Chapter 8

Eric just stared at her, his eyes wide and disbelieving. His hand never relented the grip he had on her cut wrist. How long had she been doing this? She looked so scared staring at him with wide green eyes shinning with tears, they ran rivers down her face. Her cheeks were rosey in her embarrassement. Why was she destroying herself? Did him and his buds have help in this? Did Alice and her pep squard also have help? Thinking that he himself had something do to with this slow for of destruction sent a wave of nausia through his system. He wanted to be sick, but he couldn’t find it in himself to look away from her eyes.

“please don’t tell” came the desperate whisper. Was she insane, she had to tell someone. This wasn’t healthy. She needed help.

“Are you crazy you need help” he said his voice borderline hysterical. Marisol closed her eyes tightly. She knew she was screwed but he didn’t need to point that out. She pulled her hand away sharply, there was a pin prick of pain that raced up her arm when the tissue paper rubbed against it, some bits snagged in the shallow cut. She held it to her chest protectively.

“Please don’t tell” she had to make him listen. He couldn’t tell. It just wasn’t an option. “You can’t tell” it sounded so deperate. Eric could do nothing but stare as those green eyes caught his. Why was she so against getting help?

“Why” he deadpanned. He needed a reason, or else he was telling. And it better be a good reason, but Eric didn’t think there ever was a good enough reason in the world. Marisol shifted from one foot to the other, she nibbled her lower lips.

“cause...” she trailed off. She couldn’t tell him about what his mother does to her, or what she would do if she found out. There was a part of her who wanted to tell, to have someone to confide in, someone who could help. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Eric raised a brow as she trailed off.

“Just cause?” he said, he raised a brow “i need a better reason then just cause” Marisol bowed her head, her hair hiding her face,Eric couldn’t see the shame that colored her features. She was ashamed of herself and her homelife, she was ashamed at what her mother had become. Shame drove people to do stupid things, and she was on that train. She wanted off, but it wasn’t easy not when it was moving faster then light.

“Are you scared to tell me?” if she wouldn’t answer, he would guess. Marisol didn’t even respond. “did..” he had to swallow passed the lump in his throat “did we drive you to do this with all the teasing?” he said in almost a whisper. Marisol snapped her head up, it may have been whispered but to her it was like a fog horn. How could he think him and his buddies were the cause, okay so she wasn’t being very open, but it wasn’t him and his pals. He could deal with them, they were nothing but a slight bump in the road, compared to her mother who was a bloody mountain. It was silent for a moment, and in that moment Eric began to suspect, that yes him and the rest of the ruddy school was the cause.

“NO!” Eric almost jumped from the sharp no that penatrated the sufficating silence. But what was the no for? For being scared? Or that he and his posse didn’t do it?

“No what?” he said.

“No it wasn’t you and your friends” she said in a whisper. Marisol would give anything to hide, but there wasn’t much room for hiding in a small cubical in the girls washroom. Eric felt a bit lighter at knowing he wasn’t apart of it. His eyes narrowed.

“then your afraid to tell me” he said. Marisol bit her bottom lip and nodded hesitently. “Why?” Marisol shook her head, she didn’t want to say. Eric sighed beneath his breath.

“Marisol tell me why, or I’m taking you to the school nurse” he said. Taking her to the nurse didn’t sound like a bad threat considering doctor/ patient confidentuality. The problem, this nurse told just about everybody about what kind of things the students do that send them to the nurses room. Marisol froze, he wouldn’t do that! Ms Lupinski told everyone everything.

“No, please” she begged, she hated it, sometimes her mother made her beg. She felt lower than dirt.

“Then tell me” he said placing his hands on her shoulders to hold her in place just in case she tried to do a runner, not that she could considering his bulk and that he practically blocked the exit to the small cubical. But she looked skittish and cornered and there was no telling what she could do. He knew this much, his mother was a councelor at the local mental institution, often then not he found himself there wandering the halls, helping out, or talking idaly with the patients who were in the green, meaning non-harmful to him or themselves. What he was doing probably a bad thing, holding her still, there was no choice. Marisol kept her head lowered, she bit her lip. Why couldn’t he just drop it, its not like he cared.

“Please no” Eric wanted to fold, to keep her secret, but he knew he couldn’t. He lifted her chin up so he was staring into her pleading emerald eyes. They looked so lost and scared, and he could feel himself wavering slightly. He narrowed his eyes, he couldn’t crumble. She needed to tell someone, and if he could help her he would. Why, he couldn’t understand, but the fact that she was doing this to herself, wanting to self-mutilate for some type of piece, it hurt him. What if she cut to deep, the next time? What she bleed out and no one was there to help save her. She would die, and he didn’t like that idea.

Eric opened his mouth momentarily to tell her sharply to spill the beans but was distracted by the sound of the restroom door opening and the shrill voice of Alice as she spotted him.

“Oh, Eric, baby what are you doing int he girls bathroom?” she said giggling walking up to him, her perse purched on the crook of her arm. Marisol took the chance god seemed to give her and pushed passed the bulky football player, her head down she practically ran from the restroom hastily ajusting her arm.

Alice watch scandilized as the pink door closed behind the freak. Why was Eric in here with her?

“Why were you in here with the freak?” she rounded on him. Eric sighed, she just ruined the chance of him finding out, he had a feeling marisol was so close to telling him.

“Don’t call her that” he said absently as he watched the pink door, willing for her to come back and tell him. But he knew she wouldn’t if anything she was avoid him. Well at least he thinks so.

“Eric, baby tell me why you were here with the freak” she said running a manicured hand up and down his arm. To some it might be considered hot and a turn on, but to Eric it made his skin crawl. Why was she so frigging obsessed with him, that she had to know everything about him?

“Its none of your concern” he said. Alice took that the wrong way, she thought he and his buddies came up with this fab plan to hurt the freak.

“oh I see, you were playing her, only to hurt her in the end” she said splapping his shoulder playfully. Eric rolled her eyes, where did she come up with these things, was she really that airheaded? Scratch that, that was a stupid question. “Eric your so smart” she threw her arms around his neck and pressed himself up against him. She grinned into his face.

“Since were here all alone, what do you say we have some fun” she said walking her fingers up his chest only to clasp with the other at the back of his head. Was she crazy? Alice leaned up her eyes closing for kiss, but instead found herselfon her ass on the floor, alone in the girls bathroom. Alice huffed.

Eric walked briskly away from the girls washroom, Alice was a piece of work that was for sure, no matter how many times you say your not interested it doesn’t seem to get through to her, it must have been jam packed with pointlessness, like make-up and who’s this weeks lasted celeb hottie. Eric shuddered. He didn’t want to understand girls. well there was one he wanted to understand, and he would ask her again when it came time for him to go to the library for a tutoring session...