My Crazy Nerd (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 19: Missing You

Chapter 19: Missing You

Dead, she says.

Deceased, passed away, lifeless, buried in the cold damp ground, six feet below, all alone in a cramped casket. I should have said something, comfort her, say "I'm sorry," but to say that would be a lie. I wasn't. What was there to be sorry for? It's not like I killed them. It's not like I bashed them in the head with a shovel over and over again until all that was left of their heads were a dull pink pile of mush laying on the carpet floor, like spilled scrambled eggs. I asked her anyways and she answered. But still, I felt a pull, a sort of obligation I should fulfill just because I asked.

But I don't. I might say something wrong. Or stupid. So I only looked at her and to my relief, she continued without any thought.

"I was ten when they died," she said solemnly, a concerning distant haze infiltrating her eyes, "And then my aunt took custody over me." She heavily sighed, as if a huge weight was lifted off from her chest, and she straightened herself up and looked at me. "Alright, your turn."

My turn? Oh, right. "Okay, ask me anything."

"Where's your dad?"

"Dead." Her eyes widened, unexpected to hear my response so quickly. And so bluntly. "I was eight."

She nodded and a sort of stillness hushed over us. Looks like we had something in common. Dead parents. Or rather, one dead parent for me and two dead parents for her.

I had a feeling that we shouldn't divulge further into this topic anymore.

"And," I continued off, "about that rumor at school, it's not true." I mean, of course it wasn't. I didn't kill him nor did I ever punched him. Only a few kicks here and there. "He did, however, end up in the hospital after I kicked him several times in the ribs and broke his fingers," I said nonchalantly.

Audrey snorted, "Ha ha, very funny. What really happened?"

I frowned.

And then she looked at me very closely.

"Oh," she blinked, "you're serious?"

"Yes," I huffed, "why would I lie to you?"

She took a moment to respond. "...Well, you're always saying some weird stuff so I just thought it was, well, you know? One of those things..." She began to study me, as if she noticed a little ink smudge on my face and wondered where it came from. So she squinted at me, narrowed her eyes in thought and produced a question that I've heard quite often before. "Why did you hurt him?"

"Because he hurt Alleny."

"How so?"

"He slapped her," and then I paused. I wondered if Audrey would understand. When I told the adults my reason, they gave me this look, shook their heads, and left me in this empty room. A tan room with tan walls and a tan ceiling. A tan desk and a tan chair. A tan bed and a tan curtain and workers who'd come in often in tan uniforms to give me food in a tan tray. It was boring. Bleak. But I did have occasional visits from my friends. And my mother. "He was nice at first but only because his parents wanted him to be so that Alleny would like him. They wanted a 'heir' to their company and Alleny supposedly met all their requirements. When Alleny saw him cheat on her with another girl, she wanted to break up with him but he threatened that if she did, he'd ruin her family since his was more influential and powerful. A cliché threat but it worked anyways and Alleny stayed.

"He wasn't really nice during those times and continued to cheat behind closed doors. In public, they seemed perfect. It wasn't until he tried to be with June did things go bad"