Dark Scene of the Crime

Alex’s POV

When I got home from dropping Rowan off, I ate dinner with my mom.

“How was your day sweetheart?” she asked as she ate some of her spaghetti.

“It was fine I guess,” I mumbled as I shrugged my shoulders.

“Just fine? You guess?” she questioned with a raised eyebrow. I nodded.

“Yeah.”

“What happened?” she asked. I sighed.

“Rowan wasn’t at school today. But I picked her up after school and brought her here with Jack, Zack, and Rian. We were having fun playing truth or dare, and then the guys left and we were alone for about 15 minutes. But then she started getting awkward and acting weird and she got a phone call from her grandmother so I took her home. And she kept telling me she was fine, but I know she wasn’t,” I told her, my voice a mumble.

“Hmm, really?” she asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “What do I do?”

“Well its best to just let her deal with it on her own and let her tell you when she’s ready to tell you,” she said. I nodded.

“Yeah, I guess that’s the best way to go about it,” I mumbled.

“She lives with her grandmother?” she asked.

“Well…no. She lives with her dad, her mom died when she was younger, but lets just say her dad isn’t the best. And her grandmother was letting her stay there tonight, I guess,” I told her. She nodded.

“What do you mean her dad isn’t the best?” she asked. I gulped.

“Well, I’m not supposed to say anything, but I cant keep this is. Her dad beats her,” I whispered.

“What?!” she shrieked.

“She came to school on Monday with bruises and a gash on her cheek. It was horrible. That’s why she stayed here,” I told her.

“We have to tell someone! Like the police!” she said quickly. I shook my head.

“No no no, mom. She wants to deal with this on her own, and if I’m not bothering her with the whole awkward act thing, I don’t want to bother her with this whole her father beating her thing. She wants to deal with it on her own, and I’m not going to upset her. I shouldn’t even have told you, I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.”

“Honey, this is a serious issue! She’s in trouble at home,” she said sternly. I shook my head again.

“Mom, don’t. Let her do this on her own. If I have to leave her alone on the awkward thing, you have to leave her alone on the beating thing. One for one. Just drop it, okay?” She sighed.

“Fine. But you make sure to tell her that she’s allowed here anytime she needs it, okay? She’s safe here,” she said. I nodded.

“Alright, I’ll tell her,” I said as I stood up and brought my plate to the kitchen sink before I walked up the stairs and into my room. I sighed as I entered, flopping down on my bed. I slipped my hand in my pocket, pulling out my phone. Scrolling through my contacts, I stopped on Rowan and opened up a new text message.

I love you.

I stared at the screen for a moment, biting my lip. Deciding not to send it, I erased it and typed a new message.

Rowan are you sure you’re okay?

Content with this message, I pressed send and set the phone down on my desk. A couple seconds later, my phone vibrated with her reply.

Yes Alex, I’m fine.

I read her text and hit reply, quickly typing up my response message.

Okay. But you know you can tell me if something IS wrong, right?

I quickly hit send and clamped the phone tight in my hand, drumming my fingers on the table as I waited. A minute or two later, the phone vibrated in my hand.

I know Alex. Thanks.

I sighed and quickly replied.

Okay. You’re welcome.

I set my phone down on my desk again and looked at the clock; it was 9:42 pm. I was getting tired now so I took off my shirt and pants, leaving me in just my boxers. Yawning, I slid under my covers and laid my head on my pillow, closing my eyes and allowing myself to fall asleep.

On the way to school tomorrow, I anxiously drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. Pulling into the school parking lot, I quickly parked and jumped out of my car. I grabbed my backpack from the passenger seat, slung it over my shoulder, and walked into the school. I peered around the crowd and spotted Rowan by her locker. She was wearing a purple glamour kills shirt and black skinny jeans. She had on her usual black high top converse. I quickly walked down the hall, but halfway there, I noticed she wasn’t alone. Standing beside her was Christofer Drew, a wide smile on his face. Jack had said something about him having a crush on her. I scowled and walked up to Rowan, wrapping my arms around her waist from the back and kissing her shoulder.

“Hi Rowan,” I said as I rested my head on her shoulder. Christofer’s smile dropped as he eyed my arms. Rowan sighed.

“Hi Alex,” she mumbled.

“Are you two…?” Christofer trailed off. Rowan vigorously shook her head.

“No. No we’re not together, or anything. Just friends,” she told him quickly.

“Friends with benefits,” I added.

“No we’re not,” she said.

“Normal friends don’t just kiss each other all the time,” I pointed out. She sighed in aggravation.

“No Chris, we’re not together,” she repeated, pulling my arms from around her waist. I pouted.

“Okay…well I have to go. I’ll see you in art class Rowan…Alex,” Chris added uncertainly, giving me a strange look as he walked away down the hall. I glared at him as he walked. Rowan sighed and started rummaging through her locker.

“So Rowan, what do you want to do today?” I asked, sliding my arms around her waist from the back again.

“Alex, stop doing that, people will think we’re together, just like Chris did,” she said, completely ignoring my question.

“So?”

“SO, that would ruin your reputation,” she said simply.

“And?”

“What’s with the one worded questions?” she asked before answering. “And you wouldn’t want your reputation ruined.”

“I don’t care about my reputation anymore, as long as I have you in my life. I’m not that shallow, ya know.” She nodded her head.

“I know. But still. I don’t have very many friends. What would people think if they saw you with me in your arms, or you kissing me? That’s most likely going to make most people not like you, being with the school loser and all,” she said. I shook my head.

“School loser? You are definitely not a loser, for one. And second, I don’t care what they think. They don’t matter at all to me. And you, you do matter,” I told her.

“But I don’t matter enough, Alex.”

“What are you trying to say?” I asked, my voice cracking the slightest bit.

“I’m saying maybe we should stay away from each other, that way you can keep your big reputation and not be seen with the school loser. And you can be with tons of other girls who are willing to go far with you,” she told me.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean that you can be with tons of girls throwing themselves at you, and whoring themselves out for you! Girls who will have sex with you! Instead of a girl like me, who gets awkward when it goes just a little too far for her,” she whispered sharply before scurrying away down the hall, leaving me to watch her run away from me. I stared after her, feeling my heart shatter into pieces inside of me. My eyes stung with tears that I was refusing to let fall. I’m a man, I don’t cry. Especially in public. But maybe I can now, Rowan did change me. But it wasn’t good enough for her, since she just ran away from me and practically broke up with me, telling me that we shouldn’t hang out anymore. What did she mean girls willing to go far with me? Girls willing to have sex with me? Maybe I don’t want sex anymore. What did she mean by ‘girls like her who get awkward when it goes just a little too far for her’? Still staring after her, I pulled up the hood of my GK hoodie over my head, pulling it far enough so that people couldn’t see the tears running freely down my face as I shattered on the inside, staring at the hall and searching for a girl who didn’t want to be around me anymore.