Chapter Two - NOT LIKE THE REST
Night faded very quickly into day, and at promptly six o'clock, Chloe crawled from the bed to take her morning shower. Nancy and Craig could never see how she did it, but they also never knew what happened during the nights.
Going to school that morning was not something that she was looking forward to. The fresh cuts had her limping, and no doubt Philip will come looking for her, ready to hold her hand, grope at her in the hallways, and treat her like some kind of trophy.
Then there would be the matter of the perpetually overdramatic Belle, who would undoubtedly start her ranting and raving about her insignificant problems that generally were derived from her anger in not finding the perfect shade of lipstick to match her pretty, blonde existence.
All the others were essentially unbearable: Jan, Mimi, Jason… they all seemed to contribute to her daily headache. The only person she could find any succor in was Shawn, and usually he was being chased around by Belle and the rest of the idiots of Salem High. His ability to pacify her horrible moods seemed unreal bearing in mind how many people spent most of their time trying to do just that. Perhaps it was just pheromones, but whenever Shawn Brady was around, her malevolent attitude and continuous, negative critical remarks toward herself seemed to just dissipate.
It was too bad he couldn't be around her all the time, then she wouldn't be in so much pain as she slipped into a pair of jeans. The denim was tight around her thighs, and that did little to facilitate her wounds. At the very least, it would keep the cuts from opening, and the wound wouldn't produce any blood. It would be hideously embarrassing if she was found out because of foolish carelessness.
Then Nancy and Craig would send her off to some behavioral hospital, all the while, selfishly asking themselves what they had done to deserve such an unstable daughter. They were good parents. It couldn't have been THEIR fault.
Chloe snorted. That would probably be their exact reaction.
Looking back, Chloe decided it wasn't reasonable to place all the blame on them. They really did try to be good parents, even if it wasn't their cup of tea. No, most of it had to do with all the harassment from her peers, and conceivably, it may have to do with something chemical.
But Chloe really didn't think so.
She thought she detected a car pull up in the driveway, and the beeping horn confirmed it. Philip had come to pick her up in his ridiculously expensive sport's car, ready to cart her off to the asylum that Salem called a school. Only in this asylum, the inmates all Gap clothing and too much make-up.
Chloe hurried down the stairs and out to his car, where she forced herself
to kiss his revolting lips and prayed that she didn't gag as he gripped the back her neck to pull her closer.
Philip pulled away from her bearing his unusually repulsive smile, then put the car in gear. She sure hoped that he was satisfied. Chloe wasn't looking forward to kissing him again anytime soon. It wasn't that he was a bad kisser, it was just that kissing HIM made her nauseated. It'd be different if it was with someone she actually liked.
Before she could restrain herself, her mind wandered off to the day when she and Shawn had shared a kiss. It had been soft and friendly, but she still recollected the kiss as being the best of her life. But then, that wasn't much when she remembered the only other person she HAD kissed was Philip. Ugh.
Philip's entire presence sickened her; from the way he drove to get people to notice him, to how he always felt it necessary to keep his hands on her at all times. At that current moment, he had one hand sliding up and down her inner thigh, perilously close to her crotch. He must have thought that the entire action aroused her, as his new mission was to find out how fast he could get into her pants. His movements were doing nothing to turn her on. In fact, she was in a great deal of pain as his fingers moved heavily over her cuts.
She decided to keep her mouth shut. The school was less that a minute away and she wasn't in the mood to argue with him. He was ruthless in an argument. He always had to have the last word and he ALWAYS had to win.
He pulled into the parking lot still going the speed he had been on the road. She'd NEVER get used to his driving. He was a maniac. She winced as he narrowly avoided running straight into someone. Finally and thankfully, he pulled into a space. Chloe retrieved her bag from the back seat, and climbed out of the car. Now that he wasn't driving, this would mean more kissing and groping, but she was just thankful that her feet were on solid ground. He grabbed her hand the moment she walked around the car to fall in step with him. She could see the crowd hanging out for the first bell to ring, and almost smiled when Jason caught sight of her, murmured something to Mimi and Jan, then walked off together.
Chloe and Philip approached Belle and Shawn, much to her misery. Belle seemed as if she was going off on one of her tiffs, and sure enough, when she was in hearing range, Chloe could distinctly discern her soliloquy about her latest shopping extravaganza.
When the finally reached the pair, Belle waved before going back to her story.
"So I went into Wet Seal and they had the dress that I wanted, but it was in this horrible shade of yellow. So I got the other two instead. Blues and pinks look so much better on me."
Philip was embracing Chloe from behind, his hands hooked casually over her waist, his fingertips running along the hem of her top. She could feel his breath on her neck, trying not to cringe at the little kisses he was pressing there. She looked at Shawn who rolled his eyes at her, obviously pained that Belle was still on her shopping tangent.
"So anyway," Belle went on. "I went shopping for a new bathing suit, and I thought, whoa… pool party. I asked my dad about it when I came home and he said it was a great idea. I'm planning it for Saturday, five PM until dawn. And Chloe, I picked out the most amazing suit for you. It's at my house and you can try it on when you come over tonight. It's really cute. It's a bikini with the ties and all. I got red because I know that Philip really likes you in that color and…" Suddenly, in the middle of speaking, she checked her watch. "Oh, God. I promised Ms. Parker I'd be in early to retake the test from Monday." She busied herself, gathering up her book bag and purse.
"I'll go with you, Belle. I need to talk to her about the notes from yesterday," Philip told her. He spun Chloe around, held her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.
Chloe didn't return the kiss because she was trying to contemplate the best way to keep Philip's lips off of her.
When she and Shawn were alone, she allowed her disgust to show. "Ugh. I hate it when he does that."
"Does what?" Shawn prompted.
"Kisses me. He's repulsive."
Shawn had heard this story many times before. "Chloe, why don't you break it off? If it made me sick to kiss someone, I don't think I'd do it again."
"Why don't you break it off with Motormouth?" She countered. "I don't see her crying.
Shawn grimaced. "Belle is a very sensitive person, Chloe. I can't just break up with her. I can't get a word in edgewise."
Chloe laughed, appreciating the joke. "Are you planning to go to this party of hers?"
"It seems like I'll have to. She'd kill me if I didn't. You?"
"Well, I suppose I must. After all, she didn't buy me a suit in Philip's favorite color for no reason."
Shawn rolled his eyes. "She always does that. Not just to you, to everyone. The other day she bought me this hideous shirt - something that I would NEVER wear - and made me wear it out to dinner with her. Honest to God, she goes into relationships trying to change people into what she wants them to be. That's not what relationships are about. You're supposed to love the person the way they are from the very start, not after you've altered them to you're liking."
Chloe frowned, realizing how true his words were. "Philip tries to change me. He says that we're going to get married, live in a big house, have four children, and that he'd give me whatever I wanted. If he really loved me for who I was, he'd know that ISN'T what I want."
Shawn stared into her eyes, making her shift uncomfortably. "What is it that you want, Chloe?"
She swallowed and returned his stare. "I want to be free."
As if on cue, the first bell began to ring and students all over started to work their way into the building. Shawn broke the connection between their eyes. No, their very souls.
He made a soft sound in the back of his throat and touched her bare shoulder before making his way to class. "I'll see you later, Chloe."
Then he disappeared into the throes of bodies, and left her standing alone, trying frantically to understand why her skin heated with his touch.
Night faded very quickly into day, and at promptly six o'clock, Chloe crawled from the bed to take her morning shower. Nancy and Craig could never see how she did it, but they also never knew what happened during the nights.
Going to school that morning was not something that she was looking forward to. The fresh cuts had her limping, and no doubt Philip will come looking for her, ready to hold her hand, grope at her in the hallways, and treat her like some kind of trophy.
Then there would be the matter of the perpetually overdramatic Belle, who would undoubtedly start her ranting and raving about her insignificant problems that generally were derived from her anger in not finding the perfect shade of lipstick to match her pretty, blonde existence.
All the others were essentially unbearable: Jan, Mimi, Jason… they all seemed to contribute to her daily headache. The only person she could find any succor in was Shawn, and usually he was being chased around by Belle and the rest of the idiots of Salem High. His ability to pacify her horrible moods seemed unreal bearing in mind how many people spent most of their time trying to do just that. Perhaps it was just pheromones, but whenever Shawn Brady was around, her malevolent attitude and continuous, negative critical remarks toward herself seemed to just dissipate.
It was too bad he couldn't be around her all the time, then she wouldn't be in so much pain as she slipped into a pair of jeans. The denim was tight around her thighs, and that did little to facilitate her wounds. At the very least, it would keep the cuts from opening, and the wound wouldn't produce any blood. It would be hideously embarrassing if she was found out because of foolish carelessness.
Then Nancy and Craig would send her off to some behavioral hospital, all the while, selfishly asking themselves what they had done to deserve such an unstable daughter. They were good parents. It couldn't have been THEIR fault.
Chloe snorted. That would probably be their exact reaction.
Looking back, Chloe decided it wasn't reasonable to place all the blame on them. They really did try to be good parents, even if it wasn't their cup of tea. No, most of it had to do with all the harassment from her peers, and conceivably, it may have to do with something chemical.
But Chloe really didn't think so.
She thought she detected a car pull up in the driveway, and the beeping horn confirmed it. Philip had come to pick her up in his ridiculously expensive sport's car, ready to cart her off to the asylum that Salem called a school. Only in this asylum, the inmates all Gap clothing and too much make-up.
Chloe hurried down the stairs and out to his car, where she forced herself
to kiss his revolting lips and prayed that she didn't gag as he gripped the back her neck to pull her closer.
Philip pulled away from her bearing his unusually repulsive smile, then put the car in gear. She sure hoped that he was satisfied. Chloe wasn't looking forward to kissing him again anytime soon. It wasn't that he was a bad kisser, it was just that kissing HIM made her nauseated. It'd be different if it was with someone she actually liked.
Before she could restrain herself, her mind wandered off to the day when she and Shawn had shared a kiss. It had been soft and friendly, but she still recollected the kiss as being the best of her life. But then, that wasn't much when she remembered the only other person she HAD kissed was Philip. Ugh.
Philip's entire presence sickened her; from the way he drove to get people to notice him, to how he always felt it necessary to keep his hands on her at all times. At that current moment, he had one hand sliding up and down her inner thigh, perilously close to her crotch. He must have thought that the entire action aroused her, as his new mission was to find out how fast he could get into her pants. His movements were doing nothing to turn her on. In fact, she was in a great deal of pain as his fingers moved heavily over her cuts.
She decided to keep her mouth shut. The school was less that a minute away and she wasn't in the mood to argue with him. He was ruthless in an argument. He always had to have the last word and he ALWAYS had to win.
He pulled into the parking lot still going the speed he had been on the road. She'd NEVER get used to his driving. He was a maniac. She winced as he narrowly avoided running straight into someone. Finally and thankfully, he pulled into a space. Chloe retrieved her bag from the back seat, and climbed out of the car. Now that he wasn't driving, this would mean more kissing and groping, but she was just thankful that her feet were on solid ground. He grabbed her hand the moment she walked around the car to fall in step with him. She could see the crowd hanging out for the first bell to ring, and almost smiled when Jason caught sight of her, murmured something to Mimi and Jan, then walked off together.
Chloe and Philip approached Belle and Shawn, much to her misery. Belle seemed as if she was going off on one of her tiffs, and sure enough, when she was in hearing range, Chloe could distinctly discern her soliloquy about her latest shopping extravaganza.
When the finally reached the pair, Belle waved before going back to her story.
"So I went into Wet Seal and they had the dress that I wanted, but it was in this horrible shade of yellow. So I got the other two instead. Blues and pinks look so much better on me."
Philip was embracing Chloe from behind, his hands hooked casually over her waist, his fingertips running along the hem of her top. She could feel his breath on her neck, trying not to cringe at the little kisses he was pressing there. She looked at Shawn who rolled his eyes at her, obviously pained that Belle was still on her shopping tangent.
"So anyway," Belle went on. "I went shopping for a new bathing suit, and I thought, whoa… pool party. I asked my dad about it when I came home and he said it was a great idea. I'm planning it for Saturday, five PM until dawn. And Chloe, I picked out the most amazing suit for you. It's at my house and you can try it on when you come over tonight. It's really cute. It's a bikini with the ties and all. I got red because I know that Philip really likes you in that color and…" Suddenly, in the middle of speaking, she checked her watch. "Oh, God. I promised Ms. Parker I'd be in early to retake the test from Monday." She busied herself, gathering up her book bag and purse.
"I'll go with you, Belle. I need to talk to her about the notes from yesterday," Philip told her. He spun Chloe around, held her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.
Chloe didn't return the kiss because she was trying to contemplate the best way to keep Philip's lips off of her.
When she and Shawn were alone, she allowed her disgust to show. "Ugh. I hate it when he does that."
"Does what?" Shawn prompted.
"Kisses me. He's repulsive."
Shawn had heard this story many times before. "Chloe, why don't you break it off? If it made me sick to kiss someone, I don't think I'd do it again."
"Why don't you break it off with Motormouth?" She countered. "I don't see her crying.
Shawn grimaced. "Belle is a very sensitive person, Chloe. I can't just break up with her. I can't get a word in edgewise."
Chloe laughed, appreciating the joke. "Are you planning to go to this party of hers?"
"It seems like I'll have to. She'd kill me if I didn't. You?"
"Well, I suppose I must. After all, she didn't buy me a suit in Philip's favorite color for no reason."
Shawn rolled his eyes. "She always does that. Not just to you, to everyone. The other day she bought me this hideous shirt - something that I would NEVER wear - and made me wear it out to dinner with her. Honest to God, she goes into relationships trying to change people into what she wants them to be. That's not what relationships are about. You're supposed to love the person the way they are from the very start, not after you've altered them to you're liking."
Chloe frowned, realizing how true his words were. "Philip tries to change me. He says that we're going to get married, live in a big house, have four children, and that he'd give me whatever I wanted. If he really loved me for who I was, he'd know that ISN'T what I want."
Shawn stared into her eyes, making her shift uncomfortably. "What is it that you want, Chloe?"
She swallowed and returned his stare. "I want to be free."
As if on cue, the first bell began to ring and students all over started to work their way into the building. Shawn broke the connection between their eyes. No, their very souls.
He made a soft sound in the back of his throat and touched her bare shoulder before making his way to class. "I'll see you later, Chloe."
Then he disappeared into the throes of bodies, and left her standing alone, trying frantically to understand why her skin heated with his touch.