Pain
Chapter 16
I was still a tormented woman. Someone who wasn't going to let this go easily. I was someone who wanted revenge.
"What's up, Cindy?" asked Sheen, "You seem... Messed."
Messed? Nice choice of words.. I shook my head and laid my head back down on the pillow, staring into Sheen's eyes. He was too nice to me, and in a part of myself, I kept thinking that he would hurt me. Maybe it was because of Jimmy, the one boy I had given my undying trust to, and who broke it. Maybe it was simply because I just didn't trust anyone anymore, but I knew there was no point in living if I was living it alone. Maybe there was a need for a guy in my life... Maybe I need anyone in my life. Or maybe I just need another handhold so I wouldn't fall.
"Nothing's wrong... And messed? Nice choice of words, UltraGeek."
He scowled at my old insult for him, but I knew that he loved it inside. Smiling, he sat up and picked up his shirt off the floor, hastily putting it on.
"We're lucky yesterday was a weekend... But today's Monday, so we might need to get dressed for school."
I pouted playfully at this, but I picked up my clothes, standing up and putting them on slowly.
"You know... We can just call in sick and ditch."
He smiled back at me and I placed a slow and warm kiss on his lips. His oh-so-full-and-pouty-Mexican-moustached-lips. I had never known he was going to grow any facial hair, but on him... It seemed perfect. He screwed up his face in mock thought, but a moment later, he laughed, throwing my sock at me. It bounced off my head and I picked it up slowly, pulling it on.
"Okay," he exclaimed on the way to his car, "We'll ditch. Good?"
I smiled at him and pulled open the door, settling into his car. I inhaled his scent that plagued every space of the car, and I noticed that there was a visible amount of junk in the backseat.
"Do you ever clean your car?" I asked in mock disgust, picking up a sticky soda can and handing it to him. "It's gross."
Sheen stuck out his tongue and threw the soda can away behind him, the can landing with a clank on his neighbor's driveway. Quickly he got into the driver's seat, inserting the key into the ignition and turning the engine over. As we rode out of his neighborhood, I glanced at the kids playing tag across the street, noticing they looked oddly like the "gang" had when we were in fifth grade.
"Where are your parents?" I asked, curious at the fact that no one had come home last night.
After a moment of silence, he replied, a solemn expression taking over his face.
"Mom died when I was five. Dad's an alcoholic. He only comes here to yell at me and beg me for money."
"Oh."
Sheen shrugged and drove silently to the Candy Bar, still the hottest hangout in the town. We got out silently when we reached our destination, we got in the shop silently when we reached the door, and we sat down silently when we reached an open booth.
"Listen," I muttered, "I'm sorry for mentioning your parents..."
"It's all right," he said, interrupting quickly. "Just drop it."
I nodded slowly, confused. He didn't want to talk about it? Well... Of course. We had only just begun our relationship, yet I felt closer to him than I had ever before.
"You know," I mumbled, "You're not the only one with a messed up dad."
Sheen nodded grimly, since he probably knew that Jimmy's dad was quite abusive also.
"My dad," I said, pausing for a moment. "Abused me."
He looked up and raised a curious eyebrow, beckoning for more. Apparently he wasn't going to talk unless I talked.
"He molested me when I was 11 to when I was 12. Then he starting raping me until I was 14."
Shocked with this information, Sheen grabbed my hand, a sad expression plaguing his otherwise handsome features. Kissing my hand slowly, he cried, silent tears sliding down his cheeks. I reached up and wiped them away, sadness replacing any shred of happiness of excitement in my heart from being with him last night.
"I'm sorry for... For telling you to drop it," he managed to choke out. "I didn't know."
"No one did."
Sheen closed his eyes and smiled slowly, and I smiled back, even if he couldn't see me. A jingle rung in the air, the sign of another person entering the shop. I turned around, for some odd reason, and saw someone I hadn't seen for a while.
Nick.
He was scanning the shop, looking for someone, and I had a pretty good idea who. His eyes finally settled on me and Sheen and he scowled, heading our way.
"Hello, Cindy," he hissed, "And who do we have here? Sheen Estevez. Interesting."
I managed to keep on a straight face, trying hard not to show him how scared I was. But he seemed to sense it all, making me shiver.
"Well, Cindy, I think it's time for us to go home... I haven't seen you for a month and it's making me all sad inside," he said mockingly, clutching his hands to his chest. I frowned and looked away, disgusted. But had I any say in this? Not likely, especially if Nick was still Nick.
I shook my head at Nick and pulled Sheen to his feet, his dark brown eyes trained on Nick's almost black ones.
"Cindy isn't yours anymore, Nick. She hasn't been for a long time."
Nick raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Oh ho! So she's yours then?"
Laughing, Nick stood up, his six feet of height overpowering Sheen's five and seven inches.
"You think you can just replace me with an idiot like him? Oh, and don't forget about Neutron! I heard he was fucking your best friend behind your back, right?"
I glared at Nick, astounded he had found out. He seemed to be giddy at the fact that I was devastated, but deep inside his eyes, I saw a hint of anger. Did he actually care about me? Even now?
"Shut up!" I yelled, squeezing my eyes closed, imagining Nick getting run over by a car. "You have no right to treat me this way! So just stop it! Shut up!"
With my eyes open slightly, I grabbed Sheen's hand and ran out, tears streaming down my cheeks. I didn't know why, but my heart was pounding, and it wasn't because Nick was re-telling the story of Jimmy and Cindy.
Maybe I still felt something for him.