Reputation: Book One

Qrow

What Hurts The Most- Rascal Flatts

1-800-273-8255: Logic, Alessia Cara

Jeremy- Pearl Jam

I lay here lifelessly sprawled out on my bed in nothing but my underwear, staring at the ceiling. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I couldn't even think.

So many thoughts swarmed my head: Why are you mad? Why did you even kiss Tripp earlier tonight? Why do you crave him so much but let him manipulate you so easily? Why would you let him do that to you? What is wrong with you?

I willed myself to lift my hand to touch my neck where Tripp had continuously kissed me. Even though it happened well over an hour ago, I could still feel his lips against my warm, sweaty skin. I slightly winced at the small pain the little mark gave off as I rubbed my finger over it, hoping it would magically make the small bruise go away.

I let out a slow, shaky breath, my hand dropping back down to my comforter. I squeezed my eyes shut, biting on my bottom lip so I wouldn't cry again. I finally got myself to stop about ten minutes ago, but my heart actually hurt. There was like a sharp shooting pain that seemed to only linger longer the more I thought about him.

I heard my phone start to vibrate and saw the flicker of my flash from the corner of my eye. I slowly turned and stared at the side of my noisy phone. I wanted to see if it was Jerzei, maybe to apologize, or one of my friends, but I couldn't find the strength to do it. I reached out to grab it, but I hesitated.

Come on, Hendricks.

Just as I sit up, a familiar voice from outside my door yells, 'I hope you're decent' and my door swings open.

My jaw drops as I let my eyes search her face, taking in the recognizable looks. The lightly darkened skin tone, the long, slick hair, the sparkling smile, the stunningly beautiful eyes...

"Ez-Ezme?" I shriek in disbelief, scrambling to cover myself. "What are you...when did you.. how in the-"

I couldn't find words to say, so I just awkwardly stared at her, my mouth open to say something more than just confused questions I couldn't even spit out in full. She looked me over with an unsatisfied expression on her face."Geez, you look like total-"

"Don't say it, I know." I interrupt.

She looks me up and down one more time, her long, slender eyebrow arched over her hazel eyes.

"Autumn called me and told me you needed to talk," She says, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. I look away. Of course Autumn did. Always on the lookout for somebody to come help me as if being left alone wasn't a solution.

"So, what happened?" She asks, tearing my sheets away. My stomach churned in embarrassment. With our past, her seeing me this vulnerable and unclothed makes me squirmy.

"Nothing to report," I lie, turning to conceal my stupid mark Tripp had left, but it was no use. I was basically unconcealed without most of my clothes on. I prayed she wouldn't question.

"You're lying," She whispers as the light scent of mint rolls off her tongue, the corners of her lips turning upwards as she leans closer to look me in the eyes. Without warning, she reached up and shoved my head aside to examine my bruises. A slow smile crept onto her face.

"Oh, Qrow Declan Hendricks, did you get-"

"No!" I blurt, covering her mouth with my hand. "He and I were just-"

"He?" She asks loudly. "You're gay?"

I winced.

Nice going, Qrow.

"No!" I yell back. "W-We were just out and... I... fell?" It came out of my mouth more as a question than a statement.

"On someone's lips?" She mutters. My breath catches in my nose and I press my lips together tightly. Ezme tilts her head back, laughing. "Qrow, you're not a teenager anymore," She says. "You can't hide any of this from me anymore. I'm not mad and I won't judge you. Promise."

I sighed and groaned, rubbing my face. As I told her the story, she was attentive and just slowly nodded throughout the play-by-play I gave her. When I got to the end, she stopped me. "And why were you upset?" She asks, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Her green and brown-tinted eyes studied me carefully for a response.

"Because his girlfriend, who also happens to be my stepsister, caught us the first time when we had just kissed and she got mad and left. Tripp told me they were over and I thought that since they were broken up, I could start messing around with him too but when she called his phone while we were together in his car earlier I kinda lost it," I say, voice fading. "But... I just get so mad when I think about him doing the same thing to her, you know?" I ask, looking over to her.She pulls the corners of her lips back, slowly shaking her head. "No, not really..."

I roll my eyes. Of course she doesn't. No one does.

"But, 'messing around' doesn't make it seem like you care," She says flatly.

"I do!" I blurt.

"Do you really like him?" She asks. I nod my head. "Of course."

"Do you enjoy having him around?"

"Yes."

"Do you like it when he takes you out?" She asks, tilting her head.

"I mean, yeah." I answer.

"Do you enjoy kissing him and meaning it?"

I nod again, starting to get irritated. "Yes..."

"Do you want to sleep with him?"

"Again or just in general?" I ask. Her left eye twitches as she opens her mouth to ask another question. She then blinks rapidly and quickly shakes her head, flailing her hands around.

"O-Okay..." She inhales, closing her eyes. "Do you wanna-"

"Yes!" I blurt. "Everything is yes."

She raises her eyebrows in surprise.

"Then stop being a little bitch!" She suddenly yells, jabbing her finger into my sternum. "When I tell you to play Hard To Get, I mean flirtatiously tease him, not have him try so damn hard and then you go off and break his heart," She snarls.