Damaged

34 | airplane antics

The next week flew by without any trouble. Every time I saw Hunter on the corridor his eyes unconsciously got a fraction wider, and then he rearranged his face into a scowl. When asked why he had a black eye, broken nose and severely bruised ribs he told everyone that he was mugged in New York, and that "the other guy got it worse."

Of course he wouldn't admit that I kicked his sorry ass, and that gave me pleasure. As soon as I got back to Winchester I told Ava and Mika what happened, and they urged me to go to the police.

"What for?" I asked. "I beat the shit out of him. If someone's going to be punished that person's me."

Selena spent the next week cooing over Hunter and gushing to everyone about how brave he was during the robber's attack. Every time I heard someone talking about it on the corridors I rolled my eyes.

The school's golden boy's incident was the gossip of the week, but everyone's energy was focused on something else. The Paris trip had finally arrived and we were going to leave on Sunday.

Preparations were occurring all around, ranging from buying new clothing to filling out school medical forms to making sure everything was ready. We're going to spend a week in Paris touring historical landmarks for history class, museums for art and leaning more about the language for french. Nearly everyone in our grade was going to the trip and the ones that didn't get the chance because of their subject choices were furious.

I went to Alex's apartment twice that week because neither one of us had enough time to spend together. He was going on the trip as well, and had to prepare all sort of things beforehand. When we were together we laid together on his bed and talked or listened to some of his old records. He got into the habit of reading to me while we were spread out over his sheets. In those precious moments I felt fulfilled. Happiness is too banal to describe the feeling of lying beside him and listening to his melodious voice wash over me, speaking of tales of love and sorrow, grief and enlightenment. I felt like I couldn't be more complete and content than in his arms, and if I had to choose a moment to cherish for the rest of eternity this would be it.

It wasn't just physical attraction between us anymore. Every day we learned new things about each other, and every day I fell more in love with him. I fell all at once, and the force of it gave me vertigo.

I loved the freckles on his back and the tip of his nose. I loved the way he frowned when he was concentrating. I loved how he never managed to stay still and that I had to force him to stay by my side when he wanted to prepare us a fresh batch of coffee.

He didn't touch me again and even though I craved intimacy his choice earned my respect. It wasn't only about saving his job and keeping out of trouble: he genuinely cared enough to hold himself and wait for my eighteenth birthday to protect my honor and make sure he wasn't abusing me in any way.

"In case you change your mind until then." He said.

"That isn't a possibility." I replied, and he kissed the tip of my nose.

Sunday arrived in a blur of hasty preparations and giddy anxiety. The school offered to take those who wanted to the airport, but we could get there on our own if we wished. This was allowed because of the amount of parents that wished to take their children to the airport. Mine didn't, but Claude drove Ava, Mika and I anyway.

JFK was packed when we arrived. Mika payed a airport employee to carry our bags for us and he followed as we went to the meeting point. Once we neared the group of people my eyes found Alexander at once and the corners of my lips lifted into a smile. He had a clipboard with a sheet of paper attached to it on his hands, and was furrowing as he scanned over it. I walked towards his direction and the girls followed.