Falling for You

The next morning I woke up before dawn and went down to get breakfast only to see Georg already there with coffee,

"Hey," I said going to the fridge,

He nodded, which really looked like a brown mess of hair moving back and fourth.

I tried to reach something off the top of the fridge, but then I was too short.

George walked over and got the box of POPs for me,

"Thanks," I said pouring it into a bowl and getting the milk,

When I had successfully made my bowl of cereal I sat next to Georg at the table.

"Are you and Mina dating?" I finally blurted out,

"What? “ He said sitting his cup down.

“I told you guys last night: we are not dating,"

"Well I just wanted to make sure," I said swirling my spoon around my bowl.

"Why do you like her?"

"No, no…" I said fiddling with my food,

"You sure, because I could hook you guys up, I actually think she like you too" He said nudging my shoulder.
I thought about it, then thought about what Tom would say so I just shook my head no,

He shrugged, “suit yourself, "

The rest of breakfast was silent.

{Mina}

I ran faster than I ever had, trying not to pull anything but my dad was still kicking my heels, the sun hadn't even come up yet and I was already tired, when we got back to my house I ran on the lawn as he watered it, making mud,

"Push ups."

I happily obliged, I loved the training, and because it was the only time my dad and I spent together, I never complained because I knew what that would get me.

I got down and did the push ups then sit ups,

When I finished we went in for breakfast, no talking, then into the weight room,

"Lift," He said sitting me at 150 ILB weight,

"But dad it's to heavy,"

He looked at me,

"Sir..” I began nervously, “ it's too heavy for me…"

"Don't question me Maggot! I said lift!"

I laid down at the weight bench and began lifting, he didn't even help,

"Up!"

He made me hold it for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was only seconds.

"Down,"

He repeated these exercises 20 times, then we moved on to the treadmill and the punching bag,

"Harder!" He yelled.

I punched the hardest I could,

"Harder!"

I tried and missed, I was just too tired,

"If you miss this one, it's the ring,"

I missed and I couldn't go to the ring, I just couldn't,

He walked away angrily and looked back at me. "Ring! Let’s go."

"No daddy please, I'll do more push ups, sit ups anything, just please don't make me go to the ring,"

"Ring...get ready," Even from where I stood I could smell the scotch

I walked over and put my gloves on, and pulled off my sweat-dripping shirt,

I stepped into the ring, tears falling,

"Chin up! And stop crying like a little girl, man up!"

I did as he said and wiped my face and as I heard the bell ring I took a deep breath,

{Bill}

We waited for Mina at school by her lockers, when she finally did she was walking, well limping, slowly and looked tired,

"Hey guys." She said with her voice cracking,

"What's with the glasses?" I asked reaching for them,

She backed away and laughed nervously,

"They looked cool, so I decided to wear em,"

"oh…kay," Tom said giving her this weird look,

Yet again she and Georg had one of those private conversations. He looked really concerned, but I didn’t understand what for.

She didn't take those glasses off until we got to gym where she tried to get out of practicing,

"NO EXCUSES! GET INTO UNIFORM AND HURRY YOUR SKINNY BUTT BBACK OUT HERE,"

She slowly walked into the locker room, when she came out; her usually flawless olive skin was filled with deep shades of deep purples and reds.

My eyes widened as she stood next to me, I looked her up and down, I tried to think of who had done this to her, everybody in school liked her and people that didn't never talked to her, so it wasn't a student,

"Glasses off!"

"But-…"

"Off!"

She pulled them off and revealed a black eye,

The gym teacher came over and pulled her into his office,

She was excused from gym, at lunch EVERYBODY glanced over at her, whispering rumors about what happened, I sat next to her with the guys following,

"Hey…" I said trying to sound comforting,

"What's up?" She said wiping her eyes that she had then covered with makeup from my bag.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

She looked around at everybody staring at her

"I'll tell you later," She said looking down,

After school Tom and Georg stayed behind flirting with some girls and Gustav stayed finishing up his science project,

So it was just me and her when she told me,

"So your dad hit you?" I said shocked,

"Well…yes but not in the way you think, we were sparring and…"

Tears started falling from her eyes,

“Mina it doesn’t matter. He hit you.”
“Bill please-“
“You have to tell someone,”
“I told you Bill, you can’t say anything to anyone not even Tom,”
“But I hate seeing you hurt, I don’t want it to happen again-“
She just hugged my tightly, I felt tears fall onto my neck,“You always care so much about me Bill,”
We parted, but only slightly, and I felt it.

I leaned in nervously and kissed her, and guess what: she actually kissed me back! We really started getting into it, that is-until her dad walked in, we quickly pulled away hoping he didn't see,

He walked back out and went into his room (we heard the door slam)

"I'll see you tomorrow…" She said and kissed me on the cheek,

I kissed her once more and I left,

{Mina}

I was so happy, I screamed a little in my head and happily jumped on my bed,

*Bill kissed me….* I said in my head,

My joy was short lived, for my dad didn't talk to me all night, dinner was especially quiet,

{Bill}

"Guess what," I said after holing it in all night.

"What?"

"I kissed her,"

Tom looked up from his laptop, "Who?"

"Mina!"

He made this weird face,"Why?"

I shrugged,

"Did she tell you want happened to her at least?"

I held the teddy bear next to me in my arms, "No…we just hung out.”

I hated lying to Tom, but Mina asked me not to tell.

“I bet she didn’t even have a chance with your tongue down her throat.”

I couldn’t believe he had said that. I threw my bear at him, which began out nighl-long wrestling.

The next day I got up smiling (and sore thanks to Tom). I showered and got dressed, eagerly awaiting when I could see Mina again.

At school I didn't see Mina, I thought me kissing her made her not wanna be around me and I moped around all day.

When we got home my mom told us that Mina's dad had sent her to military school,