Small Town Sumner's

Chapter Three: Midnight Talks

Welp.

"He was the new guy in class and I shared my notes with him. It turned out I had some more classes with him, and he happened to go to the same gym, taking some of the same classes there too. We'd gotten close over the weeks; we had pretty much the same interests, so it was really easy to befriend him. I started admiring more romantically, of course I was never gonna follow through on those feelings since I valued our friendship so much, I was content that was until I beat up his best friend."

I paused to take a quick look at Dad, worried he might get angry. Instead all I got from him was 'go on' look, I took comfort in it and continued.

"One day, after school ended, I walked to our regular spot where we usually meet up, I got a text from him saying he'd borrowed one of the comic's we both liked, when I got there, his friend Kent was talking about Layla, really, really vulgarly, and when I looked to Derek he was just listening to the dude and laughing. . . "

My breath was getting heavier, my face wetter.

"He looked at me as if it was just some funny joke, he was acting like a completely different person, not the Derek I'd known, but I wasn't focusing on him anymore, I warned Kent to stop, and of course like always he didn't listen but instead mocked me for trying to stick for Layla, I warned him again, and he called me a bluffer, he said another joke, and I was livid. . "

It's getting shorter.

"I punched him clean cut straight into the face, he fell down, I stood over him and before he could get up to attack me, I punch him again, he started calling me names, but soon he couldn't call me anything, the only thing he could do was push me off of him, he punched me once or twice but it didn't matter, I needed to know his actions had consequences, I didn't care Derek was there in front of me, in fact I'm pretty sure he knew the moves I was using since it was from boxing class.. . "

Its hard but I hold it back.

"Derek had enough of us going at it, so grabbed me away from Kent and pushed me to the side, he told me I -"

I can't, I can't breathe.

I can, I can breathe.

"He told me how he didn't wanna believe the rumors, how he tried to prove everyone wrong, but then he figured maybe he was wrong."

I couldn't say anything to prove him wrong is what I wanted to say.

A couple of seconds of more silence filled the room but it felt as if my breathe wasn't as free anymore, I was having.

"Arien are you okay"

Another moment of silence.

I'm heaving.

"Arienelle, sweetie please answer me truthfully."

Tears ran down my face, my throat dried more with each breath, as I faced up to him.

"No." I whisper softly as my Dad launches out of the chair, grabbing ahold of my shoulders.

"I wanted to prove him wrong, but I couldn't. I was too shocked. I did it all for Layla, she never knew what was going on, but I did, I protected her even if it meant owning up, but Dad, Dad it hurts, it hurts so much."

Dad's grip tightens.

"I'm so-sorry, I know you don't have time for t-this but-"

"Don't you ever think that Sweetie, Daddy will always have time for you, please Arienelle. . ."