Slow Hearts

Reality hits

I woke up in the infirmary, great I thought to myself. As soon as I sat up my head was pounding. "Take it easy there" I look to see Mateo say softly. "I'm fine" I repeat calmly. "You don't look like it" He says eyeing me. "Are you calling me ugly?!!" I laugh as I watch him stutter. "I hate you" Mateo says while smiling. "Hate you more blondie" I say with a slight grin. "So do you know who pushed you?" He asks with a dead serious tone.

I bit my bottom lip while trying to think what happened. It hits me. "Sarah and Fatima" I say softly. I watch as Mateo's eyes widen. "Are you sure it was them?" He says a bit angry. I nod my head yes. I turn over to see that the principal was there as well and I had just snitched right in front of him, yikes. "Well then I'll make sure they get properly punished for pushing you down those flight of stairs, you could've been seriously hurt. Rest up and go home no classes for you today." I heard Principal Kingston say as he then walked away.

"Does my mom know?" I ask Mateo in a whisper. "Yes, they called her immediately." Mateo replies avoiding eye contact. "Where is she?" I ask with my eyebrow raised. "She didn't want to come." His voice trails off. Ah no wonder she didn't want to, despite my injury not being so severe it doesn't shock me that she didn't want to come to see me. If I'm still breathing i'm not an issue for her. I get up off the bed and slowly walk to the exit. "Wait up V" I turn to see Mateo shout. "V?" I say. "Your new nickname, I couldn't tell you that day so yeah that's the one I picked" He says with a smile. "How original" I roll eyes in a playful mood. "Original just like blondie" He says as he shakes his hair slightly. We both laugh and he walks with me to my house.

"You didn't have to come, classes are still in session" I say with guilt. "Oh shush V they won't know plus I'm helping you get home safely that's what matters" Mateo says as my arm is around his shoulder just in case I faint again. "I feel fine though, it was only a fall" I say while looking at him. "Just a two flight fall on hard concrete stairs" He says a bit more angry. Two flights? How am I walking right now I wondered. I didn't have much bruises on my body except the huge one on my left thigh.

We finally made it to my house and a shiver goes across my spine. "Are you going to be ok there?" Mateo asks. I pause to stare at him for a few seconds and nod my head yes. I can't live my life relying on others forever. It's my problems I shouldn't bury him with my problems. He smiles and steps closer to me. We lock eyes before he asks "can I hug you?" while looking into my eyes. I lean onto his chest and give him a short hug. His hands hesitantly wrap around my back. I pull away and watch as he walks away. Hands in his pockets, flannel shirt flowing with each step since it's unbuttoned.

I put my hand on the knob and prepare myself for potential yelling. I open the door to see my dad in the living room with my mom. "Dad?" I say trying not to sound hurt. "Oh my god Ivy where did you go?" my mom shrieks as she rushes over to hug me. I look at her in utter confusion. Wasn't this the same cruel lady who threw something at me and slapped me. Then it dawned on me every-time my dad is home she is nice to me. My dad comes over to me and says "Where have you been, your mom was worried sick!" with a frown. "Did she not get a call?" I ask while shooting daggers at her with my eyes. "What call sweetie?" my mom says more nervously. "I was pushed down some stairs and was knocked out they called you to come see me but you refused?" I said while trying not to cry. "Is this true Maria?" I hear my dad say with a scary voice. I felt like slapping myself for ratting her out but I'm fed up. "It's lies, she's lying she was with that boy again!" my mom says while eyeing me in disgust. Before I could say anything I could see my dad was believing her words over mine. Instead of arguing I head to my room. "Ivy get back here!" I hear my dad shout. I close my door and plop onto my bed trying to ignore them.

BEEEEP
"Sunshine I heard what happened are you ok?" - Jay

"Could be better now I'm stuck with a bruised leg" I responded while looking at the huge bruising.

" Who pushed you?"- Jay. I don't know if he will like my answer but I answer him nonetheless.

"Sarah and Fatima" I respond hoping I don't regret it.

A few minutes of silence goes by and I eagerly check my phone for any reply from him but nope nothing at all. Almost an hour later I get a ding and I nearly attack my phone trying to see it.

"They're lucky that they are girls and not boys but still what pricks" Jay responds which makes me laugh a bit.

"Calm down badboy, they're already gonna get detention I'm pretty sure" I respond and then set my phone on my dresser. I'm tired.

**The next morning**

Since the dance is tomorrow, classes were cancelled today in order for the students to prepare along with the schools committee to prepare. My cousin Jade freaked out when I told her I was actually going and instantly dragged me to a dress store despite me wanting to reuse one from my closet. Even though Jade goes to a different school she's still coming to my dance just as Theo's date. They are so cute together. My dress is a long black one with black floral patterns and lace gloves all tied with a silver necklace and earrings. I look like a vampire in it. According to my cousin Jade a very "sexy vampire". I'm not looking forward to the dance as much as I should be. I'm nervous of the stares, the judgement, what if my dress rips? Before I could reconsider the dress I get a text from Jay.

"You're not ditching me tomorrow out of revenge right?" He texts. I start chuckling at the message trying to contain myself. "Who is texting you????"" I see Jade ask with eyes shooting down at me. "Nobody" I reply with a fake smile. Jade snatches my phone out of my hands.

"Give that back!!!!" I shriek as I try to get it back from her greasy hands. "Ohhhh is this JAY!?!" she practically screams in the middle of this very empty mall. "Oh my god! You're going with Jay?!!!" she continues with a even higher pitch voice. "Shut up!!!" I shout while practically chasing her for my phone. "You're gonna get us both kicked out just give it back!!" I tell her frantically.

"Fine you can have your phone back" Jade says with a wicked grin. "What did you do?" I ask squinting my eyes at her. "Nothinggg" She says smiling too hard. I look at my phone and notice she sent a message to him.. "Can't wait to see your sexy ass!"

My eyes filled with shock and my face turns red just reading what she sent to him. He thinks I sent that to him oh my god. "Jade what the fuck!" I shout at her. I watch as her smile fades. "I'm sorry I thought it was funny" She looks sad now. I try to be mad at her but instead I just say "It's fine I'll just unsend it." I try unsending but it's too late, he saw it and he's typing now.

"Oh my god he saw it!" I say while freaking out and now Jade is freaking out with me. "I'm so so sorry Ivy I swear" she says in a frantic way. My heart is beating fast and fast up until he finally responds. Me and Jade prepare ourselves to read his response.

"Are you high?" He replies with. Me and Jade look at each other and then look back at the phone then at each other and start laughing our asses off.

Me and Jade head on our way back to my house since she's staying with me since my house is closer to the school than hers. We stay up practicing our makeup looks when I suddenly get a text.

"V are you going to the dance tomorrow?" - Mateo
I look at the message and can't explain why but I get a knot in my stomach. Does he know I'm going with Jay?

"Yeah are you?" I respond to him.

"With you I'd hope so" Mateo responds back. My eyes get a bit sad. He doesn't know. I need to tell him I already have a date for it.

"I wish I could but Jay asked me first and I accepted" I respond while trying not to fidget with my fingers.

No response. I feel so bad, me and Mateo have gotten so much closer and I should've considered how he would feel not having a date but Jay did ask me first.. "What wrong Ivy?" I hear Jade say to me while she's halfway putting on a false lash. "I told Mateo I already have a date, I guess he was hoping to go with me" I say sighing. "Well If I'm being honest I thought you would go with Mateo as well.. he and you seemed so close." Jade says with a shrug. "We are close it's just, Jay asked first and I assumed Mateo was going with Sarah anyways, it's not a big deal though I'll still see him there just he won't be my dancing partner." I say trying to practice my eyeliner now. "Fair enough, plus like you said you'll still see him there" Jade says smiling at me.
I couldn't help but feel still like I did something wrong. He's just a friend it's not like he's that hurt, right?