go to walk forward, everyone in the queue has stopped and is looking at me as if they ’re waiting for something.
I feel someone poke me in the side and turn to see Beth smiling at me.
“Well?” she demands.
I don ’t reply, just take the time to study her silently. She has dark brown eyes, and I can see the anger building up in them. She’s a little pale as if she hasn’t eaten enough; she’s taller than me by about four inches. Her hair is pulled back into a tight bun, and she’s wearing a pink summer dress. Vaguely, I realised I’ve gone back to wearing baggy clothes, as if unconsciously I’ve just decided to give up on everything.
“ Don’t ignore me,” she snaps at me, bringing me out of my fog.
I try to turn around and back to the line, but she grabs my arm. I slowly turn around and fully face her but not taking my eyes off the hand she has on my arm; I make no move to get out of her grip. I feel her lean in as she digs her nails into my arm.
“What’s the matter? It finally dawned on you how unwanted you are?” she whispers in my ear, smugly.
“ Actually, I was thinking about all the tetanus jabs I’m going to have to get now that you, the walking STD, has put her hands on me,” I whisper back in her ear.
This time I ’m expecting her slap. I knew it was going to happen; I did nothing to stop it or block it, however. I just accepted it. I think I was hoping that she could make me feel pain or some sort of emotion. She goes to slap me again or maybe punch me; now she knows a slap won’t get a reaction, but her hand is pulled behind her. We both look back at the same time to see a guy older than us, hold her back.
I frown at him and he watches me in confusion.
“Want me to get her out of here?” he asks me.
I shake my head at him still frowning, not sure why anyone would do that and stand up for me. He does anyway and ignoring the silence and stares again, I move forward and pay for my food.
A few people call out to me as I walk across the room to the table Sophie is sitting at with Matt, Tucker, and Luke. I continue to ignore them all and stop next to Sophie’s chair.
“ Are you staying?” she asks, pulling out a chair for me.
I shake my head at her. “I just wanted to say sorry for snapping at you like that last night. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you,” I say softly to her; my voice sounds strange even to my own ears. I guess through all the crying last night, I finally lost my voice.
“ Don’t worry about it, I was worried about you,” she admits.
I reach up to rub my forehead and stop when I hear a collective gasp; she stands up and takes my hands in her own examining them.
“What happened to your hands?” she asks, softy searching my eyes for some sort of explanation.
“ They fell into the door to my past,” I whisper, staring at the cuts on my knuckles.
“ Brooke, where did you stay last night?” Matt asks softly tucking a stray bit of hair behind my ears.
From the gesture, I ’m transported back to my early years, remembering how my dad used to tuck my hair behind my ears after he dried it when I got out of the bath. I feel the tear running down my cheek as he lifts his hand to do it to the other side and close my eyes. When I open them Sophie is watching me, waiting for an answer.
“ With the only person who has ever really loved me,” I reply sadly.
Sophie pulls me into a hug and brushes the tears from my cheeks.
“You didn’t go to see Tucker or Beth last night, did you?” she whispers in my ear loud enough for only me to hear. I shake my head at her.
She lets me go and takes her seat at the table again. “You didn’t do anything stupid did you?” she asks me, while glaring at Tucker.
“ Probably,” I nod my head at her. “Too late to change that now, though,” I admit with a small smile. “It was worth it anyway,” I wink at her for making me smile again, even if she has no idea why I’m smiling.
“ I’ve just heard the
I feel someone poke me in the side and turn to see Beth smiling at me.
“Well?” she demands.
I don ’t reply, just take the time to study her silently. She has dark brown eyes, and I can see the anger building up in them. She’s a little pale as if she hasn’t eaten enough; she’s taller than me by about four inches. Her hair is pulled back into a tight bun, and she’s wearing a pink summer dress. Vaguely, I realised I’ve gone back to wearing baggy clothes, as if unconsciously I’ve just decided to give up on everything.
“ Don’t ignore me,” she snaps at me, bringing me out of my fog.
I try to turn around and back to the line, but she grabs my arm. I slowly turn around and fully face her but not taking my eyes off the hand she has on my arm; I make no move to get out of her grip. I feel her lean in as she digs her nails into my arm.
“What’s the matter? It finally dawned on you how unwanted you are?” she whispers in my ear, smugly.
“ Actually, I was thinking about all the tetanus jabs I’m going to have to get now that you, the walking STD, has put her hands on me,” I whisper back in her ear.
This time I ’m expecting her slap. I knew it was going to happen; I did nothing to stop it or block it, however. I just accepted it. I think I was hoping that she could make me feel pain or some sort of emotion. She goes to slap me again or maybe punch me; now she knows a slap won’t get a reaction, but her hand is pulled behind her. We both look back at the same time to see a guy older than us, hold her back.
I frown at him and he watches me in confusion.
“Want me to get her out of here?” he asks me.
I shake my head at him still frowning, not sure why anyone would do that and stand up for me. He does anyway and ignoring the silence and stares again, I move forward and pay for my food.
A few people call out to me as I walk across the room to the table Sophie is sitting at with Matt, Tucker, and Luke. I continue to ignore them all and stop next to Sophie’s chair.
“ Are you staying?” she asks, pulling out a chair for me.
I shake my head at her. “I just wanted to say sorry for snapping at you like that last night. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you,” I say softly to her; my voice sounds strange even to my own ears. I guess through all the crying last night, I finally lost my voice.
“ Don’t worry about it, I was worried about you,” she admits.
I reach up to rub my forehead and stop when I hear a collective gasp; she stands up and takes my hands in her own examining them.
“What happened to your hands?” she asks, softy searching my eyes for some sort of explanation.
“ They fell into the door to my past,” I whisper, staring at the cuts on my knuckles.
“ Brooke, where did you stay last night?” Matt asks softly tucking a stray bit of hair behind my ears.
From the gesture, I ’m transported back to my early years, remembering how my dad used to tuck my hair behind my ears after he dried it when I got out of the bath. I feel the tear running down my cheek as he lifts his hand to do it to the other side and close my eyes. When I open them Sophie is watching me, waiting for an answer.
“ With the only person who has ever really loved me,” I reply sadly.
Sophie pulls me into a hug and brushes the tears from my cheeks.
“You didn’t go to see Tucker or Beth last night, did you?” she whispers in my ear loud enough for only me to hear. I shake my head at her.
She lets me go and takes her seat at the table again. “You didn’t do anything stupid did you?” she asks me, while glaring at Tucker.
“ Probably,” I nod my head at her. “Too late to change that now, though,” I admit with a small smile. “It was worth it anyway,” I wink at her for making me smile again, even if she has no idea why I’m smiling.
“ I’ve just heard the
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