Beauty & Her Bruises

Chapter Sixteen

As I sat down in my chair for calculus, I heard a shuffling and Dustin dropped his stuff right next to me. Some girls gave me glares but it was out by now that Dustin was my tutor. Although he hasn't tutored me since he started working with Serenity. He even did so much as to plan a tutoring session with me but he ditched me when Serenity wanted his help. He didn't even come early on that he was ditching. I looked like an idiot when I was told to leave because it was closing time. My math grade is barely holding up anymore.

"Can we talk?" he asked. As the bell rang, I nodded my head and pointed to the teacher - who was sleeping already. "It's the end of the year, Zara, he's not teaching." Death glaring the teacher for a solid twenty seconds, I finally gave in and looked at him. "There she is," he teased, smiling at me. "Okay. So I heard that gay kid is working at the library now."

"Liam."

"What?"

"That gay kid's name is Liam."

"Right, well is Liam working there?" I nodded my head and Dustin's face closed off. His chin tightened, which is what all boys do when they're angry. He sucked his cheeks in and didn't breathe for a couple of minutes. "Did you help him get the job?" Again, I nodded my head yes. "Why would you do that, Zara?" I raised my eyebrow in confusion and Dustin gave me a look that said he knew. "He barely talks to you and you're his 'best friend'? What? Did he bribe you?" Somehow I knew Dustin would hear about this from Ruth. She was trying to get him to come to the library more often so she thought hiring someone else would make him more competitive. When that didn't work, she began bragging about Liam. She told me that usually she brags about me but Dustin's used to it by now. Apparently bragging about other employees is working. I should tell Ruth it's working. "Am-am I fired?" he suddenly asked. Quickly I order no to erase any thoughts he had.

We sat in silence for a couple but when the bell rang, my emotions burst through and I couldn't help but yell. "When you're done messing around with Serenity, we'd love to have you back at the library." I walked past him and straight into the hallway. I went to my locker and poured my books in. When I slammed it shut, Dustin was behind it looking extremely mad at me.

"Is that what you think we were doing?" I didn't expect him to want an answer but when I nodded yes, he looked to the side and sort of laughed. "We're working on our final English project. We're actually working and not screwing. Where are you and your partner at? We're basically done." I remained quiet and then Dustin suddenly and randomly smiled at me. "Are you jealous?" Without responding, I shook my head and started walking towards my last period. "Zara, I like you too!" Heads turned my direction and some went towards him but I was blushing. I couldn't help but stop smiling either.

By the time I was seated in English and the bell rang, I was in daydream land thinking about if Dustin and I did get in a relationship. I know it was a corny idea gut literally nobody has ever liked me before. This is the best day of my life. I wasn't interrupted from my daydream until five minutes after when Ashton walked in late. He immediately sat next to me and whispered while looking at the teacher, who was glaring at us.

"When are we going to your house?" Breaking eye contact with the teacher, I looked at Ashton like he was on drugs. Which wasn't a stretch. "Look, the teacher is suspicious that I'm not helping. So I have to go to your house. When?"

"Can't we go to your house? Or the library?"

"No. Your house. Today or tomorrow, pick."

"Uh... Tomorrow?" Ashton nodded his head and smiled at the teacher. "You can't tell anyone where I live though."

"Who would want to know?" he retorted. "Besides, I don't want to be going to your house. Don't tell anyone."

"Glad that's cleared up," I whispered under my breath. Next to me, Ashton nodded his head and pulled out his phone. I did the same only with our English textbook. I didn't really read any of the text though because it was already what I knew. Despite what I told Dustin, our English project is basically done. I just had to type it up here and add a power point with the key points on it. It was a lot but the less I had to see Ashton was best. I sold type one thousand pages on tell if it didn't involve seeing him. I'm one hundred percent sure he would be included in it though. Thankfully as the bell rang, he didn't even try to talk to me as he left. He just bolted out without a second glance. I'm glad too. I walked slowly to my locker since I didn't have an after school job anymore. Since I don't have a job, I've been going straight home. Since there's nothing to do, I usually lay on my floor and think. I've been getting more beatings but the more he does, the less violent he is during each one. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Malcolm at my locker. He looked at the time in his phone and looked up to see me. He basically ran to me.