Bit more Sav toward the end; and some Darcy. Trying to establish two future plots that will play out in this story. Sorry this update took a while.

"I think it's important to talk about how you're feeling, even if it's in the past." Mrs. Suavé pushed. Coen had been adamant that she didn't want to be wasting her free period talking to the guidance counselor, but once she had agreed to do it Mr. Simpson wasn't going to let her back out.

Coen's body was still healing. There was a cut above her eye that still had stitching and were her eye socket had swollen was still bruised. She had come back to school this time and Mrs. Suavé understood what that meant.

"My dad died, but he wasn't much of a dad anyway. He worked a lot and when he wasn't working he drove around on his Harley. I have no feeling about it." Coen shrugged.

There was bad bruising and a few broken ribs but Coen had protected herself well enough that nothing had been severely damaged. All her limbs were still intact. And the shaved side of her head was sprouting some growth.

"How did you feel when he died?"

Coen shrugged, "sad I guess cause he was my dad."

"There is no wrong answer here Coen, this is a safe place and I want you to know that you can be honest with me about anything you feel."

"Okay I was happy. I feel like a shit person cause I was happy that he died." Coen answered.

"What about it made you happy?" Mrs. Suavé asked. She'd been working in the public school system for years but no one had ever expressed happiness over someone else's death. Even when Rick died, people weren't happy.

"He was a bully. You pay attention to all of us right? Keep tabs on what we do?" Coen asked.

"Yes."

"Good, so my dad was what I am. Does that make sense?"

"You don't sound happy Coen, you sound angry." Mrs. Suavé observed.

"I am angry. But not at him," Coen leaned back against her chair, "my dad liked to pick on me. It was like this challenge. See how angry I can make Coen before she finally snaps and does something I can punish her for. And it always worked. He just picked and picked until I couldn't stand it anymore and then it was my fault. My fault that I got angry. My fault if he hit me because I made him lose his temper! It must've been so fucking entertaining because my mom would just watch. And then he died, and you know what he deserved to skid off the road and get left there. I'm not sad that it happened, but I'm fucking angry because it's like he won't get off my back now. I tried so hard to just pretend like nothing happened. Like it didn't matter because I didn't want it to. But the more I push him away the angrier I get."

"It sounds to me like you miss your dad." Mrs. Suavé replied, "that's okay Coen, he was your father. You're allowed to miss him."

"He was so mean all the time. When we found out that he died it was like this massive weight was lifted off our shoulders...but this guilt that comes with it, the guilt of knowing that we aren't grieving the way we're supposed to...can we be done?" Coen asked, already standing up. She didn't want to talk about this.

The door to the guidance office opened just as Bruce and Johnny took a seat outside Principal Hatzilakos'. Spinner was sitting two chairs down from them; trying not to acknowledge their presence beside him. In his opinion those two were like a disease, infecting everyone they came in contact with. It was no surprise Johnny was friends with that kid who stabbed JT or the kid who beat up a sophomore girl.

Toby and Liberty hadn't felt a shred of sympathy. Not when they heard what had happened from Spinner or when they had seen Coen in the hallway. Toby's exact words were "kids like that deserve what they get" as if he knew some personal history on the 15 year old girl that made it okay for someone to beat her up in an alley. Even Jane hadn't been too understanding.

Spinner wasn't letting his friends dictate his decisions; at least not when it came to talking to Coen. She had started back school two days ago and every time Spinner saw her he stopped to ask how she was.

"Coen," Spinner stood up when she exited the guidance office.

"Oh, hey Spinner." Coen did her best impression of a smile. Her eyes wandered from Spinner to Johnny who was watching her.

He raised an eyebrow at her and she considered how much he looked like a asshole right now. He slumped back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest, smirking at her with one eyebrow raised.

"How're you feeling?" Spinner asked, examining her face.

"Getting better everyday." Coen met his eyes again.

Mrs. Hatzilakos came out of her office and ushered Spinner inside. She wanted to get the details on the fight that she had heard broke out in the parking lot before school today. She had assumed they had put this to bed; Johnny and Spinner seemed to be staying away from each other. All the sudden they were back at it though, as if no time had ever passed.

With Spinner gone into the office Coen walked over to the row of seats. She was missing a class right now and Holly J would chew her out for it later but she didn't care. She hadn't really talked to Johnny since the hospital. Subtle smiles in the hallway or passing each other in class were all they managed.

"Don't you have to pee or something?" Johnny asked Bruce, glancing from him to Coen and then back again.

"Huh?" Bruce looked at Johnny for a moment, processing the words, "oh right, yeah." He got up, leaving his bag, and stalked off towards the boys bathroom.

Once he was sure no one was around Johnny reached out and ghosted his hand over her cheek. His thumb ran under her black eye, examining the bruise that existed. "How're you doing?"

"I'm fine." Coen shrugged.

Johnny snorted, as if to tell her without words that he thought she was bullshitting him. Which was true, Coen wasn't fine at all.

"I don't want to talk about it." Coen answered. The bell rang and she took that as an opportunity to stand up.

Bruce came back at the same moment, sliding into the seat as she vacated it. Johnny didn't pay attention to his friend, keeping his eyes locked on Coen as she scanned the hallway for Anya and Holly J. Spinner came out of Principal Hatzilakos' office, trading places with Johnny wordlessly.

"Let's go Mr. Dimarco," Principal Hatzilakos called, aware that the junior was paying her no mind. He had stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder but he stayed in the same spot.

"We'll talk later." Johnny finally stated as the second bell, the warning bell, rung.

He caught the small party by surprise when he stepped forward and kissed Coen. Principal Hatzilakos stomped her foot on the floor, Bruce wolf-whistled, and Spinner looked pissed. Coen herself was caught off guard. Johnny just turned and walked into the office, the smug look on his face irreplaceable.

Down the hall from them Darcy saw the whole thing. She was standing by the locker she shared with Coen and had watched the entire scene play out. A bruised up Coen turned her way and headed for the locker, looking fairly happy with herself. Darcy rolled her eyes.

Peter had been getting under her skin lately. She just wanted a moment to herself to breathe and instead she was stuck with Peter stalking her around the school and calling her every second she was home. Manny had told her that Peter was just being a good boyfriend and she should be appreciative. Darcy didn't feel appreciative though, she felt pissed off.

"Could you move Jesus-freak?" Coen commented, bumping Darcy with her elbow.

"You know, maybe you getting the shit beat out of you was a sign that you should quit being a bitch." Darcy snapped. She was on a short fuse.

"Does your mommy know you curse?" Coen pouted.

"You're such a bitch-"

"You said that."

"You're not the center of the universe Taylor. Maybe everyone else feels sorry for you but not me. Whatever that kid did to you, he should've done worse. You're not even a person, you're just a parasite. You're horrible and I hope to god that someday someone hits you and you don't wake up from it. You think you're so cool hanging out with guys like Johnny Dimarco? He doesn't care about you. He'll fuck you and leave and you'll still be that worthless nothing that you are now."

"Are you sure I'm the horrible one Darcy?" Coen asked, slamming the locker closed and storming passed.

Darcy headed straight for math, falling into a seat beside Mia. She didn't know why she had said those things to Coen. She was just angry. Why did Coen, some tenth grade pain-in-the-ass, get to be happy? Why did she get to have some guy wrapped around her finger?

Sure, Darcy had Peter. And he was great. But she was annoyed with him and with Manny and all her friends that kept trying to edge into her life. They wouldn't let her breath or be alone for a second. She just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't she have that?

Why did people have to be so nosy all the time? Why did they have to call her and instant message her and drop by to surprise her? She was fine. She didn't need these people. She was perfectly okay all by herself.

Nobody bothered Coen. She floated through school without anyone trying to interfere with her life. Even when she returned to school, bruised up and vulnerable, people stayed away. They didn't talk about it in front of her or stare at her in the hallways. They just left her alone.

Holly J and Anya hadn't even mentioned it. Except once when Holly J told her she looked like shit. Otherwise everyone looked away uncomfortably.

"Hey Coen," except Sav Bhandari.

"Hi." Coen sat down beside Sav in science. He's said hello everyday since she got back. He never asks how she is, he just says hello. And maybe talks about science homework.

"Are you excited about the dance?" Sav asked. He had an easy smile on, like her bruised face wasn't uncomfortable to look at.

"I'm not so sure this is the face someone wants accompanying them to a dance." Coen joked.

Sav laughed, "it's not for a couple more weeks. If no one else asks you, we could go as friends?"

Coen glances up from taking notes to fix Sav with a look. Friends was a bit of a stretch if she was being honest. They talked during science and occasionally Sav said hello to her in the hallways, but she didn't think of him as a friend. An acquaintance if anything.

"What about Mia?" Coen asked. As far as she knew Sav had a major crush on Mamma Mia. According to Holly J.

"I'm not sure she's interested." Sav shrugged.

"Don't sell yourself short Bhandari, she'd be lucky to have you." Coen offered. She wasn't lying about trying to be nicer to people.

Sav blushed but didn't say anything else about it to Coen. She figured this was the longest the two of them had held a conversation anyway.

It wasn't just that Mia wouldn't be interested in going to the dance that had Sav nervous to ask her. It was his father more than anything. His father would be disappointed if Sav took a non-Muslim on anything that even resembled a date.

Disappointment was a common theme in Sav's household. If he was doing one thing right there was another thing he was doing wrong. Nothing ever lived up to his father's expectations. His sister was smarter than he could dream of being. He could spend hours studying and he'd still be a step behind his little sister. Though she may not have seen it; Sav felt like his life was a constant competition. He needed to be the smartest, the most respectable, the most religious, he needed to be a man. Not some kid who didn't have his life figured out.

"You're thinking really hard there Bhandari." Coen teased, nudging him.

"Sorry." Sav smiled, she had caught him daydreaming.

"It's okay."

Sav realized that class had ended and Coen was packing up her belongings. He'd been so lost in thought he must've missed the bell.

"If my face goes back to normal before that dance I'll maybe go with you...since we're friends and all." Coen said, making light of her current predicament.

"When was your face ever normal?" Sav joked.

For a minute Coen just stared at him. The same sort of look she gave Toby Isaacs or Liberty Van Zandt if she was unfortunate enough to cross their path. Sav thought he'd said the wrong thing. She had been joking but maybe he shouldn't have, maybe he wasn't funny. But just as he opened his mouth to apologize Coen cracked a smile and started laughing.

"I'll see you." And she was gone, walking out the door and into a mass of students.