Fragments

7.7

7.7

I should have listened to cheekbone girl. I should have kept walking when she called my name. I should have gone straight the the library to wait for Adam, and ignored this little fiasco. But no, I had to investigate.

Curiosity killed the cat, didn't it? Why did I think it wouldn't kill me too?

"You're Piper?"

The girl waiting is only a few inches taller than me, with long black hair and sneering red lips. When I notice she's not wearing an Elizabeth Roe's uniform, I keep the distance of the foyer between us. Obviously she's come here and sought me out - two girls stand on either side of her, ready to be her backup if necessary.

I don't say anything. I don't know what I'm supposed to say. Do I want to be this angry girl's Piper? Not particularly. I decide on keeping my mouth shut, but cheekbone girl doesn't have the same idea.

"Yeah, and why does it matter to you?" she asks, linking her arm through mine. I'm too confused and bewildered at the whole situation that I don't pull away from her. Strength in numbers, maybe.

"Because," the mad girl says, smiling directly at me, "I'm going to kick your ass."

She takes a step towards us but I'm quick to back up, unlinking my arm from Cheekbones.

"Hold on," I spit out. "Aren't you going to tell me why?"

"You know why."

"Actually, I don't."

She smiles as she says it.

"I know what happened with Lionel."

Cheekbones turns towards me but her face is a blur. Then she turns back towards the angry girl, spitting words at her I can't make out. Suddenly I'm thrown out of my pale, numb world and shoved right into red-hot fear. It feels like fire igniting in my chest, just hearing those words, strung together in a way that makes my stomach sick.

I know what happened with Lionel.

I can't get out of my head to escape the panic. It's blaring in my ears, throbbing in my brain, sending waves of it's fear through me until it's all I can focus on.

"And who even are you?"

A laugh. "His girlfriend."

"Oh," Cheekbones says, "jeeze. I guess not anymore, huh?"

The sound of a fist making contact with skin shakes me out of my trance. Cheekbones stands a foot or two back, touching the blood that starts to trickle down from her full lips. Even bleeding, she's still doll-perfect, and I want to hate her for it. But she had just defended me blindly and I appreciate that.

I don't know what to say. Do I deny what happened? Do I admit to it? I don't even want to think about it let alone talk about it to some pissy girl I've never met before.

"Maybe," I spit, "you should talk to Lionel."

His name feels like acidic garbage in my mouth.

Without denying nor confirming, I grab Cheekbones arm and lead her away from the girls in the foyer as a teacher comes around the corner, zeroing in on the non-students. This whole thing is done, at least for now.

"Thanks, for back there," I say quietly as we walk down the hall. With class already started, the school is empty again. Other than the occasional door closing, our footsteps are the only thing that echos through the halls. "Let's get you cleaned up."