"Casey." He yelled. My eyes jolted open. "You need to stay awake."

"Sleep."

He nodded, "I know, but you need stay awake." He sat me up. "You have to stay awake or you might go into a coma."

Brian found his voice. "Grayson. I didn't mean to. I just lost it."

Grayson looked at Brian, glaring. "You're more screwed then you even know."

I shook my head. "Leave him alone." Is what I was trying to say.

Grayson shook his head, "She can't even make comprehendable words. We might need to take her to the ER." He lifted me off the cold ground and put me on my bed. I felt the robe tighten around me. "I have to keep her awake. Conner will kill you if she has permanent damage." Grayson sighed looking at me. "Both of you go downstairs."

Keeping me awake eventually got easier. For the first half an hour he had to yell in my ear. After that I stayed conscious for longer periods of time. Grayson shifted me so I rested against his chest. He rubbed my head.

"That feels nice."

He didn't say anything. In fact, he tensed up when my head settled on his shoulder. He smelt Jason. I tried to pull away from him. But he kept me there easily.

"So, why Jason?"

"What do you mean?"

He changed the channel.

"For your revenge on me. You chose Jason."

"He's your friend. It would be a kick in the nuts."

He shook his head and chuckled. "He's not my friend."

"You hang out with him."

He nodded, "Keep your friends close, enemies closer."

"Your enemy?"

He nodded. "You've had feelings for him since 3rd grade."

I shook my head, "2nd."

He was still tense.

"Why Jessica?"

He sighed. "It would hurt you more."

I nodded, "Couldn't do better then Jessica for that."

"Oh, but I did." I nodded, remembering how I had caught them at the party. "You weren't supposed to find me."

"Chris thought it would be funny." I regretted ratting Chris out immediately.

"I'm sorry."

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"How so?"

I sighed. "I don't wanna talk about it."

He let it drop and we watched TV. When I started drifting again, he woke me up.

"Another hour."

I sighed. "I'm so tired."

He nodded and turned my cheek into his vision.

"We need to get this cleaned."

I scooted away from him so he could get up. He came back in with Brian's first-aid kit. His knuckles were red. That means Brian was probably fixing his broken nose right now.

"Leave him alone. He'll beat himself up more than you ever could."

Grayson nodded, "I should. But it makes me feel better." He opened the box. "Come here."

I listened and slowly crawled to the edge of my bed. I sat on my feet. It stung when he rinsed off the dried blood. It hurt even more when he had to place butterfly bandages to bring the skin back together. Luckily it wasn't serious enough for stitches. He covered those bandages with an ointment and a gauze pad he cut in half.

"Lots of bruising?"

He nodded. "Black and blue."

I sighed. "I can't go to prom looking like this."

He shrugged. "Maybe Trevor will heal it."

I looked down.

"How does your mouth feel?"

"Sore."

"Open up." I shook my head. "I need to see."

I shook my head again. He grabbed my chin and forced me to open my mouth. It hurt when he swabbed in an ointment, but then it went numb.

"Your teeth aren't loose. You got lucky."

"Open fist."

He visually tensed.

"Anymore cuts I missed?"

I shook my head. He put the kit on the side table then got on my bed again. He held his arms open.

"I'm not too sure you should be so willing to snuggle with me."

He smirked, "Why not?"

"What if your girlfriend comes over?"

He shrugged. "The guys will let her in." He shook his head, "Its 3 am. She's at her house asleep." He grabbed the back of my robe and tugged, "Don't you want to snuggle with me?" he teased and pouted.

"Don't make fun of me."

He looked at the clock. "Another re-run and you can sleep."

I nodded. I closed my eyes when the credits started playing. Grayson readjusted me once then I was out.

Grayson was watching TV when I woke up. He was also eating a sandwich.

"You better not make a mess." It was cold.

"Finally." He took his arm out from under me, "I lost feeling in it a few hours ago."

I laughed, "I'm sorry."

He nodded and put his sandwich in biting range. I didn't hesitate when I'm offered food.

"I'm starving."

He nodded, "It's dinner time."

"You've been here the whole time?"

He smiled, "You held my arm hostage."

I smiled back at him, "Thanks."

He nodded. "Go take a shower and I'll have your food up here when you get out."

I tried to get up, but my arms were too weak from all the sleeping. I laughed. He saw my struggle and laughed at me. He pulled me up and put me on my feet.

It was easier from there. I made it to the shower. My purse and clothes were still inside. I threw them onto the floor. They were dry now. It was then I noticed that I was in only my underwear. There was a bandage on my stomach.

I slowly eased it off. There was a thin cut. A nail, Brian's nail. Then I looked at my face. My cheek was swollen. The discoloration covered half my face.  I sighed.

"No one will ask me to prom like this."

Then I took off the bandage. I wanted to cry. There was going to be a permanent scar. My jaw started shaking. A permanent scar meant stares, questions and the constant reminder of what happened last night. I sniffled a bit, then stripped my bra and panties and hoped into the shower. I took my time.

I turned off the water when there was a knock at the door. I put on my robe...

Conner was there. He shook his head when he saw me.

"I hoped they were kidding."

I looked down.

"Trevor's waiting for you. Grayson has talked him into giving you back your face."

I smiled. There would be no scar.

"I need to tell you something important Casey."

I nodded.

"There's a co--"

Grayson slammed the door open, stopping Conner's words in their tracks. "Don't."

Conner looked over at him, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Don't." Grayson growled at Conner.

Conner looked at me then back at Grayson.

"What am I missing?" I asked.

Conner, "I'll talk to you later. Go with Grayson."

I put on some sweats and a t-shirt, then followed Grayson to Trevor. Trevor spent 5 minutes looking at it.

"This is going to be painful." I was scared now. "No scar equals pain."

Grayson came behind me. "I'll keep you still."

Trevor motioned towards the chair. Grayson sat down then patted his lap. I hesitantly sat down. It didn't bother me that Grayson was only in his basketball shorts. The comfort level he was trying to give me scared me. He wrapped an arm around my waist; the other held my head on his shoulder.

Trevor whispered, "It'll be over soon."

I felt nothing at first. Then I felt it. The stinging, burning pain. I whimpered and tried to move away from Trevor.

"Shhhh." Grayson whispered into my ear. Then it was over.

Trevor pulled off the butterfly bandages.

"All better."

I nodded and touched my hot cheek. "Thanks."

He nodded and left us. I got up. Grayson looked towards Trevor's front door.

"Shit." He muttered. He looked at me, then at the door connecting the houses. I took the hint and left.

I went to the kitchen. Brian was there. When he saw me, he froze for a moment, then looked down as he left the room. I was afraid of him now. He could see it, which made me feel bad. I sighed and grabbed a granola bar before walking up to my room. Halfway up the stairs I heard Jessica yelling.

I looked downstairs, the boys were walking towards the door, listening. I walked down a few steps to eavesdrop. I couldn't hear nearly as well as the guys could. I heard my name clearly though. Then his voice roared. She was being kicked out on her ass. I started walking back up the stairs when I heard her slam the front door.

Grayson opened the door the guys were listening through. Half of them fell on their ass, the others laughed at those who fell. Grayson left Jessica. That didn't mean that he wanted me back. It just meant that he was single.

I watched a scrubs rerun as I settled into bed. My phone screen flashed.

<Becky>

<So... who are u goin 2 prom with?>

-*shrug* with myself i guess-

<Someone will ask u. i know it.>

I looked at the tv.

-its late. tired. talk tomorrow-

<k>

I threw my phone next to me after plugging it into the charger. I threw the wrapper of the granola onto my bedside table and laid down.  I was out in seconds.