"Have you noticed the bags under her eyes that she tried to hide with concealer and foundation or the anger issues that she has...

Her red lips still forced into a smile. Struggling to show everyone that she's a fighter, that she will be alright.

No one bothered to hold her close, to tell her that it's okay to not be fine.

So she breathed through her life as if it were a battlefield and wished that one day she would live, and not just survive."

-

"Thanks for being there with me. I mean you really didn't have to do that but... thanks." Justin said to Faye as they both exited from the nurse room that was at the end of the second building.

Faye bumped Justin's shoulder lightly, "Please, I was just helping out my friend. Plus, River kind of really beat the hell out of him. So, it is my responsibility to help him." She said, the smile never leaving her face.

Justin watched her in awe, he, himself accompanying a boyish grin, "You know, you really are nothing like the way they make you look like..." He said, shaking his head.

"What do you mean Walter?" She asked, chuckling to herself.

"Ah... you know, I mean, they make you look like a bit... ah, ah... they make you look bad..." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"They call me a bitch, a slut, a whore and well, sometimes a manipulating, pathetic, grandiose plastic doll who knows nothing but to throw makeup at her face."

"But you are nothing like that."

"How can you be so sure?" Faye asked him, laughing.

"She misses four classes just to make sure that a guy, who's a stranger to her, is alright. No matter what, she never leave her friends alone. She's someone who makes a brother understand his responsibilities, she's someone who never takes things for granted. I know Faye Lockwood enough to say that she's a beautiful person inside out." They stood near the second building's entrance.

She was smiling. She was smiling like an idiot, a warm feeling consuming her. She didn't even know this guy properly but he touched the right string of her heart.

"That was... too much, plus, were you trying to impress me? Cause honestly, it was way too cheesy for my taste." She smiled.

"Well, you call it cheesy, I call it the truth." Justin said, pouting as they crossed the main building's busy hallway.

"Why did you ask me out?" Faye asked all of a sudden, her curiosity taking the best of her.

"Honestly, cause I feel like there's much more of you than you show everyone. Like you're not the bitch that they call you. You probably don't remember but I once used to be in the student council with you. I don't know, I just feel strangely attracted to you." Heat rushed to her cheeks as he said those words.

"Thanks, I mean thanks for you know, thinking that I... I am special." She said, fidgeting with her fingers.

"The date is still on, right?" And when Faye shook her head, nodding, his smile got bigger if its even possible.

He really liked her.

"Well, since its lunch now, do you wanna grab some lunch with me?" Faye offered.

"I think I will pass Faye. My sister will be here in any minute to see her boyfriend. And well, being the best brother, I will have to be there."

"Who's your sister's boyfriend?"

"Oh, it's Valentino. God, that's the only reason why I stepped into that fight. Kathy might have killed me if I might haven't helped him." He shook his head, running a hand through his dark hair.

"So it was Valentino who was with your sister at the party."

"Yah." Rolling his eyes, he said.

"Okay, now, since you rejected my offer, I will let you starve on your own. Anyways, do you have any idea why the fight started?"

"Naa, I was just passing by with my friends when we heard a banging voice. I don't even know Valentino personally for that matter."

"Aha, well, forget about that, you said that once you were in the student council. How come I never see you in the meetings?"

"Cause, I left it. Well, my parents kind of had a divorce which lead me to live with my dad in California for a while. When I returned, things were too different. I used to be the football team's quarterback once. Cause of vanishing for some months, I was thrown out of the team. Zach was the one who took me in once again and convinced the coach. Anyways, since I didn't feel like doing it anymore, I just left the student council."

"Oh... I am sorry. I... I didn't know." She bit the inside of her cheeks as she felt the stiffening surroundings.

"Na... It's not your fault, right?" He said, laughing a little.

But she didn't miss the downfall in his mood.

"Others say that you slept with the coach's daughter, I mean, when they recall the incident. Now that I think, I never even talked about it with Zach."

"He knows and at that time, no kidding, he was my fairy godmother." He said, chuckling.

Faye felt bad for him. He had suffered so much.

To cheer him up a little, she patted his shoulder and pulled him into a hug.

Sure the action was unexpected but it took Justin's breath away. Each and every eye present in the hallway was fixed on them.

After all, they were Faye Lockwood and Justin Walter, right?

"Does it make you feel better?" She asked as her head leaned on his shoulder.

Justin had a broad smile in his face, his eyes were twinkling, "Can I get used to this?" At that, Faye laughed, pulling away from him.

"Anyways, I actually am starving here. So, how about if we catch up later?" She asked, the smile never leaving her face.

"Alright beautiful, later." And she waved her hands as he walked away from there, a smile engulfed in both of their faces.

************************************

"Where were you?" She met Kyle's angry eyes as soon as she entered the cafeteria.

"I was with Justin, why?" Faye asked, quite puzzled with Kyle's behavior.

"Do you have any idea how much we were worried? We even checked the whole building looking for you. Damn, you missed the whole first half, what were you doing with Justin?" Aubree stood up from her chair and walked towards Faye, pure concern laced in her voice.

"You could have just call me." She shrugged nonchalantly and sat beside Max who was giving her the stink eye.

"Do you think we hadn't tried that? God, we called hundred of times but no, you missy were so busy hanging out with Justin that you didn't even notice." Max said, stabbing the spaghetti with his fork that the cafeteria was serving this week.

"Come on guys, you all are making a big deal of it." Faye rolled her eyes before leaning back on the chair and pulling her phone out of her pocket. She pulled out a frustrated sigh, "Just so that you know, my phone's battery is dead."

"Sure it is." Kyle grumbled under his breath before slumping down on his seat.

"Wait, now guys, you all really are overreacting. What's the problem here?" She asked, her words directed towards Kyle.

"You kind of ditched us and went to Valentino and Justin. You didn't even inform us where you were going. You were vanished the whole first half and plus, you didn't pick up the phone. We were worried. Valentino is not a good guy to hangout with and since now he holds a grudge against River, you aren't kind of safe around him... you know what I mean, right?" It was the first time when Madeline spoke through the whole conversation.

"I am the school's president Maddy, it is my responsibility to make sure that everything is fine. River almost killed Valentino and through the whole time I was with them, he was unconscious. As for Justin, he's not even that guy's friend, it's that his sister is Valentino's girlfriend, you know Katherine Walter, that blue headed cheerleader?" And when they all nodded, she continued, "He was just helping him." She said honestly, a smile making its way to her lips.

"That's the same guy who has been crushing on her since freshman year, right?" Aubree pointed out to which Madeline nodded.

Faye noticed something, her best friend was in a much better state now. Aubree looked happy, composed, carefree, something that she was months ago.

River had kind of really messed up with her feelings, Faye thought.

"You don't know anything Faye." His voice rang in her head. She wanted to know the reason behind their breakup. She wanted to know the reason behind Aubree mourning for two months.

"I know Justin Walter is a good guy, Faye. We were just worried." Max said, wrapping an arm around her and snapping her out of her thoughts.

Faye offered him a big smile, "As long as you all are here, no one will dare to touch me." And when all of them smiled, well except for Kyle, may I add, they started to talk about their afternoon game.

"Anyways, do you guys have any idea why the fight actually started?" Aubree asked.

"We don't know, it's something between River and Valentino." Shaking his head, Kyle said, his frown never leaving his face.

"Speaking about that, where is Blake?" Max asked, curious since he hadn't seen River from the last three periods. Usually he has Literature and French with him, but today, he didn't show up to any of the classes.

"Oh, I just met him in the hallway, he was in the second floor stairs. I asked him where he's going and he said that... he is in his way to the coach..." And when Madeline's words reached Faye, her eyes narrowed by a fraction and a big lump grew on her throat. Her face kind of loosed all its color and fear lurched in her chest.

"What's coach gonna do in the music room? I mean the second floor has the music room and chemistry lab for the sophomores, right?" And before anyone could say something else, Faye stood up from the chair abruptly and ran towards the door.

She will have to find him.

************************************

©tomboy_16