The Quiet Types

Chapter 9

"Theo, wait up," I called as I hurried over to him.

I didn't sleep at all last night. Everything Henry had said continued to just ring in my ears. How could he not tell me the whole truth when that's what he had asked of me.

"Hey Ren," he teased using my dad's nickname, "How was your date with Henry? I saw you two yesterday after school."

"Come by the house today, okay?" I asked and he raised an eyebrow curiously at me.

"Why?" he questioned and I shrugged.

"Come by and you'll find out," I insisted as I walked into the classroom.

"Alright," I heard him agree as I made my way to the end of the class where I usually sat.

***

I was listening to Vance Joy when my mom yelled saying she was allowing Theo up. I lowered the volume on my laptop and peeked over at the door to see him climbing up the stairs. He made his way into the room and held his hands out.

"I'm here. What's so weird that I had to wait till I came over?" he asked as he made himself comfortable on the edge of my bed.

I stood up and shut the door. I could not let my mom find out that Theo had been doing things too at one point.

"Now you're really starting to worry me," he commented with a laugh.

"Why?" I questioned.

"What?"

"Why did you start doing things?" I made more clear.

He took a deep breath. "Henry said things he shouldn't have, didn't he?"

"You sat there and had me expose my deepest fears to you, Theo. You pushed me to do it and then you lied about your own. You think I wouldn't have found out sometime?"

"No. I didn't think any of it was relevant, Lauren. I've moved passed it. I've grown up. I'm no longer a victim to any of it," he said using a very stern tone.

"I'm not a victim. I choose to do what I do. It's my choice," I made clear hating it when anyone ever used the term, "victim".

He chuckled, "Well then lucky you and if you are choosing to cut, you're selfish and just crying for attention."

"I am not crying for attention," I snapped back.

He shook his head no, "Fine. How long have you stayed clean for then?"

I folded my arms across my chest.

"Exactly," he said as he stood up and made his way across the room, "I'm going home because I really don't need to be arguing with some girl who can't even do it for herself."

"A week," I blurted before he could open the door.

"A week?" he asked as I turned around to face him.

"A week," I agreed. 

I pulled up the bottom of my hoodie and revealed the scabbing on my hip.

"Why did you run from our discussion in the bookstore then?" he questioned as he took a seat on the chair I had been sitting in when he walked in.

"My dad walked into the store," I admit.

"So?" he asked and I shrugged.

"He had tried to give me the sex talk in the car right before getting there and seeing me in the rows with a boy might have set off another talk," I explained in one breath.