Messed Up Vita

Chapter Thirty-One

   Joey's POV:

I can't stop staring at her, at her beauty. She reminds me so much of my mother, but that's not the reason I fell in love with her. Her looks caught my eye, but her personality made me fall for her. 

   It was all so sudden when I told her, and I admit, I was an idiot. I came right out with it-- a brave yet idiotic move. Right when she got out of a relationship, to add to the stupid. But when Mason left her, my mouth wouldn't shut up and it blurted the truth out. I should be glad, though. I finally get to have what I've wanted for a long time. 

   I gently kiss her head as I walk down the hill. Should I've given her that note? A twinge of uneasiness flutters in me. I don't know how she'll take it.

   "Your hair makes your eyes bigger," I tell her. "Like a dog's."

   She laughs, which sends a shiver down my spine. "Like a dog's, huh? What a compliment."

   "Everybody loves dogs," I say. "It's hard to hate them."

   She shrugs. "I guess. But dog eyes?"

   "Fine, you have a very nice dog tail," I say. She smiles at me, and I can't help but smile back. I hate how she can't take a compliment, but I can live with that. I squeeze her tiny waist tighter, pressing her against me. She was so freaking skinny and small, despite how much she can eat. I also love how she doesn't give a frick what she looks like, but that can't hide how beautiful she is. Her eyes light up all the time, giving her the impression of a dog that just spotted a steak on the ground. Another dog compliment, I note to myself. Stop it.

   I walk her to the school, where I see people staring. I want to smack them upside the head, but I can't risk getting either of us in trouble again. That would ruin what the note has to say.

   I push open the door, letting her duck underneath my arm. I follow her in, trailing right behind as she walks to her locker. Somebody whispers as she passes, and I narrow my eyes. This was abnormal, for our school. Something must've happened for more than a few people whispering. I bite my lip and grab her arm protectively.

   "Uh, Eliot?" I whisper.

   "What?" she says in her normal voice. I pull her closer to me, so I can lean down next to her ear. 

   "Did something happen?'' I ask. 

   She stops and looks up at me. "What do you mean?" She looks around, and then seems to notice people staring. "Oh. . . No, I don't think so."

   "Then this can't be good,'' I say grimly. "Are you sure you need to be in Mrs. Fern's office for the day?"

  She nods, her hair untucking from behind her ear. "Yeah. It's stupid."

   "Then I'll make sure nobody talks trash about you," I tell her. "'Kay?"

   She smiles up at me. "I'm fine. Go to your class. Oh, and I'll read your note later." I'm about to reply when she suddenly pulls me down and meets my lips with a quick peck on the lips. Warmth spreads throughout my body at her touch. I look up and notice Mason glaring at us, a skinny girl in his arms. I glare back. That must be the girl he dumped Eliot for, I realize. She looked like a model, and her hair gleamed blond curls. She was no match compared to Eliot. Why'd he dump her? And it's not like I'm complaining that he did, or anything.

   "Bye," I manage out. She smiles and walks down the hall, to her locker. I stare after her, not sure if I should leave her to herself.

   "Nerd," somebody hisses, shoving me. I nearly fall forward, my backpack falling from my shoulder. The guy disappears into the crowd again before I can see who it was, and I angrily shove my backpack back onto my shoulder. I push through the crowd, not caring who I barge into. I make it to my locker, where I quickly unlock it with a flick of my wrist. Something falls out, and I realize it's a punch of papers. In red marker, each one had either "loser" or "freak" on it. I pinch my lips together and grab my books, slamming my locker hard.

   "Real mature," I mutter, turning around. I hit somebody with my shoulder, nearly knocking them to the side. I slip away without an apology as he complains to his friends.

   Somebody punches my shoulder, and I'm about to hit them back, when I see who it is.

   "Dakota," I mutter. "Stop it."

   "Grumpy today?" she smirks, following me. "I see you're wearing your glasses I never knew you had." She touches them, and I tilt my head away from her touch. She takes them instead, putting them on her face. I pull them from her face and put them back on mine. I put my hands on my ears to keep her from taking them again.

   "Yeah," I say. I glance over at her. She was a punk-looking girl, with studs in her ears and tattoos lining her chest and forearms. But she was really nice, open to a lot of people. She was pretty too, and she had a boyfriend. Not that I'd ever date her-- she was one of my best friends. Today she was wearing a black bandana that kept her hair from her face, like a headband.

   "You going to actually wear them all day?" she asks me. "Like, for a long time?" 

   I drop my hands and pull a tight smile. "We'll see."

   She punches my shoulder again. "See yah. I have to go to phy-ed." She groans, and walks down the hallway. I turn into my homeroom-- science class.

   I am immediately shoved over as soon as I step foot inside the room. I quickly shove them back, harder. They fall to the ground and I see that it's one of the jocks from the football team. I feel a slight twinge of content as he struggles to his feet, while I slowly walk over to sit in my normal seat by the window. I slip my backpack on the ground and watch him in amusement as he glares at me, knowing he can't make another move or else the teacher'll see this one. But he makes his way over here, anyways. He walks past my desk and slams his foot on mine. It didn't hurt, so I blink up at him.

   "Yes?" I say tiredly.

   "You watch what you're getting yourself into, freak," he hisses down. "Unless you wanna see your pretty little girlfriend get hurt."

   I shoot to my feet, now boiling anger. "She's three times tougher than you. What? Picking on girls smaller than you, huh? Good luck with that, picking on Eliot."

   He glares at me harder. "I know what she's like, idiot."

   "Hardly," I snap.

   "I've dated her," he says slowly, like I'm the stupidest person in the school. "I know her weaknesses." He walks off with an elbow jab to my shoulder. I run a hand through my hair, trying not to act nervous. I try to think hard. I should know that guy's name. Gabe? No. I shake my head as the bell rings, signaling class is starting. I pick up my pencil and start on our assignment of finishing the worksheet in half hour.

   But I can't stop thinking about Eliot. Not daydreaming anymore, but what the hell that guy was talking about. He's dated her, and plans to hurt her? Not a perfect ex, but then again, no ex is. I tap my pencil on my desk and fill in answer D. How would he know her weaknesses? I would expect he knows a little about her, but her freaking weaknesses? Eliot must've been very, very open to that guy. And people where whispering either about me or her in the hallway. . . 

    I shake my head and fill in C. Enough of this. When biology class comes, I'll just tell her. She's strong enough to take care of herself. I've seen it, while I myself was being beat to a pathetic pulp. 

    Sometimes I think Eliot's tougher than me, but nobody could really argue about that.