On The Sidewalk Bleeding

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Payton

             His sharp intake of breath amused me, as well as the fact the his body froze. As I pulled away, I looked at him expectantly, waiting for his answer.

            He cleared his throat a couple times before stuttering out a reply. "Uh, I um… I use… uh… Abercrombie, uh, and Fitch Fierce, I think…?" He paused then turned his head to me, smirking. "Do you randomly go around smelling boys as a hobby, or are you just reserving that for me?"

            I started to blush as my eyes went wide. I coughed out a no as he started laughing his ass off at me.

            A nurse comes to the door, and shoos Kyle out of the room without saying anything. She comes around the side of my bed, checks my pulse, looks into my eyes to check their response, and then asks e a couple questions about how I feel. After I tell her that I'm fine, she leaves the room and my parents slip in.

            "We talked to the doctor and she said that you can be released today, just that we need to keep an eye on you for a little while."  As my mom talks, she brings forward a bag - probably full of my clothes - and hands it to me. "Get dressed, and we'll be right outside the room when you're done."

            Once they leave and close the door, I breathe out a sigh. All I really want to do is sleep, but I highly doubt that I'll be able to stay asleep if I try.

            Going through the bag of clothes, I pull out a pair of grey sweatpants, socks, clean underclothes, a white t-shirt and then my black coat since it looks a little rainy outside. I see that my mom has carelessly tossed in a pair of converse, only a little bit of dirt on the clothes surrounding the shoes.

            It takes me about fifteen minutes to get my socks, underclothes, and shirt on. I'm already in pain from bending my body that much.

           Maybe you should get Kyle to come help you comes the voice in my head. I shake the thought away, forcing myself to hurry getting dressed. Slipping my sweat pants on, a small piece of paper falls to the ground from the pocket. My name is on both sides in messy writing, and my stomach twists. Goosebumps prickle along my arms and the room feels cold. It's his handwriting.

            I bend down to reach the paper, and wince as pain shoots through the entire left side of my body. My fingers manage to connect to the paper, and I can already feel the weight of it, the words pulling me down and I haven't even opened it yet.

            My hands shake as I carefully unfold the paper.

            It's going to happen when you least expect it. I warned you. Now you need to learn a lesson.

            As I crumple up the letter and shove it back into the pocket, I refuse to acknowledge how he managed to get that in my pocket. I pull on my jacket, furious, no longer caring about the pain in my arms. I'm done with him trying to scare me. I'm done with him thinking he owns me and that I belong to him and only him. I'm done with him using me and hitting me. I refuse to be scared of him anymore.

            I take a few moments to compose myself after my small revelation. He can't hurt me anymore. He's in jail. I refuse to let him think he can control me.

            I open the door and step out, seeing my parents in deep conversation with Kyle a couple feet away from the door. Both of my parents look slightly upset and worried at the same time. It's rare for me to see them this way, they are hardly ever vulnerable around me, let alone anyone else.

            It's only when Kyle notices me that I start to walk over to them, carrying the bag at my side.

            Once I get over to where they are standing, Kyle immediately takes the bag from my hands - which was a huge relief, but I would never let him know that - and I immediately start to argue before he cuts me off.

            "You know you didn't want to carry it anyways, so don't complain Payton." He smirks at me and then winks when my parents aren't looking at him.

            I can't help but frown. It's not like I'm completely useless, right? I'll just let him win this time, but next time, it's going to be me.

            I freeze… next time? Does this mean I want to be around him more often? I push the thoughts to the back of my head. I can't focus on that right now.

            "If you don't mind Mr. Walker, may I take Payton in my car? I need to talk to her about something." Kyle asks with more politeness than I have ever heard in my life. I don't even think he knows where I live… plus it means that I'll be alone. In a car. With him.

            Maybe had the circumstances been different, I might have felt slightly different than I do now, but considering what I just went through, I was slightly nervous.

            I watch as my mom and dad look at each other, having a conversation with their eyes, and I watch as Kyle's eyes flick between them at a rapid pace.

            "If Payton wants to, I suppose it would be fine. You seem like a good kid. But if you hurt her, I'll kill you." Is my dad's response.

            Kyle looks a little scared, but nods none the less and turns towards me and raises his eyebrows in question. I nod and then place my hand carefully in his and let him pull me to his car.

            Any nervousness that I felt before slips away as I notice that our hands fit together like puzzle pieces that are meant to be together.