Two Truths and a Lie

Chapter Nine

She takes a step towards me, her hand lightly brushing the hair that had fallen from my ponytail out of my face.

“Baby, are you okay?  What happened?”

“I’m fine,” I lie casually, “just a little bruised, that’s all.”

“Are you feeling okay?”  She asks worriedly, “Should we be going to the hospital?” She asks Ms. Reynolds.

“Mom,” I reach my hand out, trying to reassure her that everything is under control, but the sudden appearance of someone at the door causes my mind to run blank.

“Kadence, oh my god.”

I watch as Sabastian crosses the room and comes to a stop in front of me, kneeling down so our faces are level.

“What happened to you?”  His light blue eyes stare into mine, a look of sadness and concern sitting behind them.

“What,” I say dazed, completely baffled by his appearance, “what are you doing here?”

“Your mom and I were at the station, picking up country club files,” he says softly, his eyes traveling to the icepack I’m holding against my right cheek, “we were half way to her car when she got the phone call from the school, saying you had fainted during gym.”

He reaches his hand out, gently pulling the icepack from my face, revealing the bruise forming on my cheekbone.  I watch his face intently.  Although he doesn’t cringe, I can tell by the way he quickly looks away that it had gotten worse from the last time I looked at it.

“It could have been worse, I say looking down at the badge on his uniform.  I take my free hand and point to the smaller bruise forming on my right arm, “I fell on my arm, thankfully.”

“Yeah,” he says, his face showing that he obviously disagrees with my logic.

“Right, right.”

I turn to see my mom silently having a discussion with Ms. Reynolds.  The once panicked look that consumed her facial features has softened.  I let out a heavy sigh and close my eyes, more than ready to leave this place.

“Kadence, why don’t you go get your things,” Ms. Reynolds says to me with a smile, “while your mom and I finish filling out your release form.”

I nod my head and begin to stand up, my legs screaming in protest.  The sudden weakness that consumes my body causes my heart to race.

“Come on,” Sabastian says, placing his hand carefully on the small of my back, “I’ll walk with you.”

I give my mom a reassuring smile as we make our way out of the room, but my mom is no fool, and I know if there is anyone that can see the pain behind my smile, it’s her.

“Which way,” Sabastian asks softly.

“This way,” I walk with him down the hallway to the right, which opens up into commons.  Thankfully, the huge open room is empty, and I make it to my locker without any odd stares of my sudden police escort.

I begin spinning the dial, thankful that I had left my bag in my locker, and not my gym locker. As for my clothes, they’d have to wait until Monday.

Pulling the door open, I begin grabbing the things I’d need for the classes I had actually made it to today, before I decided to face plant the ground.

“God, I miss this place,” Sabastian says, leaning up against the locker to my left.

“Well, then you’d be the first,” I say with a small smile.  He narrows his eyes playfully at me, but suddenly stands up, looking to my right.