Never Alone || Fourtris

Chapter 10

He walks away while I lean on the counter to steady myself, my hand slipping as I try to stand up. The door to his room is slammed closed.

"Beatrice," he says. "Bring me my food."

I slowly make my way across the counter trying to avoid the unbearable pain in my ribs. I hold onto them, trying to make it go away even though I know it won't, at least not for a few days. As I pick up the plate, I head straight to his room. My ribs ache with every step I take, I try to speed walk, see if that makes the pain faster and less hurting, but I'm wrong, it's just worse. I knock on his door.

"Its open," he says.

I walk in and keep looking at the floor. I refuse to look in his room, scared to find anything horrifying. The night stand was just a few inches away. He's watching a football game, I can tell by the screams of the fans. I put the plate on his night stand and quickly leave. I look up the stairs and let air blow out of me. With my eyes closed I forcibly run fast up the stairs. As I reach the top, the pain starts settling in and I wail a bit, holding my sides. I open the door to my room and once I'm in, I lock the door. In the bathroom I look at myself in the mirror. A bruise is forming under my left eye and I have a split lip. I lift my shirt and see ugly bruises on my ribs.

I take off my cloths and turn the water on, to a luke warm setting. I step in the tub and sit on the white ceramic tub, letting the water wash over me. I stand up slowly and start washing my hair, my body's next and Im very cautious about not hurting myself. After I finish, I turn the water off and wrap myself in a towel. I get dressed in my pajamas pants and some regular t-shirt. I let my hair down to air dry and sit at my desk, finishing what's left of my homework.

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I wake to the sound of something hitting the ground lightly. It's my pencil. I sit up and a sharp pain goes through my body. I lift my shirt and a purple shade of bruise is finished forming at my side. I look for my phone and look at the time. seven twenty am. Crap, Im going to be late. I quickly get up ignoring the pain that surges through me. I rush to the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. I have a black eye and a split lip, but unfortunately I have no time to worry about that right now. I brush my teeth and head to my drawers. My drawers are a mess and I can't find my favorite t-shirt, so I end up pulling out a red and black flannel shirt, pants, and some socks. I put everything in my backpack and quickly put on my ankle length Chuck Taylor's. I run out the front door, knowing Christina has already waited, but grew to tired and left. So I sprint towards the school with my ribs in pain. Not as worse as yesterday, but still enough to slow me down

I make it to school, but it's eight minutes into first period. I run to my locker and try putting in the combination, but the damn things doesn't want to open. I put it in one final time and It unlocks. I put my math book in and take my english book out. I close my locker with force and run all the way across campus to get to my homeroom. I enter with my hair going in my face from the wind pushing it back. Automatically the eyes of my classmates look at me and some have a disgusted look on their face and some have puppy dog eyes. It takes me a moment to realize that they were staring at my face. Damn it I forgot to go to the restroom to put on my concealer.

"Beatrice, we are glad you could make it, ne-," the teacher starts, but stops after she sees my eye. "What happened to your eye?"

"I hit my eye against my door," I lie. The teacher stares at me for a while then finally tells me to go to my seat.

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Every one that walks by my locker stops and stares at my face. I do my best to avoid eye contact and focus on trying to cram everything in my locker. I close it and head to the cafeteria. I stand in line, choosing what I am going to eat today. I punch my number in and look around for Christina. She sits in our usual table and I approach her, feeling awkward with everyone I pass by staring. I sit down next to her and she rubs my arm.

"Did he do it again," she says softly.

"Yeah..," I say quietly and continue eating my lunch.

I take a bite of my sandwich and someone stands in front of me. I swallow my chewed sandwich and look up. The same guy from math class and english class stands there.

"May I take a seat?," he asks.

I hesitate for a moment and look at Christina. She nods then says she has to leave to do some science lab. I look back at him and eventually say yes. He sets his bag on the floor and sits down next to me.

"Whats your name?," he says.

"Tris."

"Is that a nickname," he says.

"Yeah."

"What is is short for?"

"Guess you'll have to find out," I say with a small smile.

My lips hurt when I smile, due to the cut opening a bit.

"What happened to your eye?," he says.

"I hit it against the door frame," I say.

"Stop lying," he says.

"Im not and I did hit it," I say trying to sound convincing.

"Who did this to you?," he says, his voice deep and soothing.

"Can we stop talking about this," I say with annoyance in my voice.

We sit there in awkward silence, until he brakes it and says," Tell me about yourself."

"Ummm, My favorite color is red, I like to write," I say.

"Thats it," he says.

"What about you?," I say.

"Not much, but I'm into photography. My names Tobias by the way."

"Cool. Do you have a camera," I say.

"Yeah, its an old camera, like from the 1970's. My grandpa gave it to me," he says. "Wanna hang out sometime?"

I shoot my head up and look at him with confusion. I don't recall ever hanging out with someone. I don't know what to say.

"Uh- I, ummm, sure I guess," I say.

"At claremoore park, saturday, 12:00pm," he says.

"Okay," I say and continue eating my lunch and he does the same.

We sit there doing nothing, but eat. Absolutely, nothing.