Sequel: You're Still My Favorite Melody ›
The City Is at War
Chapter 4
“Earth to Sabrina!” Patrick exclaims.
He dragged me to his house after school and now we’re doing homework, but I’m not listening. Gabe’s words keep echoing through my head.
“Patrick, I just…feel really guilty,” I explain.
“I told you, Gabe won’t even remember what he said tomorrow. Besides, you hate him, right?” Patrick asks, narrowing his eyes.
“Um, yeah, of course,” I answer nervously.
Patrick gives me a calculating stare and I squirm.
“So, um, chemistry…” I say slowly.
“Right, we should-” Patrick mutters, as someone pushes open his bedroom door.
“Is this her?” the person asks, pointing to me.
Patrick nods and the guy takes a step towards me. Before I can say anything, Patrick smiles nervously, “this is Jon.”
“You know, you’ve caused a lot of trouble in just one day,” Jon says and the look in his eyes is not one of anger, but of amusement.
“I was just defending myself.”
Jon narrows his eyes, “Well, stop it. If you and Gabe keep fighting like this, I will take action.”
“You don’t scare me.”
I stand up and grab my books.
“I’m not trying to scare you. If you keep-”
“I should go. See you later Patrick,” I say, before shooting Jon a glare and waving goodbye.
When I get home, my mother looks frantic. Her eyes are red and puffy and the phone is pressed to her ear.
“What’s going on?” I ask cautiously.
She immediately drops the phone and pulls me into a bone crushing hug.
“I called you and you didn’t answer. I-”
“I turned my phone off,” I mutter.
“Where were you? I thought someone had-”
My mom is still holding me, so I push her away, “Stop.”
“You want me to pretend that it never happened?!” she exclaims.
I don’t respond.
“Sabrina, it’s the reason why we moved! The reason your father-”
“Shut up!” I scream.
I race up the stairs, slam my door, and collapse on the floor. My mother yells senseless apologies, but I’m not listening. I'm rolling up my sleeves. I'm tracing the cuts and bruises on my arms. For the first time since we moved here, I let myself think about what happened. For the first time in years, I let myself cry.
He dragged me to his house after school and now we’re doing homework, but I’m not listening. Gabe’s words keep echoing through my head.
“Patrick, I just…feel really guilty,” I explain.
“I told you, Gabe won’t even remember what he said tomorrow. Besides, you hate him, right?” Patrick asks, narrowing his eyes.
“Um, yeah, of course,” I answer nervously.
Patrick gives me a calculating stare and I squirm.
“So, um, chemistry…” I say slowly.
“Right, we should-” Patrick mutters, as someone pushes open his bedroom door.
“Is this her?” the person asks, pointing to me.
Patrick nods and the guy takes a step towards me. Before I can say anything, Patrick smiles nervously, “this is Jon.”
“You know, you’ve caused a lot of trouble in just one day,” Jon says and the look in his eyes is not one of anger, but of amusement.
“I was just defending myself.”
Jon narrows his eyes, “Well, stop it. If you and Gabe keep fighting like this, I will take action.”
“You don’t scare me.”
I stand up and grab my books.
“I’m not trying to scare you. If you keep-”
“I should go. See you later Patrick,” I say, before shooting Jon a glare and waving goodbye.
When I get home, my mother looks frantic. Her eyes are red and puffy and the phone is pressed to her ear.
“What’s going on?” I ask cautiously.
She immediately drops the phone and pulls me into a bone crushing hug.
“I called you and you didn’t answer. I-”
“I turned my phone off,” I mutter.
“Where were you? I thought someone had-”
My mom is still holding me, so I push her away, “Stop.”
“You want me to pretend that it never happened?!” she exclaims.
I don’t respond.
“Sabrina, it’s the reason why we moved! The reason your father-”
“Shut up!” I scream.
I race up the stairs, slam my door, and collapse on the floor. My mother yells senseless apologies, but I’m not listening. I'm rolling up my sleeves. I'm tracing the cuts and bruises on my arms. For the first time since we moved here, I let myself think about what happened. For the first time in years, I let myself cry.