Bad Girl. - E Z (reading well .TXT) 📗

him than he lets on."

Libia wiped her eyes, shaking her head. "But he-"

"He did that to protect you, Libia. Frankly, a man who leaves you thinking he's not good enough, is a man you need to hold on to." Her mother laughed again.

Libia wrinkled her eyebrows. "Protecting me? He's not good enough? What?"

Her mother smiled at her. "Talk to him. Beat it out of him if you have to. It's obvious - painfully so - that the boy cares about you. There's something he's protecting you from, Libia."

Libia blinked at her mother. "Protecting me?" She repeated. "From what?"

Her mother shook her head in exhasperation. "I am not a mind reader!"

Libia held up her hands. "Alright. Alright I get it. But how am I supposed to get him to talk to me?"

Her mother looked down at her cup. "You know him better than I do, Honey."

Sighing, Libia pressed her lips together. She didn't know him well enough.

***

Libia walked through the halls of her school, heading for lunch. Vivi trailed after her, rambling on about an argument she had with her boyfriend. Libia made an effort to listen, but her mind was shot. Three days ago, her mother had been as healthy as a horse, and now she was sick. Libia had been up all night helping her mother to and from the bathroom in her hospital room, seeing as the hospital was short on nurses. She had a bagel the morning before, but she couldn't remember eating anything after that. 

She'd been nodding in agreement when appropriate, feeling guilty that she wasn't listening. 

She stopped by her locker to put her books away, as her good friend leaned on the locker next to hers. She put them away without looking at them, her eyes unfocused. She noticed that Vivi paused, looking at her expectantly, so she nodded, as usual, as she closed her locker and began walking again.

Vivi's eyes furrowed. "Hon, I just asked you if you thought cheese grew from trees," Vivi told her.

Her cheeks flushed. "Sorry."

"Are you okay, Sweetie? You look pale as a theater performer with stage fright!"

Libia shot her friend a glare, before muttering, "I'm alright. Just tired."

Vivi gave her friend a disbelieving look. "You look like Casper the ghost!"

Libia rolled her eyes as they entered the cafeteria, "My mom has that bad virus, and my brother is recovering. I volenteered as an assistant nurse because they were short on staff. I was up all night with my mom. It's no big deal," Libia shrugged, before she was hit with a dizzy spell, and she stumbled forward a few steps.

Vivi caught her, her eyebrows furrowing. "Libia, Honey, you're dead on your feet."

The dizzyness faded, and Libia straightened. "I'm fine. I've gotten used to the dizziness."

Libia winced. She hadn't meant to let that slip.

"Gotten used to it? Libia, you mean you've been havin' these more than once?" Vivi asked, leading her over to a table and sitting her down.

Libia sighed. "Just...a couple of times...since this morning."

Vivi shot her an incredulous look. "When is the last time you ate?"

Her cheeks went red again. "Um...sometime yesterday...?"

"Libia!" Vivi suddenly shouted, calling everyone's attention.

Libia went redder, as she tried to quiet her friend down.

"Do you realize how stupid that is? You haven't eaten, you haven't slept, my god Libia!" She kept on ranting, and Libia sank deeper into her chair in embarrassement.

She stomped off, still ranting, and Libia covered her heated face with her hands, looking through her fingers as her friend shoved some poor kid out of the way, and started shoveling food into a tray. Libia gulped.

Vivi slammed money on the counter, waving the cashier off when she tried to give her change, and stomped back over to Libia.

She flinched as Vivi slammed the tray down beside her, giving her that motherly, scathing, dissaproving look. "Eat!"

Libia looked at the random foods that had been thrown on the tray, grimacing as her stomach rolled, having shrank from not eating.

"Well...I'm not very-" Vivi cut her off, grabbing a chicken nugget and shoving it into her mouth.

Libia stared up at Vivi with wide eyes, unnaware that she could be so demanding, the girl had only ever been sweet to Libia. Slowly, she started to chew, refusing to let herself register what she was doing. As long as she could fool her mind into thinking she wasn't eating, she could keep the nausea at bay.

At least, she hoped that was the case.

As soon as she swallowed the chicken, Vivi smiled brightly, as if she didn't just turn into Robo-Mom. She plopped down beside Libia, taking a tater tot for herself, and popping it in her mouth. "You should have called me when your mother got sick. I could have volenteered too," She muttered through her food.

Libia shrugged, taking another nugget. "I didn't think about it."

Damon watched from afar, slightly amused at what he'd just seen, and slightly horrified at Libia's appearance. Did she realize how terrible she looked on the outside? Her skin was so pale, she looked like she just came from an extended trip under a rock. He could literally see her shoulders slumping with the weight of the responsibilities she carried. Even so, she was still beautiful.

Libia felt eyes on her back, and she knew who's they were. Was her mother right? Was he only trying to protect her? Or was Libia chasing false hope?

She'd resolved to catch him alone...somehow, and talk to him, but he always seemed to be gone after school. Libia sighed. He was definitely avoiding her. 

Libia had been slowly changing. She wore her hair in a high ponytail today, and she'd wrapped a spiked bracelet around the thick band twice, which Vivi had complimented her on. Her knee high, leather boots sported silver spikes on the toes to match her hair. She felt like biker chick. The thing about all this was, she was much more comfortable in her own skin this way. Despite having to wear the uniform, she made it work, wearing a black, long sleeve shirt underneath it so she could leave the uniform shirt unbuttoned.

This change was all thanks to Damon, of course. She wasn't as shy as she used to be, either. She met eyes with people, was able to talk more freely. 

"Hey, Libia, your phone's ringing," She was pulled from her reverie, suddenly picking up the shrill of her brother's ringtone.

Her breath caught, and she immediately answered the phone. "What's wrong?"

"Libia...Mom has a bad fever. She's halucinating." He told her, his voice shaking and weak.

Libia gave her friend the one minute sign, standing up and heading over to the cafeteria door. "You don't sound too good yourself."

"No I...I don't feel too good either. It's bad, though, Libs. It's not going down."

Libia bit her lip, before saying, "I'll be there in no time. Call me if anything else happens, alright?"

He hummed in agreement, before they disconnected. Libia rushed back over to her table, gathering her things. "Libia, you've had two chicken nuggets!" Vivi protested.

"I'm sorry, but it's an emergency. Will you let the principal know that I left early?" She asked, already feeling exhaustion weigh her shoulders down.

"Honey, you're over working yourself!" She stressed.

"I know that, but it's not a big deal!" Libia cried, her frustration brimming. "I don't have time to worry about myself, and it wouldn't be justified, either. My family is seriously ill right now! The least I can do is be there for them!"

Vivi sat back, surprised at her outburst. She'd never heard the girl's voice get that loud before.

Libia rubbed her temples. "I-I'm sorry. Will you just tell the principle I left early?"

Nodding, Vivi mumbled, "Yeah. Sure thing, Hon. How are you going to get there?"

"I'll take the bus," Libia answered, slinging her backpack over her shoulders.

She began making her way towards the door, when a wave of dizziness, and she stumbled. Vivi lunged to catch her, and Damon stood up abruptly from where he watched.

She shook her head of the dizziness, pushing gently away from Vivi. "I'm fine," She repeated firmly.

Vivi watched her walk away, worry clenching her heart, as a murmer of voices echoed through the on-looking crowd, some worried, some confused. "The girl's too good for her health."

Vivi backed into the table, sinking down in her seat. Everyone watched as Damon walked across the cafeteria, grabbed two large water bottles and a packaged sandwich, paid for them, and then followed Libia. Vivi smiled, comforted by the knowledge that he would be there for her.

***

She stopped at her locker, stuffing her backpack in with her spare books, and slammed it closed. Libia yelped in surprise as Damon's face came into view. "What are you doing here?" She asked, a hand on her racing heart. 

He sighed, "I'm taking you to the hospital."

For a few seconds, Libia's dead mind jumped to the conclusion that he was taking her to the hospital to admit her, before she shook her head in two quick movements to clear her thoughts. "Oh...thanks," She mumbled.

They walked in silence, the only sound between them was their feet against the hard tile. Libia was dead on her feet, unable to form a word, and Damon was busy watching her to make sure she didn't pass out.

They reached the car, and Damon hurried to open the door for her, helping her in.

"Thank you," She murmured, before he closed the door.

The drive was quiet, as Libia stared out the window. Her fogged mind tried to comprehend that Damon was speaking to her again, but it wouldn't catch up. She was completely shredded. Her eyes drifted closed, as she leaned her forehead on the glass. She had no idea what she was going to do when she reached the hospital. 

"When is the last time you had substantial food?" Damon inturrupted her thoughts, flickering a glance in her direction.

She sucked in a long breath, before muttering as she exhaled, "I think it was...yesterday...sometime...."

Shaking his head, he threw the sandwich he'd bought for her in her lap, and then demanded, "Eat it."

She looked down at the two little triangles of bread stuffed into a tiny plastic box, and for some reason, her heart warmed. "Thank you."

He didn't answer, so she unwrapped the sandwich, and began to eat one of the halves.

"And the last time you had a full glass of water?" He interrogated.

Her cheeks warmed. "Sometime around four last night...?"

Without another word, he threw both waters into her lap as well, and then demanded, "Drink them both."

She looked up at him as she chewed her food, wincing at the brooding look on his face. "Are you angry at me?"

For a second, the brooding expression stayed, but then his face softened, and he sighed. "I'm only angry that you let yourself go without food for so long. Not to mention you dehydrated yourself to the point of dizzyspells!" He slowed down and stopped at a red light, closing his eyes for a moment.

Libia blinked in surprise when he turned his head, and opened his eyes to look at her. Those blue depths were wrought with emotion. "You have no idea how hard it's been, Libia. Watching you from across the room, knowing that I could just walk that short distance and see your soft brown eyes up close. Seeing you smile, and knowing that it wasn't directed at me...it's been agonizing," He murmured.

"Damon...," Libia whispered, the breath stolen from her lungs.

The glow of the green light through the cold fog caught both of their attention, and Damon broke their gaze. The car was silent as they turned into the hospital parking lot, Libia unable to form a word.

He slid into a parking space, turning the car off. Both of them sat in the now dormant car, and Damon refused to meet Libia's eyes. 

"I don't have time for you to explain to me now - I need to make sure my mother's alright...but please, if you want my forgiveness for hurting me, you have to explain to me why you did it in the first place," She said softly. "Damon, you've treated me