Not sure if anyone is reading this. If you are please review and let me know how you like it.
When Monday rolled around Veronica sat in her first class waiting for Dean to walk in, so she could try to talk to him. She would snap her eyes to the door every time she heard it open. Finally with a couple minutes before class started Dean walked in. Veronica's eyes grew wide at the sight. He had a black eye, scratches covering his face, a swollen lip and his hand was wrapped up.
Dean quickly made his way to the back row and the table next to Veronica's. Veronica kept staring at him in shock. She's never seen him like this. Ever.
"What?" he snapped looking at her. Veronica didn't do well with yelling at all. She immediately recoiled and shrunk down in her seat and kept her eyes on her hands. Dean intimidated her. Dean saw the way she reacted and felt bad for a split second before the bell rang, he shook his head and looked forward.
"Hello class. So today we are going to be starting the first of four big projects this year. This is one of the projects I was telling you about the first day of school. It will take months to complete." Dean and Veronica were in IB classes, meaning they did a lot of work, a lot of big projects that took months to complete and a lot of presentation, something Veronica hated. "So we need everyone to partner up right now and then I'll pass everything out and explain it to you."
Everyone in class quickly grouped up with their best friends or significant others while Dean just sat there staring forward and Veronica sat there feeling insecure. She was never picked for anything and it made her feel really bad. She always felt alone everywhere.
"Everyone have a partner? Dean? Veronica?" the teacher asked after a few minutes.
"Why would they have a partner? No body likes them." a popular girl said and her friends laughed with her. Veronica found herself shrinking down more into her seat.
"Enough. See me after class." Mr. Jones said. He was the only teacher that ever said anything about other students being rude to Dean or Veronica. "Now you two sit together." Mr. Jones said as he turned around to get the packets he would pass out. Veronica looked at Dean since he didn't move or even attempt to she sighed and gathered her things moving next to him. She pulled the seat a little further away from him and sat down.
Dean scoffed and side eyed her "Is being close to me going to give you some kind of disease?"
"You got it wrong Deanie, she's the stripper. She's the one who gives diseases." the same popular girl, Melanie said while turning and looking at them. Dean looked at Veronica waiting for her to stand up for herself but instead she put her head down. Dean rolled his eyes, annoyed at how she always let them get away with things. Unknown to him Veronica had tears running down her face. She was so over getting hurt and abused, physically and verbally, everywhere she was. She had no escape.
"Veronica is everything okay?" Mr. Jones asked when he got to her and Dean putting the packets down.
"Can I go to the bathroom?" Veronica asked lifting her head but not looking at anyone. Dean stole a glance and saw a tear fall from her face. He felt infuriated that these people mad her cry. He growled slightly and balled his fists up.
"You will have to wait until your next period. We have too much to do today." the teacher said then walked back to the front of the class.
Mr. Jones started explaining the project while Veronica just looked down at her lap while Dean stole glances at her every once in a while.
Soon it was lunch time and Veronica couldn't wait. It was the only part of the day they were allowed off campus. The next two classes followed suit of her first one. More and worst snide comments from other students because these teachers wouldn't stop them, she felt like crying but was able to hold it together. She brought her money from last night at the strip club to be able to get some lunch today finally. She went to her locker and put her books and materials in there before walking towards the front doors.
"Hey!" she heard a raspy voice call. She stopped and turned to see Dean jogging towards her.
"Hi.." she said quietly and confused.
"I was wondering if you wanted to go eat some lunch. We can talk about the project and everything." Dean offered. Veronica was going to say no but she thought it would be nice to actually have someone to eat with and not be alone for one day. She nodded her head and Dean opened the door for them and they started walking to subway.
They ordered their food and drinks and Dean actually paid for not only his but Veronica's as well, even though she tried to fight him on it. They sat down at a table and Veronica took a huge bite of her food. Loving how good it was. She hasn't eaten in a while so she was eating this extremely fast. Dean noticed but didn't say anything. He's been there a lot of time himself. After a few more bites Veronica looked up and slowly put her sandwich down turning bright red.
"Sorry..." she whispered wiping her mouth and taking a drink.
"Don't be." Dean waved off taking a bite of his sandwich.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom." Veronica said and walked off to the bathroom. Every time she got embarrassed she would excuse herself. While she was gone Dean walked up to the counter and ordered a few bags and put them in his backpack. He decided he was going to leave them in his locker and just in case Veronica hadn't eaten he would give her some.
"Are you okay?" Dean asked as Veronica sat back down.
"Yeah, I just had to go to the bathroom." she said picking her sandwich back up and taking a bite.
"I didn't mean now. I meant from earlier."
Veronica swallowed hard and nodded her head.
"I don't get why you let them get to you." he mentioned.
"You do too."
"I do not."
"Yes you do. Just in a different way."
"What do you mean?" Dean asked raising an eye brow at her.
"You get mad. You fight them. You let them get under your skin just like I do. You just show it differently." Dean remained quiet and Veronica started to feel uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry..I didn't mean to-"
"Let's just talk about the school project." Dean interrupted.
The rest of the school day went slow. Veronica felt awkward around Dean and he was pretty tense. When the school bell finally rang she went to her locker to put some things away and grab her homework before she started on her walk home. She walked outside and saw Dean leaning up against the wall smoking. She took a deep breath and went up to him.
"I'm sorry about saying the wrong thing earlier. I have a tendency to do that." She looked down nervously.
Dean shook his head and took the cigarette out of his mouth. "Don't worry about it." he said. She nodded her head and kept staring at him.
"What?" he asked.
"What happened?" she said softly touching his eye. He winced and pulled away from her.
"Nothing."
"Ran into a door huh?" she asked.
Dean caught on and nodded. "Fell down the stairs too." he said slowly lifting up his shirt showing her his bruised ribs. She lightly touched them and frowned.
"I'm sorry."
"It's whatever." he said throwing his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it.
They stood there quietly for a few minutes watching students leave.
"Want to work on the project a little bit?" Veronica asked.
"Sure."
"We can't go to my house." she mumbled.
"We can go to mine. It's not the best though." he shrugged.
"I can buy us some food, on the way.. pay back." she said.
"Where do you wanna go?"
"Hamburger stand good with you?" Veronica asked as they started walking.
"Yup."
They made it to Dean's house a little more than 2 hours later around 5:45. They took their time walking to Hamburger Stand, then there was a huge line. Veronica could tell Dean didn't want to go home so when he would randomly stop or slow down she didn't question him she just stopped with him.
They got inside and Dean grabbed her arm pulling her quickly into his room after he looked around the small apartment quickly and saw that his mother was not there.
They took their drinks and sat them on his bedside while he took their fries and hamburgers out of the bag. They started to eat while Dean started to tell his ideas for the project. He was really smart Veronica thought as she listened to him talk.
A few hours later Dean and Veronica were on his bed joking around and telling old stories from their child hood when Dean heard the front door slam shut then a man's voice followed by a woman's voice. He tensed up and visibly shivered as Veronica slowly sat up staring at him.
"I should have had you leave a while ago." Dean said.
"Oh uh..sorry I'll go now." Veronica quickly said gathering up her things.
"You can't go right now." Dean said walking to the door "Stay here." She put her things back down and moved further up on his bed watching as he walked out of the door.
Veronica winced when she heard three voices screaming at each other down stairs about drugs, it sounded like her house. She heard the sound of a slap and then objects being thrown, without really noticing she grabbed Dean's blanket and wrapped it tight around herself. She always did that back at home when she got scared.
She heard the fighting eventually quiet down and heard loud foot steps coming towards the room. The door flew open and she jumped, seeing it was Dean. He slammed the door shut and locked it and turned towards her. She gasped as she saw his face and then slowly looked down to his hand. His knuckles were busted open clearly from punching something, his lip was busted open again and he had blood pouring from his nose. His black eye was worse to the point of swelling shut. He was breathing hard as he stormed over to the window trying to calm himself down.
Veronica cautiously got up and walked up behind him, she stared at him for a few seconds before lying her hand in the middle of his back. He slowly turned around to face her, and her heart broke. She's never seen that look of vulnerability on his face. He just looked so broken.
"Do you have a first aid kit?" Dean shook his head.
"Okay well..do you have a towel or rag I could use to clean you up?" Dean walked over to his closet and pulled out a rag and tossed it to her. She heard noise downstairs and spotted a water bottle so she decided to pour water from it onto the rag.
"Sit down." she said to Dean while walking back over to him.
He did as she said and she slowly started to wash the blood off his face. He hissed a little and she apologized every time.
"Sorry you gotta see this." Dean said rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's fine." Veronica replied.
"It's not. You shouldn't be around this." he sighed.
"I am all the time. I'm used to it." she said. Dean felt sad for her. She deserved better than this.
"I don't want you leaving while they're still here. I just don't want you to get hurt because of him." a look of disgust crossed his face when he said him. "What time do you have to be home?"
"I uh...I don't go home on these days."
"Work?"
"No..."
"Where do you go?" Dean asked while Veronica sat down next to him.
"The park."
"All night?"
"Mondays is my dads worse day... there's a lot of scary people in my house on Monday's and it's safer to sleep at the park.. You never noticed I wore the same clothes on Monday and Tuesdays?"
"No I haven't."
"I thought you would since everyone comments on it" she scoffed.
"I don't listen to them. You can stay here tonight. You don't have to go to the park." Dean suggested.
"I don't want to impose."
"You won't. It's fine. You can sleep on the bed."
"I'm not taking your bed from you."
"We can share it you know? It's not a big deal." Veronica nodded and Dean walked over to his dresser. "Do you want something to sleep in?"
"You don't have to." Dean ignored her and pulled out a big t shirt and the smallest shorts he had and handed them to her while pulling out clothes for himself "Go ahead and change. I won't look." Veronica changed with her back facing Dean as Dean changed with his back facing her. When they finished Dean turned off the light and climbed into the bed, the side closer to the door while Veronica climbed in the other side her back to Dean, facing the window.
"This is new.." Veronica said in a whisper.
"Sharing a bed with a guy?" Dean joked.
"Sleeping in a bed." Veronica said.
Dean stared at the back of her head as she slowly drifted off to sleep. There's so much more to this girl than meets the eye and he got more intrigued by her. The more intrigued he got the more his protective side started to show.
