Finding Beauty

[16] - Chapter Sixteen

“What happened?”

Suddenly, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Why do you want to know? You push me away, you never tell me anything! So why do you want me to tell you what’s up with me?”

“McKenzie I-

“Because we should drop it?” I interrupted him using the same style he had used when he knew I was upset. “No Dean, tell me what’s going on with you and I’ll do the same.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Dean exclaimed back at me. “You have no idea what goes on with my life!”

“Then you wouldn’t understand me either,” I snapped.

He huffed. “You want to know about my life? Fine, I’ll tell you.” Huffing and muttering curse words underneath his breath, he ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his face with irritation. I suddenly felt bad about yelling at him.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered not looking at him in the eyes. “I’m just upset.”

After a while he replied, “I know and I’m sorry for pushing you away.”

“Why do you do you that anyway?” I asked him curiously.

He sighed again, his expression told me he just wanted to tell me and get it over with. “It’s because of my Dad,” He murmured. “I push everyone because of him. He’s abusive and he hits me. He did terrible things to May and I’m so glad she’s freed from him. He killed…”

Suddenly, Dean’s eyes become very teary and he hesitated. But after taking a deep breath, he continues. “He killed…my mom.” And with that, tears fell from his eyes and he immediately wiped them away embarrassed that I saw him cry.

“Dean, I’m sorry,” I said to him apologetically. I walked closer to him and without thinking, I tossed him a hug. He hugged me back surprisingly. “So anyone know?”

“There’s no one to tell,” He replied to me simply as he released me and didn’t make eye contact.

“You can tell the police,” I told him. “They’d do something—

“No! I can’t!” Dean exclaimed suddenly. “He’ll hurt me.”

I sighed, unsure of what to say. I assumed this was happening, but I had no idea on what to say. I suddenly felt so bad from him that I started to cry myself. But then I wiped them away and told myself my tears weren’t going to help him right n

“So, now that I have told you the truth. Can you tell me what happened?”

I didn’t want too but I took a deep breath and showed him my wrist. “This bracelet—

“What bracelet?” Dean asked me with a weird look on his face.

“Right here,” I said pointing to the red bracelet stuck on my wrist and noticed his puzzled expression. “You don’t see it?”

“You’re not wearing a bracelet, McKenzie. You wrist is bare.”

“B-but-

See, McKenzie I’m all in your head. You’re crazy, I am not real. It’s you who killed May and harmed Dean!

“No, no, no,” I muttered in horror. “The bracelet is…”

“McKenzie, are you feeling okay?” Dean asked me as I started walking away from him. It couldn’t be.

 It’s okay McKenzie, there is a way to get out of this. Admit that you are crazy and I’ll be gone. You don’t have to find out the truth.

I finally bumped into the wall hard and stood there looking at the floor in horror, what is going on? Is she really real?

“McKenzie, watch out!” Dean suddenly shrieked running towards me and I looked up to see that I had bumped into a wall so hard that a glass picture was about to fall on me. I tried to move, but I couldn’t control my body.

Don’t worry about that, McKenzie. Answer my question: suffer to find out why am I here or give in?

Dean suddenly pushed me away from the picture and landed on me as he did so. The large glass picture broke into millions of pieces and then Dean stood up, helping me up as he did so. “We need to get out of here!” He alerted but then he stared at my face and his expression becomes more horrified. “McKenzie, are you okay?”

I open my say yes but my mouth didn’t move, I couldn’t blink either. “McKenzie! McKenzie!” He suddenly looked at my skin and gasped in horror. “You’re pale!” I wanted to tell him that I was fine, but it wasn’t fine. My insecurity ghost attacked me in front of Dean and now I’m confused about who killed May or not.

I will lock you into a frozen state until you answer me!

I tried my best to tell her that I was going to keep on fighting; I was beginning to realize that this was probably just a trick all along and I just fell for it!

That’s not what I wanted to hear, oh well. You’re never going to find out, suffer then.

Dean suddenly picked me up bridal style and immediately ran out of the classroom taking me towards the Nurse’s office. As he ran, I suddenly regained back my warmth which I didn’t realize that was missing and then my mouth automatically opened and I took a deep breath.

He suddenly stopped running and put me down, I looked around and I was glad that no one was really in the hallway. As he put down, I stumbled on my feet and Dean suddenly helped as he grabbed both of my arms held me up.  “McKenzie, are you okay?”

“Y-yes” I replied back and then tears fell from Dean’s eyes and I thought it was sweet of him to worry about me. “I had a panic attack.” I couldn’t believe what my ghost just did to me, it was a shocker that I wasn’t crying and Dean was.

“We should take you to the nurse okay,” Dean assured me as he helped me walk, but I didn’t want to go there. No one could really help me, I was on my own. I realized that even if Dean knew, he wouldn’t be able to help me. I don’t think anyone else can see your insecurity ghost or what they give you.

“No, I’m fine,” I told him and then I tried to take the worrying tension off of him. “You sound like me and I sound like you.”

He laughed at this and wiped his tears seeming to feel a lot better and then I was able to stand on my own. Once I did, I tossed him another hug to make sure he was alright. He was because he pushed me away. “You know, I don’t like hugs.”

“That’s so not true because—

“McKenzie, there you are!” A voice suddenly spoke and I glanced down the hallway to see Kale carrying my bag. “I was worried about you, you didn’t come back.”

“I’m fine,” I informed him with a reassuring smile. “I was just in the bathroom and I ran into Dean.”

“Oh,” Kale replied to me with a nod and then he gave my bag. “Well, we should go now.”

“Wait, why?” Dean suddenly asked curiously.

“Because the bell is about to ring,” Kale said and strangely the bell rang on cue.

“Wait, Kale I need to talk to you!” Dean exclaimed suddenly angry but Kale simply ignored him and tugged me away from him as we walked away. “Kale!”

Suddenly Kale turned to him and such an angry look on his face, that I was shocked. “I don’t want to talk to you Dean! Now leave!”

“I’m not leaving until you talk to me,” Dean snapped. I took this opportunity to leave; it seemed that things were getting stranger by the minute.

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I updated Finding Beauty and yes, this story is going to get more epic as the chapters increase lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! xoxo