All We Are

Katie and Jude rushed over to me, still lying on the floor, while Jesse pulled Kurt out of the room. I heard them struggling down the basement stairs. Katie offered me her hand and Jude helped me stand up, supporting my elbow.

“Are you alright Sweetie?” Katie asked, gently examining my face.

I winced when she pressed a little too hard. “I’ll be alright,” I said.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “Let me get you some ice.”

She walked over to the freezer and began putting ice cubes into a Ziploc baggie. I looked at Jude. He looked uncomfortable, like he didn’t know what to say or do. Embarrassed for Kurt and his actions, I felt like I had to say something, but I couldn’t think of the right words to say. Before I could think of anything, Katie returned and placed the bag of ice against the side of my face.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, wincing as pain seared where I pressed the ice.

A few long, awkward minutes later, Jesse returned from downstairs.

“Are you alright Willow?” he asked, a worried look on his face. I figured that, being the doctor he was, he wouldn’t let it rest until he was sure that I didn’t have a concussion. While he examined my face, I asked him about Kurt.

“I’m sorry about Kurt. How is he?”

“He’s asleep,” Jesse said. “Passed out on the couch. He probably won’t wake up until the morning.”

“I’m sorry,” I said sheepishly.

“Don’t be,” Jesse said firmly. “Kurt’s behavior is in no way your fault Willow.”

“I know, but I still feel bad,” I mumbled.

Jesse patted my shoulder as he finished my quick examination. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

The mood immediately lightened as Katie and Jesse got out plates and began dishing out the food. Jude followed suit, seemingly happy for the change of mood. I was still a little shaken up, but I tried my best to act normal.

Dinner passed quickly and uneventfully, everyone seemed unwilling to talk about what had happened. They talked instead about school and Jude’s soccer practice. I stayed mostly silent throughout the meal, holding the ice against my face. Everyone seemed to sense that I wasn’t in the mood to talk,so they didn’t say much to me directly.

After dinner, I helped Katie with the dishes before going upstairs to my room. I went into the bathroom to see how bad my face looked. It was worse than I’d expected. A large, dark purple stain had formed around my right eye and spread to my cheekbone. Yellow spots mixed with the purple and blue, making a colorful blemish across my eye.

Disgusted, I turned away from the mirror and walked into my room to find a change of clothes. Yanking off my pants, I double-checked the pockets before throwing them into the hamper. I pulled out a crumpled up dollar bill. Unfolding it revealed it to be the $100 that Kurt had tried to bribe me with. With a sickened sigh, I set it on my dresser and proceeded to change into my bathing suit. A relaxing soak in the hot tub was just what I needed.

Downstairs, I passed Jude in the living room. He was watching a soccer game on ESPN, like usual.

“I’ll be out back,” I told him. “In case anyone needs me.” I tried to keep my face away from him to hid my bruise, and thankfully, he was too engrossed in his game to look up at me.

I continued through the house to the backyard. After flipping on the heat and bubble jets, I shed my bathing suit wrap and got into the tub. At first, the heat was too much, and I gasped in pain, before slowly lowering myself into the water.

An hour later, it was almost pitch black outside, accept for the lights in the pool. I decided I should go inside before it was too dark. I turned everything off, and went inside. Jude was still watching TV, so I decided not to disturb him. Instead, I went upstairs and changed out of my wet bathing suit and into some pajamas. It wasn’t very late, but I was exhausted, and my face hurt, so I decided to go to bed.