Their Violence, Your Silence.

I stared around me nervously as Caleb guided me gently towards the school entrance. He smiled at people and greeted nearly everyone by name. Behind us confused conversations erupted like a volcano.

´Did you see that bruise?'

'What is she doing with Caleb?'

'Are they dating now?'

'Where is Marley?'

'I thought Caleb hated her?'

I breathed a deep sigh of relief when we'd reached my locker, glad to be able to hide my head in it as I dumped books and grabbed the tings I needed for my first Class. Caleb stood beside me scanning the people in the hall with narrowed eyes.

'Oh my god Caleb! What did you to do her?' Cassandra popped up beside me all of a sudden and grabbed my chin to take a closer look at the bruise on my face. It meant I had a clear view on Caleb's face for a moment. He looked shamed and regretful.

'It wasn't him Cass... Marley did this, in fact Caleb's the one who helped me.' I said while unobtrusively trying to check if the cuts on my arms were still hidden by the long sleeved shirt I wore today.

'He did?' Cassie said suspiciously, looking from me to Caleb as if trying to decide whether to believe us or not. Then her face cleared.

'I'm glad you've finally seen the light Caleb,' she said then and just as sudden as she'd appeared she turned around and hurried away.

I watched how Caleb stared after her, a frown creasing his forehead. I nudged him softly,

'Don't you need to put your own stuff away?'

He insisted I walked along with him as he did so and then in class he sat down beside me, pointedly ignoring the stares everyone gave him. Cassie shot him a sideways glance and then sat down on my other side, spewing an endless stream of words like always.

Marley sashayed into the classroom mere seconds before the bell rang and sat down in her
usual seat without sparing Caleb or me a single glance. Her group of followers surrounded her like usual except that Caleb wasn´t among them.

Although of course Caleb had never been a follower, no he´d always been the one they followed. Even Marley did in a way, attaching herself to him as soon as she saw him because he was the most popular guy in school...

Seemed like none of his usual friends in this class new how to react to the different seating arrangement. Casting Caleb long glances, utter confusion written clearly on their faces until Marley managed to distract them.



It was the same in pretty much every class that day, and if Caleb wasn't in my class he'd still walk me to it and pick me up afterward. Always right on time as if he knew I'd try to leave without him if he wasn't.

At lunch he followed me without hesitation to my usual table in the corner. Waving at his friends with a smile when they called out to him. Cassie and Shane sat down with us mere moments later both smiling at Caleb as if proud with him.

'Now, spill alright? I want to know what happened that made you look like shit!' Cassie said, always so eloquent.

'Yeah and since when are you being nice to her?' added Shane as he looked at Caleb.

I took a deep breath and hurriedly told them what happened with Marley yesterday. Leaving out as much of it as possible and ending with: 'And now he thinks he needs to guard me 24/7.' I jerked my thumb in Caleb's direction.

Cassie laughed loudly and one look at Caleb's face made me laugh too. He was sort of spluttering indignantly as if I'd said something offensive.

Eventually what came out was: 'I know you don't like help but... you didn't need to say it that vehemently?'

Cassie had slapped a hand across her mouth to keep herself from laughing and was failing miserably. Shane had a bemused expression on his face as he looked at the antics of his girlfriend before he said:

'Well,to be fair, Winter wouldn't need protection if it wasn't for you...'

Cassie was sober immediately, 'That's not nice to say Shane... It's true Marley wasn't really bothering Winter until Caleb stood up for her and started being nice but that's not really Caleb's fault. She's just a bitch!'

I nodded quickly, 'Yeah besides that guy in the hotel attacked me without even knowing Caleb... That certainly wasn't his fault!' Shocked by what I'd just said I clamped my hand across my mouth.

Caleb was the one laughing then, 'I can't believe you're the one defending me now Winter! Even providing more arguments as to why you need to be protected...'

I was blushing instantly as he gazed warmly at me with those incredible green eyes of his. A smile on his very kissable lips and I realized I was still smiling too.

Someone cleared their throat loudly and both me and Caleb jumped before turning to look at Cassie and Shane.

'What guy in the hotel?' said Cassie, uncharacteristic for her there was a deep frown on her forehead.

'Ehm...' I stuttered my mind flashing back to that horrible experience. If I scrunched up my nose I could still smell the guy's breath, the stench of alcohol.

Caleb placed a warm hand on my shoulder and squeezed softly, anchoring me in the present. A worried look in his eyes now as I smiled at him reassuringly. Then he turned to Shane and Cas.

'Saturday in one of my dad's hotels a guy tried to...rape her,' the words came out through clenched teeth.

Shocked both of them stared at me, and I hurried to add: 'Caleb beat him up and then kicked him out! Nothing happened, I didn't even get hurt.'

Of course after that they wanted to know exactly what happened then as well. When lunch was over I was in a very bad mood. Memories of yesterday and Saturday swirling in my head.

As if Caleb knew he bend towards my ear as he escorted me to my next class with a gentle hand at the small of my back.

'Now don't frown, I like it better when you're smiling.'

Startled by the words he whispered I looked up blushing to meet his green eyes. What did he mean with that?

'I'm having some friends over after school to watch the game, wanna come too? Cassie and Shane will be there...'

What game was he talking about? Why was he inviting me over along with his friends? Would Marley be there as well? Thoroughly confused and without answering his question he left me at the door to my class.

A smile on that dangerous mouth.