Loving Lisbeth Salander (XIV Series #1)

The Girl and What She Calls Home II

Ever since I met Forest, I’ve been so eager to attend my Chemistry class. But today – today’s a little different. I was anxious. I felt anxious because I wanted to know how she got those scars and I know too well that she would bark at me at the end of the day telling me to get out of her face. Especially not after what happened yesterday. No matter how much she despised me, I seem to always enjoy being near her no matter the circumstance.

“This is why you should stay away from a life you’re not used to. You don’t get involved with a f****d up person just because you like them. Adoration or love, or whatever, isn’t enough to choose a life that’s worse than what you have. You’re smart. You know what’s best for you. You know when to be practical and when to be logical. Right now, you’re ruining something you have just to pursue something that could break you apart. I can assure you this wouldn’t happen if you stopped insisting on sticking with me,”

The mere fact, the glint of hope I have, by witnessing her do some sort of act of kindness was what’s making me hold on. Even without that, I probably still would. She wasn’t exactly as heartless as people described her. I understand that now. I fully understand that now, and every time I get to spend some time with her, I am convinced she was the most selfless person I could ever meet. The way she shows it just couldn’t translate as good as the standard.

The moment I reached the room, she wasn't there. She was always late with our classes and so unusual that she would come early, so I guess that makes sense. "Good afternoon, class. Reporters, please set up your materials before we start the presentation."

Thirty minutes.

Forty minutes.

An hour already passed by and she still hasn't walked in that door when she normally would. I’d take she would be late for thirty or forty minutes but never an hour and almost to ninety minutes of being late. It was almost the end of our class and normally, she’d be making her entrance without our teacher’s acknowledgement but she’s still not here. Is she not attending today's class? Is she absent? Is she out dozing off in one of the bleachers like the other day?

Today, was the first time I was so eager for Chemistry class to finish. I just previously mentioned my sudden eagerness to attend this class, and now I was taking it back. I haven't seen her today at all and I feel like I've been seeing her so much it's starting to not make sense when I don’t see her – like I won’t survive the day without seeing her anymore.

I rushed out of the room the moment Mr. Oliver was telling us our class was dismissed. I ran out to the hallway and scanned the place hoping to see her red hair flowing in the middle of the crowd but I was unfortunate and I never saw one.

I gulped. I wanted to see her. And it's making me worry that I'm feeling and acting like this. After seeing her scars the other night, I realized I didn’t want to be just friends with her. I wanted to be someone that reminded her of how great life could be – someone who can light her dark place, if she’s ever in one. Anyone would feel anxious after seeing scars like that. Or maybe I was starting to overthink things just because I saw it. For all I know, she could passed out in empty streets, or in a stranger’s house after partying.

Her friends. Surely she must be with one of them. I extended my neck and saw her half-shaved head friend, Han. I examined those she was with and still, there was no sign of Forest.

I ran out to the gate and hope that I’d see her walk out if I waited by the front gate but the moment I was running by the back of the Science Department building, I noticed a girl walking suspiciously familiar with how I remember Forest was walking when drunk.

She was wearing a hooded gray jacket, almost impossible for me to see her face but the magnet that was pulling me to walk to that person without certainty was very similar to how I feel whenever I see Forest at a distance. But my feet froze and I was only staring at the hooded girl waiting for some kind of confirmation and I had it the moment she turned and strands of her red hair peeped out of her jacket.

I ran to where she stood, yelling her name but she wasn't giving me any attention. "Forest!" I grabbed her arms and I unintentionally made her turn to me. She looked surprised. She probably didn’t hear me shouting her name as I ran here.

My brows creased as I met her seemingly unfamiliar eyes – her eyes weren't lined with heavy eyeliner, and the way they usually glared into your soul wasn’t like it today. Her under bags were bluish and violet and just dark – I can almost see veins popping out of them. Her eyes were bloodshot red but there were no hints of reeking alcohol from her scent, her lids were puffy and reddish; and there were bruises on her face – the type she had over her arms, only swollen and appeared to be just freshly done. Her whole face was bloated and unproportioned. Running my fingers through her face in worry, I asked, “What happened to your—”

She immediately jerked my hand off her face before I could finish my question and gave me a strong glare.

At this moment, I was already expecting her to yell me her usual eff word but she didn't. She just gave me a long and deep stare before turning to walk away from me. I couldn’t tell if she was teary or that her eyes were just so red today.

Me, being the unconsciously nosy kid I was, I followed her tracks a few feet away from her back making sure I wouldn’t get caught dead from trying to stalk her. I don’t even think she was even paying close attention to her surrounding considering how she reacted to my calling a while ago. There was something that was keeping her occupied that her senses were closing. I wasn’t going to go as far as stalking her because I know when to respect her privacy but this wasn’t privacy to me anymore. I wanted to protect her in any way I can if she, for chances, got those bruises from men who harasses women when they’re alone. I intended to protect her and if this was the only way I can do that, I’d keep doing it just to make sure she was safe.

She was always putting up a strong front but she was also vulnerable like most people. God knows, she could be vulnerable emotionally and physically.

Did she cry? Who did that to her face? Why did she cry? Who made her cry? And where is she heading? Why is she taking such narrow path? Where is this place? Are we even in Condrey still?

For minutes, I was just thankful that Forest hasn't noticed me yet. Or maybe her senses were really off right now as much as how off she is. Where are you going, Forest? I asked myself as she walked through the rocky, steep alley. The path we were taking had already dirtied my white shoes. It seemed like we were taking a safe place.

I stopped walking when I realized she was about to enter a house. It wasn't a big house. As a matter of fact, it wasn't a decent one as well. If I could describe how it looked from my perspective, it looked more like a witch's home - like those you'd normally call a haunted house in horror movies. I never thought I’d be in a day where I’d witness something like this.

I watched her go inside as she took her hood down. I slowly took steps closer to the terrifying house - closer to the window opening that wasn't even glassed or framed, not even curtained properly at the least. The curtain hanging by their supposedly window looked like a part was eaten by a huge rat or worse, burnt. I can clearly see everything inside from here – it was that transparent from the outside. It wasn’t a fully furnished house. There were things that were lacking or not even polished. They looked like furniture taken from bins.

Their worn out furniture, their not-cushioned brown chairs, their scratched sofa that had huge springs coming out from different direction, their rusty table – the house was a mess like it had been hit by a tornado.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!”

My heart jumped in surprise when the old man suddenly shouted at Forest, and poking her by the shoulder with the intention of making her fall.

“Where's the money?! Give me my f*****g money!"

My eyes were shaking. I wasn’t the one he wasn’t shouting at but I feel terrified. I could even feel my knees shaking from the horror this man was giving me from being a bystander.

Forest stood across the half-naked old man with her head bowed down helpless. I’ve never seen her bow her head down like that. The man walked towards her. There was something about that man that was very terrifying that even my feet were glued to the ground from watching afar. My whole body clenched at every poke that hit Forest’s head.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You can’t come back here if you haven’t any money!”

My heart was pounding so fast. I was hoping I never followed her so I don’t get to see any of this but at the same time, I was also thankful that I get to see this because now I know where the wrath was coming from.

“Now give me my f*****g money!” The old man yelled even louder. I looked around and their neighbors don’t seem to be as bothered as I thought. Who is this man and why is he acting superior towards her? Does she owe him money? Is she working for him? I had so much questions that only Forest could answer and I was sure I won’t be getting any of it unless I asked, and there was always no point asking her because she wouldn’t give me answers.

“I need some money.” When Forest spoke, I wish I was next to her to cover her mouth. I was too worried of what this old man could do to her if she spoke back. “I can’t give you money while I’m paying the hospital bills. You know I don’t earn much from the—”

“HOW DARE YOU!”

“Are you gonna beat me again?”

I squinted my eyes in terror. I didn’t want to see what was happening but I cared too much to just walk away and leave her incase this old man would pull out a gun from his lousy trousers. “That’s what you love to do, right? You beat me to death but when you need me, you f**k like nothing was ever f*****g wrong!

“You b***h!”

My whole body jumped in fright as soon the man lands his fist over Forest’s cheek. I felt my hands shaking as I watch the man continuously slap and punch her in every part of her body, and Forest just laid down, taking it all in without throwing them back. My inner self was telling me to go inside and protect Forest but I was frozen in my place. I couldn’t move because of how scared I was. I felt my feet stuck to the ground unable to move. Watching Forest receive the man’s hits without doing anything felt so wrong to watch – it’s eating my conscience up as I stayed there to watch, doing nothing. Forest was just a girl and this was a big old man who seemed like he was capable of killing people with his bare hands.

“Is that all you got this time?” Forest crawled from the ground with a smirk on her face as she wiped the blood off her lips. Oh Forest. My heart started beating out of my chest – harder this time. My eyes were almost watering as I watched the old man beat her more.

“You f*****g b***h! You tell me you pay f*****g hospital bills yet I see you pay your f*****g manwhores every f*****g night for s*x! You fucker! Get the f**k out of my house and be a f*****g b***h like your w***e of a mother!”

“At least I don’t f**k kids like you do.”

I froze.

There was something about her voice that hits hard in my heart. The way she said it wasn’t sarcastic nor was it to piss him more. She was speaking as if she really meant what she said and that scared me the most for her.

“You don’t get to provoke me.”

“Why, does it provoke you?”

She wasn’t trying to provoke the man or piss him off. She sounded like she was just telling the truth. What if this man—

“b***h!”

I looked away before I could see the man kick Forest harder than he ever did as if the last hits he made wasn’t injuring her enough. When the man slammed the door close at her face the moment he was done kicking her out of the house, I watched Forest stand up from the ground, still wiping blood from her mouth.

“That’s right!” She yelled at the closed door. “Hide, you f*****g asshole! You, dead, is only one less asshole in this world because you’re a shitty f*****g father!” she threw a punch over the door, grunting at the impact.

“f**k YOU!” I heard the man shout from inside the house.

Forest turned away from the house, face busted and almost unable to walk on her own but I tried to stay away as much as I wanted to give her the tightest hug. The last thing I wanted to happen was for her to find out that I was snooping on her and I just watched her get beat up by a man whom she called a father.