Bruises in Miniature Form

Max stood quietly in the corner, back pressed up against the wall as he let his eyes roam over the room. His stomach seemed to have settled finally, releasing his grasp of guilt and stupidity that kept him pacing a circle in his bedroom for the past day.
The screaming still rang in his ears, and though the tidal wave of guilt had subsided he still felt that empty pit in the middle of his stomach. I couldn’t help but wonder why the hell he hadn’t said anything until now.
He just blurted it the minute he walked through my door that he shouldn’t have slept with me like he did, it was wrong of him to take advantage of me. As if that made everything better, though we both knew it only made things worse.

“I don’t want to be Trent,” He paused, “I don’t know what the hell I want to be, but it sure as hell isn’t him”
I didn’t quite understand the reasoning but I tried my best. “How can you be Trent?”
He quietly ruffled his oily black hair and loosened his shoulders, “I used you for sex”
My mouth gaped open and my limbs felt heavy once again. My eyes were sore from crying, stinging every time I blinked and my throat clenched uncomfortably.
“Newton, I don’t want to be that guy” He quickly spoke up again, stepping forward to get closer to my hospital bed. “I don’t want to be like my father, okay?”
“How could you... how...can you be like your father?”
Max reached forward to tuck strands of my frazzled caramel hair behind me ear, his finger tips lingering behind for a moment. “I came to apologize, Newton. I really think you should get some sleep now”
“You tell me right now or I’ll go into hysterics again!” I threatened.

He pursed his lips just slightly as if mulling over the thoughts before leaning forward to capture my lips with his own. It was sweet, though uncomfortable and awkward. I felt as if I had somehow screamed him out of my system, or rather killed the aching in my lungs and replaced it with real air.
When he pulled away he smiled lightly and rubbed circles on my cheeks, “I don’t know how to care about you the way I know I should. I only know I’m not doing it properly”
“That what do you expect me to do?” I whimpered as he laughed and leaned forward to peck my lips once more. This time I felt that aching return, if only for a moment.
“Ditch Trent”
“He’s my friend, Max. What if I asked you to ditch Ronnie?”
“Would you ask me to ditch Ronnie?” His eyes sparkled mischievously, “’Cause when you think about it, he’s the only one keeping me in line with you, now isn’t he?”
“I’m going to have you beaten up” I threatened and watched his smile overtake his face.
“I’d deserve it. Now get some rest, I promise I’ll come back later”

Shaking my head I let him tuck strands of my hair behind my ear and get back up to his feet. He shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot before clearing his throat and addressing me a final time; “I’m a sore loser, Newton, and I sure as hell won’t lose to Trent”
He left me with a frown on my face and my insides shaken, waving carelessly as he closed the door on his way out. It was just like Max to assume everything was a game, especially us.
Sinking into my pillows I let a breath escape me, cursing all the males left.

[&Break]

“So he apologized, right?” Jennifer asked me from my living room couch.
I nodded in reply though my attention was caught on Trent sitting beside her, a faint smile appearing when our eyes connected.
“Are you alright Teresa?” He asked me after I took a seat opposite them on the couch.
“Fine... Trent, what are you doing here?”
“Well, I heard Max was coming over and I wanted to make sure nothing would happen to you”

I would have swooned just then if I didn’t catch Trent’s hand run along Jennifer’s leg as he stood up. Her face screamed irritation at his actions, her body stiffening noticeably.
It was then I had begun to notice all those years I spent with Trent and how he had practically thrown himself at every living female within a fifty mile radius, winking subtly over my head when I thought he was just smiling at me and passing little notes to the waitresses when we went out. He’d always been the flirty type; I had just always thought he only flirted with me. It seemed being blinded by love had tricked me.

“Je-je, can I talk to Trent alone, please?” I nearly whispered, my emotions bubbling.
I wasn’t going to attack Trent right out; after all, I had to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he didn’t notice his actions, or I was just seeing them wrong, or perhaps it was an accident.
Jennifer quickly exited into the kitchen, her smile growing as she increased the distance between herself and Trent. When she was gone from the room Trent walked closer to me, cupping my cheeks and pressing a soft kiss to my lips. Again I couldn’t help but notice the change, the difference.

“Don’t Trent,” I mumbled against his smooth mouth; pulling back slightly, “I really need to talk to you”
“Well, start talking then” He rolled his pretty eyes. Oh how many times had I got lost in those orbs?
“Why did you touch Jennifer like that?”
“Like what?” His face clouded in confusion though he quickly glanced over his shoulder.
“You were practically rubbing her thigh” I answered him, careful to keep my voice even.
Laughing Trent stroked my cheek, “Awe, babe. You don’t have to be jealous”
“I’m not jealous,” I fired back and escaped his touch, “I’m wondering why the hell you’re touching my best friend”
“It was an accident, and what’s with you? You’ve never been so... like this!”
“Like what?”
“So possessive, you’re acting like we’re in a relationship! You’re acting like some common girl trying to rebel against her parents. Like some slut”

His words nearly caved my chest in, wrapping tight around my heart and squeezing. “I think you should go”
His face crumpled just slightly and his hands were quick to grasp my cheeks, “Teresa, I know the real you. Okay? You’re not this tough girl, stop acting like it. That boy isn’t good for you”
“Max has nothing to do with this”
Trent scoffed loudly, “He’s already brainwashed you!”
“He’s done no such thing! I’ve just learned to have a backbone!”
“Then lose it!” Trent comanded as if I were still that same passive girl he had known all these years.

He dropped my face quickly and stormed from the room, the front door slamming loudly in his wake. Jennifer peeked out from the kitchen doorway with a small smile on her face.
Obviously my friends didn’t know how to not eavesdrop.

“Congratulations, Newton. I knew you could do it, now, how about some ice cream?”
“Do we even have any?” and just like that I brushed off Trent and his comments, forgetting everything that had happened that week. I would talk to Max later, as he had promised, and then all I had to figure out was where we stood.It wouldn’t be that hard, right?