Out of the Loop

Chapter Twelve

Sorry, this is long overdue. Enjoy, and comment to tell me what you think and vote!!

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Derek was worried. Maz usually reached their history class long before Derek, and waited with her book for class to start.

The history teacher started class silently as usual, and class ran agonizingly slowly for about a half hour.

“Mr. Wade, Mr. Wade!” shrieked a cheerleader as she sprinted into the room. The silent teacher looked up neutrally.

“Mr. Wade, there’s a girl in the bathroom! She’s bleeding and - Oh, it’s horrible!”

By now, the entire class was watching the stricken girl at the front of the room.

“Who is she, do you know?” asked the teacher as he ran to the phone and dialed the office.

Don’t be her, Derek pleaded in his head. Please, don’t let it be her.

“Umm, I think her name is Madison Reynolds.”

Derek froze for a moment, then bolted out of his seat to the door, pushing an astonished Mr. Wade out of the way. He rushed down the hall to the girl’s bathroom and skidded inside.

Maz lay crumpled just inside the door, blood oozing from a gash on her forehead. Crimson dribbled out of her slightly opened mouth as well.

As Derek stood in shock looking at his friend, the school nurse and vice principal ran in.

“Young man, what are you doing...”

“...she’ll be rushed to the hospital...”

“...you’ll have to come with us...”

Words rushed past a dazed Derek. He didn’t even register that he was being led out of the bathroom. Suddenly, he was sitting in an office at a table. A female police officer and the vice principal sat across from him.

“Mr. Beauville, what were you doing in the girl’s lavatory?”

Derek blinked, realizing that the officer had been talking to him.

“Some girl rushed into class and said Maz was hurt in the bathroom. I didn’t believe her when she told me that people hated her... I just went along. She was fine earlier, I just saw her at lunch...” He trailed off.

The officer glanced at the vice principal, the turned back to the teenager in front of her.

“You had nothing to do with the assault on Madison Reynolds?”

Derek’s eye hardened. “I just told you, she was already hurt when I got to the bathroom. Why would I do that to her? She’s my friend... I guess I’m her only friend.” He slumped back into the chair.

The vice principal, whose name Derek couldn’t recall, sighed.

“Derek, Madison is in the hospital right now. Despite Officer Knoll’s questions, we do not believe that you did or would assault Madison. I think it would be best if you went home.”

The shocked boy nodded. He closed his eyes and let his mind race. He could hear voices around him, but he paid them no heed.

Why didn’t I believe her? thought Derek. I just nodded along when she told me about the accident in science, I didn’t really think people were out to get her...

A hand gently pulled Derek up and out of the room. He followed along, lost in thought.

This won’t have been for nothing.

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Okay, if you'd like to read an extra chapter between this one and the next, I'm putting up 13 under Out of the Loop - Bonus Chapters. There's a link on the side under the cover pic.  Thanks!