skinny || h.s. au [Rewrite Now Up!]

fifteen

I'M UPDATING A FEW DAYS EARLY BECAUSE THIS STORY HIT THE RANKINGS! PLEASE VOTE TO HELP KEEP IT UP THERE? ILY ALL SO MUCH xxx
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"Marley!" He calls after her but she keeps walking. "Marley, wait up!"

But she doesn't. She can't. She just can't.

Because she's done with people. And she's done with feelings. And she's done with broken messes of cheap glass and fake flowers on the floor of her kitchen.

She wants to go back to familiarity. Even if that means loud silences. And brothers who look like deception and smell like addiction. And a voice in her half-crazed mind that tells her not to eat.

But no one can live like that.

So when Harry calls after her, she doesn't listen. Because she can't. She just can't.

He catches up to her just before she reaches the doors to the parking lot. "Hey."

Nothing. She says nothing. And Harry never thought silence could hurt so much.

She hasn't talked to him all day. And it's worrying him. Especially after yesterday in gym class when he saw her pushing her frail body to move faster for the sake of a few calories.

"What's wrong?"

Marley glances at him but doesn't answer the question before pushing through the metal doors.

"What did I do?"

"Nothing. You didn't do a thing," Marley snaps back, "you did nothing wrong and you can do whatever you want with whomever you want because none of that has anything to do with me."

"What are you talking about?" Harry is stuck between confusion and concern. Because he can't think of anything that he could have done. And he's worried about the girl who pushed her frail body to move faster for the sake of a few calories.

"Nothing." Marley sighs. Giving up as she walks toward her bus. "Absolutely nothing."

She spoke but she really didn't say anything. It was just loud silence.

And Harry never thought silence could hurt so much. He slowly walks across the parking lot toward his car.

"Hey, Harry!"

He sighs and turns to see who called him. And it's the girl with the long ponytail who borrowed his shirt in gym class.

"Acacia." He says as warmly as he can with his low mood. His grade in precalculus not helping to ease his stress one bit. And then of course there's the girl he may or may not be falling for suddenly deciding not to talk to him.

"I just wanted to thank you again for giving me your shirt yesterday." She says. "You know how Mr. Brent gets when we don't change for gym."

"Yeah, no problem." He shrugs. "I always keep an extra in my locker."

"Well, I'll wash it and get it back to you." Acacia says before looking over her shoulder. "I better go, see you in gym."

It feels like an eternity since Marley has taken the bus. But she just doesn't have the energy to walk.

So she takes a seat near the middle. And after a moment, watches Harry walk toward his car. Before he's stopped by Acacia.

Marley quickly looks away. Doesn't want to think about what Acacia told her. Even if it weren't true, Marley thinks she's been too distracted by Harry anyway. But the idea of it him and Acacia still hurts.

She doesn't look back up until Acacia is walking away and Harry is getting in his Range Rover. But this time she watches as he slowly drives away.

We're better off without him, honey. Maria says. He would have ended up just breaking your heart anyway.