Chapter 13

I sat at the office and waited for Fabian to come back with the nurse. She had taken him away to ask him questions about the incident. I just hope he doesn't tell her the truth. The last thing I need is another good cop/ bad cop interview. He walked back in and stood in from of me, a frown visible on his face.

Nina: What's wrong?

Fabian: I just… can I see the arm?

Nina: Sure, just be gentle.

He nodded and I showed him my left arm. His eyes traced the cuts and the nurse came in with a bandage roll. She gave it to him as she got to work wiping away the blood and disinfecting the cuts. My arm stung so much that I had to muffle my yelps by lightly biting my other fist. Fabian saw this and started rubbing my right shoulder, trying to ease the pain. When the nurse was done, she left Fabian and I alone to attend to another kid who got gum stuck up their nose. Fabian carefully wrapped my arm in the white bandage and played with the edge of my left sleeve. He looked at me with a sorry look, but quickly turned away.

Nina: Hey, what's the matter?

Fabian: I… I'm sorry your dress got ruined.

I looked more carefully at the left sleeve to see that red blood had seeped through the light blue fabric. I tried to talk, to tell him that it was ok, but it wasn't. This used to be my mother's dress.

Fabian: Hey, are you alright?

I bite my lip and nodded as tears burned in my eyes.

Fabian: You're not ok. What's wrong? Is the bandage too tight?

I shook my head and felt the tears roll down my cheeks.

Nina: I- I'm just upset. It's ruined.

Fabian: You're upset because your dress is ruined? Nina, what's so amazing about this dress, besides how you look in it? What is there that makes it special?

Nina: It- it belonged to my mother.

He opened his mouth in the form of an o and studied the sleeve more carefully.

Fabian: I'm so sorry. I really am. Maybe we can find one of those coin laundries that can clean it-

I didn't let him continue because I tackled him in a tight hug. He seemed very surprised but I felt his arms slowly round my waist. I buried my head in his chest and nuzzled in to his shoulder while I could feel him rocking me side to side.

Fabian: Are you going to be ok?

I nodded and tightened my grip.

Nina: With you around, I have no doubt about it.

I could feel him smiling in to my hair and I couldn't help but smile back. We slowly released one another while our faces faced each other. We were about three inches away so I crept forward and gently kissed his cheek. I barely lifted away from his cheek.

Nina: Thank you.

He tilted his face so that he was facing me, the three inches deteriorating to two and a half, two, one and three fourths, one and a half, one and one fourth, one, four fifths, three fourths, two thirds, one half, two fifths, one third, one fourth…

Nurse: What the hell were you thinking when you shoved the damn gum up your honker?!

Kid: It was a dare, alright!

Nurse: Well, you better remember that when I'm pulling your brain out.

I started to giggle while Fabian's lips hover right over mine. His lips brushed against mine as he spoke.

Fabian: I'm not sure he had a brain to start with.

Kid: AHHHHHHH! SWEET MOTHER HAVE MERCY!

Nurse: I warned you! Now, stand still, you.

Kid: HELP!

I shook my head and backed away, laughter rocking my body. Fabian joined me and together, we left the clinic and went to class. When we entered Ms. Andrew's room, an awkward silence settled in. Everyone stared at us, different emotions burning. Mara and Mick stared at us with pride, Amber looked at us confused, Joy glared at us with hate, and Ms. Andrew glanced at us with disapproval.

Ms. Andrew: Why are you two so late? Class started twenty minutes ago.

Mara: Mr. Winkler asked them to stay late. He wanted to talk to them.

Joy: He wanted to talk to Nina. Fabes doesn't have an excuse to be late. I caught him nearly kissing that bitch when they were sprawled out on the floor.

Nina: That's not true. Mr. Winkler asked Fabian to stay after everyone had left. Besides, that was a total accident. He tripped and fell on me.

Joy: You tried to kiss him! Don't even try to lie about it!

Nina: It was all an accident! Nothing happened!

Joy: Oh really? Kissing Fabian means nothing to you?

Nina: What? I never said that! All I'm saying is-

Ms. Andrew: Girls! Enough! Fabian, since you're the only one that hasn't interjected, why don't you tell us what happened?

He looked at me and I knew what he was about to do. He was going to tell the truth. Then, she'll tell the office and after that… well, I'm screwed.

Fabian: Mr. Winkler asked us to stay a bit afterwards and we took turns talking to him. Like any good friend, Nina stayed behind and waited up for me outside the door. When I exited, I accidentally tripped and fell on Nina. Joy must have seen us from afar and… assumed.

Joy: Oh, really? Then how did Nina get that bandage on her arm? Your saying that I didn't get to see everything from a distance, so what really happened?

I knew she had us there. Fabian just said she was watching from a distance, so how could she have clawed me. I started to brain storm and quickly had an answer while Fabian glared at her.

Nina: We're not sure how I got these scratches on my arm, but we think that I scraped my arm against the door frame when we fell. I mean, the texture on the frame could have scratched me. So, Fabian took me to the clinic and that where we're returning from. Anymore questions?

Joy looked furious, with her face turning red and her eyes glaring daggers at me. Ms. Andrew looked pleased with our explanation and asked us to take our seats. We sat down and shared knowing looks. All throughout class, I felt Joy staring holes in my head and daggers in my back. I knew that after what had just happened, I would be punished, but did it feel so wrong that I felt like it would be totally worth it?