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“I’m fine,” I assure him. I need to go to work because I need the money. Not mentioning that a punch in the face is not even the worst thing that happened to me today.
12
BRIGGS
Isit in my truck with my windows rolled up while smoking the joint I rolled this morning. I’m in the campus parking lot, waiting for my little toy to arrive, the weed calming the ever-raging storm inside of me. I needed this after hearing my drunk father yelling and breaking shit around the house all night. Tia came crawling into my bed around midnight, scared of Dad and what he’ll do. I hate it. I hate not being able to shield her from this mess.
Taking another drag of the joint, I hold the smoke in my lungs for a few seconds before blowing it out. I watch it bounce against the windows and windshield and back at me while thinking about what I’m going to do to my little bird today.
The weed starts to warm my insides, making my head swim with endorphins and lifting my mood. My whole body relaxes and, for the first time today, I feel like I can breathe easily. Maybe I’ll give her a little break today, I think, feeling the full effect of the drugs in my system now.
Closing my eyes, I lean my head back against the seat and enjoy my high for a few minutes. Of course, nothing this goodlasts long. A knock at my window forces me to open my eyes just to find Carter outside my door.
I roll down my window, taking another drag from the joint. “What?”
“You lied,” Carter accuses.
“Huh?” I have no idea what he is talking about.
“You wouldn’t let us play with Wren because you gave heryour word,” he makes air quotations with his fingers. “But you clearly played with her anyways, without us. That’s just rude, man.”
“What are you talking about? I haven’t seen her since we left that classroom.”
“Then who gave her the shiner?”
“Who gave who a shiner?” My thoughts are starting to run together. Damn, this weed is strong. Shaking my head, I put the joint in the little glass tube I brought and let it go out for later.
“Wren, she has a black eye. I just saw her.”
The warm and fuzzy feeling the weed provided is suddenly tainted by something else. I can’t put my finger on it, but I know I don’t like it. I remember the bruises on her wrist, and suddenly, I feel bad about not pushing her further on it. Damnit, why do I even care?Because she is my toy. Mine to torment.
“It wasn’t me.” I shrug, trying to hide how much this actually affects me.
“Well, maybe she got into a fight with some girl or something. Whatever, I guess,” Carter says. “I have to go to class. Talk to you later.”
Nodding, I watch as he walks away before I roll my window back up. I get out of my car, feeling a bit lightheaded as I walk to my own class. I’ll deal with this later, when I’m less high.
My engineering class drags on, but the joint makes it more bearable. Once we’re dismissed, I head to where I know Wrenwill be next. I catch her before she can slip into the auditorium. Grabbing her upper arm, I spin her around to face me.
I take in her swollen face, her right eye slightly smaller, and her skin is a hue of blue around her eye and upper cheek.
“Who did this to you and don’t give me that shit about falling again,” I growl into her face.
“What do you even care?” she sneers back. “Let go of me.” She tries to pull her arm away, but I refuse. When will she ever learn?
“Tell me who, and I’ll let you go,” I offer.
“Why?” she asks curiously.
“Because you are mine to play with, and I don’t like my toys all scratched up.”
When I don’t make a move to let her go, she finally huffs. “Some guy my roommate knows.”
“Where is he now?”
“I have no idea. He won’t come back. My roommate threatened him with a shotgun,” she explains, and I believe her, but that’s still not enough for me. I want to pay him a visit myself.
“What’s his name?”
