Speak of the devil...and he shall appear.

I try to get the key into the hole as fast as I can, but with my luck, I bet I'll just drop them again.

Why is he pulling up on my driveway? How did he find my address? Come on, Ana. Opening a locked door isn't that hard.

I finally get the door to open only to be stopped when someone reached for my arm.

"Christian!" I gasp as I turn around to see him.

"Ana. We need to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about. Please let go of me." I wiggle out of his grasp and try to show him that he's hurting me.

"I'm sorry," he let's go, "but please, talk to me."

"Okay, talk." I snap at him as I rub my forearm.

"I'm sorry by the way I've been acting. I know it's confusing, but I'm trying. I've never felt this way before. I've never felt so much more vulnerable than I already am. And I really don't even know what I'm saying and why I'm here. I just wanted to make sure that you were safe and that bastard you are dating took you home." He looked so lost as he confessed his...feelings.

"I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything."

We look at each other for a moment before I broke the silence.

"You should go," I say, "My dad wouldn't be happy seeing me with a boy in his house without permission."

I watch him look defeated and lost by his own actions and I wanted to reach up to him and comfort him, but I knew it wouldn't be a good idea.

He turns around to leave without saying anything.

Two weeks and my relationship with Tanner has been nothing but amazing. He always teases me about how I was as a child, quiet and reserved but when I did talk, I usually had a smart comment. He made fun of my childhood fashion sense too, but with pig tails and overalls, who wouldn't be tempted to make fun of Little Ana? We eat lunch together, we hold hands as he walk me to my classes, he carries my books and I think it's safe to say he is everything I ever dreamed of having.

Christian has not been bothering me but whenever I see him in class or pass him walking down the halls, I worry about him. His face has bruises; some are purple to the point of being black, some are yellow, trying to heal. Is he that much of a brawler? Who is he fighting with? Why does he even have to fight?

I make a mental note to talk to him. A part of me believes that all this violence was caused by me.

"I have to go use the lady's room. I'll see you later, Tan." I kiss him softly but he has other plans. I feel him deepen the kiss and I let him but then I feel myself panic so I pull away. "I really have to go. I'll call you later. Okay?"

"Fine," he mutters and smirks at me.

I head for the restroom when I see Christian walking towards my direction. I know he's not walking towards me but I wished he did. "You have to talk to him," my subconscious tells me.

"Christian, can we talk?"

"Sure Ana."

I head for a bench outside and sit.

"Are you okay? Is Tanner treating you well? What's wrong? Did he hurt you?" He says right as he sat down next to me.

"I'm fine...I'm just worried about you. What's with the bruises?"

"It's nothing. I do kick-boxing. Don't worry about it." He looks down, looking shy.

"Oh. Well, I really hope you're doing fine. The last time I talked to you... You were so honest and I felt bad that I just let you go like that," I look up at him to see him looking pained. Damn it, why did I have to bring that up? "I have to go. I don't want to be late for class. I'll see you around. Call me if you need someone to talk to okay?" I rip a corner of my notebook and write my number down, "We can be friends." I assured him.

Without looking back, I leave him sitting on the bench.

I go through all of my classes, still feeling worried about Christian. What could possibly be so horrible that he lets himself be like that?

Everyday for the next four weeks after I talked to Christian, I still see bruises. I still see that he is going through something. He never contacted me. I guess he didn't want to be friends.

One morning, he came to class late because he is in crutches. He walked through our row, never taking a glance at me as I stared in disbelief.

After AP Comp, I decided to help him get to AP US History.

"Christian, do you need help?" I ask him as he stood up from his seat, holding on to his desk.

"No, thank you." He mutters through his teeth.

I let him go, then he trips on a chair and I run to him.

"Christian, let me help you." I reach for his bag that is now on the floor with books filing out of it. I put them back in and carry his bag. "It's the least I could do."

We walk together in silence although I am tempted to ask him what happened.

"You're not gonna ask me what happened?" He asks me. Can he read minds?

"I wasn't sure if you were talking me. You weren't even letting me help you." I pause for a moment and blurt it out, "So what happened?"

"Nothing." He says.

Oh my goodness. He is frustrating.

"You know what, I think I'm gonna go. I'll leave your bag at your desk. You can walk by yourself."

I walk as fast as I could without tripping and head straight for his seat at the back. I place his bag on his desk and turn to get to my own.

As Christian walk by, he says, "I'm sorry." Without looking at me.

I feel my phone vibrate and pull it out of my pocket. It's a text from Christian.

*I'm sorry. I'll explain. Meet me at the same bench after school?*

*Ok. I'll see you then.*

*Thank you.*

*I will not accept any of your 'nothing' excuse anymore. I want to be your friend. Please let me be.*

I couldn't be any more anxious for the day to end and to talk to Christian. As soon as the last bell rang, I run out of the classroom without going to my locker. I won't risk him running off from me again, just because I was taking too long at my locker.

I sit down and wait for him for five minutes...ten...

There he is.

He is obviously having trouble walking so I walk towards him, to make it easier for him.

"Thanks for coming, I'm sorry I'm late." He says with a smile.

"I haven't seen that smile in a while." I smile back at him.

We keep walking and when we got there, I help him sit and place the crutches on the arm rest of the bench.

"Now will you tell me what happened?" I ask him not being able to hide the worry in my voice.

"I had heard the rumors," I look at him confused but he keeps going, "about you and Tanner. I heard you've broken up and it was because you wouldn't give into him. And that he broke your heart by cheating on you."

I gasp knowing it was all true.

"What does this have to do with your broken leg?" I ask, still confused.

"I talked to him, I told him how lucky he was to have had you but his friends got to me."

My jaw drops to the floor. I feel the need to hug him and comfort him for doing that.

He continues with the story, "I didn't want to fight knowing full well that I would get kicked out if I did. And Ele-... my mom, would have been very mad at me."

"Christian, you didn't have to do that. It's not your job to protect me. I am so sorry." I shake my head.

"It's okay. I didn't care to be beaten."

What does he mean by that? Ugh he is still so confusing.

"It's not okay. You have a broken leg and it's because of me. Please tell me how I can make it up to you?"

His face lights up as I say the last part of my sentence.

"Go on a date with me." He says with a grin.