Freaks

Chapter Seven- Assumptions

(Picture of Derek above or to the side.)

Jackson's tears were seeping though the thin fabric of my jeans as he sat hunched over at the knees, crying into my lap. I stared at him unable to say anything in fear of him lashing out at me once more. I took a deep breath and slowly placed my hand over his back, gently rubbing it in circles. His head lifted up and he cried out in horror as he met my gaze.

"Oh god Bridgette—oh god!" He cried out after scanning my face and realizing the amount of damage he had inflicted onto me. "I'm so sorry!" He grabbed ahold of me and I felt myself stiffen in his arms.

I didn't want him to touch me. At all. But I was too scared to say anything. I felt like an outsider in my own body. I wasn't controlling my actions anymore. I wrapped my arms around him. "Jackson it's okay."

He pulled away. "It won't happen again, I promise."

I nodded. "I know, I believe you. It was an accident. You probably weren't thinking about it when you did it." I reassured myself rather than him.

"Y-Yeah!" Jackson agreed. "Yeah I wasn't thinking. You were frustrating me. I don't understand why you think you can just talk to boys without asking me first--it just got me mad." He sighed. "Don't do that to me, you're my girlfriend." He lifted my chin. "I'd say that earns an apology."

I looked up at him, humiliated as I nodded my head to agree with him. "I'm sorry."

"Come on, lets get you fixed up alright?" He asked pulling me gently. I followed behind him, dragging my feet like a child. He took me down the hall into his mothers room. Jackson pushed open the door and had me sit down on the perfectly mad bed. I stared down at my hands as he began to shuffle through the closet before coming back to the bed with a few bottles of anti septic and bandages. I dodged my eyes quickly towards the still open closet door. Underneath perfectly organized dresses stood a large box that held a number of medical supplies.It was quite odd really, why would someone have an assortment of medical supplies in the first place? Not to mention stuffed away into a closet like a secret.

I was rudely pulled away from my thoughts as Jackson gently placed a cotton ball on the medium sized gash on my lower jaw. I hissed in pain and gripped onto his hand tightly. "I'm sorry," he sympathized. "It'll be over in a second." He was right about that. The stinging subsided within a few seconds and soon a small white bandage extended down from my cheekbone down to the bottom of my jaw. I watched Jackson as he shut the closet door and walked up towards me.

"You won't be able to tell in about a week. I promise." He reassured. "Besides, a little make up here and there and you won't be able to tell anyways."

I nodded. "I should be getting home actually."

Jackson sighed. "Bridgette I really am sorry. I didn't mean to hit you--it just happened."

I stood up from the bed slowly nodding. "I know. Um, see you tomorrow." I quickly added flashing a smile.

"Wait," he said shutting the door quickly. "what if your parents ask? I should go with you. You can't drive like this anyways."

"Jackson, no I just want to go home okay? I can drive perfectly fine. And my parents won't ask-"

Jackson interrupted me before I could continue. "Yeah they will, Bridgette just let me come. Why don't you want me to go with you?"

I sighed. Truthfully I didn't even want to be in the same room as him. I wanted to be tucked away under my covers, far away from the memory of this awful day. "Look, its fine. Just drop me off and I can tell my parents I slipped and hit my cheek against a table or something, okay?"

Jackson nodded in content. "Okay, let me grab my keys."

"I have my keys, they're actually in.." I stopped in hesitation. "they're in Derek'  room."

Jackson scowled and looked as if he were about to say something but stopped when he looked at the side of my face. "Okay, I'll just meet you downstairs then okay?"

I nodded and walked over to Derek's room. I knocked gently on the door and the door swung open a few seconds later. Derek smiled at me before he narrowed his eyes in anger. "Oh f*ck no." he shouted. "Did he do this? Are  you serious?" he shouted loudly.

"Derek, Derek please!" I softly shouted trying to keep him quiet before Jackson or worse, Matthew would come up again. "Look, I just need my keys okay? And if you have questions, just come and meet me tomorrow!" I whispered to him frantically. "Don't make a big deal out of this. I don't want him to come up here. Please?" I begged.

Derek shook his head. "F*ck!" he shouted in frustration. He walked into his room and quickly came out with my keys shut the door. "Let's go."

"NO!" I whispered loudly. "Just come tomorrow okay? Ask anything you need then and I promise if anything happens you will be the first to hear about it but right now he's hurting and he regrets what he did okay?"

"Stop, stop that right now." Derek scolded his eyes widening. "Don't defend him."

I stared at my shoes in disbelief. "Derek I have to go before he comes up here."

"Well if I can't go with you I'm still going to tail you."

"Fine, whatever."I threw my hands up in frustration.