It Was Out Of Pity

"Hey did you hear what happened to Casey?"

"Yeah, she got mugged yesterday after she went home from here."

"She's so brave, I don't think I would even leave my house anymore if that happened to me but she still came to school."

"Maybe she's fine with it because they got caught after a neighbor saw the incident and reported it?"

"Maybe, poor thing. She's got bruises all over her. She's probably still hurting but doesn't want to admit it."

"Poor thing."

Man, teachers talk to damn loud.

I closed my locker and headed to my math class. On the way I saw Casey heading to her environmental science class. She was limping a little as she walked by which caused me to scoff in disbelief. She looked up at me and rolled her eyes.

"Not today Mathew, " She said underneath her breath as she walked past me.

I looked behind me towards her and saw her re-position her posture so she was walking without limping. Small grunts and sharp intakes of breath could be heard from her bright pink lips.

I rolled my eyes. She always does this. Whenever she gets hurt she acts like she's fine and doesn't ask for help no matter what. Like when she hurt herself at work and refused to miss school because she had important school meetings with different clubs.

Gimme a break, those meetings could've been fine without her.

I mean, I can't say shit 'cause I do the same thing but still it just...irks me for some reason.

I continued on my way to class thinking about how her dark brown eyes squinted in pain as she walked away from me.

...

"The one thing that almost every person remembers out of math is y=mx+b."

Ugh. Fuck your y, m, x, and b.

Math is so boring. I already took all the notes I needed since the presentation is online. Casey told me about where to find them one time during lunch when I was trying to copy her notes.

I looked at the door and kept thinking about her and how she was limping. The pain she was in.

I rubbed my face and sighed feeling my face heat up.

I can't take this anymore!

I stood up, took the hall pass next to the door and walked out of the classroom towards the nurses office.

She owes me for this. Big time.

...

I reached the environmental science classroom and walked in.

"Mathew, what a surprise. Do you need something?" Mrs. Collins asked me.

"Casey, " I said looking at Casey with an annoyed look on my face.

I turned my head to look at Mrs. Collins and held up a bag of ice and some bandages for her to see.

"Oh, alright. Casey how 'bout you go out in the hall for a little bit?" She asked Casey.

Casey nodded her head and grabbed her backpack as she got up and walked towards me out into the hallway. I could tell she was still hurting from the way her breathing sounded and how her eyes darted away from my gaze down towards the floor. She was breathing heavily in order to focus her attention on that instead of her pain.

It's kind of funny how we both handle pain the same.

I closed the door and sat on top of one of the hallway table desks as Casey sat in a chair next to me, putting her backpack next to her. I put the ice on her right leg where a massive bruise lay and took out a bandage and covered one of the scars that was broken open. I looked her over to check if there was any other ones I missed and Casey stayed silent 'till I was finished, sighing in relief once I was done and sitting back in the chair she was in.

"You need to quit acting like you're fine after some shit happens to you. It might take longer for you to heal or you could hurt yourself more, " I said in irritation and looking away from her.

She scoffed which made me look at her.

"I would've been fine whether you did this or not you know. Since when do you care about my well-being? I figured you would tell me to suck it up and walk it off, " She said, her face turning red as she spoke.

"Will you shut up? I didn't have to help you either but here we are so just appreciate it. You owe me next time by the way so don't think I'm just doing it out of kindness."

I looked over and saw her smiling with her left eyebrow raised up at me then put her hands up in surrender. She then unzipped her bag and brought out her lunch.

She put an apple and half of a turkey sandwich next to me.

"What's this?" I asked in confusion.

"You haven't eaten right? You never eat school lunch and the only type of food you bring to school is usually a bag of chips."

I felt my face heat up again and grabbed the apple, quickly turning my face the other way.

"That's what I thought, " she said in a smart ass tone.

"Whatever."

She hummed at my response. I turned to her direction and saw she moved her head up towards the ceiling and closed her eyes.

"So, if this wasn't out of kindness....how come you did this then? Not like I needed it or anything."

I rolled my eyes, put my apple down on the table and moved my right leg up against my chest. I then put my right elbow on my knee and covered my mouth with my arm while looking away from her again.

"I'm waiting, " She sang.

I pursed my lips together trying to figure out what to say.

"Hmm well if you're not saying why, I'd like to think that deep down you actually care for me and couldn't stand the thought of me being hurt. Oh the pain you must've endured seeing my wounded body limping across the hallway, " She said dramatically.

"Oh don't flatter yourself there Case, it was out of pity."