Invisible

When I stop outside Corrie's house to pick her up on Monday I'm angry. Angry because Jake, Alec, and Ashton took my keys and my beautiful truck, and I'm stuck driving Mom's Honda to school only because she doesn't feel well.

Jake needs to get his own damn car. I'll even buy it. Stupid effing twins. I'd kill them both, and Jake, when I got to school.

Corrie hops into he car, scaring me. "Where's your truck?" she asks. "And any perticular reason you're twenty minutes early?"

"Jake and the twins stole my truck. I'm early because were going to get coffee," I grumble, now fakely upset. Corrie's here!

I look over at her as I pull out, then slam on the brakes. "Corrie! What the fuck?!" There are bruises all up the side of her face. And thats just what I can see.

She sighs. "I knew you'd overreact. Its stupid, really, but I got hit by a car."

"What the fuck?" I repeat.

"I ran across the road, and got hit by a car. I didn't see him, he didn't see me. I went to the doctor, I survived. I've just got some nasty bruises."

"Why didn't you tell me when I called you yesterday?"

"It happened after. You called my kinda early."

I'm about to demand why she didn't call me and tell me about it then, but I restrain myself. "Well, I'm glad you're okay then," I sigh. "Look both ways before you cross the street next time, dammit."

She smiles, then winces.

We get said coffee, and I'm watching her out of the corner of my eye as I'm driving, paying more attention to her than safe. She looks to relieved to see me. "Lovely," I say. "Take off the jacket."

She freezes, puts the coffee into the cupholder. "No," she says.

I sigh and find a parking spot at the school. "Take off your jacket."

She complies this time, shaking. Underneath my jacket is a plain purple shirt. nderneath that her left arm is pretty banged up, and along her right, over the scars, is the word useless. Cut into her skin. I blink and look up at her. She's struggling not to cry, I can see it. Every little thing seems to upset her, but she never cries. Maybe she needs to.

"Want to ditch?" I ask. She nodds biting her lip.

Poor, poor truck.

I park the car in the first semi-full parking lot I find (Wal-Mart, where else?) and look at Corrie. She hasn't put my jacket back on. All along her left arm are straight cuts.

"Corrie," I whisper.

"I'm sorry," she chokes.

"Don't apolagize." She begins to cry then, her tiny form shaking. I unbuckle her seatbelt, move my steering wheel, and pull her into my lap. She sobs into my t-shirt, her tears hot. I wrap my arms around her. "Please believe me when I say you are anything but useless."

She stops quickly, but neither of us move for a while. The only reason we do move is because some Wal-Mart employee raps on my window. Corrie squeaks, but doen't bother to move, seemingly out of all energy. I roll down the window. "Yes?"

"What are you two doing?" He snapped.

"My girlfriend is having a meltdown. Any other stupid questions?" I snap, shifting Corrie away from the window. She's practically hiding against me, shaking like hell. "We weren't fucking, or anything. I'll get out of your damn parking lot." I roll up the window, set Corrie back into the passenger seat, and pull out, leaving the employee looking stunned.

"Nosy son of a-"

My phone vibrates.

plan on coming to school? Its Jake.

Non without my truck I glance over at Corrie.

get the hell over it and get ur ass up here! weren't u corrie's ride?

shes in the car now dammit we arent coming

wait r u screwing he?!?!r

NO!

so u 2 r ditching for the hell of it

almost

i hate u both

"Is that Jake?" Corrie sniffs.

"Yeah. Where am I going?" I ask.

"How would I know? I can't drive." She's choking on more tears.

"I would say my place, but Moms there."

"You're house is so big she'd never notice," Corrie says bitterly. "My place is off limits."

"Want to go raid Jake's house? I've got a key and neither of his parents will be home."

"Thats just wierd."

I grin at her. "This is Jake's life were now talking about." But we go to my house anyway, sneak upstairs into my room, and lay down on my bed. Corrie settles her head on my shoulder. Were both on our backs and were staring up at the cieling, one of my arms around her.

"What would happen if your mom walked in?" Corrie asks.

"I don't want to think about it. Why were you crying Corrie?"

She sighs in response.

"You can't shut me out forever."

"I can't?" she asks frostily, stiffening.

"No, you can't. Want to know why? Because I care."

She doesn't say anything until, "What makes you so different?"

"Thing is, I wasn't until I pulled you back onto the bridge. I was the dumbass jock, just with slightly higer virtues than his friends. I was nothing special, but you were. Are." I grab a sharpie off my nightstand and write wonderful on top of useless.

"How the hell would you know?" She asks, pulling away.

"Because I've never, ever felt anything like this before." I sit up and drag her with me, looking her dead in the eye. "And, you know, you must be something new to charm the hell out of Aaron Maccero." I lean in and almost kiss her. Almost. I stop a milimeter away from her lips. "Please?" I whisper.

Corrie's shaking a little, but she leans forward as an answer.

Or first kiss.

Its fucking amazing. Perfect. Her lips are soft and cool and the sheer nervousness that was making her shake stops when I pull back, but leave our foreheads touching. She's got her eyes shut, and I close mine too, savoring the moment. My phone buzzes and Corrie brakes the contact. Igrowl in frustration and toss my phone across the room before turning to look at Corrie. She's staring at me, wide eyed.

For a second I think I've really screwed up. "Say something," I beg.

"Mom died in a car wreck," she blurts out. "Dad was drunk and driving, and he drove off the shoulder. I wasn't with them, though. I was at Dee's house. I didn't even get to say good bye." She twists the comforter around her hand, but I can't speak. "Dad was already drinking, but when mom died he got a lot, lot worse. He started... He would..." She cuts off, then starts back up. "He would slap me. That was it at first. Then one night- him and his friends- I was only twelve... It progressively got worse after that too. He fucks me and hits me and there's never any money for food because he spends it all on booze and I cant drive so I cant get a job. He blames me. He loves to blame me for moms dead, for his alcohol addiction, for his lust for me. Then when he's sober he apolagizes and begs for me not to leave him. I hate him. I hate him so much, but its not like he's wrong. Im a piece of shitty trash taht him and his firends-"

I kiss her as her voice starts to get hysterical. "You don't have to ever go back. Here you're the fucking princess."