The Switch

Chapter 16: Will

It's been two weeks since Hayley and I shared that very heated moment together. She's been acting a little strange ever since, and I'm wondering if I shocked her. One day, she came over, and there was a sizable bruise on her arm. She claimed that she just hit her arm on the corner of a bookshelf, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it was something else.

I didn't press her about it, but I'm still worried for her.

Right on time, she knocks on my door. We're going to watch a movie tonight. When I open the door, I notice something is off about her. She's wearing her hoodie with the hood up, and her hair is covering one side of her face. Emo streak? I wonder, laughing on the inside.

Deep down, though, I know that's not the case. I let her inside and she follows me to the couch. She sits down and leans to the side, away from me. She hasn't said anything or smiled since she walked in. "Hayley, what's wrong? You're acting strange."

She shakes her head. "Nothing. How was your day?"

She sounds almost robotic as she talks. I try to put my arm around her, but she shrinks away from me. Something is definitely up. "Tell me what's wrong first."

"I said nothing is wrong," she says.

"Something is wrong. You didn't even say hi to me when you came in. Tell me what's going on," I press.

She turns to me, her hair moving out of her eye as her head turns. I notice a bruise right below her eye. Before she can stop me, I pull her hood down and take her face into my hands. "Explain, now," I demand as I examine her face.

"Nothing happened. Just being clumsy," she tells me.

I shake my head. "You don't get a bruise on your face by just being clumsy. Start talking."

Hayley pulls herself away from me and gets up. "I should go."

"Not until you explain." I'm raising my voice now.

She darts for the door. I make my way after her but she's already out the door when I get to it. She opens her door and locks it behind her as fast as possible. I groan in frustration and walk over to her door. I bang on it as hard as I can. "Open the goddamn door!"

Hayley doesn't say anything, nor does she open the door. I kick the door out of anger and walk back into my apartment. Why is she acting like this? Why is there a bruise on her face? Who the fuck did that to her?

Whoever hit her is about to get a serious beating from me.