Between the lines

lor

his ankle and then powdered him in milk. He looks pale, exhausted, irritated, sick and has the face of a serial killer. Only one eye peeks out from behind his thick, unkempt hair. Should I feel sorry for him?

t, already pressing your piss-off

oday, L

is as a cooperative co-s

vour?" He sa

h h

harply. "Don'

with him. There's no way he's getting off that e

e you have some kind of massive possession of tangible wealth and had to manage it all? How are your livestock? Where do you hide your golden coins and precious jewel

thing I feel is the palm of his hand shoving me backwar

d shaking? Why does everything – the locke

g with you today? Did you down an extra

oyd," he says in a stern, spiteful tone. "Do not ever utter a word about my family from your filthy mouth. Do I ever piss you off about the de

g about his anger has definitely caught me o

me? My eyes ask him. How c

ir is an awful purple bruise that puts a knot in my stomach and gives me the worst nauseating, sinister feeling I have ever felt. It puts a chill up my spine and into my neck. The br

w, I say, "Kyle..." he looks up at me, painf

y in the span of two seconds. He frantically fixes his hair over his

get into

what was fun?" he asks Kyle sarcastically. "Eating all the junk food by myself, last night. Why didn't you show up? The least you could've done was give me a heads up. I had to hide six cans of energy drinks in my room for the night just so my mom wouldn't piss off about them lying around this morning.

ord. He ignores Ron and

im this time?" Ron a

into school like that. Even I've never seen h

didn't cancel, didn't come and didn't respond t

pale face flashes across my mind again, his exp

u think happ

sals on Friday he said he couldn't make it because he was doing errands for him. He probably has a lot on his mind since he'll have

seen them. Not that I really thought much about it, but it is kind of weird. What

with not knowing. He stopped being aggressive once the topic dropped. And his uncle travels a lot. I've never been to his house, though. I've suggested hanging out at his place –even jokingly- but it's never ha

nge,"

*

day," I tell Olivia as we find

excitably, "How's e

at. She had to do s

e panda

e fine after getti

she comi

be. I'm not counting on it. I know how messy her schedule is. Someth

weakly. "I admir

she's built herself up over the past ye

ou don't have to bring it

arlier today –how my back hit the metal lockers and I cringed. I straighten my

being great at science to take after her and become a vet. I'm kinda disappointed in mysel

n't matter. Don't be too disappointed. You may not end up in any c

... but I don't know what I'm

back and looks at me p

e with a huff. Olivia and I look up at him as he stares blindly at the table

He asks, e

s enough space for Ron to take a seat beside me. H

ing on?" Ol

till ignoring you?

pissing me off. I don't kno

ivia chews

tever sanity I have left before one of my favourite cla

of a juice sip. "Ron.

Ye

t into a fight

in a spiteful, annoyed tone. "Why?

le said, I really should just mind my own business. Serves him righ

k in your directi

literature. I'm just going to stay with you guys until he stops being a dick," he concludes. "He isn't leaving me with much of a choice anyway, being so closed off. You'd think at least opening up to one person would do him some good. Somet

this," I mutter, "but I t

orror caging him in. The

n is... Why on Ear

efeated tone. "He'll be fine. I think he'll

wich. He's having such a bad da

tudent body. It faded like any other old news story since I'm not actually that importa

se, and I find myself listening. If Kyle's abnormal attitude get

*

explain the situation to her i

dly or try to sneak a glance at it –but she's too obvious and she'll sell me out and then Kyle might actually kill me. And if Ron finds out well..

fight with if he keeps to

then it was probably his uncle. That's just a suspicion, though. Kyle is so unpredi

? Kinda leaves the impression that whoever hurt him w

bly seeing things. But his hair is so thick and messy and annoying that it actually hides e

you can get a p

you in

"The bruise will only be there for so long. Aren't you the one who likes to hoard bl

I silently agree. "I... can

silence, Katy turns

hat

this guy and yet here you are worried about him

. I don't think so. You do know the only reason we get away with hating and annoying each other is because we have excellent grades, right? The school would never allow that kind of beha

nying that you're w

n't. The bruise I'd seen felt like a scar

wounds like those, but Kyle had managed to vividly

nyone I see with a bruis

lears her throat, "the disgusti

inute I hear his name or see a single strand of his hair flip as he appears from around the corner, but seeing him hurt that bad –espe

n for