Mason Maloney

"I want you to tell me who did this to you, dammit!" my father exclaimed, smacking a fist down on the kitchen table, making the plant in the center shake.

My mother stood to his left, animated tears brimming her eyes as her lip quivered. I had managed to hide my injuries from my parents for the last few days, staying up in my room when I knew they were around. Eventually, my father caught me this morning before school and flipped out. Luckily for him, I didn't have work today so he was able to grill me about it after school, my mother and him taking the afternoon off.

"I don't know who it was!" I yelled back, my ribs aching suddenly from the force. "I didn't recognize them!"

"Do not raise your voice at me Mason," my father said with a shaking finger pointing at me.

I sat back in my chair with my arms crossed and let out a deep sigh. I just wanted all of this to go away, to not have to think about it anymore, though I was reminded every time I dared to make a move.

"Honey," my mother started, sliding into a chair to sit across from me at the table. "We just want to help you."

Her voice wavered slightly as if she was barely holding onto her composure, but she looked at me with a smile as she reached out to rub my arm comfortingly.

"Where the hell was Nathan?" Dad asked, throwing his hands up in the air. "Why were you walking home alone?"

"I told you I was supposed to go for a run with Ross," I reminded him with a bit of bitterness in my tone.

"Then why didn't you call for a ride?" he asked me impatiently.

"Why are you blaming me?" I raised my voice, uncrossing my arms and putting my hands down on the table.

"Mason," Dad warned.

I stood up, pushing the chair out clumsily. "Stop acting like this is my fault. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm done."

I walked away from the table, hoping to get upstairs to my room before my father tried lecturing me again.

"Mason!" he tried to stop me.

I heard my mother whisper something to him and when I turned around, the two of them were staring at me. My mother smiled at me and motioned for me to continue going up the stairs, so I stomped up to my room and locked myself in.

As if on cue, my phone buzzed with a text from Bella.

How did talking with your parents go??

I sighed before replying, sitting down on my bed.

Not good. Want to get out of here.

Her reply was instant.

Smoothies?

Bella was quick getting to my house to pick me up. I briefly told my mother where I was going before I left the house in a hurry. I threw myself into her passenger's seat and she quickly took off.

"That bad, huh?" Bella asked with humor in her tone.

"It was like an interrogation," I said, shaking my head in annoyance.

"They just want to protect you, Mase," she replied, looking at me briefly before turning back to the road.

"And I just want to go on with my life," I muttered, looking out the window at the changing trees as we drove by.

The leaves were changing more rapidly now to their oranges and reds. The trees still held onto most of them like ornaments for now, but it was only a matter of time before they set them free and leaves would decorate the ground handsomely.

Once we arrived at the mall, the two of us immediately jumped out of the car and went toward the entrance, eager to get to the smoothie stand.

"I can't decide if I want to get mango or strawberry-banana," Bella said as she walked beside me, digging through her purse for her wallet and dropping a crumpled receipt on the floor.

I thought for a moment before responding. "Get mango, you always get strawberry-banana."

She hummed in agreement. "I know, but it's just such a classic flavor. It will never disappoint me."

I chuckled, my movement causing the bruises on my face to throb. My whole body still ached from my injuries. I could feel where each of my bruises were every time I moved. I tried to ignore it, but sometimes it was hard, the pain being too much to ignore.

I had gotten used to all of the stares at school, along with the people rushing to my side, begging to know what had happened to me. They were just feigning concern, I knew they were being nosy. The stares I was getting out in public as we entered the mall were different. Instead of concern, faces were filled with bewilderment and disgust as if I was some lower-class citizen infringing upon the public's leisure time.

"Ross feels really bad about what happened you know," Bella said, turning to face me as we waited in line at the smoothie stand.

Her petite figure caused me to have to look down at her with my sullen expression.

"I told him not to worry about it," I said, motioning for Bella to move forward when the line moved.

"I know," she started. "But he still blames himself. You should talk to him."

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "I have talked to him. I don't know what else to say other than it's not his fault and I don't blame him."

It was difficult to get through to Ross about this. I had never seen him look so guilty, the way he looked whenever he looked at me over the past few days. It sort of made me feel guilty that he felt that way.

"Maybe if you tell him enough, he will finally understand," Bella suggested with a grin before turning to order her smoothie. She went with the mango.

"Hi, what can I get for you?" the boy at the counter asked when it was my turn.

"Uh..." I trailed, looking by him at the menu. "I'll get the strawberry colada."

He grinned and punched my order in on the register. "That will be $5.49."

I handed him my card, looking over at Bella who was already sipping on her smoothie as she waited for me. I walked over to her to wait for mine after my card was back in my wallet. Soon enough, my smoothie was ready and we headed to the food court to sit.

Bella immediately made her way to a table beside the window. I could never understand why she always wanted to sit here. It wasn't like there was an amazing view. All we could see was the parking lot and the highway, nothing spectacular. But Bella insisted on sitting here every time without fail.

"You were right about getting mango," Bella told me with a smile, sipping on her drink happily.

"It didn't disappoint?" I teased with a grin of my own.

She shook her head. "No, I'm happy I got it."

Bella looked out the window happily as she took another sip of her smoothie. I followed her line of vision out to the parking lot. I still couldn't understand why she loved staring out this window. All I could see was a bunch of cars and a mother dragging her two children through the parking lot. There was nothing out there to marvel at.

She soon turned back to me with a smile on her face, but he smile quickly dropped as she looked at something behind me. I gave her a confused look.

"What?" I asked confusedly.

Bella didn't say anything, she just pointed behind me. I turned around to follow where she was looking and when I saw it, I didn't know whether to be happy or upset.

Sam sat a few tables away from us with Jake beside him and two girls sitting across from them. My hopes that it wasn't a date were crushed when the girl across from Sam sneaked her hand into his and leaned closer as if she wanted to kiss him. I turned away before I could see it happen.

"I was stupid for thinking he would date me, wasn't I?" Bella asked sadly, looking down at her cup and mixing her drink with the straw.

I sighed and shook my head. "No, he's the stupid one."

"I thought you guys were getting along now?" she questioned, looking up at me.

"We are," I confirmed. "Sorta."

It was hard not being able to express exactly what it was that I was feeling in that moment to Bella. Sam and I weren't dating, but that didn't mean that it felt good knowing he was going out with someone else while also kinda, sorta going out with me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to be able to stomp over there and yell in his face, but I couldn't. We weren't dating. He never made a commitment to me. I should've known better than to think Sam Knight would feel obligated to be exclusive like I did.

"Oh shit," Bella suddenly said as she was still looking toward Sam.

"What?" I grumbled, not wanting to look at him.

"They're walking over here," she told me.

Before I could even turn around, Sam and his friends were beside our table. At first, he didn't see me, but when Jake held a hand out to stop him, his eyes widened.

"Wow, they really did a number on you," Jake commented as he stared down at my face. He looked intrigued rather than sympathetic.

"Yeah..." I trailed, letting my eyes wander to Sam who was holding hands with the girl from before.

Sam looked insanely uncomfortable and even a little guilty. His grip on her hand loosened, but she didn't allow him to let go, practically holding him hostage.

"Sam took care of them for you, didn't you," Jake said, deflecting the conversation to a tense looking Sam.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I did."

"Thanks," I said, though I wasn't feeling thankful at all. I was willing to say anything to get out of this situation.

"Let's go," said the girl clinging to Jake's arm. "We have to go now so we can hang out at your place for a while before I have to go home and watch The Bachelor."

Without another word, Jake and his girl walked off. Sam hesitated for a moment before the girl his was with started tugging on his arm.

"See you tomorrow, Mase," he said sullenly before giving into the girl's tugs.

Bella and I watched as the two left with blank expressions.

"Well, that was awkward," Bella said once they were out of sight.

"You could say that again."

***

Sam Knight

"I have to work, Mae!" I exclaimed to my sister in law as I sped to work with my phone between my shoulder and my ear.

"I know, I'm sorry, but I got held up at work and Miles is off at a friends house so he can't watch her," she explained. "Please just get Lila from school and bring her with you, I'll get there as soon as I can."

I sighed, but gave in anyway. Who was I to say no to someone who let me live at their house for free?

"Fine," I said. "I'll go get her."

"Thanks so much Sammy!" Mae exclaimed happily. "I owe you one."

Thankfully, Lila's school was only down the street from mine, so it wouldn't put me too far out of my way. Lila would usually take the bus home and stay with Miles at the neighbor's house for about half an hour before Mae got home, but since Miles was going to a friend's today, Mae was going to get out early to pick Lila up. Obviously, it didn't work out as planned.

Once I was in the elementary school parking lot, I parked the car and scurried inside and into the cafeteria where the children all waited to be picked up by their parents. I was met by a faculty member meant to be signing kids out.

"Who are you picking up?" the older woman asked me.

"Lila Knight," I answered, pulling out my ID for verification.

The woman took my ID and looked through the laptop that was sitting in front of her. I could see Lila from where I stood and once she made eye contact with me, she came running.

"Hi Uncle Sammy!" she yelled, throwing herself at me and causing me to stumble.

"All set," the woman said, handing me back my ID.

"Thank you," I replied, holding Lila in my arms before taking her out of the school.

"Where's mom?" she asked once we got in my car.

"She's stuck at work," I answered as I started moving out of the parking lot.

"Boo!"

"You're going to have to hang out with me at work for a little while," I told her, looking at her reaction through the rear view mirror.

"Will you buy me sweets?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

I chuckled and nodded. "I'll buy you one."

I quickly got her out of the car once we were at the bakery. I was always late to work, but now I was even more late than usual. Thankfully, the shop didn't look too busy so Mason wouldn't have had to deal with crowds all by himself.

Mason looked at me strangely when I walked in holding onto Lila's hand.

"Hi Mason!" she yelled excitedly.

His face instantly lit up. "Hi Lila!'

"She has to hang out here for a while," I told him, dragging her over to the table closest to the register so I could keep an eye on her.

"That's fine," he said dismissively before turning back to Lila.

"Are you hurt?" Lila asked him worriedly, pointing at the bruises on his face.

"A little bit," he admitted. "But I'll be fine."

I left the two of them so I could go get my apron and when I came back, Mason was sitting with Lila while she showed him some drawings from her backpack.

"Do you have homework?" I asked, causing both of them to look at me.

Lila rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"Then get to it," I said. "And then I'll buy you a treat."

Lila instantly pulled out her pink homework folder and got busy with work. Mason smiled down at her before getting up and walking by me to the counter. I grabbed his arm and sent him a pleading look.

"Can we talk?" I asked quietly.

He shook my hand off. "There's nothing to talk about."

Mason continued to go behind the counter to which I followed him, blocking him from going into the kitchen.

"Yes, there is," I insisted.

"I'm over this," he said with a cold look, motioning between the two of us.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and leaned against the pastry case.

"Look, it's obvious your team wants me to stay away from you," he answered, motioning toward his bruised face.

"I don't–"

"And apparently you have a girlfriend, so I don't see the point in continuing whatever this was," he cut me off.

"She's not my–"

"It's done, okay? I'm done," Mason said in a final tone.

"Will you let me get a damn word in?" I asked angrily, keeping my tone low and stepping closer to him.

"There's no point," he responded, looking over toward Lila who was intently focused on her homework. "No one wants us to be associated together, so we should just stop."

"What about what I want?" I asked desperately. "What about what you want?"

Mason turned to look me in the eyes. His eyes looked dull, like he was closing off his emotions. He hesitated for a moment as he stared at my pleading gaze.

"It doesn't matter," he finally said.

"Yes, it does," I pressed further.

"Stop, it's done," Mason said before brushing by me to hide out in the kitchen.

I stared at the spot where he previously stood, thinking about what had just happened. The two of us weren't dating, but I felt like I was just broken up with. I was used to getting what I wanted and to people wanting me.

Mason Maloney was the one thing I couldn't have and that made me want him all the more.

**

What do you guys think about what happened with Sam and Mason? Do you think Mason overreacted?

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