Status: Heavy Domestic Violence
Broken
Four
"Hey, Carter!"
Jenny turned at the sound of her last name. James Hall stood at the top of the steps that led to their high school. He was tall, strong and extremely handsome. He had a very dangerous feel about it, it only managed to make the girls in school fall harder. She squinted her eyes against the sun, and held her hand up to wave. The teen smirked, his gaze looking beyond her. When she turned back, Nathan stood behind her, his school bag, torn and ragged, thrown over his shoulder. He was glaring behind black sunglasses. Jenny smiled in his direction and walked the few steps to meet him. His frown turned up slightly, not quite a smile, as she approached.
"Hey Nathan, how was your first day back at high school, Senior year, it's gonna be amazing!" Jenny was speaking a mile a minute as the two headed towards home.
They had been walking to and from school together since middle school. Before then, Nathan would leave his house early and head to Jenny's home so her parents could drive them to school. He wouldn't tell her today that he hadn't gone to class. Nathan hadn't attended more than ten class days since the eighth grade. School wasn't his forte. He'd much rather be working on a motorcycle, or smoking a pack of cigarettes. Nathan had also decided to keep it to himself that he planned on dropping out. She'd be disappointed, nobody believed in him like Jenny did. But, he was wasting his and the schools time by being there.
"It was alright. " He pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and placed it between his lips.
He ignored her disgusted look. Jenny hated the smell of cigarette smoke. She would constantly take them from his pockets and hide them so he wouldn't find them. He knew all of her hiding spots. Her backpack, her closet, under her mattress, in her purse. She wasn't terribly clever when it came to hiding his Pall Malls. Once, she had thrown them into the lake.
"I see you've made a new friend." Nathan threw his head back , motioning towards the school. Jake had walked away already.
"Jake Hall, he's in three of my classes." Jenny was pulling at the skin around her fingernails. It was a habit she had adopted when Nathan made her nervous. He found it endearing.
"He looks like an asshole." Jake took his cigarette from his lips and blew the smoke away into the air, his head tilted back so he could look up at the clear sky.
"Nathan, do you even know him?" Jenny had stopped picking at her skin, and was staring at him now.
"I don't need to. Have you seen his hair? It speaks asshole fluently." Nathan took another long drag from his cigarette. Jenny had huffed loudly and turned so she was facing forward.
Nathan watched her from the corner of his eye as they walked. The silence was calming. They had always been comfortable enough around each other to not feel the need to talk the entire time. Jenny was watching the ground below their feet as they walked, chewing on her lip. Her blonde hair had fallen, shielding her face from his view. Nathan placed his cigarette between his lips to free his hand and reached to tuck her hair behind her ear.
Nathan had waited at the Diner all day. Chris had gone off to find some essentials they'd need. Neither of them had thought of toothpaste, toilet paper, did the water run in the house? All things Nathan should and would eventually worry about. But, he had had at least ten cups of coffee. By the end of the night each mug tasted staler and colder. He didn't care. He cared about the blonde from his past. She hadn't look at him again after that asshole had walked in.
James Hall, Jenny was dating James Hall. Nathan's blood had shot straight to boiling when he watched them hug. But the shove James gave her after was what really broke the thermometer. The way James had gripped her frail arms and pushed her away, Nathan had nearly charged. He was still calming down from the vision that had been playing over and over in his mind all day. His fingers flexed in anticipation.
The sun had set hours ago. Nathan now was concerned for the long hours she was working. The Diner was winding down, now there was only him and two older men drinking coffee. The street lights had appeared and the amount of people on the street had declined drastically. It was quiet and the only sounds were of clinking dishes and the low hum of the music playing over the speakers. It was upbeat and catchy, but Nathan couldn't have cared less.
Jenny had waited diligently on every customer in the Diner. She had cleaned and taken payments. She looked exhausted, she had looked that way when Nathan had first seen her. Her eyes were empty and circled with dark lines. Her skin didn't have that radiant glow it had once had, and she seemed anxious at all times. She had ignored his table completely the entire day. Nathan hadn't pushed her, he let her work. He watched her silently, only ordering more and more cups of coffee.
When the cook announced they were closing Nathan slipped from the booth and pulled his pack of cigarettes from his pocket and walked outside, a soft ding from the bell above the door was the only indication that he had left. He pressed his back against the brick wall, and the flame from his lighter illuminated his face. He took a long inhale, closing his eyes and behind his lid he could only see the expressionless Jenny. Nathan opened his eyes and quickly stood up straight, placing his smoke between his lips as the door to the Diner pushed open and the employees flooded out. He watched for Jenny, the last to leave.
She turned to lock the door, and as she tucked the keys into her shorts pocket, Nathan stepped from the wall. He watched her shoulders raise and her muscles tense. She whirled around to face him, nearly connecting with his neck.
"Hey Jenny." His words came out as a whisper. He figured his presence had already startled her, he didn't need to do anymore to worsen the situation. He had stubbed the cigarette out at his feet before speaking. He already was in desperate need of another one, his nerves completely shot.
"Why are you here?" That was not what he expected. She didn't seem happy to see him, rather, worried. She hadn't run into his arms and told him how much she had missed him. It was slightly disheartening.
Nathan stepped closer,
"So, James Hall?" He watched her head drop, she had started picking at the tender skin around her nails.
"Why are you here, Nathan?" Jenny upturned her head, her eyes were bloodshot. Nathan's eyes furrowed, he lifted a hand to hold her cheek, but she turned away. He dropped his arm quickly and stood up so he towered over her, hardening his softening expression.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He smelled of cigarettes. Pall Mall, Red 100's, her favorite smell in the entire world.She had hated it when they were younger, and had missed it when he left. It over came her senses and she battled the urge to bury her face in his chest. The smell was strong and lingered in the air around them, as she glanced down Jenny found the smashed culprit. He had been waiting all day for her. She had felt his stare, his presence in the Diner. It was strangling, she had found it hard to breath all day. She hadn't seen him in ten years, and yet, he still had the same effect on her. She had wanted to run from and to him all at the same time.
Nathan had grown hard, his face was contoured with years of aging. He was still as handsome as ever. His dark hair had grown in front of his face, though he had been growing it out before he left. He had gained weight, healthy muscle. She studied his hands, strong and marked by years of hard work. He stood before her, hands at his sides, hair before his eyes. He had grown facial hair, and it only made him look meaner. His blue eyes weren't dull, rather filled with violence.
Jenny couldn't think of a single thing to say other than,
"Why are you back?"
He was avoiding her question with a question. Jenny new he hadn't liked James at all, and she knew he'd like him even less if he ever found out he was hurting her.
"That's none of your business." She quickly moved past him and started down the sidewalk.
"Jenny, he's an asshole." Nathan followed behind her. They were picking up where the conversation had last left off over ten years earlier.
"You don't even know him, Nathan." Jenny spoke over her shoulder. She was defending her abuser, Jenny had fallen into the trap. She was officially a battered woman. It sickened her, and she felt her stomach clench.
"He still has the same hair!" He had caught up with her. They walked side by side now. She was still picking at her skin.
Nathan was being completely childish. He's the one who left.
What was she supposed to do? Be alone all of her life.
Jenny scoffed at the thought. She'd rather be alone. She had one man, who from a boy she had figured she'd marry, and the another who can't seem to want to do anything but hit and abuse her.
Was it his fault for leaving, or was it her fault for staying?
"Stop picking." He stopped her hands, his fingers gripping hers and tugging her own away. Jenny stared up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. She was holding back a flood. She could break down, crumble in the middle of the street at any moment.
She was angry, and relieved at the same time. She was angry he was back and had thrust himself into her life without any explanation.
She was relieved because he was back.
She pulled her hand back violently and held it to her chest. She stood up straight and held her head up, something she hadn't been able to do since her and James had started dating. But she wasn't afraid of Nathan in the same way she was afraid of James.
No, she was afraid of what they could've been, she was afraid to find out everything she had missed out on with him, because of his choice to leave. She was afraid of what he'd think if he found out how she was really living her life, or lack there of.
She was afraid of how much she still really loved him.
"Why are you back, Nathan?" The sob escaped her lips in a whisper.
"I don't know."
Jenny turned at the sound of her last name. James Hall stood at the top of the steps that led to their high school. He was tall, strong and extremely handsome. He had a very dangerous feel about it, it only managed to make the girls in school fall harder. She squinted her eyes against the sun, and held her hand up to wave. The teen smirked, his gaze looking beyond her. When she turned back, Nathan stood behind her, his school bag, torn and ragged, thrown over his shoulder. He was glaring behind black sunglasses. Jenny smiled in his direction and walked the few steps to meet him. His frown turned up slightly, not quite a smile, as she approached.
"Hey Nathan, how was your first day back at high school, Senior year, it's gonna be amazing!" Jenny was speaking a mile a minute as the two headed towards home.
They had been walking to and from school together since middle school. Before then, Nathan would leave his house early and head to Jenny's home so her parents could drive them to school. He wouldn't tell her today that he hadn't gone to class. Nathan hadn't attended more than ten class days since the eighth grade. School wasn't his forte. He'd much rather be working on a motorcycle, or smoking a pack of cigarettes. Nathan had also decided to keep it to himself that he planned on dropping out. She'd be disappointed, nobody believed in him like Jenny did. But, he was wasting his and the schools time by being there.
"It was alright. " He pulled a cigarette from behind his ear and placed it between his lips.
He ignored her disgusted look. Jenny hated the smell of cigarette smoke. She would constantly take them from his pockets and hide them so he wouldn't find them. He knew all of her hiding spots. Her backpack, her closet, under her mattress, in her purse. She wasn't terribly clever when it came to hiding his Pall Malls. Once, she had thrown them into the lake.
"I see you've made a new friend." Nathan threw his head back , motioning towards the school. Jake had walked away already.
"Jake Hall, he's in three of my classes." Jenny was pulling at the skin around her fingernails. It was a habit she had adopted when Nathan made her nervous. He found it endearing.
"He looks like an asshole." Jake took his cigarette from his lips and blew the smoke away into the air, his head tilted back so he could look up at the clear sky.
"Nathan, do you even know him?" Jenny had stopped picking at her skin, and was staring at him now.
"I don't need to. Have you seen his hair? It speaks asshole fluently." Nathan took another long drag from his cigarette. Jenny had huffed loudly and turned so she was facing forward.
Nathan watched her from the corner of his eye as they walked. The silence was calming. They had always been comfortable enough around each other to not feel the need to talk the entire time. Jenny was watching the ground below their feet as they walked, chewing on her lip. Her blonde hair had fallen, shielding her face from his view. Nathan placed his cigarette between his lips to free his hand and reached to tuck her hair behind her ear.
Nathan had waited at the Diner all day. Chris had gone off to find some essentials they'd need. Neither of them had thought of toothpaste, toilet paper, did the water run in the house? All things Nathan should and would eventually worry about. But, he had had at least ten cups of coffee. By the end of the night each mug tasted staler and colder. He didn't care. He cared about the blonde from his past. She hadn't look at him again after that asshole had walked in.
James Hall, Jenny was dating James Hall. Nathan's blood had shot straight to boiling when he watched them hug. But the shove James gave her after was what really broke the thermometer. The way James had gripped her frail arms and pushed her away, Nathan had nearly charged. He was still calming down from the vision that had been playing over and over in his mind all day. His fingers flexed in anticipation.
The sun had set hours ago. Nathan now was concerned for the long hours she was working. The Diner was winding down, now there was only him and two older men drinking coffee. The street lights had appeared and the amount of people on the street had declined drastically. It was quiet and the only sounds were of clinking dishes and the low hum of the music playing over the speakers. It was upbeat and catchy, but Nathan couldn't have cared less.
Jenny had waited diligently on every customer in the Diner. She had cleaned and taken payments. She looked exhausted, she had looked that way when Nathan had first seen her. Her eyes were empty and circled with dark lines. Her skin didn't have that radiant glow it had once had, and she seemed anxious at all times. She had ignored his table completely the entire day. Nathan hadn't pushed her, he let her work. He watched her silently, only ordering more and more cups of coffee.
When the cook announced they were closing Nathan slipped from the booth and pulled his pack of cigarettes from his pocket and walked outside, a soft ding from the bell above the door was the only indication that he had left. He pressed his back against the brick wall, and the flame from his lighter illuminated his face. He took a long inhale, closing his eyes and behind his lid he could only see the expressionless Jenny. Nathan opened his eyes and quickly stood up straight, placing his smoke between his lips as the door to the Diner pushed open and the employees flooded out. He watched for Jenny, the last to leave.
She turned to lock the door, and as she tucked the keys into her shorts pocket, Nathan stepped from the wall. He watched her shoulders raise and her muscles tense. She whirled around to face him, nearly connecting with his neck.
"Hey Jenny." His words came out as a whisper. He figured his presence had already startled her, he didn't need to do anymore to worsen the situation. He had stubbed the cigarette out at his feet before speaking. He already was in desperate need of another one, his nerves completely shot.
"Why are you here?" That was not what he expected. She didn't seem happy to see him, rather, worried. She hadn't run into his arms and told him how much she had missed him. It was slightly disheartening.
Nathan stepped closer,
"So, James Hall?" He watched her head drop, she had started picking at the tender skin around her nails.
"Why are you here, Nathan?" Jenny upturned her head, her eyes were bloodshot. Nathan's eyes furrowed, he lifted a hand to hold her cheek, but she turned away. He dropped his arm quickly and stood up so he towered over her, hardening his softening expression.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He smelled of cigarettes. Pall Mall, Red 100's, her favorite smell in the entire world.She had hated it when they were younger, and had missed it when he left. It over came her senses and she battled the urge to bury her face in his chest. The smell was strong and lingered in the air around them, as she glanced down Jenny found the smashed culprit. He had been waiting all day for her. She had felt his stare, his presence in the Diner. It was strangling, she had found it hard to breath all day. She hadn't seen him in ten years, and yet, he still had the same effect on her. She had wanted to run from and to him all at the same time.
Nathan had grown hard, his face was contoured with years of aging. He was still as handsome as ever. His dark hair had grown in front of his face, though he had been growing it out before he left. He had gained weight, healthy muscle. She studied his hands, strong and marked by years of hard work. He stood before her, hands at his sides, hair before his eyes. He had grown facial hair, and it only made him look meaner. His blue eyes weren't dull, rather filled with violence.
Jenny couldn't think of a single thing to say other than,
"Why are you back?"
He was avoiding her question with a question. Jenny new he hadn't liked James at all, and she knew he'd like him even less if he ever found out he was hurting her.
"That's none of your business." She quickly moved past him and started down the sidewalk.
"Jenny, he's an asshole." Nathan followed behind her. They were picking up where the conversation had last left off over ten years earlier.
"You don't even know him, Nathan." Jenny spoke over her shoulder. She was defending her abuser, Jenny had fallen into the trap. She was officially a battered woman. It sickened her, and she felt her stomach clench.
"He still has the same hair!" He had caught up with her. They walked side by side now. She was still picking at her skin.
Nathan was being completely childish. He's the one who left.
What was she supposed to do? Be alone all of her life.
Jenny scoffed at the thought. She'd rather be alone. She had one man, who from a boy she had figured she'd marry, and the another who can't seem to want to do anything but hit and abuse her.
Was it his fault for leaving, or was it her fault for staying?
"Stop picking." He stopped her hands, his fingers gripping hers and tugging her own away. Jenny stared up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. She was holding back a flood. She could break down, crumble in the middle of the street at any moment.
She was angry, and relieved at the same time. She was angry he was back and had thrust himself into her life without any explanation.
She was relieved because he was back.
She pulled her hand back violently and held it to her chest. She stood up straight and held her head up, something she hadn't been able to do since her and James had started dating. But she wasn't afraid of Nathan in the same way she was afraid of James.
No, she was afraid of what they could've been, she was afraid to find out everything she had missed out on with him, because of his choice to leave. She was afraid of what he'd think if he found out how she was really living her life, or lack there of.
She was afraid of how much she still really loved him.
"Why are you back, Nathan?" The sob escaped her lips in a whisper.
"I don't know."
