David by Marisa Redhead16 (100 best novels of all time TXT) 📕

I turned away from her and thought and worried about David. Nina had gone home with Kevin. I felt tears sting my eyes. David was my whole, my only one. Okay, that's not completely true, but I loved him enough that I'd never cheat on him or break up with him. He'd already technically cheated on me, and I wondered if he really was done with me. I felt like a shirt that could be returned and tossed aside.

Tony was listening to Newport Living by Cute Is What We Aim For. How interesting. I listened to the lyrics. I could name several people I knew who needed to hear this song. In fact, my entire high school could benefit from hearing this song. It wasn't bad, anyway. I looked at the television. My brother was watching Mean Girls. Again, how interesting. Also a great movie.

I laid down on my bed and let Jazz climb on me. He licked my face. Can dogs sense emotions? I know cats can, at least all the ones I've known can, including my own. Yes, I had a cat at one point. Mom also had a cat, and they both passed away several years ago. Mine was Regulus, hers was Virgo. Yes, we named our cats after sparkly objects in the sky.

Girlfriend laid herself on top of me. Her tongue stuck out and she looked at me with innocent eyes. I studied her cute face and scratched her left ear. She wagged her fluffy tail. She kissed me.

"Girl, my boyfriend's in the hospital," I told her. Her ears perked up. I saw that her claws were newly trimmed and her hair was soft and silky. Mom must've taken her to our pet groomer. Jazz didn't get the same coat treatment, but he did get his ears checked. The other day he got into a tiff with another dog while Tony walked him and the dog messed up his right ear. According to Tony, the guy walking the other dog had never seen a Queensland heeler before and wanted to get a better look at him.

Jazz started to sniff the other dog, that's when the dog attacked him. Mom put some peroxide on him when he got home, and of course he yowled and whimpered. Jazz was fine now, but always avoided other dogs now, even when I took him to the local dog park one day. He just cowered between my legs and always ran and hid when another dog approached him.

I finished a math assignment with an ungodly amount of problems, and read ahead in my Chemistry textbook. It was actually quite fascinating. I also read a story in my English book until it was time to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. Tony was still up, watching Investigation Discovery. I knew he was still pissed at me for the Nina and the videocamera issues. I needed to talk to him. I missed him.

I knocked on his door.

"Do not enter if your name is Tobias." he drawled. I entered anyway. He glared at me and turned on to his other side, laying on his bed.

"Tony, you can't still be mad at me over Nina," I told him.

"If you started dating one of my friends, no one would delete her number." he muttered.

"Tony, that's not true. And my real issue is you cheating on your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend anymore."

"Huh?"

"I told her, just like you wanted me to, and she broke up with me. She hasn't texted me back or called me back yet."

"Tony, she just broke up with you. It's going to take some time for her to heal."

"Psst. It's hard knowing who anyone's girlfriend or boyfriend or spouse is anymore. I'm sick of high school, sick of not knowing who I like or who likes me. I'm going to drop out."

"Don't you dare!"

"Why do you care? You jump from girlfriend to girlfriend to boyfriend and now you don't even know if he's yours or if he'll live anymore!" he cried. That struck a nerve with me. I started to pull back my fist then thought better of it.

I walked into my room and buried my head in a pillow. This was so messed up. My boyfriend was on the brink of death, my brother hated me, and some of my best friends weren't speaking to me. And Maureen had gone too far. I wasn't only worried about myself, I truly worried about her too. My friend was so concerned with her status, she completely forgot a few rules that the most self-absorbed person knows.

I found myself tearing up. I fell asleep crying.

I felt like I'd been run over by a truck and left to die in the dirt like David had. I felt stressed and dirty, no matter how hard I scrubbed myself. I hate dirt. I've never liked it. It's messy and filled with who-knows-what. I didn't even like studying it. And I love science. I felt my body slump all morning.

Tony had no choice but to take me to school, and we didn't say a word to each other. We went our seperate ways when we entered the building. When Tony sat with his friends, he sat where he could watch Keisha. Keisha was gabbing away on her phone, giggling and making high pitched sounds.

Nina sat with me. Michael glanced over at us, but he never approached me or her. He looked guilty though. Logan sat by me. He looked very different, wearing grey skinny jeans and a grey tank top. His red hair was gelled into a pompadour. His freckles were barely noticeable. I asked what was going on.

"Just trying something new," he answered.

I didn't say anything after that. I just read a book until the bell rang to go to class. I got to my desk just as the warning bell rang. My eyes must've looked terrible because Mr. Flock asked me if I'd gotten enough sleep last night. I lied and said yes. I knew that he didn't believe me, but he didn't press on. I paid attention as best I could, but it's hard when someone you love, someone you've given yourself to, was in the hospital with his life on the line.

Chester wanted to know how David was. I told him the whole truth and how I'd found him. I really had no reason to be angry at him, as he didn't know that David and I were dating. Really, if I had anyone to blame, it was David. I though about my boyfriend more, possibly my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. At this point I really couldn't picture myself with anyone except for him. The only exclusion was Chester.

Yes, I liked Chester. I realized that with a sudden start. I felt like my chest stopped and all of my vital organs refused to work. I liked  Chester, a lot. I liked his strong jawline, the way his hair curled around his cheeks, his gorgeous sky blue eyes. No, they were brighter than the sky. More like a turqoise shade of blue with a touch of silver mixed in there somewhere.

Chester looked truly heartbroken when he asked about David, and I realized that Chester truly did love David. David was amazing, but he was poison at the same time. He had come from the wrong side of the tracks. He couldn't control where he physically lived, but he could control his personality. He was a player, an upstart. Realizing that little fact broke my heart into a million shards of glass.

I sort of drudged through Chemistry. Maya was a tad annoyed that she had to work a little harder than usual, but she needed it. Maureen was becoming sugar-coated salt.

I went to the hospital again, this time with Nina. I waited impatiently for the doctors to finish running a CAT scan for David. They were checking for internal damage and brain trauma. I knew he'd had some damage, I knew he secretly drank and did drugs occasionally. I'd seen him shoot heroin up his arm once. And I'd smelled marijuana in his room. I know what it smells like because I used to have a friend who did drugs, he eventually passed away from liver cancer.

I tapped my foot while Nina finished a Cosmopolitan magazine. I stared at the girl on the cover. Not because she was pretty, because she actually wasn't, but because I needed something to look at. The girl's name was Claire and she was apparently a hot and up-and-coming Hollywood starlet. I had never seen her in any movies or heard any music from her. She wasn't a model or an author. She appeared to just be a wannabe whose publisher paid the magazine to have her on their next cover.

I wondered if I was the same way. I'd certainly known someone who acted like that and still did. Her name was...no, I shan't say it again. Her hair was blond and she was popular and she'd kissed me before. It wasn't long before I was told that the CAT scan was done and I could see David.

I went in, stomach twisted in knots, wondering how to say what I was thinking or even if I should. David was sitting up, finally, but he looked nervous.

"A whole bunch of people got arrested, my dad included. They're thinking about arresting my mother," he explained. I immediately felt for him and didn't want to hurt him further. I nuzzled his hand with mine. He turned my hand over and rubbed my palm. He kissed it. I couldn't break up with him. No way, no how.

Nina gave me a good glare as we left the hospital.

"What the hell was that?" she asked me.

"I couldn't help...I couldn't help myself. He was so adorable, and I love him, and he has problems enough. I don't want to hurt him any more."

"Toby, he cheated on you without thought-"

"Without thought. He didn't think, Nina." I said.

Nina let out an exasperated sigh. She threw her head back.

"You have got to stop defending him, stop making excuses for him. He's bad news, Tobias. Stay with him if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you."

I nodded and told her I understood.

"This isn't his fault, Nin. He's pretty much lost everything, I'm the only thing he has left. I can't hurt him." I explained further. She nodded.

"You're right. He doesn't need a piece of his broken heart in his throat  because you broke up with him."

"What does that mean? Are you saying he's suicidal?" I asked her.

"It's just a rumor. Everyone's saying David wants to kill himself when he gets a chance."

"Who started this rumor?"

"Who started the rumor that Sophia still sleeps with a Barbie doll?"

I closed my eyes. "Maureen."

"Yes. She began that rumor. Whether it's true or not is anyone's guess."

I didn't say anything else until we reached my house. I helped Nina with her Science homework. That's her worst subject, while it's my best. Nina's talents lie in fashion and makeup. Me, I can play four instruments and my grades are phenomal. I hate having talent. I really do. I'd rather have no talent than to have tons of talent. I get asked for help all the time, and I only help about a third of those people.

I texted David, and he told me he was taking a nap. I told him to keep napping. He accepted.

Nina and I ordered pizza since we were alone for the night. My mother had a case involving a pedophile and Tony was out, probably buying cigarettes. He's not old enough, but he has a fake ID saying he's twenty one. He was always out lately, doing I-don't-know-what.

"Hey, there's a party this Friday at The Shack. Want to go?" Nina asked. The Shack is an abandoned house that teens in my neighborhood go to for parties.

"There's always