Untouchable

Chapter 10: Close

Warning: Adult themes and violence. Mentions of physical and sexual assault.

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Chapter Ten: Close

"Friends?"

I smiled back. "Friends."

I laughed. Tonight had been quite the night so far. I may have passed inspection with Lizzie. I actually came to Ali's party. I talked to my nonverbal lab partner and became friends. And I got to tell off some whorrific ho-bags.

Will grinned back at me. Yeah, tonight was successful in the Cate-tries-to-have-fun-campaign.

I watched as he glanced back out at the party. The way he was looking at the crowd was interesting. It reminded me of myself. Like he thought that he didn't quite fit in. But I couldn't understand why he would feel that way. Look at him. He's gorgeous, funny, built, obviously popular. He should have been the light of the party, but instead he was here, sitting in a corner hiding with me.

"So why did Ali have to wrangle you to come tonight?" I hoped for some answers, plus part of me want to just know him better.

"Ehh," he groaned. "I had some run ins with some people last year, that didn't end well. I just don't really have the desire to spend time with hypocrites and back-biters."

Oh, interesting indeed.

"What happened?" I turned my body towards him. Part of me hoped that his story was as bad as mine, just so I would know that I wasn't alone in my misery. Then again, I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even an enemy.

He looked surprised at my question, like he didn't expect me to ask any details.

I stuttered. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to..." I blushed pink, my ears felt like they were burning.

Stupid Cate. Don't pry into other's lives. You don't want them prying into yours.

He sighed and glanced into my eyes. He was hurt, and he didn't know if he could trust me.

I tried to reassure him. Maintaining eye contact, I said, "You can trust me."

He looked down suddenly, and shuffled his feet a bit. "I got a lot of attention last year. I used to be this big geek, but I guess puberty finally caught up to me before junior year." He chuckled despairingly. The sound hurt my heart.

"Well, I got a lot of attention, from everyone, and even from those at the top."

He stopped for a second, thinking to himself. Then looked back into my eyes. "I dated this girl, Vickie. I thought she was really into me, but it turned out she was just using me."

"I'm sorry." I really was.

He shrugged it off. "No big deal." But his shoulders were slumped. It was a big deal. He was still hurting. I knew what it was like to hurt.

I felt this overwhelming desire to tell him something, anything about me. To... I don't know, even the score?

I smiled sardonically. "I moved here because of my manipulative bastard of an ex-boyfriend." I leaned over and carefully patted his hand. "I know what it feels like to be used."

He clenched his fists. "Some kid hurt you? And you moved?" His eyes darkened, and the crease in his forehead deepened. He muttered a few non-intelligible things under his breath. I wished I had heard them, anything bad said about Jimmy I wanted to be a part of.

"Well, now that we've shared some of our darkest secrets." I didn't want to talk about Jimmy.

He rolled his eyes. I get that a lot.