I woke up sighing after the talk with the cat drained my mind out. 

'I'm still here dickwad' 

" you!" 

My oldest sister slammed the door open, "Who the hell you cursing at?" I remembered my getting beat last night, mostly because she went over board, I shook my head nervously with a forced smile, hiding behind a pillow. "Then get yo up, Mark's waiting for you." 

My eyes widen, "He's here? I mean it's not even eight yet?" I briskly turned to my alarm clock that said 8:30. "Holy ing !" I ran out of bed grabbing some clothes, taking a quick shower, brushing my teeth at the same time (however the hell that worked) and kept my hair wet as I raced to the front door. I stole a piece of toast from my other sister who threw a fork at my head, "FOR SAKES DON'T KILL ME!" She flicked me off as I rushed to get my shoes on, grabbing my book bag that sat slumped against the floor. I took a deep breath when I ran to Mark. My smile was wide but faded as quickly as it came. 

', he got wrecked.' 

'Shut up cat.' My tone was serious, even if it was my self conscience that was speaking. "Mark." He was wearing a long sleeve turtle neck in the middle of summer. There was a big bandaid plastered on his face, but he smiled all the same like nothing had happened to him last night, like he didn't go home to abusive parents who didn't care about the beautiful creation they didn't deserve to have. 

"Are...are you okay?" I paused, worrying that I'd hurt him if I even attempted to tap him. Mark nodded, smiling as he punched my arm, "Come on, we got like thirty minutes to get to school." He gestured me to come on, having his own bike with him this time. 

He was ahead of me by a few feet, his stare focused on the glistening ocean. 

'Was he always getting hurt?' 

'Cat...can we not speak.' I smacked my lips as the ghostly thing sat on the back of my bike. Mark never spoke about what happens to him between his parents, he never said a thing about how bad his wounds were, he would never go to a hospital or let anyone take a look. He just bared his pain alone. At the time, the stupid bratty fifteen year old me would never pry in his business because he didn't bring it up, but looking at him now...maybe he was waiting for me to ask. 

Waiting for me to be his shoulder to cry on, his person to lean on. Maybe he left because he thought I didn't care enough about him, little did he know that he was my whole world. 

'That sounds disgustingly romantic.' 

"OH MY GOD SHUT UP CAT!" We were already in class when my outburst had caught the teacher off guard, students gazing at me, even the delinquents woke up from their nap. But, it was Mark's chuckling eyes that made everything so unbearably embarrassing, because when he started laughing the rest followed. 

'Hah, that's what you get dickwad.'

'F—just, just you.'  

'If you like cat balls.'

'OH MY GOD!!! SAVE ME!!!' I slammed my head on the wooden desk, weeping to myself becaus