Free Falling

Chapter 11 | I Have Returned My Love!

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"You don't know pain until you're staring at yourself in the mirror with tears streaming down your face and you're begging yourself to hold on and be strong
That is pain."
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*Trigger Warning: This chapter deals with depression, abuse, etc. Please read with caution*

"So there's a dance coming up next Friday." Kara says, taking a seat next to me at the diner the following Friday.

"Oh yeah, are we going or what?" Sierra asks, looking over at Chase.

"No Sierra, I'm going to go with my other girlfriend." He says, no emotion on his face.

And this is where he dies.

I'm proven correct when Sierra hits him over the head. Dwight chuckles next to me and I smile, looking over at him. His face is still bruised pretty bad, and his fist is still busted up, but at least he's laughing.

Yesterday, seeing him so hurt broke my heart. He's been through so much with his so-called father, and it's not fair to him. I hate seeing him hurt.

In the past, Dwight has retreated back into his shell and shut everyone out when his dad would come back in his life. It takes a lot to get him back, but this time feels different. He seems like he's okay, but I've also learned that fake smiles are the easiest things to do.

Everyone in the group had so many questions when they saw him this morning, but all he had to say was Darren and that shut up all of the questions. 

We all know how terrible his "father" is. 

"Anyways, before Chase dies, Emma you're going right?" Kara asks me, pulling me from my thoughts about Dwight.

I sigh, looking at the table. "I don't know guys, that's like asking for an encounter with Mason."

"You missed last year because of him. Are you gonna let him take away your last one too?" Jake asks, giving me a look.

I sigh, realizing that he's right. A homecoming dance isn't a big deal to others, but to me it's another thing Mason stole from me.

"Okay, fine. I'll go." I say, causing them to cheer.

"Who are you gonna go with?" Sierra asks me.

"Well obviously she's gonna go with me." Austin says, a smug look on his face.

"I think you meant to say she's obviously going with Travis." Travis says, speaking in third person.

"Y'all are idiots. It's obviously me." Dwight says, rolling his eyes.

I laugh and shake my head. "How about I just go alone?"

"And miss a chance at going with all of this?" Austin says, gesturing to his body.

"Please, we all know you're going to go with some girl and get it on." Sierra says, rolling her eyes.

"For Emma, I would give that up."

"A man after my own heart." I say, mockingly putting my hand over my heart.

"Always." He replies, winking.

"Someone change the topic before I throw up." Travis says, rolling his eyes.

"Em, you coming to the game tonight?" Dwight asks me.

"Yeah, it'll be weird being in the stands though."

I don't regret quitting cheer, it's just gonna be weird to be at a football game and not be on the sidelines. I missed almost all of the football games last year, but it was different because I wasn't physically at the game.