I Kissed the Boy Who Hit Me | Teen Ink

I Kissed the Boy Who Hit Me MAG

May 19, 2009
By BreeLynne27 GOLD, Carmel, Indiana
BreeLynne27 GOLD, Carmel, Indiana
15 articles 0 photos 13 comments

I really didn't see it coming. His hand, angry and rough and quick as lightning, connected with my jaw as he smacked me across the face. Hard. My neck snapped to the side, my chin pointed downward, and that's where I stayed for at least a full minute. I was afraid to move, afraid to breathe.

Oh, my God. I'm dreaming. Please tell me this isn't real.

Hot tears clung to my lashes, but I refused to let myself cry. I focused on the burning sensation in my cheek, too afraid to shift in my seat. My face was on fire.

I swallowed hard, watching the scenery as it passed: the green grass and the yellow sun, the black blurring of mailboxes and rooftops. Except for the steady hum of the air conditioner, there was dead silence.

I tried to focus on anything, anything but the boy next to me, breathing heavily. Anything except the car speeding up as he stepped on the accelerator, driving more recklessly with every dip and curve in the road.

See the sidewalks, a steady stream of white concrete against the jet black road. See the treetops, so severely contrasting the painted cerulean sky. See the fire hydrant, bright like the stars that shine above the lake at night. See–

“This isn't my fault, Caitlin,” he said quietly. I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. His hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white.

“What?” I was surprised to find that my voice was soft and steady, though my hands were shaking and twisting in my lap.

“You left me waiting there for an hour. What was I supposed to think?”

“It was an honest mistake,” I whispered, so quietly that I could barely hear myself. “I lost track of time.”

He glanced at me, his jaw clenched so hard I thought he might shatter his teeth. “Yeah, sure.”

I hesitated, not knowing what he wanted me to do. I opened my mouth, and I watched his hands, and I made sure they didn't come anywhere near me. “I'm telling the truth,” I said finally, quietly. “I was doing exactly what I told you I'd be doing … working on my story for the paper.”

“Of course you were.”

“Why don't you trust me?”

“Who was that guy you were with?”

I sighed, knowing I could never win. My cheek hurt so much, worse than when I fell of my bike and skinned my elbows and knees. It hurt worse than the time I cut my hand on a fence and needed six stitches, or the time I fell on a flower pot and sliced my knee open. It hurt because he made me hurt. It hurt because he wanted me to hurt.

“I … I just–”

“Spit it out, Caitlin!”

I fell back against the seat, feeling more defeated than I'd ever felt in my life. It was like reaching the top step just to find more stairs. It would have been easier to think, I'm sure, if my face didn't have a heartbeat.

“Why are you being so mean to me?” It just slipped out, and Aaron looked bewildered. He didn't answer right away, or even as we pulled into my neighborhood. By the time he'd parked in my driveway, we were both completely silent.

“I'm sorry, Cait,” he said. “That was really stupid; I don't know what came over me.”

I let my eyes meet his for the first time that afternoon. “I don't either.”

He shut the car off and twisted in his seat to face me. His hand slid over my forehead, and down through my hair, and finally settled around my neck. He pulled me toward him, gently, and kissed the cheek that still ached. Now it ached with yearning.

It's strange, I suppose, how someone can treat you so wrong and you can still want him so much. I wanted to feel his lips on me again, brushing away the hurt and the pain. I wanted his touch. The school parking lot suddenly felt a million years away.

“That will never happen again,” he assured me, kissing me softly. “I swear I will never do that again.”

And I believed him.


The author's comments:
Please comment. Good and bad critiques are welcome. Thanks!!

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This article has 181 comments.


i<3steven! said...
on Feb. 24 2010 at 4:24 pm
i<3steven!, Newcastle, California
0 articles 0 photos 95 comments

Favorite Quote:
*john-son-johnson*
Inside Joke

i read that book and the last line is also my favorite too, i hope help is avaliable for her

Asuka_kun said...
on Feb. 19 2010 at 8:13 am
OMG this is the bestest ever ^.^ totally loved it ^.^ i feel really bad for caitlin too ^.^ keep writing.. your quite good ^.^ well done ^.^

on Feb. 14 2010 at 5:29 pm
FlyleafFreak DIAMOND, Loveland, Colorado
51 articles 0 photos 203 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I have faith in fools;self confidence my friends call it"~Edger Allan Poe
"In this world of infinite insanity, your friends are the best psychiatrists you will ever have."~Me

Wow! This is really amazing, it kind of reminds me of a scene from Sarah Dresden's book Dreamland. The last line is my favorite, it really cuts it off. Great job never stop writing. <3

twiwrite GOLD said...
on Feb. 9 2010 at 2:53 pm
twiwrite GOLD, Modesto, California
14 articles 0 photos 111 comments

Favorite Quote:
none :P

and i beleived him.

great line. partialy because you expect him to have done it again, and also because you know if you love dsomeone so much you would forgive them of every thing.

dominicana said...
on Feb. 8 2010 at 7:23 pm
i absolutely loved the topic you picked to write and when you said at the end"and i believed him" was my favorite line

on Feb. 8 2010 at 4:59 pm
kazuntai101 BRONZE, Winnipeg, Other
4 articles 1 photo 5 comments
I loved the line "it would be easier to think if my face didn't have a heartbeat." I thought that was a cool way to put it.

on Feb. 8 2010 at 11:03 am
skindeep BRONZE, New York, New York
3 articles 0 photos 1 comment
The emotions in this story were so real..amazing job.

Bunny said...
on Jan. 30 2010 at 8:05 pm
Honestly this is a fantastic short story. I felt like I was the person being hurt and I could feel the emotion and see the imagery. This was truly marvelous. The only thing I did not like too much was the title I think it deserved a more creative that grabs more attention although it certainly grabbed my attention lol but something that will distinct it from others. Other then that I believe this was very well written. Congrates on your publication.

on Jan. 29 2010 at 5:34 pm
FlamingTaco1479 SILVER, Spring Mills, Pennsylvania
8 articles 8 photos 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
"When life gives you lemons, hold onto them. They're free lemons!"

You said you wanted critiques both good and bad. But the truth is, no one could ever give this a bad critique, unless they know nothing about anything. This is truly a piece of art; complex and emotional and horribly real. Fantistic. Phenominal. Brilliant.

Never stop writing, 'kay?

Tayyyyy SILVER said...
on Jan. 26 2010 at 3:13 pm
Tayyyyy SILVER, Clermont, Florida
8 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You dont love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not"
— Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper)

Wow! This was really good!

M.S.S. GOLD said...
on Jan. 26 2010 at 12:22 pm
M.S.S. GOLD, Lubbock, Texas
11 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"WACKADOO!!!" "You made a funny!" "Red Seven! Red Seven!! Red Seh-ven-a!!!" "Swaaaaag!!!!" "Ratchet" "God Said No" "God Said Yes"

Never will i read another one like this.....so unique....felt so real....felt like i was in the car watching it myself.....don't EVER stop writing;D

on Jan. 26 2010 at 10:57 am
jordan<3 BRONZE, Trout Run, Pennsylvania
2 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"And the mockingbird told me, I change with the seasons and so she was leaving town in a few days now." - chase coy<3

I really liked this, one of my favorites so far

Really well written with a lot of emotion.

I can't wait to read more.

keep writing! :D

-jordan<3

on Jan. 23 2010 at 12:43 pm
Julie Meisler, Rockford, Tennessee
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
This piece evoked several emotions...pity, revulsion, scorn, fear, and understanding. You have a powerful and beautiful voice. I want to read more...keep writing.

on Jan. 17 2010 at 10:47 pm
LoveLikeWoe DIAMOND, LeSueur, MN, Minnesota
54 articles 2 photos 748 comments

Favorite Quote:
Whoever laughs first has the sickest mind.

like... whoa!! :) i loved this!! gggrrrreeeaaaatttt job!!! :D

Gregg555 said...
on Jan. 15 2010 at 12:03 pm
Absolutely, positively fantastic. You are good and can do anything you want!!!!!

swilly53 said...
on Jan. 14 2010 at 1:53 pm
breez it was awesome, can't wait to hear the rest.

Skeezics GOLD said...
on Jan. 11 2010 at 5:37 pm
Skeezics GOLD, Eatonville, Washington
12 articles 0 photos 87 comments

Favorite Quote:
A childs voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who have forgotten how to listen.
Everyone faces obsticals. What defines you is how you overcome them. -J.R. Celski

I love this piece. it had a very powerful meaning and it was very very well written. Honestly though if someone ever did that to me, they would find themselves dumped and in the hospital with at least 2 broken bones. and i am not a violent type but that would be what put me over the edge.

on Jan. 10 2010 at 9:56 pm
BreeLynne27 GOLD, Carmel, Indiana
15 articles 0 photos 13 comments
Thanks so much for all the feedback!! It really means a lot to me that people take the time to comment. This is actually a short clip from a novel I'm working on. I might put it on fictionpress soon so I'll let you know and I'd really appreciate it if you'd check it out!

on Jan. 9 2010 at 12:12 pm
writer-in-pearls GOLD, San Diego, California
10 articles 0 photos 42 comments
I loved this piece! It's very well written and powerful. I'd love it if you would read my piece, Return and leave some feedback :)

Bex24 BRONZE said...
on Jan. 7 2010 at 8:25 pm
Bex24 BRONZE, Toronto, Other
3 articles 21 photos 79 comments
This piece is haunting in a really good way. I absolutely LOVE the last line. The title caught my attention, but the story was even better than I had thought it would be. Great job!