Life Lines

44: Hold Your Breath

I looked at Kells, my brows furrowed in concern. He just shrugged. "It's up to you."

I stared at him for the longest moment before I started shaking my head. I couldn't do it. Knowing that the kiss didn't mean anything...I couldn't do it. That memory, those words, they were just too...fresh. Even if they hadn't happened...not really anyways. But the weight that it might've happened just made me sink down on one of the benches in front of a set of lockers.

"I can't," I whispered. "Kells, I can't."

He sat down next to me and sighed, taking my left hand. "There's a lot of can't in the world of love, Epiphany."

"Tally, come on. Open the door. Let me help you."

"Go away, Cecil. You can't help me."

"Yes I can. You just have to let me in."

"You don't even know what that means! You don't know what any of it means so how can you help me?"

"Because it has its own meaning to me. So please, let me in."

Before I could even think on what that could possibly mean, I heard a rushed set of footfalls followed by the sound of my best friend's voice.

"What'd you do? Hum? You have no fucking clue what you're doing. Move!" To call him passionate would be putting it mildly. "Nat, open the door."

"We both know you're going to listen to him so..."

Kells motioned towards the door. I couldn't believe I was hiding in a locker room on my birthday. This had to be one of the worst birthdays ever. As I was walking over to the door I heard Cecil say, "I know what I'm doing. You have no idea what's going on."

Some scuffling ensued and then the unforgettable sound of skin hitting skin reached my ears.

I literally ran the rest of the way to the door and unlocked it. The sight I saw wasn't what I was expecting. Then again it looked like it'd just started. Because I took in the look on both of their faces, Schylar just having had enough and Cecil just pissed he'd been clocked in the face.

The strangest smile crossed his lips as he thumbed what I assumed was the spot on his face Schylar hit. Then in one fluid second, the smile was gone and he was in motion, landing his own punch to Schylar's jaw.

What the hell were they doing?

Right there before my eyes and Allie's, the two guys who were prominent in my life who weren't family started to all out brawl.

"Stop it!" I cried and tried to rush forward but Kells caught my arm. "Let go of me."

"I'll handle it. You'll just end up getting yourself hurt." It was pretty obvious he let them take a couple more swings at each other before he finally pulled them apart. "Hey, now! Let's calm down." He shoved them apart, looking from one to the other with a stern look.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked Schylar while I tried to pull his hand down from his face. "You just don't go around hitting people, Schy!"

He wasn't even paying attention to me. His focus was still completely on Cecil.

"I'm warning you right now, McCourt. You hurt her, you make her cry, you won't need to worry about her uncle coming after you. I'll hunt you down myself and shoot you."

"Schylar!" I shoved him. "That's enough."

"Make it a date," Cecil said before shrugging Kells off and walking away.

I didn't really know what to do at that point. Should I stay and help Schylar calm down or should I go after the boy I was in love with? Which was more important?