Opened Sores by Zarah Smith (uplifting books for women .TXT) 📖

voice showed sorrow and Gavin felt just...sad. "What?" Gavin asked pretending not to hear hoping she'd give him more detail. Gavin was one of the very few people that Alyssa had actually talked to but she still didn't say to much. "Nothing." Alyssa looked down at the ground as she continued to walk away leaving Gavin standing there confused.

Alyssa sat down alone at cookie break. Cookie break was a half hour long period in the middle of the school day where they could just relax and be alone much like Alyssa was doing now. Alyssa closed her eyes and say under the sun trying to think about happy thoughts. An Image of Gavin came to her mind. She felt like it was always easy to talk to Gavin and sometime she knew no matter what act she put on, he could tell when there was something seriously wrong. If he didn't think it was too serious he wouldn't bother and let Alyssa come to him. Earlier she wanted to tell Gavin everything that was happening. How her parents were drunk twenty four seven, how her father beats her everyday, and how she cuts herself to relieve the pain. But it was too hard to put it in words and she didn't even know how Gavin could help let alone react. Alyssa figured that he would be horrified but upset and filled with rage at the same time. It was just like Gavin, and that's one of the many things she loved about him. He was like the brother she never had. Trying to forget about Gavin and pouring out her feelings to him, she found the only other way she could think of. She sat on a brick ledge and pulled out her Ipod enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. Alyssa opened her backpack and pulled out one of her favorite books to read; A child called It. It was the only other thing that relaxed her as much as soft music and a tragic novel.

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At lunch Alyssa sat alone, or so she hoped. A few minutes had passed when she looked up from her book and seen Gavin approaching her with a tray covered with a sandwich, an apple, and a small carton of milk. His shaggy black hair bounced slightly with ever step he took and his muscles seemed to flex just a little the tighter he gripped his tray. Gavin sat down and offered Alyssa a bit of his lunch but she just refused. Gavin chomped on his sandwich and Alyssa could of sworn that was the biggest bit she's every seen, he bit off half the sandwich. She just looked at him with her mouth hanging open in awe.

"So I'm not convinced." Gavin stated as he looked upwards at Alyssa. She looked straight into Gavin's eyes and noticed for the first time that there was one green and one blue one. "Your a husky." She said. "What are you talking about?" Gavin questioned not forgetting about the statement he made earlier. "Your eyes. And what's there not to be convinced about?" She replied. "You're not okay, just tell me what's wrong? I guess that's one way of putting it." Gavin said, the both of them having two conversations at once. "Well everyone has issues and I just happened to look like hell." Alyssa said a little irritated getting up to walk outside. Gavin got up and threw his tray in the garbage before following Alyssa outside.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" Gavin pushed. "Well there's two meanings. One meaning get the hell away from me and I don't want to talk about it," She continued not even glancing his way, "And the second meaning i'm a bit frustrated so I wouldn't get in my face if I were you." Alyssa sped up her walking pace trying to get away from Gavin. She knew that she was soon going to start going off about how horrible her life was and didn't want to cry in front of anyone, especially if that person was Gavin. "Look, I didn't mean to push it on you," Gavin said slurring his words a little lightly grabbing Alyssa's arm so she could stop and face him. "Ow." Alyssa jumped facing Gavin's way. It hurt for anyone or anything to even touch her in her arms because of her cutting, but she didn't want to stop. It was like alcohol, it took away the pain.

"Are you okay? I barely touched you." Gavin said softly noticing Alyssa's pain. His hand was still placed around her forearm loosened. "It's nothing," Alyssa whispered looking down trying to hide the tears. "Hey, Alyssa look at me." Alyssa refused and tried to pull away but Gavin wouldn't let her, every time she tried his arm was there restraining her or she would feel the pain. Gavin let out his arm and tilted Alyssa's face towards her. He seen her eyes filled with water and knew she was on the verge of tears but couldn't understand why. Gavin decided to let it go and figured that maybe she'd tell him when she's ready. "I'm sorry," Gavin said remorseful. He couldn't help but wonder why she was crying but he didn't want to push her even more. "It's fine," Alyssa muttered turning around and sprinting off in the opposite direction.


Chapter 2: Because he's the only one that cares...

After the incident with Gavin, Alyssa wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She wasn't able to leave school, it's not like she wanted to, but she had to get away. She didn't want to look him in the eye and lie, exactly like she was doing a few minutes ago. After that, Alyssa just ran off. There wasn't much places to go, so she went inside the bathroom until she was stable enough to walk around school like there was no problem. She heard the bell ring and she knew she was late for class but didn't care.

Fifteen Minutes late, Alyssa walks into her honors class. "Alyssa, you're late." Mr. Bates exclaimed as she walked through the door. "Fifteen minutes late." Alyssa stood there and looked him straight in the eye, not even attempting to say a word. "Why?" Mr. Bates said as if she couldn't already take a hint. "No reason," She whispered. "Just take a seat." Mr.Bates sighed. Alyssa did as she was told and took the first seat closest to the door. Glancing back, she seen Gavin's blue and green eye studying her body, she could just never get away from him could she?

Her honors class was the last class of the day and when the bell rang, Alyssa was quick to get out of there. She got up and walked out the door as quickly as possible. Pulling out her Ipod, Alyssa trips and everything falls on the floor. Her body quickly flipped around and her backpack broke her fall. She closed her eyes and rested her head back on the ground too frustrated to get up. "Need some help?" Gavin asked kneeing right beside Alyssa. She took a large breath of air before opening her eyes. "No..." She muttered softly standing up to collect her books. Gavin picks up her Ipod from the ground and scrolls through a few of her songs. "Nice play list." "Thanks. Now can I have it back?" Alyssa asks extending her arm. "Sure." She puts all her items inside her bag and leaves immediately.

She walked off into the woods in broad daylight. Alyssa had her earphones dangling from her ears and her hands in her jacket pocket. She walked all the way to the end of the woods which took about a half hour. No one ever went as far as she did when it came to the woods. They barely even went near it. A few months back Alyssa discovered a lake at the end. It was a place that was just there, it didn't even connect to it. There was a small area of green grass with a few trees that were fully leaved. The blue lake spread wide and if you looked far out, you could see multiple buildings out in the distance.

"It's a nice view isn't it?" A voice came from behind her, apparently she wasn't the only one that knew the lake was back here. Alyssa looked behind her and seen Gavin approaching to sit next to her. "What, did you follow me?" She asked a bit rude. "Not at all." Gavin answered. "Then what are you doing here?" " I could ask you that same question myself." He smirks. Gavin looks straight into Alyssa's eyes trying to figure out what she was thinking but knew she wouldn't let him. He always noticed that he only saw the things that Alyssa would allow him to see and the things she wouldn't. "What? Someone can't come to a lake without having a reason?" "Not without a perfectly good one." "Well I do have a reason." He says. "And what's that?" Alyssa asks. Gavin stands up and extends his hand for Alyssa to take. "Canoeing." Alyssa was confused, and a bit taken aback. You could even say she was a little afraid. "I have never went canoeing before." She says hesitantly. "Well can you swim?" Gavin asks. "Yea." "Well then you're coming." He smiles. "A-alright. But where are you going to get a canoe?" Gavin just smiles.

Alyssa and Gavin both get on the boat and float off onto the water. They float far out to the middle of nowhere. "Do you even know where we are?" Alyssa asks. "No." He answers. "Then how will we get back?" "I don't know. We'll manage." Gavin replies smiling. Truth was, he didn't want to go back, he just wanted to stay with Alyssa and pretend like they were the only two people left on earth. Gavin stands up in the canoe slightly making it wobble. "What are you doing?" Alyssa asks a bit scared. "Come on get up." He demands, she looks at him with a questioning look. "What if I fall?" "You wont." He smiles warmly assuring her safety. Alyssa slowly stands up holding onto Gavin. "Okay now do what I do, at the same time. Don't be afraid...." Gavin lifts his feet on the edges of the canoe balancing so he doesn't fall. Alyssa follows slow but steady. "...Because I'll always catch you when you fall." Alyssa smiles as she holds the both of his hands trying not to shake and wobble. She loved that Gavin said that. She knew that it wasn't just the whole falling in the water thing. Gavin was always there for her, way before her family started becoming a mess. Alyssa just sort of shut him out, she never really bothered to talk to him about anything anymore. Her parents practically sucked everything that was fun out of her life when they started drinking again. Gavin just happened to be the one thing that didn't fully drift away.

Alyssa looks up at a smiling Gavin. He had that mischievous look in his eyes. "What?" Alyssa blushed. Before she knew it, the both of them were flying off the canoe. The both of their bodies hit the water at the same time. For a brief moment, Alyssa panicked trying to process her thoughts. Alyssa swam to the surface to take a large breath. She lifted her hands and wiped her hair and extra water out of her eyes. She looked around and spotted Gavin's his once floppy hair, now wet and damp from the water. His head was turned around scanning for Alyssa's familiar face. Alyssa saw this as an opportunity. Alyssa dug her body underwater and swam towards Gavin. She resurfaced and saw him trying to get back onto the boat.