Three Years Away From Love

Chapter 8: A Confession

I stood, my back leaning heavily against the door as the lock latched behind me, the widest smile stretched across my face, the blanket showering over my shoulders as if to keep Keegan's embrace with me for as long as possible. The house was surrounded by complete darkness so I figured either everyone was out or asleep. Walking to my room, I turned on the light only to find someone strewn across my bed, it was Jamie.

I walked over and whispered, "Jamie....Jamie, wake up." my hands slowly shaking her body until her eyes flashed open.

"Wha-What? Oh dear god Haley, don't you know not to disturb a sleeping hormonal teenage girl?" her speech was slurred by sleepiness and her hair was in the process of becoming a small rats nest.

"Well you see Hun, your kinda in my room...on my bed."

she looked around, noticing her surroundings, "Oh ha that's right, I was waiting for you, and well I guess I just passed out, but anyways how was it? And where and who did you get that blanket from." she winked at me, and I rolled my eyes

"Well it was kinda amazing, and well this blanket well you se-"

She cut me off, "Its Keegan's! I knew it" She had a half smile, half smirk marking her face, "Well where did he take you?" After that I continued to tell her story of how Keegan had taken me to the field and made us dinner and just like any other girl, she thought it was the most romantic thing in the world. "So...you in loove?" Her eyes were staring curiously at me.

"Jamie, its been one date, how can one be in love?" I was blushing.

"Awh little Haley's in loooove?" She said adding extra emphasis on the word 'love'.

"Oh gosh shut up Jamie." I playfully shoved her and she playfully complained. After a few more prying questions, she returned to her own room, wishing me farewell for the night, and leaving me to reminisce. I got ready for bed quickly and then settled into bed still wrapped in the blanket, which was already becoming a sweet souvenir of my relationship with Keegan. I feel asleep every to quickly as memories from the previous night washed over me like the waves of the softest ocean.

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Monday came as a burden as usual. Sunday gave me a chance to get completely caught up on my homework, which was an easy distraction from reminiscing about the date.

I walked in to my first class monday morning five minutes late due to the fact that Jamie had recently gotten her learners permit and was an even slower driver than her parents. I expected to see Keegan smiling at me as I entered the room, but was faced with confusion instead. His seat stood empty in its place, only filled with air. Where was he? Was he ok? I quickly snapped out of it, realizing that these thoughts would only characterize me as something I never wanted to be, 'clingy'. I quickly took my seat and listened to the tail end of the morning announcements and then the annoying voice of my algebra teacher fill my ears, causing me to zone out for the next hour.

The week passed and Keegan still wasn't coming to school, I was beginning to worry. When Friday morning came, I gave in to my intuition and texted him.

'Where have you been? Everything alright?' I tacked a smiley face onto the end and pressed 'send' retuning to taming my messy hair for school.

Two minutes later my phone buzzed, 'Everything's good Hales, coming back today, see you in homeroom.' I smiled at the fact that he had given me a nickname and that he was coming back today. I chose not to reply and just wait to see him until *

homeroom.

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Two hours later, the bell rang for homeroom. I tried my best not to sprint there as excitement was filling my body vein by vein. As I entered the door, I was met with the smile I had been waiting to see all week. I turned to my seat as our teacher took role and then gave us the rest of the period to do what we please. Keegan spoke first, "Hey there," he said as he placed his hand on my shoulder making me shiver.

I turned around, "Hey how are you?" His eyes looked semi-droopy like he had lost a great deal of sleep over the last few days.

He looked away from me, "I'm alright, but I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh really? Well I wanted to talk to you as well."

"You first." He spoke evenly.

"Well I really just wanted to thank you, I mean Saturday was kind of, well, amazing. There's just one thing, you sorta forgot your blank-"

He cut me off, "Keep it alright?Cosider it a gift," He slyly smiled, I nodded, "Now I know theres this thing called homecoming up."

"Oh ya that's right, " I said sarcastically, Keegan laughed.

"And I would be honored to have you as my date."

"Oh really?"

"Is that a yes?" I could see his nerves in his eyes.

"Yes." and with that, Keegan smoothly lifted himself out of his chair just enough to peck his lips on my cheek turning my temples a nice rouge color. As he sat back down, he removed his sweatshirt, "Is it really necessary for them to keep this room 80 degrees?"

I didn't reply for as I looked at him, I noticed his skin was sprinkles with several cuts, especially in the inner arm area, and many yellowing bruises. "Keegan.." I paused, "What in the world happened to you?"

He hesitated, realizing what I was talking about, "Oh don't worry about it," I gave him the 'I'm not going to accept that as an answer' look that most girls were blessed with. He glanced down avoiding eye contact, "I just got in a fight alright"

"A fight? Oh god, with who?"

He was surely looking away from me know, I knew he was nervous, I was about to tell him that he didn't have to tell me and that everything would be alright, but he spoke before I got the chance to, "I got in A fight with my...with my Dad ok?"

"Wait what." I was completely dumbfounded. Keegan was biting his lip making it a rich blood color.

"Ya thats right." I saw a glassiness covering his eyes, the same glassiness I saw in my others just before her life was taken away from her.

"But why?"

"Well, after our ever so amazing night, I came home, and he didn't really like how late it was, and well I think its pretty obvious what happened from there." He spoke very quietly as his eyes shifted from one bruise to another and eventually to me, "Hales, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Keegan..." What do you say at a moment like this, "This isn't ok."

He grabbed my right hand which was resting on the edge of his desk. "Don't worry beautiful, I can take care of myself."

And for one silly moment, I actually believed he could.

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