Trying to Find a Way

Chapter twenty-five

"What's wrong?" James, Ashley, and Troy say in unison.

Currently we are sitting at lunch. I'm not eating anything due to Bea and my moms plan to make me loose weight.

"Nothing." I mumble and look down at my hands.

Troy takes hold one of my hands.

He leans beside my ear.

"Please tell me what's wrong. You're quiet and not eating." He whispers into my ear.

I turn my head so I'm inches away from his face.

Closing my eyes, I sigh.

"I don't want to talk about it here." I whisper to him.

He backs away and stands up. Because my hand is laced with his, I'm forced to stand up too.

Troy drags me out of the cafeteria and into a bare hallway.

Taking both of my hands, he looks into my eyes with concern.

"What's wrong." His voice cracks at the end.

Heart aching

Blurry eyes.

"Mom and Bea want me to loose weight. They've barely gave me stuff to eat. It's like nothing." I whisper.

I hear Troy sigh deeply.

"I knew your sister wasn't right. She's such a bitch. Carolina don't listen to them. You are perfect the way you are. From now on, you're eating at my house." He explained.

A tear rolls down my cheek.

Troy wipes it away. He kisses my forehead.

+++++++++++
The rest of the school day, Troy was by my side; never left for anything.

Bea's still going to this school. Her 'friends' are back with her.

Each time they see me they either give me a death glare or point and laughs at me.

Troy just wraps his arm around my waist and protects me.

We walk out to Troy's car. The bad thing is that we will need to walk past Bea in the process.

Thankfully we are not on school grounds anymore. The parking lot is across the street from the school.

As we walk, Troy holds my hand.

I walk right past Bea. One of her friends put there foot out in front of me, causing me to trip.

Landing right on my stomach, I start to panic. My face landed right on the ground.

Flashes of my past come forward.

Pulling myself with all of my strength, I see the unexpected happening.

Troy is mad. I don't mean a little mad, but mad enough for steam to come out of his ears.

He walks right up to Bea.

She smirks at him.

Then he punches her square in the face.

Bea's head whips back as she looses her balance, though she gets it back seconds later.

Anger fills her eyes.

I touch my face.

blood.

I have a bloody nose.

Bea bolts towards Troy trying to punch him.

Troy must have done boxing or fighting before because his reflexes are smooth.

Right away he sees what Bea's trying to do and then pushes here away causing her to fall.

Troy reacts fast; picking me up in the process.

I cling to his chest as we make the rest of the way to the car.

Once we get to the car, he puts me in safely as possible. He rounds the car to his seat.

He instantly starts the car and zooms away.

When we are away from the school parking lot, Troy relaxes.

He looks over to me.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Carefully touching my cheek, he looks at me seeing if I had any bruises.

"I'm fine." I reply.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes but I never knew you fought." I say to him.

"I used to. It's something about my past that I wish I could forget. It does come in handy at some points." He explained.

I don't push on the subject. Once he's ready to tell me, he'll tell me.

We drive back to his house.

"Mom!" Troy yelled as we made our way inside.

"I'm in the kitchen." She yelled back.

My nose is still bloody.

Right when we walk into the kitchen, Jordan runs over to me.

"What the hell happened?" Jordan hissed.

"Bea." Troy simply said with pure anger.

His mom sighs deeply.

"That girl..." Jordan trailed off.

She cups my cheeks and looks at my face.

Jordan grabs a wash clothes and cleans the blood off.

She hands me a tissue to press on to my nose.

Next she lifts my shirt to see a cut up stomach from stones.

Jordan carefully cleans the cuts off.

"You're not going back to your house." Jordan said as she washes me up.

Troy nods along with her.

"I'm fine there." I say.

She looks at me; stopping the cleaning too.

"No you're not Carolina. Look at what Bea did outside of the house! Imagine what she would do when you guys are alone. You are staying here and that's final." Troy said.

I look at him.

His eyes burn holes in mine.

The part when he says what she could do when we are alone, I know what she can do.

I've had that done to me for years.

"Thank you." I say to the both of them.

"You're welcome." Jordan says and finishes up washing the cuts.

Once she is finished, she leaves Troy and I alone.

"I'm so sorry, Carolina. You do not deserve any of this." Troy says as he rubs his neck.

"It's okay. At least I have you." My voice cracks at the end.

I walk up to him as he greets me in a hug.

"I know you will always have me but you need a caring mother and a sister who will care enough to be nice to you." He explained.

I lift my head off of his chest.

"You're mom is like a mother to me and you are my best friend, my brother, my soul mate, and my boyfriend all in one." I say to him.

He smirks and leans down and kisses me.

The same rush comes through my body leaving it numb.

"Dinners ready love birds!" Jordan screams up to us.

I smile in our kiss and break away.

I don't need old family. I have a new one that cares about me.