I'll Never Be the Same

I didn’t see Darren again until a few days later when we were back at school. The bruises were still on my wrists from Ben, but they were starting to fade. I made it a point to wear long sleeves when I wasn’t alone. I didn’t need people asking questions or starting new rumors.

Darren was waiting for me at my locker, and I shook my head when I saw him. He just smiled. I opened my locker and switched out books between my locker and my backpack. I didn’t say anything to Darren and he didn’t say anything to me, which made me happy, but I could tell he was watching me intently.

“Did Ben do that?” he asked as I closed my locker.

“Do what?” I asked, looking at him in surprise.

He grabbed my arm gently pulling it closer to him and pulling back the sleeve of my sweatshirt a bit, exposing the purple flesh.

“This,” he said.

“Yes,” I sighed. “But they’re starting to go away.”

I pulled my arm away from him and quickly pulled my sleeve back down to cover the bruises again before someone else saw them.

“I’ll see you later,” Darren said before walking away. I shook my head and headed for my first class.

Later, at lunch, I sat with Becca who I hadn’t talked to since New Year’s Eve. She had been trying to get a hold of me, but I hadn’t felt like answering her questions.

“So,” she said as she sat down next to me at our usual table. “Are you ever going to tell me why you abandoned me at that party?”

“I just wasn’t feeling it,” I said. It was true, but it wasn’t the real reason I left. I wasn’t going to tell her about Ben because I knew she would blow it out of proportion. “And I didn’t want to make you leave just because I wasn’t having fun.”

“I heard you left with Darren.”

“He only brought me home,” I said. By the look she was giving me, I knew she didn’t believe that. She was ending up like everyone else, thinking I had fallen under Darren’s spell and that I was hopelessly in love. I knew there was no point arguing against it—she’d never believe me.

I stayed mostly silent for the rest of lunch, just listening to Becca talk. Finally we parted and I headed for my locker to get what I needed for my next class.

“Hey, Hailey.”

I turned my head and saw Ben standing next to me.

“Go away,” I said, glaring at him.

“Don’t be so mean,” he said. “I just wanted to see if you wanted to go out tonight.”

“No,” I said.

“Come on,” he said. “Just give me a chance.”

“My answer is still no.”

“Is this because of New Year’s Eve?” he asked. “I’m sorry about that. I was drunk.”

“I don’t care what your excuses are, my answer is still no,” I said. I went to close my locker, and the moment it was shut I saw Ben get shoved into the lockers.

Then before I even knew what was going on, Darren was punching Ben in the face, shoving him to the floor.

“Darren, stop it!” I yelled without thinking. I dropped my bag and went to the pair of struggling boys, trying to get them to stop. I pushed hard at Darren’s shoulder until he fell over slightly, just as I felt a fist collide with the side of my head. Then silence as the hallway spun. I could see stars, see the people staring at us in shock when moments before they had been cheering.

“Hailey--,” I heard Ben start to say, but I couldn’t comprehend.

“Just get away from her!” Darren.

“Both of you, Darren and Ben, to the principal’s office,” said the stern voice of a teacher. The same teacher kneeled beside me and talked more calmly to me. “Hailey, honey, I’m going to bring you the nurse’s office.”

As I was led to the nurse’s office I realized the teacher was Mrs. Shepard. As soon as I was in the nurse’s office I was given an ice pack and some Tylenol.

“How are you feeling Hailey?” the nurse asked.

“Fine...I think,” I said.

“Do you feel light headed or dizzy?”

“No,” I answered. “Just in shock I guess.”

“That’s good,” she said. “You’re probably going to have a pretty good bruise there, but at least you don’t have a concussion.”

I nodded my head.

“Do you think you can go to class?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Good,” she said. “You keep that ice pack. It’ll help keep any swelling down.”

I left the nurse’s office, but instead of going to class I headed outside to the parking lot and to my car. I got inside but just sat there. I tossed the ice pack on the passenger’s seat and rested my forehead on the steering wheel, closing my eyes.

A minute later there was a knock on the window and I looked up to see Darren standing there, an ice pack over his right eye and my back pack in his left hand. I rolled down the window and he handed me the bag.

“You left this in the nurse’s office,” he said.

“You’re an idiot.”

“He hurt you,” Darren said. “And then he has the nerve to come up to you again and harass you. It just made me really mad.”

“Are you going home?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he answered. “I have two days of suspension. They’re sending me home today and then I can’t come back till Thursday.”

“Can I go over to your house?” I asked without really thinking. “I don’t feel like going to the rest of my classes.”

“Sure,” he said. “Let me just get my car and you can follow me there.”

When we got to Darren’s house I was glad to see that his mom wasn’t home. I knew she didn’t like me, and there were just some people I didn’t feel like dealing with at the moment.

“So,” Darren said as we entered his house. “This is new. You willingly coming to my house.”

He smiled at me and I just rolled my eyes.

“Don’t get any ideas,” I said. We went into the living room and I sat down on the couch. Darren sat next to me.

“Are you okay?” he asked. I felt his fingers brush over the area of my face where Ben had hit me. “You already have a bruise forming.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “Your eye doesn’t look too good either.”

It was slightly swollen and was starting to bruise.

“I’ll be fine,” he repeated what I said. “Ben better watch out though. I can’t believe he hit you.”

“It was an accident,” I said. “Don’t try starting another fight with him over it.”

“Since when do you care what I do?” he asked, smiling at me again.

“Since… I don’t know,” I answered. “I just don’t need anyone fighting for me.”

“Fair enough,” he said. He leaned back on the couch, stretching his legs out in front of him. “So what did you have in mind when you asked to come to my house?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I just didn’t want to deal with anyone and I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.”

“Well, then. I feel honored that you chose to be in my presence,” he said. I shook my head, not having any sort of a comeback ready.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I looked over at Darren and noticed that his eyes were shut. I took the opportunity to stare at him. He really wasn’t bad looking and I knew now that he was nice. If only he hadn’t gained the reputation that he has now, I might actually consider dating him.

A few more minutes and I thought that he might be sleeping.

“Darren?” I said. No response. I can’t believe he actually fell asleep. I pushed his shoulder. “Darren.”

Nothing. I moved so my mouth was closer to his ear.

“Darren!” I said loudly. He stirred, his eyes opened and he turned his head so he was looking at me. Noticing the proximity of our faces, I started to back up a bit. But I wasn’t quick enough.

Darren’s hand reached behind my head, pulling my face even closer until his lips were on mine.