I'm Not Supposed To Love You, But I Do... (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 9

They looked at each other in the eye. Brown clashed with green. They were barely inches apart...

"Well," Daniel said, ending the moment, "The sooner we start, the sooner we can end. How long has it been going on?"

"As long as I can remember, really. I can't remenber a time when I wasn't hurt," Sofia replied, rubbing her neck in embarrassment. Daniel gently placed a hand on her back and started rubbing small circles into it. "You okay?" he asked. "Yeah," she replied, "I'm okay."

"How long has it been since your last meal and what did it consist of?" Daniel asked, her hand still continuously rubbing her back. "6...6 days and h...half a s...sandwich," she replied, stuttering as tears welled up in her eyes. Daniel sighed, "Alright, last question. But mind you it's going to be a bit sensitive." Sofia nodded, desperately blinking away the tears. "Do you self harm?"

At this, her walls broke down. Her sense of self restrain shattered. Tears flowed down her pale face. Daniel gently took her arm and lifted her sleeve. As clear as day, the thin, faint scars stood out against her skin, organised in a way not unlike how his did a long time ago.

"Sofia, why?" he asked, clear sadness and concern in both his eyes and voice.

"I couldn't take it, Daniel. You must think I'm pathetic right now," she said amidst sobs. Daniel took her hand in his. "You know, I used to do it too. I know it relieves some of the pain, right?" he said. At Sofia's nod, he continued, "I know that you feel that it can help you, but it just causes you more pain. Promise me you won't do it again?" "I'll try," Sofia said, sniffling.  "There's no use crying, you know," Daniel said. "I know! It's just that, no one ever cared before. Heck, even you didn't care before," she replied.

"Ouch," Daniel thought, "I didn't know." "But you didn't even try to find out," a small voice said inside him. "Well, she WAS pathetic before," he argued. "No, she was hiding all that stress. Who would not look weak. Plus, she was starved and hit both at school AND at home. What do you expect?" the voice said. "Well, I thought she was perfect..." Daniel thought before the voice cut him off, "Ah, you like her, don't you?"

"Do not!"

"Are too!"

"Daniel? Daniel!" Daniel's train of thought was interrupted by Sofia waving her hand in front of his face. "Whoa, what?" he asked. "Are you okay?" she asked, concern apparent on her face. "Oh, yeah, yeah," Daniel said, his face heating up a little, "I just zoned out."

The clock chimed 8 and Daniel looked at it in surprise. "Already?" he exclaimed. He got up and told Sofia to get ready and freshen up while he settled some stuff. He grabbed some money and made a sandwich quickly. By the time he finished, Sofia was already waiting by the door. "Here," he said, giving her the sandwich.

At her confused look, he sighed and said, "Dinner. Make sure you eat it where they can't see you. I bet you must be hungry after skipping lunch." "Not exactly," she replied, her eyes gleaming, "I've never gotten this much food in a day before! Thank you."

Daniel looked at her shining eyes and her cute face and...

Wait, what?

Daniel walked her back, paid her parents and literally ran back home. He closed the door with a deafening slam and slumped against it. "No,no,no,no, this is REALLY bad," he said to himself.

"I can't be falling for her, am I?"