Blood Stained Sweaters

Molly

Me: Hey
Me: You home yet?
Me: Dax? Daxxxxx?
Me: You there?
Me: Helloooo?
Me: Okay it's 8:30 you should be home
Me: It is now 9:00. I think it's past your bedtime mister.
Dax: Sorry, had something going on. I was actually about to sleep when someone interrupted me
Me: Oh....sorry...I'll go then
Dax: No you won't, ma'am. You kept me up, so now you must entertain me.
Me: Fine. If it provides you any consolation, I am clothed.
Dax: Good. I would expect no less from a woman of such esteem
Me: You. Are. A. Nerd.
Dax: That hurt...
Me: Goodnight, nerd
Dax: BUT I SAID YOU HAVE TO STAY!
Me: But I'm tired you nerd. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good night :)
Dax: Night. UGH I STILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A NICKNAME.
I crawl into bed and sigh. Besides the new puffy red marks on my skin, today was a good day. I fall asleep quickly, a certain dark haired boy dwindling in the corners of my mind.
I wake up in the morning with a smile, something that doesn't happen often. It's nice to have something different...but the only issue is I know that it won't last. I put on my jacket and head to my bedroom door, but notice that my computer is on. I look and find a new Facebook message from none other than my ride to school.
Dax: Hey, I'll be there at 6:30. Just come out when you're ready.
Weird...but okay. I decide not to go downstairs and instead just get ready. I get dressed and take my hair down and letting it fall around my shoulders. I'm considering getting it cut. Hm, maybe. I throw on a gray scarf to compliment my salmon colored top and lace my converse up. I smile at the gray silhouette of a couple holding hands on my shirt. I love this shirt. Once I'm done I quickly go to the bathroom and throw on some makeup. Once I'm contempt, I clean up and go downstairs. I glance at the clock and it reads 6:45. Oh boy...I dash out the door and wave goodbye to my dad, grabbing my book bag and making sure my phone is in my pocket. I walk out of the house, spotting Dax's car in the driveway. I hop in with a smile, but it drops immediately when I look at him.
"Oh my god, Dax, what happened?" He smiles, shaking his head. He has bruises on his face, his nose is swollen, his eyes are dark and sunken, and he just looks like he fell from the top of a tree and hit every branch everywhere on the way down.
"Just a skateboarding accident. Got pretty banged up, huh." He chuckles, but I see him flinch as he does. I shake my head.
"If you were trying to impress girls, the badass look would work." I laugh.
"Are you impressed?" I look at him, confused. He shakes his head quickly, as if trying to shake off a thought. "You know, because you can tell me if the girls will be impressed and all."
"Honestly, no. I like you more as my nerd." I smile. Wait, did I just say that? Um...why? He grins widely. Well, at least I didn't weird him out. I hope not, anyway.
"No more skateboarding for me then." He takes one more glance at me before pulling out of the driveway. Every time he looks at me I get these crazy chills. I turn on the radio and sing quietly so he doesn't hear me. After a few minutes, he turns the volume down. "You sing it better." I shyly smile but stop singing.
"I sing it better with the volume up."
"Actually, statistics say tha-"
"Shhh...I think the wild nerd may be emerging from its hibernation of ten minutes. This only happens all the time." I say. He laughs.
"I'm still working on that nickname. But don't you worry, I'll get it someday. Maybe even today." I roll my eyes. I start quietly singing again, but before I realize it I'm a little bit louder to where he can easily hear me. He smiles, but doesn't look at me. We pull into school and go through our schedules. Although it's about the same as yesterday, I find my eyes wandering to Dax more and more. Maybe for comfort, I don't know, I just know that my eyes wander to his when I'm supposed to take notes, or do class work, or do anything but stare at his perfect features. At the end of the day he stands near a bench outside, twirling his car keys around his finger and talking to some blonde girl with way too much skin showing for any girl who wants anything but sex from him. I roll my eyes, but hang back. He continues to talk to her, his eyes on more than just her face. I feel my face heat up and I walk straight past him and past the car. I don't even look back at him to see if he's following or not. I walk across the parking lot and into the small wooded area that is near our school for some odd reason. I sit beneath a tall tree. I never took time to memorize tree types, so it's the woody leaf type. I don't know if he saw me or not, but I don't really care. I don't know why I'm acting like this, I just don't feel good I guess. I send him a quick message over Facebook, hoping he has the app on his phone.
Me: I don't need a ride today. Go party :)
It may be a lie, but I don't want to drag him down. He'll get enough attention from these girls for the next few days. He didn't even see me go by. I walked straight past him and he didn't even glance in my direction.
"Live it up, Dax." I say out loud, but my voice comes out softly, almost as a whisper. And as I sit under that tree, that woody leaf tree, I realize that I don't want him to party. I don't want these whores rubbing themselves all over him. I want he and I to hang out and laugh. I want my friend to be caught up with me, not with her. I want us to go get coffee or shopping, or simply watch some Netflix because that would be the most amazing feeling. Because every day I've been with Dax, I've felt a little bit better. And as I think these things, I cry. I cry because hoping that isn't worth it. There will ALWAYS be someone better. So I cry until my lungs can't take anymore air. I cry until my eyes can yield no more tears, and I cry until I feel a familiar chest pull me in. Then I stop. I stop because I feel safe and warm and I know that no one can hurt me. I hear the soft "shh" in my ears and I open my eyes to see Dax's eyes staring right back at me. He may be bruised and he may be hurt, but he still feels safer than anything I've ever known.
"Molly? What happened?" His voice soothes me, and sends a warmth through me.
"Let's just not talk about it." I smile, but I'm pulled from my imagination. I'm still alone, only now it's dark. I won't cry again...I won't. I get up and walk from the forest, entering the parking lot to find...