Windows

History

A couple hours later, when the final bell rang and I was freed from the hideous teenage prison, I made my way down to the riverbank at the edge of the field, peering at the oak tree I sat next to with Aiden a few months back. Or was it weeks? I had lost track of time. I considered sliding down the leaf-covered hill to the pathway, but decided that I would look like a jackass if anyone around were to observe it. So I edged down sideways like a crab, clutching random tree branches as a guide. 

"Where are you going?" I looked up. It was Tyler, with a perplexed look on his face.

"Er. Down here," I said. Why does everyone have to sneak up on me? Why don't they meet me normally like normal people?

"Why? You don't live down there."

"Well I just feel like going down there. Okay?" I snapped.

He shrugged, and began to follow me, mocking my crab-like posture.

"Hey, you can't come too," I said warily.

"Who said I was coming with you? Maybe I just want to 'go down there' too," Tyler explained matter-of-factly.

I grumbled about it under my breath, and when I got to the bottom there was nobody there. Just me and Tyler.

"Nice," he said. "Seems like a nice place to go to forget about things."

I sniggered. Then I realized I shouldn't be so mean to him because his brother is in hospital because he's a meth-head. I frowned.

"So. Is that why you came here?"

"What?"

"To forget about things."

"No." Zac said he would meet me here right after school ends, the school he should be going to, but I guess he's fashionably late. Or he's hiding because Tyler is here.

"We don't talk so much anymore. And we should, considering we are in the same circumstances."

"We are not in the same circumstances. We are not the same at all, only the stupid ability..." I blew my fringe out of my face.

"I don't think it's stupid. Not all the time, anyway."

"You've never known a life without it," I said.

"What, and you have?" 

I hesitated, and then replied,"No. No, I guess not." And I felt guilty for lying.

Then Zac rounded the corner of the old grey path, celphone in hand, texting. He didn't see us. I guess he assumed I would be alone.

I postponed my attention to the conversatuon and looked at Zac. Tyler followed my gaze, and his passive expression distorted into an angry, disgusted one.

"It's him! It's that gang-member freak!" he yelled. Zac looked up innocently. I didn't know what to do.

"Oh. Hey," Zac replied nonchalantly, ignorant to the fact that Tyler was practically fuming. Tyler ran at Zac furiously and punched him in the face. Well, tried. Zac caught his fist expertly as it neared his nose, and gently pushed it away from him. "I came here to do business. Not fight."

"Business?" Tyler snorted, and went to kick him, but Zac dodged again, smirking. 

"Do you often associate with people of this kind, Haylee?" Zac adressed me.

"Uh..."

"Piss off! She doesn't want to talk to you!" Tyler said.

"I'm afraid she does. And I thought this would be private," Zac said, raising his eyebrow at me, looking annoyed.

What should I say? I thought miserably.

Tyler looked at me with hatred glowing in his eyes. "What is he talking about?"

"Zac... has a... proposition. He wants to help us," I said.

"Help you defeat my evil cronies," Zac said sarcastically.

"Why'd you wanna do that?"

"Because now that the evidence is foiled, they won't take up my claims. They think I'm crazy. So Zac's 'evil cronies' are still going through with their plan to burn the Community Centre down, and everyone in it," I spoke lowly.

"And the mid-year prom," Zac added.

"What?" I said.

"Yeah. Which isn't a bad idea. They're all rich bitches and jocks." Zac said.

"When did they decide this?" I uttered.

"Last night. I reckon it'll be fun." He saw my expression and then said, "But if you really want to save all their lives then I guess we can take care of that too."

"Uh, yeah! I actually have friends there," Tyler screwed up his face like he was concentrating really hard. "How are we going to do it?"

"Er, Haylee and I have made plans. You, sir, are not included," Zac said.

"Is that so?" Tyler said threateningly. But he doesn't look very threatening. "So you've been meeting up with a criminal behind my back?" Tyler looked at me in disbelief. 

"I - I'm sorry. But..."

"But she can't back out. It's a done deal," Zac cut in.

"I wasn't talking to you. What do you mean, it's a done deal?"

"In exchange for a few minor tasks, Haylee has my word that I will prevent the fires and turn in all evidence and all those participating. But if she doesn't complete the tasks, I will not help her, and..." he left out the other gruesome details.

"And?" Tyler pressed. But Zac just smiled at him pleasantly. 

"Well, I guess you'll have to find out. Anyway, how is your brother?"

"What?"

"How's David?"

"How do you know about him? Haylee, what have you been saying?"

"Nothing! Nothing, I swear!" I panicked. Oh my God. Zac is going to tell him that I promised to kill his brother! But I would never go through with it. Never, I told myself firmly.

"David is my favourite customer. But I hear he has been misusing my products, and not even paying me for them. Of course, revenge is in order."

"What do you mean?" Tyler narrowed his eyes. "No way, you're a drug dealer? You're like, 17!" Tyler said incredulously. Zac rolled his eyes, obviously he'd heard it all before.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, if you don't mind, Haylee and I have some things to discuss," Zac said, gesturing to me. I bit my lip.

"No. No way. No way am I leaving her alone with you," Tyler stated, glaring at Zac like he was a rat with the plague.

Zac glared back. "Fine. If you won't accept my help, then fine. But you know what this means, Haylee. Watch your back," he said, and turned around and waltzed away.

"Oh, crap," I mumbled, once Zac had turned the corner. I let out the breath I had been holding.

"What, you didn't really need his help. We can figure this out on our own. The police will definitely investigate if we have two claims," Tyler said.

I shook my head. "They're useless. Plus, they'll never find Zac's gang. They're too clever, too devious."

"Nonsense. What's the worst that could happen?"

The words were a bad taste in my mouth, like when Mum made me try brussel sprouts for the first time. I'm going to die.