Status: Finished

Bent

Deception

It was weird the next day, without David drinking coffee at the breakfast table. I was surprised how easily I could get used to his presence, but never get over the lack of it.
On the bus I had no patience for bullying, even when someone tossed an apple at the back of my head. It hit with a thud, leaving chunks in my hair, but I just tossed it out a window and cleaned myself off.
When I got to school I ran into Pennylee almost immediately. I felt a sudden surge of affection for her. She had tried to reconnect, had been the person who helped me. I wanted to give her thanks and a hug. But she met my gaze with wide, anxious eyes and hurried away.

I realized she was scared of what I would do. She must have thought I was angry at her deception. I didn't get the chance to speak with her until English, when she had to sit near me. "Pennylee." She swallowed and turned towards me. "Y-Yeah?" "I figured out who you are." "I figured."
I resisted the urge to hug her or something. She was so nervous for no reason. "I'm not mad, Pennylee. Honest." "Really?" "Of course not. You saved me a couple times. You're one of the only people willing to help."

Pennylee let out a deep breath and relaxed before smiling at me. "Thank God." "Can we talk? After school?" She nodded. "Sure. I'll meet you on the stage." Our drama club has been closed for years, and the gym holds more people, so the stage is rarely used. "Okay." When she smiled at me I felt warm all over, so I grinned back.

I barely focused on school that day, too excited to worry about the Civil War or Shakespeare. Instead, I wrote apology letters to Davey, attempting to write down what I couldn't say. None of them came out very well.
Finally the bell rang and I was free. Well, almost. Mallory met me at the homeroom door, using her shoulders to shove me against the frame. It hurt, and I knew I would have bruises later, but I just bowed my head and continued on.