She watched him struggle with something for a moment before he finally spoke.
“I was a senior when you moved up a grade from being a junior, and that’s why I hadn’t noticed you before.The first time I saw you, I was sitting in my first English class of the school year with a few friends, and you walked in.It seemed the whole world stopped for me at that moment.You had your hair in a ponytail, but it still went down to the middle of your back.You wore a faded blue t-shirt that was too big for you and jeans with holes in the knees.You looked so out of place for some reason.”
She was shocked.How did he remember what she wore after this long?“It’s because I never fit in.”
“That’s just it.It wasn’t you.We were the same age, but you seemed years more mature than the rest of us.I vaguely remember you from school the previous year, but I saw you as a child then because you were a grade behind me.You walked into the room, and it threw me for a moment until I found out you skipped a grade because you were so smart and wanted to graduate early.But you still stood out as more mature than the rest of us.”
“It’s because I had to fight for everything.”
“I heard about your father and his drinking.”
She could feel her face heat with a blush.It never failed to embarrass her.
“Was he abusive?”
She stared at him.She wanted to refuse to talk about it, but she couldn’t because she knew with the determined look on his face, he wouldn’t let her.The thought of talking about it made her stomach tighten.
She cleared her throat.“Yes.”
“He hurt you?”
Her hands clenched in her lap.She didn’t want to think about that time in her life.“Yes.”
“How?”
“Usually beatings.”
He flinched.“Why didn’t the sheriff stop him?”
“Although my mother was a good person, she would never press charges against him.Her father was a strict reverend, and she took her vows seriously.”
“But he was hurting you.”
She nodded.“And her.”
“Why didn’t she say something to the sheriff to protect you?”
“She did everything she could.She always tried to get in between us.”
“What about Shasha?”
“Not so much.She was too much like him, and he took pride in it.”
“How bad were the beatings?”
God, did she really have to talk about this, especially to him?
She sighed.“The days I missed school, I was recuperating from his abuse.”
“I thought you were sick?”
She shook her head.“I was never sick.”She saw disbelief, anger, and remorse cross his face.
