'm afraid."
"He's not coming back, Nev."
"But he knows where I live," I said, fear clearly present in my voice. "And I'm all alone there."
"You have Jasmine," he said.
I turned and looked up at him. "She's gone."
His eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?" he asked looking puzzled. "Where'd she go?"
I shook my head. "I don't know where she went. She just said this wasn't where she was supposed to be."
"I don't get it," he said.
"I don't either," I replied. "I just know that I'm alone."
"Do you want to come to my house?" he offered.
I stared at him for a moment. I really did want to go to his house. I knew I would feel safer there. But he suddenly felt like a stranger to me, and I knew that I was chasing an impossible dream.
"No thanks," I said finally, turning my back to him and starting to walk away.
"Nevaeh!" he said with such intensity in his voice that it almost frightened me. I turned back to face him. "What do you want?"
I looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"What do you want from me?" he said loudly. "I'm trying to help you, but you keep pushing me away."
"I don't need your help," I said stubbornly.
"Then what do you need?" He stared straight into my eyes, and I could see such fire in his. I wanted to turn away, but
"Oh, I just moved here a couple days ago. But this is the first time I've seen you."
"Yeah well," I said, pointing to my bruises and my arm to explain.
"What happened to you anyway?" he asked.
"Got beat up," I replied, as if it was no big deal. I didn't know why I was sharing so much with a complete stranger.
His eyes widened slightly. "Seriously?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I broke two ribs and my shoulder was dislocated."
He stared in disbelief. "Who did this to you?"
"Boyfriend."
"Why would you date a guy who does that to you?" he asked dumfounded.
"Oh, he's not my boyfriend anymore. I wouldn't keep dating him after that."
He sighed in relief. "Good." I studied his face. His eyes were intensely green and his hair a golden blonde. His features were strong, making him appear beyond his years, and he was built like no other junior I knew.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"Almost 18," he said. "I'm a senior. What about you?"
"Sixteen," I replied. "Junior."
"I'm sorry about your bruises," he said. "I can tell there's a pretty face behind them."
"Then pray they heal quickly."
He grinned wide. "It was nice meeting you, Nevaeh. I gotta go now. Maybe I'll see you around." I waved at him as he departed, wondering if this was some sign to let go of Cael. I didn't think too much into it. Brett seemed harmless, but then again, so had Nathan. It was hard to know who you could trust.
When I walked into homeroom all eyes turned. Cael's jaw dropped slightly, as if he was surprised to see me.
"Nevaeh, what happened to you?" Mr. Kelly asked. "Did you get beat up?" He grinned, thinking he had made a joke. I saw Cael looking at me out of the corner of my eye.
"Just an accident," I replied quickly, taking my seat next to Halley.
"God Nev, what happened?" she asked. I hesitated, wondering if I should tell her the truth.
"It's nothing," I said. "Just fell down the stairs." She looked at me suspiciously, and I wasn't quite sure if she bought my story.
She didn't question my excuse. "Well, that offer still stands about coming to my house. I mean, if you're really desperate or something."
I smiled weakly. "Thanks." I was almost afraid to leave school that day, like I would see Nathan waiting for me in his car. I stood outside the school doors as kids rushed past me, staring at the spot where Nathan had been that first time he hit me.
"He's not there, Nevaeh." The voice behind me startled me. I turned around to see Cael hovering over me. He'd read my mind.
"I keep thinking he's going to come back," I said quietly. "I'm afraid."
"He's not coming back, Nev."
"But he knows where I live," I said, fear clearly present in my voice. "And I'm all alone there."
"You have Jasmine," he said.
I turned and looked up at him. "She's gone."
His eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?" he asked looking puzzled. "Where'd she go?"
I shook my head. "I don't know where she went. She just said this wasn't where she was supposed to be."
"I don't get it," he said.
"I don't either," I replied. "I just know that I'm alone."
"Do you want to come to my house?" he offered.
I stared at him for a moment. I really did want to go to his house. I knew I would feel safer there. But he suddenly felt like a stranger to me, and I knew that I was chasing an impossible dream.
"No thanks," I said finally, turning my back to him and starting to walk away.
"Nevaeh!" he said with such intensity in his voice that it almost frightened me. I turned back to face him. "What do you want?"
I looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"What do you want from me?" he said loudly. "I'm trying to help you, but you keep pushing me away."
"I don't need your help," I said stubbornly.
"Then what do you need?" He stared straight into my eyes, and I could see such fire in his. I wanted to turn away, but
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