Our Hill Of Stars

fourteen

SEBASTIAN LITTLER

When I found Wren outside her car, I was horrified. 

I had never seen her so vulnerable.

I felt my stomach tug as it turned upside down.

Billy told me that she was a slut, trying to get with him before she changed her mind and stormed out. My hands clenched into tight fists when he was explaining to me all the shit that went down. 

He was spilling the beans, thinking I was on his side.

And for a little while, I went along with his plans to make Wren's life miserable.

And then I found out actually snitched on me to the police, and I felt like the worst person in the entire world.

We had arrived at the hospital after not speaking since the party.

Wren stumbled out of the car, obviously in shock. 

She shivered and held her wrist close to her body and I felt anger surge through me as I saw blue and purple bruising beginning to rise in it's path.

We made it to the waiting room and I told the receptionist that we needed to see a nurse.

Wren sat at the back of the room, knees to her chest as she stared blankly at nothing.

I kept stealing glances at her, frowning when I see new tears drop down her cheeks. I wanted nothing more than to wipe them away, considering I was the cause of most of them.

I watched her tug her dress down as far as it could go before she put her legs down and crossed them, placing her hands in her lap.

I took off my overshirt, placing it around her shoulders.

She looked up at me gratefully, mumbling out a thank you as the nurse called her name.

"Hi there, would you like to come with me." The young male nurse smiled. Wren looked back at me with fear in her eyes, "Your boyfriend can come with if you'd like.

She nodded her head and I stood up, following them into the room.

Wren sat on the bed, swinging her feet as I sat on the plastic chair pressed against the wall, watching her.

She flinched when he pressed the skin. I closed my eyes, guilt flashing through me as I remembered the incident when she came to my house the other day.

I remembered how I grabbed her, the hand print on her wrist and then I remembered seeing the bandages around her wrists as school as another wave of emotion hit me.

She was facing me now, head down as I watched her eyes close.

"Okay, I'll be back in a moment." The doctor said, excusing himself before exiting.

I sighed, glancing at the time on my watch, 11:34pm. My Mom will be wondering where I am.

I flicked her a quick text, her response was 'ok'.

I switched off my phone and looked to Wren who's lip was between her teeth.

I looked at the clock, and the ticking seemed to get louder and louder.

"Billy dragged me into that bedroom." I heard her say, voice small.

My eyes immediately shifted to her, "I had come inside after our conversation and he cornered me." She whispered, "He dragged me through that living room and placed a chair against the door so I couldn't get out."

I could see the gears grinding in her head as I stood up slowly, not wanting to scare her.

"He called me all these names and-"

"Hey, you don't have to tell me."

"And then he punched me in the back and threw me against the dresser." 

Wren lifted the side of her dress and I audibly gasped when I saw a bruise the size of a hand in the centre of her back, "Oh my God, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell the doctor?" I said to her, concern lacing my features.

She shook her head, "I just want to go home. Please, can you just take me home." 

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The doctor finished up with the x-ray, saying it was just a minor fracture. He wrapped it once with medical tape and told her to ice it.

I was waiting for her to show him the bruise but I didn't want to push it.

He dismissed us with another set of instructions.

I took the piece of paper in my hand with the medical stuff on it and shoved it into my pocket. We were walking down the hallway, silently. The whole place smelt of disinfectant as I wiggled my nose.

Wren was still wearing my shirt as she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to close the top.

I was annoyed at myself that I felt bad for Wren. We didn't like each other, so why did I want to rip Billy limb from limb?

I opened the door for Wren and she mumbled a thank you. I climbed in and turned on the engine. I heard a sniffle and my heart squeezed.

It was a around 1am when we hit the road, "My Dad is going to kill me." Wren sighed under her breath, her knees crossed over each other, "I've been out this late before."

She reached for her phone and I glanced over at her.

Her face fell and I looked at her phone briefly.

No new messages.

I cleared my throat, trying to shake the guilty thought from my head, "You can stay at mine." I said before I thought. Wren blinked, looking shocked. I was shocked too, did I really just say that?

"Excuse me?" She asked, "You can stay at mine. I have a guest room and we can just, take it from there, I guess."

Wren nodded slowly, taking in my words, "Thank you."

I nodded, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles were white.

I saw her texting on her phone before the screen went dark again and there was silence.

Not an awkward silence, but the kind of silence that comforts you in a way fire would, except one wrong move and the fire would burn you.

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