Companion

Chapter 12: Against My Better Judgement

When 6:00 rolls around, I decide to get up and ready for school, against my better judgement. I'm just sick of being around this place by myself already. My feet feel tender and ache with each step. I change into jeans and my big sweatshirt, leaving my hair in its bun. I attempt to cover the bruise with makeup, but it barely makes a dent. Instead, I just fade the bruise a tiny bit.

I pack up my homework. I can't bring myself to eat breakfast. Sliding my feet into my shoes is even more painful than scraping them in the first place, but I try to take comfort in the fact that I'll be sitting most if the day.

I limp to the bus stop, and try to hide in the group from Penny, Nate, and Edge who are already there. They see me but don't acknowledge me. There are a few people whispering and I hope it's not about me. I just got over that. I don't need any more. I sit near the front of the bus so I don't have to be near Edge. At the next stop, Oliver sits next to me.

"Front. Different," he says. Then he actually looks at me. "Holy shit what happened to your face?"

"It's kind of a long story that I'd rather not tell."

"Was it Edge?"

"Partly. Partly myself."

"Just tell me vaguely."

"I had a nightmare. And I didn't sleep at all after. So I'm kind of a hot mess right now and all I want to do is not be here. But I also don't want to be at home either." I rub my eyes.

"Is there any way I can help?"

"Not really, no. But thanks for asking."

"No problem."

When we get there, Oliver lets me out and puts a hand on my back.

"Hope you feel better."

"Thanks. So do I."

I get off the bus and walk into school. People stare at me as I shuffle down the halls. Sadly, I catch some of their whispers. I hear my name. Then someone has the guts to approach me directly.

"Oh my goodness!" It's Maddy. The girl who delivered the lasagna. The girl who's terrified of Edge. But he's not here now. She stares at me in mock-amazement. "Is that...are you...a ghost?"

There are laughs. Personally, I didn't think it was that funny. But who knows? It might just be because I'm tired. Maddy grabs the nearest girl by the arm.

"Hey...you see her too, right?" The girl looks at me, then fakes the same shock.

"No! It can't be!" The two if them walk up to me slowly. Everyone is watching. Maddy circles me. She pokes my stomach and I wince, suppressing a scream of pain and frustration. I glare at her.

"Oh Hunter it really is you!" Maddy exclaims. "We thought you were killed!" She hugs onto my arm. I glare straight ahead.

"Oh Hunter, how could you be so careless as to leave the house with this dirt on your face?" Her thumb rubs against my fresh bruise. I tense my jaw and try to conceal the immense pain I'm in.

"That's funny. It's not coming off!" She presses harder and rubs faster. I bite my lip so hard it feels like I'm about to put a hole through it. I know all of my efforts to fade the bruise from this morning are completely gone. The halls are dead quiet. Everyone nearby is watching. They want to see how I'm going to react. Like I'm an experiment.

Maddy takes her thumb off my face and licks it. But before it can return to my face, I have Maddy in an arm lock and bending forward. I shove her away from me. The people watching jump to life, gasping and taking bets. Maddy and I share a moment of eye contact and she winks at me. That's all it takes.