The Exception

Chapter 48: Secrets Buried So Deep, So Dark

I walked up to the door, smiling at the pink flowers on the side. I knocked, and heard some voices speaking. I nervously waited for the door to open. 

"Hey..."  I said summoning my biggest smile as Keith opened the door.

"Hi..." Keith spoke and grinned. "Ready for..." he froze, and his smile dropped.

"What?"

"Who did this to you?" he asked, pointing to my eye. How on earth did he see it? I guess it was worse and more swollen than I thought.

"Agnus, what happened?" Keith stepped outside and I remained flustered. He frowned and took a deep breath. "Did Evan..."

"Evan? No, no, it wasn't him...um, it was Tyler,"

"Tyler? Tyler hit you?" Keith took a deep breath. His jaw was clenched, and I could see he was clearly angry. "And to think, I thought he was one of the good ones...please tell me he's going to pay for what he did."

"Trust me, he already has partially, and from what it looks like, my mom and dad are gonna press charges, so...I just want to forget all this happened..."

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, trust me, Keith...this whole half of the day, I've had to answer that question. Please, I really don't want to be hammered on this now....I don't even really want to think about it at all..."

Keith nodded. "Well come on in then, welcome to my humble abode... but, don't think that this conversation is over."

I smiled, grateful that he was going to let it be for now as I stepped inside. The smell of gingerbread cookies filled my nose, and I followed Keith into the small, cozy living room.

"Grammy, this is my friend, Agnus, the girl who has that history paper to write..."

"Oh, my dear, you are so beautiful," an older lady, sitting on a chair with a blanket and a cup of steaming tea in her hand smiled widely at me. "When Keith told me someone wanted to hear my stories, I would not believe it. Yet here you are...isn't she a beauty, Keith? Oh, right, you told me that ages ago..."

I glanced at him, and I could swear a blush was growing on his cheeks. "I'm gonna go check  those biscuits that are in the oven..."

"What on ever earth for?"

"Those biscuits get real hot, so, I'm just gonna go check, and make sure they don't melt the oven or something in that order," Keith hurried out of the room and I smiled. He was really adorable, and I was stunned over the fact that it took him seconds to notice my wounded eye.  I took my notebook out and a pen and I smiled as Keith's grandmother took a sip of her tea.

"So, dear, I have many many stories to share, and Keith has been victim to hundreds of hours of my useless bantering, that sweetheart doesn't have the heart to say enough, but you should...otherwise, we are here all night," Grammy spoke and I smiled. "So, what do you want to know? Murders? Turf Wars? Recession? Politics?"

"Maybe the recession?" I asked. Keith's grandmother nodded.

"It was a time, a long time ago, I was about two years older than you...."

I spent a good two hours writing notes, and listening to Keith's grandmother. Sure enough, she had many stories, and a good sense of humour with it. We shared several cups of tea and biscuits, and Keith lingered in the background. I turned to see him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, smiling at me and his grandmother. However, after a slight yawn, Keith's grandmother laughed.

"I think it's time to end this tale, besides, if I don't give some time for you and Keith to chat, then I'll be the actual Grinch who stole Christmas..."

Just as she said that,  a car pulled into the garage, and another older woman came walking in. She had chestnut brown hair, dark eyes, and a really wide smile.

"Hey mom," Keith hugged her and smiled. "How was work?"

"Well, same as usual, but some people got into big trouble, and I really don't want to get into all the fine details, because..." the woman walked up to me. "Hello there, you must be Agnus..."

"Yeah," I said smiling. "It's really nice to meet you Mrs Rondo..."

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine," she grabbed me, and wrapped me into a huge hug. I saw Keith grinning at the background at my startled face.  "Keith, you don't mind getting us some coffee?"

"Of course," Keith nodded and headed off into the kitchen.

"So, Agnus, I hear you are studying at New Haven Highschool, how are you finding that so far?" Mrs Rondo led me to the couch and she kissed her grandmother's forehead before sitting down next to her.

"It's been mostly great, apart from a few incidents," I said and I heard Keith's grandma sigh.

"That school is no safe place for good people, I tell you, it's a haven for bullies and crooks,"

"Mom, now is not the best time to discuss this..." Mrs Rondo spoke gently. I frowned.

"What exactly is so bad about this school?"

Mrs Rondo sighed. "Nothing that at least couldn't be fixed." 

Keith walked in with the coffee and gave me a cup. He took a seat next to me. "So, what are we talking about?"

"That school of yours, that's what..." Grammy spoke. "My poor boy."

Keith stiffened next to me. "Now, is really not the time, grandma."

"My boy, when is it ever the time? You never speak about it...but you could have died because of those stupid boys..."

"Wait, what?" I turned to Keith who shook his head in horror. "Grammy, I told you to please tell stories of the past that doesn't concern me..."

"But honey, people have the right to know...the school has some dangerous people..."

"Some people are not dangerous...some just made mistakes...it was an accident..."

"What accident?" I asked and looked at Keith. He took  a deep breath. Obviously he wasn't comfortable with this at all. I could scarcely believe my ears over what Keith's grandmother was saying.

"Accident? That boy broke your rib and punctured your lung!" Grammy spoke. Her voice was raised. "You nearly died...and it was all because of that boy...what was his name? Something with an e?"

"Evan?" I asked slowly, softly, terrified of what the next few seconds. This was the secret, buried so deep. It explained the scar, it explained a lot of things about Keith.

"Yes, Evan, isn't he a singer at the school now?" Grammy spoke.

In that moment, my entire world was shattered.