The Girl With Tattoos • Original Version

The Girl With Tattoos (33)

"Are you sure you can be here by yourself? I can just skip again if you need me to be here," I said as I sat down beside Dustin. He smiled as he looked at me with a quick turn to the side.

"I'm fine, I promise. You at least need a high school diploma," He cracked another smile as he turned back around and placed his neck on the arm rest.

"Well I can happily give it up if you need me here to take care of you. You're shot in the chest for Christ sake! Stop pretending like you have a cold and I'm a mother worried about her 11 year old daughter," he chuckled, playing with the piece of cloth wrapped around his torso keeping everything in check. "So last chance, stay here or go?"

"Grace, I've had worse things happen to me. I'll be just peachy," he threw a lazy hand at me as a way to say he'll be fine. I mean, yea, of course he could defend himself but not in this condition. Dustin's hands were pale and cold, along with his sickly face and chapped lips that seemed as lifeless as his cheeks. He was practically dying on my couch and he's trying to make me leave him alone in a house that was just broken into hours ago by a lunatic, while having a gunshot wound to the chest.

Sounds like something no one would do.

But I guess I am.

"Okay," I said as I stood up and grabbed my bag from the hook. "Don't die. I'll be back around 2:30," he nodded and leaned backwards. He looked so relaxed and I don't know how he does it. It's like nothing happened to him.

Locking the door behind me, I sighed and slowly withdrew the key from the hole, placing my helmet onto my head and rolling out of my garage. Like every time I drive from point A to point B, I admired the scenery and slowed down my driving just to see the trees come back to life. Spring was coming close and all the poor nature that died during the winter will finally be alive once again. The flowers poked their little heads from the grass and greeted me as I flew by and waved them around with the wind.

I tried to think about anything else other than Dustin; Bann, all the make up work I probably have, the fight. It all was tangled up in my head like a knot found its way up into my head but somehow, my mind kept straying back to the freckled boy at home.

Sighing at my failed attempts, I approached the main road and weaved through the cars as I tried to make it to school without being too late, because what's the point of even going if I was just going to spend my entire first period in ISS?

Making a sharp turn into the school, I parked my motorcycle in my assigned spot. They made a new procedure where you have to park wherever your parking pass told you to. It was stupid but handy if you get here late, like me I guess, but it wasn't worth 20 dollars.

Walking into the building 14 minutes late, I thought I would have a peaceful transition to my first period but no. As the door shut behind me and turned the corner, I cringed at the sight of Sam, the practically evil assistant principal, standing in the middle of the damn hallway talking to a young woman who seemed like she could be a parent. Sam pointed toward me like he was giving directions and gave me a hard look before directing his attention back to the short lady and giving her more ways to turn. Seconds later, the woman said her thanks and sashayed past me and I didn't miss the fake smile resting upon her pretty face and the dirty look she gave with her eyes and I definitely didn't miss the purposeful shoulder bump she gave as she walked past me, even if there was plenty of room beside me. The lady was obviously rich or taken good care of with her matching navy blue pencil skirt and blazer with a white button up shirt underneath, tucked into her pants neatly. Her bright white heels that strapped to her ankles were too fancy for high school and made her at least 3 inches taller but she was still short. Her blonde hair was sprayed to perfection like this was the 1960's and into a bun sitting atop her head with little curls falling out in a controlled way and a small braid lining her scalp on the right side. She was pretty yes, but also very petty. She also seemed very seemed rude, definitely not one of the nice adults that give out money. She's the kind to leave her house lights on during Halloween but not be handing out candy.