I shake my head as I wipe the tears away and sniff. “It’s…I’m so lucky to have you in my life, Conner.”
Conner’s body relaxes, and he touches my cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear. Then, he presses his lips against my forehead and murmurs, “You’re making it hard to leave this car.”
“I know,” I sob-laugh and wrap my arms around Conner and bury my head in the side of his neck. “Just…give me a minute, please.”
Conner hums, singing softly into my hair as I release all these pent-up emotions. The gears turn, and the darkness instilled in me leaves. Basking in the sun, letting it soak into my pores, and revelling in the turning of the leaves. It’s what I want. What I dream about each waking moment. But as much as I want to be the knight, the one with the sword and in the armour, it isn’t realistic.
And so he came instead. He became the knight I couldn’t be.
Easing out of the embrace, I sigh when the bell for class rings. Our time in his haven is up, and he gets out first and goes around to my side and opens the door. As I leave the car, the summer air brushes against me, drying the tears and naturally flushing my cheeks.
Conner walks me to my class, and as he leaves, he tells me he’ll see me around the back of the building when it’s recess. I then go to English, and Samantha is already in her seat, with a broad grin on her face. Before I can sit down, questions blurtout of her mouth, and with every question, I shrink lower, pretending I don’t hear her lewd, crude questions.
“Oh my god! When Conner kissed you after you got off the bus, it turned me on,” Samantha says as she does her dance of glee.
“Stop,” I whisper.
“Were you in his car this morning and making out? I saw he parked, but you both didn’t get out.” She then pouts as she says, “He has tinted windows, so I couldn’t see anything.”
“Samantha,” I hiss and grab at her arm. She giggles, and her laughter is contagious, making me laugh and say, “No. We were talking…”
Julien turns in his seat and faces us with his phone in his hand. “Hey, Sammy, do you want to check out this photo?”
“Of what?” she asks, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. “If it’s another lame meme you’re trying to create, I’d rather not.”
“Nah. It’s way better than that.”
I look between them before ducking my head and getting back to work. From the corner of my eye, Samantha takes the phone, and, not even a second later, she hands the phone back to him and cringes. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” she spits. “Why did you show me someone’s nudes!?”
Julien laughs as he says, “It’s been going around school this morning. Brody from Year Twelve sent it to me. It’s pretty fucked up, right? I mean, I think it’s Emo Emma just wanting attention, sending nudes from a burner phone or something.”
“Didn’t you date Emo Emma last year?” Mark says.
Julien kicks his chair and says, “Shut up. Don’t fucking remind me.”
“Why do you think it’s her nudes?” Samantha asks.
“She constantly does things for attention—and did you see those bruises on the girl’s stomach and legs?” My hand tightens on my pen. “C’mon, ithasto be her.”
I lean forward, my focus locked on the phone. “Can I see it?”
“Huh?” Julien notices me for the first time and smirks. “Sure. Here.”
I take hold, and the phone feels as if it weighs a ton. The phone lights up in my hands, and a sickness already stirs in my stomach. Staring at a picture of myself, I hold the bile in. It’s blurry, and at the time of the photo, I had my head tipped back as the water rushed down my chest. However, there’s no denying it’s me. The flash heightens the bruises across my stomach and legs, highlighting the pain and torture I underwent the night Dad had come home drunkenly angry. And now it’s here, on someone’s phone.
Samantha leans towards me, ogling my naked body again. “It looks like the creepy showers we went to on camp,” she muses.
I bite my lip to hold in the tremble as I hand Julien the phone. After he takes it, I say, “That’s disgusting.”
“Right?” Samantha agrees. “Whoever took it is fucked up.”
“It was Emo Emma. I’m telling ya!” Julien insists with a chuckle.
“I don’t know,” Samantha says in a doubtful tone. “I don’t think anyone would wantthatphoto to get out.”
My stomach tenses at her words, even though I know it’s true.
“Well, whoever that is can’t hide it for long,” Mark sniggers.