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cupid's shooting arrows but I'm young so I outgun 'em
I cracked my bedroom window open, squinting my eyes to make out where Max was through the darkness. Seeing a big lump in the middle of my bed covered in blankets. Praying silently that she hadn't told anyone I wasn't in the room last night. She looked a lot bigger under the layers of fabric covering her. It was still dark maybe around five in the morning but the autumn sun was a slow riser. I slipped my right leg into the room my left swinging silently afterwards. My feet landed silently without making a sound. I was home free.
At least I thought I was until I took a slow step towards my bed and the old creeky floorboard under me squeaked. It was barely audible but the figure in my bed stirred and began to rise. Only it rose much taller and wider than Max, much taller than me and soon enough made's glaring eyes were staring me down breaking through the darkness like icy daggers. "Where the hell were you?" He growled already face to face to me. Red creeping from his neck all the the way to his forehead in furry, spit coming from every syllable he spoke. There's a thousand witty comment I could've made about his face but the fear that crept up to my chest left my speechless. "Huh, where the hell were you?" He repeated, his big fat hand coming up to grab a fistful of my black hair from the back of my head.
"I-ah, I was—" I stuttered as a million questions ran through my head at the moment. What was he doing in my room? Where's Max? Did Susan know he was here? Did Billy tell him I didn't come back home? What was he going to do?
"You were whoring around weren't you?" He yelled before I could choke out any other words. He threw my back roughly and I stumbled to catch myself, tears pricking my eyes but I refused to let him see me fall. "Just like your mother! You stupid beaner." He yelled, and I stayed silent, backing up as I knew what was coming. His hot heavy hand collided against my cheek sending my head back against the wall. The throbbing from my hit against the wall numbing out the sting on my now red cheek.
"I'm sorry." I sniffled, pushing my hair out of my face, trying to compose myself but I couldn't stop my body from shaking. Or my natural instinct to curl up in a corner and wait for it to stop.
"You never fucking learn do you? You're trash, sex is all any guy will ever want with you!" A punch was thrown to my arm, before it could make it though the light to my room turned on. That was enough of a distraction for the fist to land on the wall instead of my body.
"Neil?" An adoring voice spoke from the doorway as if they were calling him to breakfast. He snapped his eyes away from me and to the door where Susan was standing. A pink silk robe and fluffy white slippers on, Max was hiding behind her with wide eyes looking like she just witnessed a murder. Her eyes were even more watery than mine. Billy wasn't there but that didn't surprise me. I don't blame him either because when my dad is mad at one of us he takes it out on both. "Neil let her get to bed." She pleaded and I know that usually my dad wouldn't even spare a glance in her direction but since they were still in the 'honeymoon' stage he reluctantly threw me back and walked away. Susan left taking Max along with her, probably not wanting her to see anymore of me. My dad was almost to the door when he stopped by my vanity. His angry eyes narrowing down on a framed picture.
It was of me and a tall brunette with messy chocolate brown hair and big sarcastic brown eyes, his arm was around me as we sat on the hood of his janky black car. His face was set in an intimidating glare at the camera with his arm hanging around my shoulders, while I was smiling with my eyes closed hands placed on my flat stomach. I was thirteen, about Max's age but even at that age Max and I were worlds apart as far as life experiences. "Fucking whore." He growled lowly once again, I though he was going to leave but before I knew it his hand had clenched the picture and it was hurtling straight at my leg. It hit my quad, the glass shattering and sticking to my leg, I let out a groan in pain. Which seemed to satisfy my dad because he finally slammed my door shut stepping out.
I shrugged my grey backpack over shoulder as I stepped out of Billy's camaro squinting despite the skinny black cat-shaped sunglasses that were covering my eyes. Trying my hardest to strut regardless of the aching of my left leg. Let me tell you walking in heeled boots wasn't as easy as it seemed when your leg was bleeding under the bandages. But someone has to do it, right? At least the tight black bellbottoms were helping keep the bandages in place.
"A-are you okay?" Max mumbled as she shifted eye contact from me awkwardly. It was the first time she's seen my dad hurt me. She couldn't look me in the eyes, and I felt ashamed for making her witness that. Billy had already sauntered off with a curly haired girl under his arm and a cigarette in his mouth, without a care in world. I knew he at least felt a little sorry for me since he told me he was picking me up from work.
"I'm fine." I smiled at her, I don't know how convincing it was since I usually don't smile but it was the closest I got to being comforting. "You coming to the arcade today?" She nodded, still looking anywhere but me. "Okay, we'll walk over at four thirty." I gave her a slight nod before turning to leave.
I only made it halfway through the parking lot before I heard someone jogging to catch up. "Film Boy." I smirked already knowing Jonathan was behind me.
"H-hi," Jonathan greeted hesitantly leaning over to peck my cheek, "c-can I do that?"
I laughed pushing him slightly. "Sure." I should probably explain right? Well, last night we may or may not have kissed while we were talking outside on Tina's porch. We were both a little more intoxicated than we should have been. Truthfully I had no idea what I was doing all I know was that I felt guilty.
"Sorry about last night. I couldn't just leave Nancy drunk in a bathroom." He ditched me for his friend, Nancy, after her boyfriend and her got in a fight. Do you know who that boyfriend was? Steve freaking Harrington.
He told me that she called him and their relationship bullshit. I'm no expert but that seems pretty twisted. To make matters worse we, as in King Steve and I, ended up singing Bon Jovi in his pool with only our underwear, totally hammered. Luckily, I left his house before he woke up and I know for a fact that the closest thing we got to doing anything intimate was when we were wrestling in the pool. Oh and I heard that Jonathan took Nancy home and spent the night. Of course I'm not sure if that's true. How all of that happened in one night, I'm not sure.
I felt bad, but I shouldn't. I mean Jonathan and I aren't dating. Steve and I were drunk out of our minds and I'm not even 100% certain that all that really happened. Plus even if it did, Nancy shouldn't have told Steve that. And although we probably shouldn't have stripped to our underwear we didn't do anything remotely romantic. All I know is I want to forget all of it.
"It's fine." I waved him off with a smile before going to my locker.
"I was ah- also wondering if you, you know wanted to go watch a movie sometime?"
"Are you asking me on a date?" I raised my eyebrows at him. He nodded hesitantly, and I hesitated as well before responding. "The antisocial Jonathan Byers, asking me out?" I gushed sarcastically while getting out my AP Calculus II textbook. There was only like five other kids in that class and I was the youngest. He laughed nodding once again. "Alright." I smiled at him with a nod, not bothering to ask about the Nancy rumors. I'm not his girlfriend so it doesn't matter. "But I am not watching Terminator for the hundredth time."
"Alright." He smiled, hesitating before giving me another kiss on the cheek and heading to his class.
