Chapter 6: Your Face


After Kyle walked away I ran into the bathroom to check on my throbbing jaw. My lip had been bleeding, but stopped already. My jaw line was already twice the size as normal, and slightly discolored. I couldn’t help but feel like I had just made a deal with the devil. I couldn’t believe I let that bastard do this to me, and then get away with scotch free with Riley. It was the only time in my entire life I wished I wasn’t me. I wanted to be stronger just so I could stick it to Kyle… but the truth of it was, I am Marcel, I couldn’t change that. So, I played to my strengths. I used my influential friendship with Riley to also help protect her.

I washed my hands of the dried blood and blotted my face with a cold paper towel to help the swelling. I was thankful I didn’t work that night as to keep this from as many people as possible to make it less complicated. I checked myself in the mirror once more time. Once I thought that I looked as good as I was going to get, I quickly exited the bathroom, and headed for home.

My sister was there, but my plan was to try and avoid her and my mum like the plague. I didn’t want them to worry about me. I especially wouldn’t know what to tell them. Even if I did tell them it was Seth who punched me, my mum would still get involved with the school, and that would completely go against everything I was trying to avoid.

Once I entered my house, I ran straight up the stairs, and shut the door to my room. I flipped the switch in my bathroom and examined myself in the mirror yet again. It looked like my jaw had finally stopped swelling. It was still double the size of normal, but at least it would go down from there. I grabbed a wash cloth from the linen closet and ran it under ice cold water. I didn’t want to risk getting an ice pack out of the freezer downstairs.

I walked back into my bedroom and sat on the bed for a while holding the cloth to my face. I thought about everything that had changed so drastically in such minute amount of time. Only a few days ago Riley and I were enjoying a day out on the town planning for some ridiculous idea she had created for me. Now I sat in my room holding my pained jaw, having just agreed to keep the biggest secret ever from the person I cared about most.

After my jaw had come numb, I decided I should work on some homework. I thought it take my mind away from the situation for a while. I laid the now barely damp wash cloth along the top of my night stand, picked up my book bag, and grabbed out my history text. I opened to the proper page and began to read.

I read for about an hour, and I began to feel hungry. My stomach growled in protest as I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. I heard my mum enter through the front door downstairs, and also Gemma’s cheery voice greeting her. I felt a jerk in my stomach, feeling nervous that she would come to check on me. I wished I could share this with them, but I knew that it would make the situation worse. I hated the feeling of being trapped like this. I thought to myself Someday, I am going to be able to take care of myself and the ones I love.

When I finished all my homework, I was practically starved. It was around ten o’clock, so I hoped that my mum and sister would go to bed soon so I could head downstairs for something to eat. I placed my books back into my bag when I heard footsteps coming up the stair well. My heart picked up in pace as I quickly slammed the light switch off and jumped into bed, throwing the covers over me. I lied on my side so my bruised face wouldn’t be visible. I heard shuffling outside my door and a light knock sounded.

I didn’t answer, and instead closed my eyes. The door creaked open only slightly. I heard the whispers of my mother. “Marcel?” I didn’t answer and kept my eyes shut tight. She entered the room and began to walk over towards my bed. She slipped my glasses from my face and placed a kiss against my cheek. “Goodnight love.” She slowly crept back out, closing the door quietly behind her. I heard another door open and shut, and figured she must have been going to sleep. I sat up, feeling guilty all over again about keeping this secret from her, but it had to done.

I waited not too much longer and heard Gemma stumble up the steps and enter her room. I quickly threw the covers from my body, grabbed my glasses again, and headed downstairs. I wanted to eat practically in sight. There were some leftovers from the weekend in the fridge, so I heated that in the microwave, making sure to stop it before the beeper went off. I sat in my chair at the table and quicklu devoured every bit. When I was finished I rinsed my plate, and headed quietly back up the steps to my room. I changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and placed my glasses back on the night stand where my mum had placed them earlier. I proceeded to collapse onto my bed, immediately falling into an exhausted slumber.


I dreamed of nothing that night and actually woke up to my alarm the next day. I reached my arm over lazily to switch it off. I sat up groggily, rubbing lightly against my eyes. I then felt around my face and my jaw line. It tingled oddly as I brushed my hand across, but I could tell without looking the swelling had thankfully gone down. I swung my legs off the side of the bed, slowly rose to my feet, and shuffled into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

I checked my face in the mirror, and my suspicions were correct. My face was back to its normal shape, and I figured if I didn’t let people get too close, they wouldn’t notice the discoloration. Once I had gotten myself showered I went to my closet to grab a button up shirt. I glanced at the clothing for ‘Harry Styles’ and happily remembered that I would be hanging out with Riley later that night. I found joy that at least there was something to look forward to.

I grabbed my bag and ran down the steps. I wasn’t hungry because of the late night meal I had eaten the previous night. I walked straight to the door, still feeling a smidge apprehensive about showing my face to my family. I opened the door slightly before shouting to the house, “Goodbye! I’m headed to school!”

I heard a distant voice from upstairs. It was my mum getting ready for work, “Alright Marcel! Have a lovely day.”

I tried to take a mental note of that advice before heading out the door and off in the direction of Riley’s house. I arrived at her door step only find yet another note taped to her door. My heart sank a little in my chest as I grabbed it in my hand and began to read.

Marcel,
I am so sorry! I would have texted you, but Kyle picked me up a bit unexpectedly. Like I said before, he’s not all bad. ;)
I’ll see you at school!
Love ya,
Riley

Coldness spread throughout my entire body at those words. I had no idea how she could forgive him so easily. Maybe I thought the situation to be worse because I already hated Kyle so much. But even then, it didn’t take away the fact that he had gotten aggressive with her. Aggression was obviously in his nature, one close look at my face would tell anyone that. I shook my head in disapproval as I once again walked to school in solitude.

I arrived on the school, keeping my head to the ground, going unnoticed by any of my peers. I arrived at my locker and began switching out books. I was about to shut the door of my locker when I heard a cheery voice behind me. “Hey Marcel!”

I turned to see a bright Riley. “Hey Rils!” Kyle walked up from behind her, wrapping his arm around her cautiously. He looked at me with a clenched jaw. I could tell he trusted me about as much as I trusted him.

I closed my locker, holding my books tightly in my arms, when Riley spoke again. “Don’t forget about tonight! I am so excited.”

Kyle gave her a strange smile. “What’s tonight?”

She nudged him a bit in his side, making me roll my eyes. “Oh, Marcel and I are just going to hang out a bit.”

“Ah I see. That’s nice!” He tried so hard to sound sincere, however, even if Riley couldn’t see past it, I could.

She smiled at him. “I know.” She looked at me… a bit too closely. Her cheery smile faded. Her eyes grew wide. “Marcel! What happened to your face?!” Her mouth reached up to cover her face in complete worry.

My heart skipped a beat as I quickly glanced at Kyle. His face was focused on mine and his eyes were wide with nervousness about what I would say. I remembered our deal and stated. “Oh. I just had a bit of an accident.”

“An accident, Marcel? Really? It looks like someone… punched you or something?!”

“Well…it was sort of a punch… but it was an accident.”

“Somebody punched you… and that is an accident? Marcel… It’s okay to tell me. I can help.” She looked at Kyle with such a look telling him to leave, which he reluctantly responded to by quickly placing a kiss on her cheek and walking away.

Riley looked at me with a concerned expression, wanting me to answer her. I slowly stated, “Well… it was… Seth.”

“Seth… as in Kyle’s best friend, Seth Seeger?”

I looked at the ground, rubbing my hand behind my neck, hoping she didn’t see through my lie. “Umm… yeah.”

“What the hell? How was it an accident then?! How did it even happen? Are you okay?” She began listing off so many questions that I could barely keep them straight in my head.

I began to fabricate a lie. “Well. I don’t know. Seth was sort of giving me a hard time… like usual. You know. For some strange reason, I decided it would be a good idea to try to fight back… So, I pushed him a little. I guess he got mad and wanted to try and intimidate me further… so he meant to punch the locker beside my face, but I ended up flinching… into the line of his fist.”

She took a few moments to try and let the story soak into her head. Her face grew angry and her body became tense. “How could he do that?” She was getting extremely aggravated. “When I see him, I am going to have serious words with him! I would punch him back, but I don’t think it would nearly leave the sort or mark he deserves to have!” She looked into my eyes and calmed a bit. She pulled me into a tight hug and softly spoke next to my ear, “Are you okay Marcel?”

We released each other and I nodded my head. “I’m fine. Yeah.”

She still didn’t look convinced. “I think we should tell somebody else though. This is serious.”

My heart began to pound loudly again, as I didn’t want this to become a bigger deal than it already was. “No, Riley. I’m fine. Trust me. It was an accident. He… apologized and everything.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… for the punch anyways. I don’t expect the other stuff will stop, but I only have a few more months of it right.”

She gave me a slight smirk and rubbed at my arm. “It shouldn’t have to be that way, Marcel. I swear to you. Things will get better for you someday. Yeah… someday all of these people are going to be looking up to you and wish they appreciated and got to know you better while they had the chance.”

I laughed. “Thanks for the pep talk Riley.”

The bell rang, signaling it was time for first period. She smiled a real smile this time. “Anytime, Marcel.” She leaned in and kissed over my bruise on my jaw before walking away. I held my hand tenderly against the place where her lips touched my face. She left me standing there speechless.

Notes

Here is an update for you guys! Thank you so much to everyone reading and spreading the word about this story! I hope you are still liking it.

So... Do you think Marcel did the right thing? What do you think about Kyle? Your thoughts on Marcel and Riley's friendship?

Tell me any of your other thoughts! :)

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Thanks again!
-Jen