Bruised

Ch.14: Pants on Fire

|Aya|

It's been a week since shit went down at the courtyard. The morning of the day after registration I get a text from Sang, asking me politely to talk to the boys again. That they were worried about me. And I do, because Sang explains that they told her. The secret, or at least part of it. She doesn't go into details except that Kota is the one who explained everything. It surprises me that they were quick about it.

I'm glad they they told her in the end, yet a small part of me aches at the fact that I'll be kept in the dark. Did I want to know? Yeah...I did. But I'm not the one they needed to tell and I don't need to know. They can keep their secrets while I'll keep mine. It's better that way anyways. Better that I stick to the shadows, distant from it all.

I text the boys again later on in the second day. I expected things to be awkward, for there to be tension and reluctance. I got the opposite. They all ended up apologizing again and asking for my forgiveness in their own ways. Trying to make me feel better. They didn't have to, but they did anyways.

Kota offered to let me borrow any one of his books, even the signed ones he so treasures. Nathan gave me a free pass to kick his ass. Silas moved from cheesy pick up lines to super terrible puns that left me a giggling mess. Victor sent me a short recording of him playing the piano, a piece that I couldn't recognize. I have it set as his ringtone, that'll probably never be used as I always keep my phone on silent for obvious reasons. Gabriel told me a secret he hasn't told anybody; that he's the one responsible for putting pink hair dye in North's shampoo sometime last year. Apparently, all the guys think its Luke and he took the credit anyways. Said goofball sent me a picture of a pink haired North when I asked him about it. I set that picture as North's contact icon. The most surprising one is the text from North. He asks me if I'm okay, I was and I wasn't at the same time. I told him not to worry about me. He doesn't send one back. That was to be expected.

A part of me wanted to stay angry, but I couldn't in the end. How can I when they're basically bending over backwards to show how sincerely sorry they are. And I was in the wrong too. North was right, I shouldn't have been listening in on their conversation.

We made a group chat on the fourth day and planned to meet up at Kota's house to talk about school stuff. Now, it's the seventh day. Today's the day we get our official schedules and I wake up early to get the mail, finishing my morning chores first to avoid Helen's wrath. Who should still be asleep along with her devil spawns while I'm out. Miss Z has an excuse prepared for me in case they wake up earlier than usual. She'll tell them she sent me out on an errand.

I leave the house right after getting the mail, throwing on a clean change of clothes beforehand and grabbing my small backpack. I rarely leave the house without my bag, it holds some snacks I lifted from the kitchen, concealer to hide any bruises my clothes couldn't cover, pads because you never know when mother nature might come knocking, and other stuff. This time I didn't have to cover up so much since most of my bruises are gone except for the one on my arm and on my hip. The latter being a recent one courtesy of Angelina. Who shoved me into a corner table while I was sweeping yesterday because I happen to be in her way.

I'm glad that I made the decision to wear shorts, a tank top, and a light jacket because it is scorching out today. I'm this close to melting on the sidewalk when I reach the bus stop, perfectly on time for pick up and quickly hop onto an empty front seat. Near the air conditioner, enjoying the cool blast of wind until I reach Sunnyvale. Stepping out of the bus I walk toward Kota's house, waving when I see him, Sang, and Nathan about to head inside. I pick up the pace, jogging my way over to them. Ignoring the pinches of pain at my right side.

•••••••••

|Nathan|