Chapter 7
Kane's P.O.V:
I was frozen in shock. Those red scar marks on her arm underneath the bandage was burned into my mind. I couldn't erase the image.
I was angry. All I wanted in that moment was a punching bag. I knew I had trouble reigning in my temper. It wasn't hard to realize my anger levels were rising with earnest. I clenched my fist and took a few calming breath.
Exhale, Inhale, Exhale, Inhale...
I kept repeating this to myself until my breathing evened out and the heat in my veins and face starting fading. Her telling me to shut up didn't exactly help.
When I felt calm enough I headed to class. I sat at the back of the class and droned out the high-pitched voice of the my History teacher, watching carefully as the clock ticked by.
Ella wasn't that hard to figure out. She tried to hide her emotion, I'm guessing as a defense mechanism, but sometimes her mask would crack and I would catch a glimpse of the girl she hid within. I knew a little bit about her, most of my information came from titbits I would hear around the school. I knew she had a younger sister and that she only had one friend - Simon. She was shy and always sat at the back of class. She was good at Algebra and always wore her hair in a ponytail. I didn't know why I was so interested in her, maybe because she was the only girl that didn't try sucking up to me.
For some reason she intrigued me and I couldn't stand not knowing more about her.
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The period flew past and I made my way to the gym. Ella was in this class as well. I couldn't stop thinking about that bandage. Not just the bandage but the faded scars above them too. That was no accident, those marks were intentional.
"Mr. Moalch, you're late!" the coach yelled when I joined the rest of the class on the field. I hated being called by my last name. I shrugged in his direction and he huffed in irritation.
"Well then. Because of Mr. Moalch's late arrival the whole class will do five laps extra," he ordered. "Don't just stand there. Get running!" he yelled.
He always was a cruel teacher. I started out with a lazy jog and scanned the crowd for Ella. She was jogging at the back and I slowed down to match her pace. When she saw me she turned her glare to the ground and refused to look at me. She tried to jog faster, probably to get away from me, but I sped up with comfort.
Small talk it was then.
"What's your favorite color?" I asked her. It was a simple question but she seemed to stiffen and I looked at her confused. She started struggling with her pace but refused to slow down. She scowled at me and her eyes narrowed. She looked nervous and her lips were set in a thin line. I continued talking. And answered the question myself.
"Mine's red," I told her. She refuses to look at me and just kept staring holes into the ground. I realized she's staring to limp and a frown creased my face.
Why are you talking to her?
Why are you making such an effort?
Why do you care?
'Shut up.' I told my mind and looked back at her. I didn't like the fact that she is limping, it... worried me.
"Leave me alone, Kane," she scowled in my direction. Her voice was cold, detached. I haven't heard her speak like that since she broke her arm.
'No,' I corrected myself. 'Since her arm was broken.' She may have fooled the rest of the students but I wasn't buying it. We used to be friends in Elementary school before she distanced herself from everyone. I shake my head to stop the thoughts. She broke away from me then, I was going to make it a lot more difficult for her to do it again.
"Why?" I asked instead. Her eyes shot daggers at me.
If looks could kill...
"I'm serious, Kane," she muttered, her voice as cold as her gaze. I'm not used to people treating me like that but I shook it off. I nodded very seriously in her general direction and smirked again.
"You're avoiding the question," I responded and her glare, impossibly, sharpened. She glance away from my intense stare before answering.
"Because, I'm not like the other few dozen girls who are going to fall for your charms and have you break them into tiny pieces and stomp on their heart afterwards simply because you got bored. I won't stand for that crap," she told me anger and frustration clear in her voice. I winced at the hatred in her voice. It was the truth. Still, it hurt.
Suddenly she groaned softly and grabbed her head. I felt cold and hard fear seep through me. She fell forwards, not very gracefully, and almost hit the grass. Instinct took over and I rushed to catch her before she hit the grass.
Her eyes were closed and her already white skin was more pale than naturally possible. She was rubbing her temples and groaning softly like she was in pain. A worried frown was set between my brows.
"Ella?" I asked carefully. She opens her eyes slowly and blinked repeatedly as if trying to clear something from her mind. She looked at me through her darkened lashes and her eyes were filled with intense, unimaginable pain. All I wanted was to protect her. She seemed so alone and... helpless.
"I'm... fine," she lied but her voice wavered. Her hands were shaking like leaves on a tree and her body was trembling gently. Her skin was burning hot, but she was shivering.
"No you're not," I tell her and swept her frail figure up. I held her tight in my arms and she put her arms around my neck in reflex.
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YOU ARE READING
Internal cry
Teen Fiction"How long has he been hurting you?" There it is. The question I dreaded, but I promised him I would be honest, so I took a deep breath and answered. "Seven years." I didn't look at him. I waited for him to pull his hand away, to hit me, to say I was...
