we'd seen each other in a dream

[edgeofyourseat]

It's been a week, and he hasn't been back to school. There are rumours about him now – that he got expelled for fighting, that he fell off a cliff, that a car ran him over and he's in the hospital, that he has AIDS.

No one expects the truth. When he comes back to school with his left cheek stitched shut, everyone stares.

It's kinda fun.

He gets tired of it after lunch, though; the last class he attends is art, because he likes art. Then he finds himself a shady spot outside under a tree, flops down on his back in the grass, and takes a nap.

Comments

[tofightinjustice]

Bryce doesn't have any classes with Delaney -- he's a year older than she is -- but she hears the gossip on the day he comes back anyway. It'd be hard to avoid hearing it.

She can't seek him out; it would look strange. But she keeps an eye out for him. When she hits her free period at the end of the day, she packs up her bag and wanders outside to start working on her homework.

--There he is.

[edgeofyourseat]

Yep. Sleeping peacefully.

Even with the doctors' best efforts, that hole in his cheek looks nasty. There's a drop of blood trickling from the back corner, down over his jaw.

[tofightinjustice]

That doesn't look very sanitary.

She walks towards him -- quiet, but not inaudible.

[edgeofyourseat]

He stirs, yawning, but throws an arm across his eyes instead of opening them.

[tofightinjustice]

". . . Hey," she tries.

[edgeofyourseat]

He drops the arm, looks around, and smiles when he spots her.

"Oh, hey, it's the white knight." Touching his fingertips to the trickle of blood, he adds with a wry grin, "You told me not to get in fights you had to worry about, didn'tcha? How'm I doing?"

[tofightinjustice]

"That looks really bad."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yeah, it does."

He grins again, brighter, friendlier.

"It's even worse up close. Wanna have a look?"

[tofightinjustice]

She wrinkles her nose.

"Ew, no, that's disgusting."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Suit yourself."

He licks blood from his fingertips and brushes the tip of his tongue against the corner of his mouth, where the stitches start. That move is already a habit.

"So what's up?"

[tofightinjustice]

Bryce shrugs.

"Free period. What about you?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Think I've got History," he hazards. "But I don't really care."

[tofightinjustice]

She doesn't roll her eyes, but she gives the impression that she'd like to.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Whaat?"

[tofightinjustice]

Now she does roll her eyes.

"Nothing. Did you get in a fight?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Kinda," he says. "I didn't do much fighting, but I'm pretty sure I started it."

[tofightinjustice]

"What happened?"

[edgeofyourseat]

He could make up a story, but he'd be hard pressed to come up with one that's more fun than the truth, especially since she thinks the stitches are disgusting in the first place.

So he makes the shape of a gun with his right hand, sticks it in his mouth so his fingers press against the stitches from the inside, and voices a muffled firing noise.

[tofightinjustice]

Her eyes go very wide.

[edgeofyourseat]

He sucks on his fingers and pulls them slowly out of his mouth.

"You gonna call me disgusting again?"

[tofightinjustice]

She swallows hard.

"No."

[edgeofyourseat]

Tucking his hands behind his head, he studies her for a moment.

Gently: "Hey, what's up?"

[tofightinjustice]

She ducks her head abruptly, hunching her shoulders.

"Nothing."

It's transparently a lie.

[edgeofyourseat]

His lips quirk, dragging at the stitches.

"Okay. Sorry I nothinged you, then."

[tofightinjustice]

"Whatever."

She swallows hard and turns to go.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Bye," he says, closing his eyes again.