• "There once lived a girl with bruises. Everywhere and every time I see her, there were always tons of bruises on her body. But once, I saw what caused her bruises. Four kids circled around her, punching, pushing, and kicking her around like a punching bag. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to do something. I raced towards them. I had asked them and commanded them to stop. Nothing worked. My body grew angry, and I couldn't stop myself. I kicked and punched each and everyone of the people who bullied her. They all ran as fast as they could away from us.

    'Are you okay?' I asked.

    She nodded shyly.

    'Do they always do this to you?' I knelt down beside her, gathering her books.

    She nodded again.

    'Why?'

    She looked at me, 'Even I don't know that answer.'

    She tried to grab her books, but I just handed it to her.

    'Thank you.' she stood up.

    I jumped up, 'Wait, I'll take you home.'

    She turned around to face me, 'No, it's really fine. You don't have to.' She looked back and was about to walk away.

    'What's your name?'

    She turned back around to face me again, 'Deya.' and then, there it was, her beautiful smile.

    She walked away quickly.

    Her smile kept flashing back into my head, and just seeing that smile, made me smile myself. I repeated her name after another, after another... That was when I realized, that I had to watch over her.

    From then on, I would stand beside her, to protect her, to be her friend, and even more. We would spend our free time to be together, to get to know each other better. She would talk about her family, how her parents would ignore her, the way she is mistreated, how she felt like a servant towards them, and I would tell her about what I had always wanted to be when I grew up, which is what I am now today. Her bruises began to go away, and I could finally see the beauty behind them. Then, summer started, and eighth grade was behind us. She took me to her most favorite place in town. Which was her bridge; the bridge that her grandfather made for her when she was only eight. The bridge that laid upon the small, abysmal river. She would tell me all about him. She said that he was the only person that would understand and listen to her. A tear dropped when she talked about his death. The last week of summer break came. I noticed a bruise on her left cheek. She said it was nothing, her mother had just slapped her for not telling them where she always went. But I thought that it shouldn't have mattered to them, for they had always abandoned her. At that same day, I finally confessed my love for her. I could still remember the feeling of touching her soft, warm hands. We spent the last week going to her bridge. And at that night, was our first kiss. I enjoyed every second of it. Then, there it came, Freshmen year.

    We walked together, hand in hand, towards the building. My friends approached us, and suddenly she yanked her hand away. I looked at her in confusion, but she just looked away. My friends asked what I was doing with her. But my stupidity came over me.

    'I was just asking her if she knew where the restroom was.' I then looked back to see her expression, but she wasn't there.

    I knew I made a mistake. My friends pulled me away and they began to talk about their summer. I kept looking around to see if she was anywhere around my sight. She wasn't... As soon as my friends finally set me free, I ran all over the school to see where she was, and finally, I saw her. She sat on a bench in the baseball field. I slowly began to walk up to her. I told her how sorry I was, she would smile that beautiful smile, and tell me that it was okay. But I knew that it wasn't. I knew that I hurt her. I kissed her cheek, she smiled brightly and chuckled. I decided to walk her to class, to show her my deepest apology.

    Weeks later was the day that I didn't expect to happen. My friends took me to an empty classroom. I asked them what they had wanted.

    'Dude, you're making us look bad. People keeps saying that you and that Deya girl are going out. What's that about?' one of them said.

    'Look, man. I don't like her, okay? I'm just trying to be nice to her so that when she really falls for me, I can dump her like the trash she is. I mean just look at her. And she honestly believes that I like her back. I mean look at me you know? For her? I don't think so.' Then, there it was; I heard things fall onto the floor, I looked back and saw Deya walk away, head down.

    I called her name out. But she didn't stop. My friends tried to stop me, saying that if I follow her, it would be the biggest mistake I would ever make. I didn't care anymore; all I cared about was my beautiful Deya. I brushed their arms away and began to run after Deya. But I couldn't find her anywhere on my sight. I checked the baseball field, she wasn't there. Then, it hit me. Her favorite place of all, her bridge. I ran as fast as I could, but I was too late.

    I saw her atop the railings of her bridge, ready to jump off. I called out after her, trying to stop her. I saw her tears fall after another, after another. I called her name again, but all she did was turn around to face me, I could see her sad face. I told her to get down, but all she did was smile that beautiful smile again. Then suddenly, she relaxed herself, and her body fell into the abysmal river. I ran towards where she had fell and jumped after her. I struggled my way in search of her body. Then, I found her. I pulled her up and onto the shore. I tried to give her CPR, but it didn't seem to work. I carried her with all my strength and brought her to the hospital. The doctor and nurses took her in, while I signed the register forms. I waited a few moments for the doctor. Finally, the doctor came and said that she was alright, just self unconscious. I went in her room and saw her laying on the bed. I cried and cried, feeling guilty, for I had almost lost my beautiful Deya. The doctor said that I should go home and come back the next day. I did as what I was told and came back to the hospital as early as I could.

    I opened her door and saw her standing, fixing the bedspread. I rushed over to her and hugged her tightly. I apologized to her and tried to tell her that everything I said was just a lie to make them stop bothering me. But all she did was looked down and smiled that smile.

    She looked back up to face me, 'Don't worry about me, I'm completely fine.'

    'I di-'

    'You don't have to explain it to me. I fully understand.' she interrupted and walked towards the door.

    'Deya, wait!' I ran after her.

    She looked back at me, 'Don't worry, I already paid for the bills. I'm sorry to trouble you.' She headed back towards the door. I knew I made her sad again. Why do I always do this to her? I asked my self. I punched the wall, as hard as I could, and made a hole. I looked up and saw the doctor shaking his head in disappointment towards me. I sped walked passed him to hide my embarrassment.

    I didn't know where she was after that day. I wanted so much to check if she was at her house, but I didn't know where it was at. Then, for the rest of the week, she never showed up. I asked people around if they knew where she was. Some people said that they didn't know her, some said she moved, some said they didn't know, and the most horrifying answer they gave me was, 'she died.' Oh I hoped so much for that not to be true.

    I am now twenty-six years old. And I still have not seen my dear, beautiful Deya once again."

    I closed the book and smiled. My dear protector...are you still waiting for me? I thought. I stood up and grabbed my cell to make a phone call to the airlines. I flew back to my hometown in search for my protector. I looked at the back of my book and saw the address that laid there. I grabbed a taxi to take me to that exact location. I stood in front of a two story house, hoping that it was the right one. I rang the doorbell. Few minutes later, a man answered it.

    "Can I help you?" He asked.

    I looked down and took my sunglasses off. I looked back up and smiled, in search if he still remembers me. The shock on his face grew.

    "Deya? Is that you?" He opened the door wider.

    I nodded and chuckled.

    Then out of the blue, he pulled me towards him and embraced me stiffly.

    When he was done, he said, "Please, come inside."

    I smiled and followed him in.

    "Please sit. Do you want anything to eat drink, anything?"

    I could sense that he was nervous. I sat down onto a brown couch, "No, I won't be staying long."

    "Well, what brings you here back hometown?"

    I smiled, "I read your book." I searched through my bag and handed the book to him.

    He took it and smiled, "I see." Then he handed it back, "so is your coming back to our hometown meaning that you would like a second chance with me?"

    I placed the book back in my bag and chuckled. I looked up to face him, lifted my left hand,and smiled, "I'm married." There, that same shocked face showed.