Motorbike

Chapter 4: Karma

"You do not treat people that way, Billy Andrews," I hissed. He seemed surprised that I hit him, hurt too.

"Whatever, stupid girl. I don't know why you're defending the freak," he said, sitting down.

I glared for another moment, dead silence in the class as everyone watched me help Cole.

"Thank you, but you shouldn't have done that," he whispered.

"What's Mr. Phillips gonna do? Beat me? You know I won't stand for that," I said, walking back to my seat and waving off Gilbert, who was mouthing to me, asking what happened.

I averted my gaze, and I noticed Cole observe the fire, sighing before getting up to go get more wood.

Two minutes later he returned with this odd look on his face.

"Everything ok?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah it's just- well I'll tell you later," he said, putting more wood in as he noticed Mr. Phillips come back in from the closet area. I wondered what had happened in there to shake Cole so badly.

Mr. Phillips began the lesson, and I expected Billy to tell on me, but he stayed quiet. Of course, probably thanks to the look Gilbert was giving him. Nobody wanted to be on the bad side of Gilbert Blythe, and a quick way to get there was offending his younger sister.

We started with our math exam, and I gave Cole a strange look as Mr. Phillips began to talk.

"You may begin. The person who finishes last... will have wished he stayed home from school today," he said, swallowing and moving on. Cole looked over at me, and I furrowed my eyebrows.

He motioned to talk later, and I nodded, beginning to write with the chalk.

Lunch came fast, and I immediately pulled Cole out to the yard.

"What happened? Even Mr. Phillips looked weird," I said as we sat by the stream.

"I- I went to grab more firewood and I- well the dust fell on his shoe and we both kneeled to clean it off and- he looked at me in this- this strange way," he explained. My eyes went wide.

"You think he's- like Aunt Jo?" I suggested, trying to clarify.

"Yeah, I think he is. I think he is and he only hates me because he's mad at himself for being like this," he explained. I took in this realization, surprised.

"But Prissy-"

"Maybe he does love her but- when he looked at me like that (Y/N) something wasn't right," he said, sighing.

"So you think he might be using Prissy to cover up? To convince himself he isn't like Aunt Jo?" I said, and he nodded.

"Aunt Jo is a good code word," he said, laughing. I giggled, and we went on, eating our lunches.

"That's weird. That's really weird. I mean not him being like that but- just the denial he's in," I said, sighing and biting into my apple.

"(Y/N)! There you guys are. Why'd you hit Billy?" Gil ran up to us, and I turned back, surprised.

"Oh. He very obviously shoved Cole down, and I wanted him to know he was in the wrong. He treats everyone else like garbage and I hate it," I said, and Cole looked down.

"I see. Just be careful ok? I thought he was about to hit you back," he said, shaking his head.

I nodded, and he ran off.

"I take back what I said at the party, he's a bit overly protective," Cole joked. I laughed, and the bell rang.

"Wanna walk home together?"