I woke up with a throbbing headache and a fuzzy memory of last night's events. Light from the morning sun only made matters worse. The only thing that was clear was the fact that I wasn't in my bed.

Sitting up, I took one quick look around the bare room and realized exactly where I was. My suspicions were confirmed when I noticed the pile of covers on the floor was actually a sleeping Calvin.

There was also a bottle of water and a bottle of aspirin on the floor next to me. I popped one of the pills into my mouth and chugged some of the water to wash it down. Grabbing my purse, which was also right next to the mattress, I take out my phone.

I mumbled a string of curses when I see all of my missed texts. There were ten missed texts from Mom and Dad and I knew I was in trouble.

Calvin stirred in his sleep and I froze, watching him. He didn't wake up though. I was about to get up and leave, but something caught my eye. Calvin's long sleeved shirt was bunched up at the sleeves, revealing four large scars.

Is that why he always wore that stupid sweater? Inching closer, I examined the keloid scars on his fore arm. A million questions flooded my thoughts as I wondered about the origin of the scars. Did he hurt himself or did some do this to him? My fingers traced the raised skin there. Was this the reason he was so secretive about his past?

He tensed up, fist clenching and I looked over at him. He was awake now, his tired brown eyes staring down at his scarred arm before meeting mines. For a moment we just stared into each others eyes. He didn't say anything though. Maybe he was waiting for me to say something?

Despite wanting to know the story behind the markings, I didn't ask where they came from. He tried so hard to hide them, it's obviously not something he wants to talk about. Plus, it was way too early and a topic like this shouldn't be discussed before noon.

He tore his gaze away from me, relaxing his arm and staring up at the ceiling, "For a second I thought you were going to try and steal my eyeballs again."

"That really happened?" The back of my neck began burn as last night became clearer. "That means... I threw up on you, too?"

He chuckled lightly and I hid my face in my hands. I'm never drinking again. The headache and embarrassing memories were not worth it.

"Drunk Mia is very entertaining," he teased.

I stood up from the floor, only then realizing that my dress had been replaced with flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt with a dog on the front. My brow raised in question.

"Did you change my clothes?"

He propped himself up on his elbows, an amused look on his face. "I wasn't letting you in my bed covered in puke."

A wave a nausea came over me. Whether it because of the embarrassment of last night or the fact Calvin saw me in my underwear, I didn't know.

"If it makes you feel better, I had the light off," he informed me. "So, I didn't see anything."

That did make me feel a little better, but the feeling didn't last very long when my phone began to ring. Picking it up from the mattress I have a mini heart attack when I see Dad's picture flash on the screen.

"I'm so dead," I groaned.

Calvin was up from his palette on the floor, folding up the various sheets and covers. "It was nice knowing you," he joked.

I collected my purse, dress and heels and exited Calvin's house. If I saw myself walking in this state I'd think I was doing the walk of shame. Actually, I guess I was doing just that. 

The closer I got to my front door, the more this walk of shame started to feel like a plank walk. Mom playing the part of the vicious shark ready to devour me.

Slowly, I used my key to unlock the front door. Taking a peek inside, looked around for signs of my mom. Nothing. Once I stepped inside, locking the door behind me that's when I heard the footsteps.

She didn't yell or give me a long winded lecture on my behavior. She simply held out her hand, demanding my phone, which I handed over. "You're grounded for the next week," she said. Calm, cool and collected. Definitely not what I was expecting for him. Well, to be perfectly honest, I didn't know what I was expecting.

My phone rang again and she answered. From the bit if conversation I heard as I climbed the stairs, Dad was on the end of that call. When I got to my room I grabbed some fresh lounging around clothes and got ready to take a nice, long, hot shower.

Being grounded didn't bother me too much. It gave me time hid away in shame as I thought about what I was about to say to Calvin last night. A little liquid courage and I was ready to confess my secrets to him. The thought of doing that was terrifying, but would it really have been a bad thing?

Alyssa's words about living in fear rang in my head. What things was I missing out by not telling Calvin how I felt?

+ + +

"When I get home I want the dishes done, the laundry done, beds made, trash taken out," Mom listed off as she grabbed her keys from the table by the door. "Just, clean everything."

In all my years she has never dished out a punishment. I had a feeling it was all Dad's idea though. It sounded like a punishment he'd give. Either way, I nodded, acknowledging that I understood. Then she was out the door.

Trudging back up to my room, I pull out my backpack to unload my homework. I had a writing paper due in English and I wanted to get that out of the way as soon as possible. I loved writing, but school writing assignments were never much fun.

Two hours and half one essay later, I was bored and hungry. Making my way down stairs, I raided the fridge for food. I decided on cereal, mainly because I was too lazy to cook anything. Pulling out the milk, I go to cabinet to pick out a box of chocolaty goodness and a bowl.

Before I got started preparing my meal, the doorbell rang.

"I'm swearing off alcohol," Faye announced once I opened the door.

Being grounded meant being completely isolated from friends, so inviting her in was in violation of that. It was Faye, I couldn't shut the door in her face.

"Last night was fun though, right?" Her lips curled up into a smirk.

Flashes of me puking and Calvin trying to keep my fingers away from his eyes ran through m mind. Fun wasn't the word I'd use to describe any of that.

"Yeah, it was," I nodded, more to shake the thoughts away than to agree with her. "Minus the part where I got grounded."

"Grounded?" She echoed. "Wait, is that why you haven't been replying to my texts? Did your mom take your phone?"

"Yeah," I replied, slowly. "Why?"

She sat on the bottom step of the stairs and I joined. "This is going to make things really awkward."

"What do you mean?"

"I gave Kenton your number," she confessed. "Now when he texts he's going to think you're ignoring him."

"Why would you give him my number?"

She looked at me as I'd just sprouted a second head. "Because you want him to ask you to the dance."

"I never said I wanted him to ask me," I clarified. "Besides, I told you I like someone else."

Her need to set me up with this guy was getting ridiculous., but was a typical Faye move. Instead of dealing with her personal issues, she jumps into a passion project. My love life was her choice of distraction this time.

"Right, your mysterious, complicated, secret crush," she mused. "Is there actually a guy or are you not putting yourself out there because you feel guilty about kissing my ex?"

"What? No," I sputtered. Screw it, I just had to tell her. A few hours ago I was welling to tell Calvin, so why not tell my best friend? "I like-"

"I know I had a mini break down at the game yesterday, but I really am over Derek," she interrupted, giving me a reassuring pat on the knee. "Besides, I heard he had a new girlfriend."

"No, he doesn't." He was still holding out for a chance to rekindle what he had with Faye. I knew that for fact.

Her blue eyes narrowed in on me. "Are you keep tabs on him, Mia?"

"No," I scoffed, lowering my gaze to the wooden floor beneath my feet. That wasn't a complete lie. I mean, I didn't want to know what Derek was doing post-breakup, but he's a hard dude to shake.

"Either way," she exhaled. "I'm over him. Really."

She wasn't doing a good job making that lie believable. Still, I smiled and nodded understandingly.

"Anyways, the real reason I came over," she reached into her over-sized purse and pulled out a mini laptop. "I need help with my English paper.

//

Ohay, you you stuck around for another chapter! *internet hug*

So, what are your theories on Calvin's scars?

What about Faye still trying to play Cupid?

Random question: What's your favorite kind of cereal?

I really like chocolate Chex... sorry I'm hungry lol

~ Thanks SO much for reading! ~

Don't forget to vote <3