We were running late but considering the morning we’ve had I don’t think anyone would blame us.
Dad and Granny had gone with an officer to take May to school. Her principal needed to made aware of the situation in case Nigel or Anna decided to try and pull a fast one by attempting to collect May from school.
Me and Dad still hadn’t talked. I appreciated him being there but actually talking to him? I just wasn’t ready yet.
"Do you think Jayce will be okay?” Brie asked as we pulled into the car park. Officer Rees needed Jayce to go with her and his mum to give a formal statement. He was extremely shocked to find Tara had taken photographs of his bruises whilst he slept as a child. I wasn’t sure what kind of state he would be in later after having to re-live it all.
I tried not to be mad at Tara about letting it happen to him. She was a victim too. It’s so easy to sit on the outside and ask why she didn’t do something sooner but the truth is it’s never that easy.
Jayce had explained the physical violence was much less prevalent than the psychological abuse given by his father, Tara bore the brunt of that. She’d been with him since she was 14, it wasn’t like she knew any different. He’d groomed and beaten her into submission, I was actually proud of her for eventually finding the strength to get away from him.
“He’s strong. Stronger than anyone realises. I’ll make sure to get straight back to him. He’s probably going to need me more than ever tonight - I just want to be there for him when he does.”
Brie grabbed my hand as we stepped into the hallway. “Thank you babe. I know calling Tara wouldn’t have been easy for you. I just.. I couldn’t lose her.”
I pulled her into me and wiped away the final tear I could see still waiting to fall. “I would do anything for her, I’d do anything for you. You’re my family and I love you.”
Brie squeezed me tightly. I was grateful when she pulled me back out of her giant bosoms, they were at that point completely suffocating me.
“Okay enough of this soppy bullocks Al, we have gym first period. I know I can work off about half of this frustration throwing dodgeballs at air-head cheerleaders until they cry. Care to accompany me?” She smirked.
There she is, my bitch is back.
****************
It was a weird day. Although Jayce’s lack of presence meant we didn’t have to pretend, it was still strange to not even see him.
On top of that Kallie wasn’t here. She text and apparently kissing your new guy in the rain for a few HOURS can give you a killer cold. Who knew? She still seemed so excited though, her texts read like a typical teenage girl falling in love for the first time. We were happy for her but Brie still wanted to give the poor guy the once over first and threaten him just a little.
By last period I was just glad the day was coming to an end. I hadn’t heard anything from Jayce at all and I was getting worried.
I walked into bio early and the place was almost completely empty. It was a bit eerie and for a second I thought I was in the wrong place but I just took my seat in the back corner.
I actually felt bad for the crap partner I’d been to Chad. We only had two weeks left on this project and my lack of interest in anything school related lately meant we were way behind. I wouldn’t let either of us fall at this last hurdle, not this close to graduation. I needed to get the reins back on this one.
I was digging through my bag when a giant shadow was cast over me and my favourite flirty basketball player made itself known in the seat next to me.
He wasn’t his usual arrogant self, in fact he couldn’t even look at me. He just stared down at his book and chewed the end of his pen. I know the last time we saw each other it was weird, I was crying and he was being all protective, but still - I didn’t expect him to be this off. Then of course there was the way he acted when we danced..
“Hello?” He still didn’t acknowledge me. I put my hand on his shoulder to try turn him but there was no way I was strong enough to force him.
“Have you spoken to Brie?” His voice held a slight tremor, did something happen with Brie?
“Of course I’ve spoken to Brie, she’s my best friend, why wouldn’t I be speaking to Brie?” Seriously, what’s going on?
The look on his face mirrored my confusion. It was almost like a lightbulb appeared above his head in a moment of recognition and his whole body relaxed. It was strange, even for him.
“It doesn’t matter. So were you there for Nigel’s little break down? Jayce said he won’t be able to step foot in this county by the time Tara’s done with him. About time, the guy was always a prick.”
He’d spoken to Jayce? I’d been texting him all day but nothing.
“Yeah I was there... Look, we need to get a plan for this project, we still have shit loads to do. You got any free periods this week?”
Chad shook his head. “Want to do Kelly’s again tonight? I’ll make sure to put an extra shot in to prevent you almost falling asleep on me again.”
Shit can’t do tonight, not with everything that’s going on. “Can’t, tomorrow?”
Chad smiled. “Coach has us in practice until 4 but if you stay I can take us straight after?”
“It’s a...plan...” This is awkward enough Aleah, saying date there may have actually caused the ground to swallow me up. “Do you always call your dad Coach? I noticed you did it at the party too.”
Chad just shrugged. “Yeah, he’s always been prouder of the coach title than the dad title anyway.”
Was it national shitty dad week and everyone forgot to inform me or something? I wanted to question him on what he said but we were rudely interrupted by the arrival of Mr ‘I teach bio but can’t figure out how to put on deodorant.’
***************
Chad was off, really off for all of class. He just paid attention, did the work, made helpful suggestions and didn’t try to look at my boobs or even make a dirty comment when I mixed up organism and orgasm. I think he’s ill.
Brie was waiting for me in the car when I got there, you could hear her music blasting out before she even came into sight.
“Are you sure you’re okay to take me back?” I asked almost falling into the car.
“Definitely hun, I love Tara for what she did today but you’re my girl. It’s your first day back there and if you want to use me as a human shield to get from the front door to your room in order to avoid them, then that’s what I’m going to do. That’s of course if these fuckers would get out of my way so I can actually leave this place!” She screamed at the barrage of cars blocking her way.
I looked over and could see Chad sitting in his car, he tried to move but I’d already caught him staring at me.
“What is going on with that guy today?”
Brie looked at me confused. “Who?”
“Mr tall dark and basketballed over there. He was really strange in class and now he’s watching us like a hawk. Something’s going on.”
Brie’s grip on the wheel increased and her body stiffened.
“Brianna, what’s going on? You’re so solid right now if I flicked you you’d crack like one of those cheap market statues. Spill. Did something happen between you two?... Jesus Christ Brie if you slept with Chad fucking Wilson I swear to g-"
“Ewwww Aleah no! It’s nothing like that. Let’s just get away from here first, okay?”
I sat patiently until we were on the main street. Brie was biting her nails, never a good sign.
“Al, just try not to freak out okay? I know he’s your friend now and he’s been good to you in a lot of ways but you have to stay away from Chad. Just trust me, it won’t end well if you don’t.”
“Bitch, what do you know?” This whole cryptic bull wasn’t for me, I was a maths geek, I liked facts and figures.
“Okay.. At the engagement party me and Jayce were talking while you and chocolate eyes were dancing, he could see the way Chad looked at you. He told me that he thought he had real feelings for you. So when Chad took me home I questioned him on it..”
She seemed hesitant to say what she knew she needed to.
“...He’s falling in love with you Al.”
No. No he wasn’t. We laughed, we joked, we flirted but that was all. He just liked he could get to Jayce with me. It wasn’t real, how we felt about each other wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
I loved Jayce... I love Jayce. I could never be in love with Chad or him with me. It was Jayce, it was always Jayce.
I sat there spinning the information around in my head and fighting to believe the words at every turn.
“Al?”
I felt myself pulled back from the ether into my body.
“He’s not falling in love with me Brie. He just wants me because he thinks I’m Jayce’s kryptonite or something. He isn’t the kind of guy that falls in love, if anything it’s infatuation with the idea of me. Nothing more.”
Brie looked at me with a mixture of understanding and pity. “If that’s what you need to believe babes I’ll support your delusions. You should have seen his face when I told him you had a boyfriend though. It wasn’t exactly the reaction of a guy who’s just using a girl.”
“You told him about me and Jayce?!”
“No! Of course not, I just told him you had a boyfriend, no names or details. I was thinking he could be a hot firefighter from out of state? Or maybe he’s a student in college writing a paper on how to give the world’s greatest orgasms to a woman using just his tongue?... Wow, I wish I was dating your imaginary boyfriend.”
We both burst out laughing.
“Seriously though Al, are you okay with this? I know its a lot to process with everything else you already have going on?” She tapped me gently on the head like I was a lost little puppy she’d just rescued from the pound.
“I’m fine. He was probably just caught up in the emotion of that night. I don’t think he’s even capable of feeling stuff like that. Let’s face it, even if he was, he would never be boyfriend material. He’s not exactly a one woman guy is he.”
Brie nodded. “You’re probably right. Plus I think my guy emotion radar is on the fritz anyway. The last guy I thought really liked me was actually a male escort my mother had hired to pay me to sleep with him, so I’m not exactly in the best position to be preaching about guys and their feelings at the moment.”
My heart broke for her. She was trying to cover it but I think this bloke really hurt her. “Was he the first... you know.. guy you.. for money?”
I didn’t want to upset her but I wanted her to know she could talk to me about this stuff now.
“First and only. I never thought I’d do something like that, some of the other girls at the club do it all the time but I just wanted to dance, make my money, and leave. He was different, I thought he actually cared about me. It was stupid. I was stupid.”
“You weren’t stupid! You were in a rough situation and made a judgement that just didn’t pan out. Plus I saw that guy in the picture, not a lot of girls could have said no to that.”
She smiled. “He was gorgeous and it was definitely the best sex I’ve ever had. Honestly if it wasn’t for the whole it being a set up thing, or the waking up alone thing with just a note to remember him by, it might have been one of the best nights of my life. Is that crazy?”
I shook my head. “Definitely not. Wait, he left you a note?”
She rummaged around in her bag and handed me the small note. I read it.
“He asked for your forgiveness? What kind of guy, that is just being hired to do a job, asks for forgiveness from a girl if he doesn’t care about her?”
Brie shrugged. “Another male mystery. At least one final positive thing came from Tara sending that prick down though.”
“What?”
She smirked. “I get to keep the money.”
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