Finding Beauty

[13] - Chapter Thirteen

Dean wasn’t at school and I was getting more and more worried about him. Especially since I’m beginning to think that he’s getting abused by his Father. I sighed, it really hurt me to even think that it may be a possibility but it answers so many questions. Why he was always bruised up, why he was hard to figure out, and why he was cautious about being friends with me. It answered almost everything really. I couldn’t even stop worrying about him, I didn’t know why but I couldn’t.

It was now Saturday and instead of getting ready for Kale’s football game, I’m laid across my bed, looking up at my ceiling, and thinking about Dean. It confused on why I was thinking so much about him really but I knew it was because I couldn’t stand to see people in pain. Sighing, I sat in my bed and finally decided to call Dean’s number. I couldn’t take all of this concern; I needed to know if he’s okay.

I probably sound dramatic, but I couldn’t help myself. Getting up, I walked towards my drawer and dialed Dean’s number. Pressing the phone to my ear, I waited for him to pick up:  one ring, two rings, three rings, four rings…

“Hello?” Dean greeted a bit of irritation lingering in his voice. “Is this McKenzie?”

“Yeah,” I replied softly suddenly regretting calling him. “Um, I was wondering if you were alright.”

“McKenzie, I already told you. I’m fine okay, I just been uh a bit sick so I haven’t been going to school.” Dean explained to me but I could tell he was lying. “Now I got to go.”

A part of me wanted to ask further questions and get him to tell the truth but the other part of me told me to let it go. I sighed; maybe I should give him some space. I could be making things worse for him anyway by calling him when his father is probably worried. “Okay, bye.”

And with that, he hung up. Placing my phone back down on my dresser, I tried my best not to think about this anymore and worry about getting ready for the football game.

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As soon as I drove to the student’s parking lot at school, I wasn’t shocked to notice that it was filled a bunch of cars and excited families. Smiling with excitement, I finally found a parking space and parked the car. I’ve decided to wear the school’s colors to show off my team spirit which were blue and yellow. I was wearing a yellow button up shirt, light ripped blue jeans, topped with blue earrings, blue heels, a gold bracelet, shades, and a brown purse. I was ecstatic that my insecurity ghost didn’t show up to tell me how I stupid I looked when I was buying heels and accessories. Getting out of the car and locking the door behind me, the first person I noticed was Caroline aka the yearbook girl who was just excited about the game as I was.

Her black hair was styled into a bun and she wore a pretty yellow and blue high low dress that seemed to flow in the breeze. As I glanced over at her, she made contact with my own eyes and rolled her eyes at me. She then returned to chatting and talking to the other guys from the yearbook—the ones who locked me up in the closet. And before I could even think about something else, my cell phone chimed.

Unzipping my purse, I pulled out my phone and noticed it was a text from Stef:

Hey McKenzie, I love your outfit girlie! Have fun at this game and don’t forget to ask out Kale okay, I’m counting on you <333.

I smiled, her text just lightened up my mood a bit:

Haha, I promise I will and thank you. Miss you and lots of loves <33333333.

After pressing send, I put my phone back up and walked over to the football field which was thankfully not far from here. As I walked over there, thousands of students were wearing the school’s colors and whooping in excitement. I even saw other students who wore red and white which were probably the opposing team spirit colors roll their eyes at us.