Trent had pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the truck, meeting me at the passenger side to open the door for me. "Can I help?" Trent asked and held out his hand. I took a deep breath in and braced myself for the inevitable panic that would happen when we touched. Trent grabbed my arm and my waist and lifted me up with such ease. The smell of cigarettes and sandalwood filled my senses as he helped me into the truck. I instantly put my good foot on the step and slid onto the seat as soon as I was close enough to. Trent just stayed there, with my hand still in his boring holes into my hazel eyes.

"Please l-let go!" I shouted, gasping for breath. He jumped as if I startled him and instantly let go, closing the door and then making his way back into the driver's seat. I stuttered out directions of how to get to my house and Trent struggled to follow. When we arrived, he parked in the driveway and jumped out, rushing over to the passenger side to help me out of the truck. I refused and pushed myself out of the seat, landing solely on my good foot and gently placing my right foot on the ground. I then limped up to the front door and unlocked it, I was about to shut it behind me when I heard footsteps running after me.

"Grayson, wait!"

"What?"

"You're not even going to say thank you?" Trent asked, a hurt look on his face.

"Thanks," I said and then went to shut the door again, but Trent put his hand out and stopped it. "Wh-what?"

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Um, sure." I stepped, well limped, aside so that Trent could enter my house. I hobbled over to the kitchen and sat down at the island. I put my right foot up on the stool next to me and carefully removed my shoe and rolled up my jeans. My ankle was already swelling.

"Mind if I take a look?" I jumped, having forgotten that Trent was there. I shook my head no and began to try to roll the cuff of my jeans back down.

"Please my mom is, was, a nurse. I might be able to help." I reluctantly rolled the pant leg back up and let him come over to take a look. He tried to touch me as little as possible, which I appreciated. "It doesn't look broken, plus you've been walking on it. I think it's just a sprain. Do you have like, an ace bandage or something?"

"Um, upstairs h-hall closet," I stuttered. Trent disappeared up the stairs to get the bandage and I tried to process what was happening right now. Trent was in my house, he was bandaging my sprained ankle, and I was having like five panic attacks at once from all of the proximity, physical contact, and socializing I was doing. I tried to focus on calming my breathing while I waited for Trent to come back. It kind of worked, I at least wasn't hyperventilating, but my heart was still racing and my breaths were short.

"Okay, this may be kind of painful, but I promise it'll help," Trent said and then showed me how to properly wrap my ankle. "Now you're going to have to take this off to shower, but if you just keep it wrapped just like that as much as possible it'll be better in no time."

"Thanks T-Trent," I smiled. He smiled back and for the first time I noticed her had a dimple, just one, on his left cheek.

"Anytime kid. Hey, go sit on the couch and I'll bring you some ice, okay?" I nodded and did as I was asked. Trent wrapped up some ice in a towel and gently placed it on my ankle that I had resting against the coffee table in my living room. "Kyle did this to you, didn't he?"

"N-no I tripped," I tried to lie.

"That's bullshit and you know it," he said through barred teeth. His intensity startled me, and I just nodded, confirming his suspicion. "I'm going to break both his fucking legs," he snarled.

"It's no b-big deal," I said.

"What do you mean it's no big deal? He's hurting you!"

"Why do you even care?"

"I... um.... uh... well," he stuttered. "I got to go," he muttered and quickly got up, power walking toward the door. He stopped suddenly and turned around, "would you want to go to a party with me on Friday?"

"I d-don't think that's a good idea," I said, shivering at the thought of me in a crowded house party.

"Please? I promise I won't let anyone bother you, I'll protect you." I look at his gorgeous face, that dimple as he smiled at me hopefully, his beautiful emerald eyes. If I were standing my knees would have gone weak. I sighed, knowing I would regret this later.

"Okay," I blurted out before I could convince myself not to. He smiled wide and started backing up towards the door, eyes locked on me the whole way.

"Awesome, I'll pick you up at eight, okay?" I nodded and then before I could say anything else, he turned and walked out my front door. I stared at the space that Trent had just occupied absolutely perplexed. What the hell just happened, what did I agree to? I was really going to go to a house party with Trent Rodriguez this Friday. I was out of my damn mind. I didn't fit in with the kind of kids who went to parties. But I was definitely intrigued by Trent, and wanted to spend more time with him, so I stupidly said yes. To distract myself from my poor decision making skills, I turned on the tv and started catching up on YouTube videos.

"Hey honey, we're home!" Mom called as her and Dad arrived home from work. "Oh my god, what happened to your ankle?" She rushed over to where I was on the couch and moved the ice that Trent had tenderly placed on my ankle before he left.

"I tripped," I lied. Mom looked like she didn't believe me but didn't question me further.

"We should take you to an urgent care, have an x-ray," she suggested.

"No!" I shouted; eyes wide with fear. I couldn't go to urgent care, and have doctors touching me, bandaging my leg. It was bad enough having Trent do it. Mom looked confused and concerned. "I mean, a friend helped me home and bandaged it up. His mom is a nurse, so he knew what to do. He said it's just a sprain and I'll be fine in like a week." I smiled reassuringly.

"Alright," she sighed, "we'll keep an eye on it. If it doesn't start getting better in a few days, we are taking you to a doctor. Understand?" She asked sternly. I nodded and then got up and made my way to my room as quickly as I could with my injured ankle. I flopped down on my bed and took my phone out, opening my iMessage app and opening my conversation with Nat.

Grayson: Remember when I said I almost got beat up this morning?

Nat: Oh no, what happened?

Grayson: Kyle came back for round two after school.

Nat: And where was your knight in shining armor?

Grayson: Smoking in the parking lot...

Nat: Okay so he's a knight in ash covered armor.

Grayson: He's not my knight in any kind of armor Nat. Although he did drive me home.

Nat: What?!

Grayson: Well they kind of sprained my ankle. It was either let him drive me or limp a mile.

Nat: Gray! Are you okay?!

Grayson: It should heal in like a week.

Nat: What happened when he drove you home?

Grayson: He got really mad that Kyle beat me up. Like scary mad.

Nat: Why?

Grayson: He got even more mad when I asked.

Nat: Did he like, go in your house?

Grayson: He wrapped my ankle for me.

Nat: What alternate universe did we enter where Trent Rodriguez is dressing your wounds?

Grayson: I don't know but I want to go back to our timeline. There's something else too...

Nat: What?!

Grayson: He asked me to a party on Friday... I said yes.

Nat: You're serious? You agreed to go to a party? Why on Earth would you... Grayson Michael Daniels, are you crushing on Trent Rodriguez?!

Grayson: I can barely let him near me without having a panic attack, I can't even think about having a crush.

Nat: What is up with that? No one can get near you?

Grayson: I don't know, Nat. I got to go, night.

I locked my phone and threw it at the end of my bed. I felt it vibrate again as Nat texted me back a million times. I ignored the texts. I would forgive her by tomorrow, but I just couldn't keep talking about it. I wasn't even sure why no one could touch me; well I had my ideas. I just don't know how to say, 'I think I may have been assaulted as a child, but my only memories of it are in the form of nightmares I have every single night,' without sounding absolutely insane.

I pushed all of those thoughts aside and decided to start on my homework to distract me until I was called for dinner. I avoided conversation as much as possible with my parents by inhaling my dinner and immediately leaving the table. I limped back to my room, finished my homework, and got ready for bed. I knew I wouldn't get much sleep tonight, but if my parents thought I was asleep they'd leave me alone. That was all I wanted tonight, all I wanted ever, to be left alone. Well, by everyone whose name wasn't Trent Rodriguez. Maybe I was developing a slight crush, oh God what am I going to do?