The next day in school, I sat next to Garrett in science class, first period. He kept looking down and whenever he lifted his head, his hair fell in the front of the left sid of his face. He was hard to understand because he would never look at me. I finally had enough crap.
“Garrett, what in God’s name are you doing?! Quit it, you’re pissing me off!”
“Nothing, I’m just studying this crystal, like we’re supposed to.”
“WHAT??? I can’t understand you, dammit.”

“Nothing,” he mumbled. I grabbed his shoulder and looked him in the eyes, well, one eye, that’s all I could see. “What’s the matter with you?!” I wasn’t expecting what was coming.
He lifted his hair to reveal a wicked bruise on his cheek.
All I could manage was “Oh. My. God.”