(Sorry I haven't updated in a really long time, but yay I added another chapter. I love reading all of your reviews! Please feel free to leave any helpful reviews as well, I am always looking for ways that I can improve my writing!)
Kitty woke up tired the next day, her face still throbbing from the night before. She got up and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her bruise was still noticeable, but nothing some more concealer couldn't cover up. She had never told anyone about her dad abusing her but even though she wanted to, she was too scared at what the result might be. Kitty didn't want any special treatment. She didn't want to be pitied by her friends. She did not want to be asked if she was okay when everyone already knew the answer. Pushing aside the useless thoughts, Kitty threw on her cheerios uniform and pushed her hair into a high ponytail. As she was leaving the house, Kitty remembered what had happened the day before. She felt awful about it and she had no reason to take out her feelings on Ryder. Kitty didn't mean to punch him but it was too late after she realized what she had just done.
Walking into school was like walking into a loud press conference. Practically the whole student body was asking Kitty a much too large amount of questions that she hadn't been prepared to answer. She rushed down the crowded hallway, avoiding eye contact with Ryder, who was standing at the water fountain. Kitty tried her best to ignore all of the questions coming her way, also trying to ignore the look of disgust on Ryder's face.
"Why did you punch Ryder in the nose?" She flinched at the question.
"Kitty! What happened?" Kitty started walking faster.
"You know you broke his nose, right?" She could feel tears welling up in her weary eyes.
"What did Ryder ever do to you?" The question pushed her over the edge. She had finally given in and reached her breaking point. Kitty put her hands over her eyes, trying to hide her tears as she escaped the large crowd of interrogators.
Kitty was now curled up in the corner of an empty classroom. Thankfully, the door was shut, muffling the sounds of her quiet sobs. She rested her head on the cold wall and roughly wiped at her wet, red cheeks. Kitty most definitely did not feel pretty right now. She hid away from everyone, preventing them from seeing this ugly side of her. She wanted to be alone, yet she wanted to be loved. In that moment, Kitty realized that there was no in between. Right now, she was completely and utterly alone. What was the point of crying when there was no one there to comfort her, or worse, she was unable to even comfort herself? The door burst open, and Kitty could hear a loud voice calling her name. The voice belonged to none other than Ryder Lynn. He was the last person she wanted to see at a time like this. "Kitty?" Ryder looked around the room. He spotted Kitty and looked shocked, somewhat guilty. She let out a choked sob and covered her eyes with her rough, dry hands. "Kitty. I-" Ryder hesitated, walking closer to her. He gently took her hands into his own, lifting her up to her feet. They just stood there and stared at each other. Kitty broke out into a loud sob, her words inaudible. Ryder quieted her, taking Kitty into his arms. They hugged each other in a tight embrace. She let out a whimper, and rested her cheek on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." Kitty quietly muttered. She started crying even harder, leaving a wet spot on Ryder's shirt.
"It's okay, Kitty, it's gonna be okay." He gently rubbed circles into her back. Ryder broke the hug and took a step back, keeping a soft grip on Kitty. His eyes were swollen and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. Ryder held back the tears and pulled Kitty in for another hug. He looked at her with sorrowful eyes and gently wiped away a tear from her cheek. Ryder stepped away, walking towards the door. He opened the door and glanced back at Kitty as he gripped the door handle. "The funny thing is… I was never even mad at you," Ryder spoke with a hoarse voice, "And I honestly have no clue as to why that is." Ryder furrowed his eyebrows, looking off to the other side of the room with a confused look on his face. Kitty let out a small breath and wiped away the leftover tears on her face. He gave her a slight frown and left the classroom, this time not looking back.