Chapter Eight – Did You Feed Him Magic Mushrooms Or Something?
I walked into my noisy classroom, and the first thing I noticed was the quietness that blanketed the bustling room. All twenty-seven eyes turned to me, and the people behind me. Rhys and Tyson. Tyson was clutching the video camera to his chest like it was his baby, and Rhys had a mildly interested expression plastered on his face.
I honestly didn’t know why I had agreed to go through all this with those two idiots. Oh, right. Yes, it was something about Tyson making me. And the promise of free treatment if I changed my mind about living.
Apparently, these two idiots were the eye candy of my school. I mean, I knew Tyson was a man-whore at the best of times, and I didn’t really pay attention to his flings, but I didn’t know that girls actually swooned over him. I never really hung out with him during school hours. Which led to people giving me weird looks, hey, most of these people didn’t know we were even related I’d say.
Now Rhys was another story. I had just witnessed around five girls swarm to him, and beg for dates. Now that was weird, why the hell would any sane person want to voluntarily spend time with someone like Rhys? He had issues, one moment he was grinning with you like the two of you shared a special secret, the next he was looking at you like you were dog poop on his shoe.
And that was only within a few days. I still had three months with him.
So, from what I could gather, they were some kind of elite males who shagged whatever they wanted. Lovely, because you know, I just dream of spending my days with some STD ridden horn dogs.
Well, aside from the fact that Rhys was a virgin.
Therefore, when I casually strolled in with Rhys Brady and Tyson Reilly following me like lost sheep of course it was going to attract attention. The girls had never been my friends; I had stopped trying to make female friends a few years ago when I realized that most girls only wanted to get close to me for Tyson.
Back then I only had grown kind of close to one girl and her name was Isabelle. She had fostered a deep hatred for Tyson, and for that I loved her. Hell, I even helped her make a voodoo doll that had a startling resemblance to Tyson. Unfortunately it didn’t work. Isabelle was the kind of girl who hid the corner but once you got to know her, she became the crazy, outgoing person you would love.
And then she moved to the states to live with her grandmother. I started to hang out with the lads in the class then, I knew for certain they wouldn’t use me just to get to Tyson. James was the one I was closest to, but I was too scared to tell him about my leukaemia and had been avoiding him for the past week.
And Rhys had provided a distraction from James, no matter how reluctant I was to admit that.
The strong smell of hairspray invaded my thoughts, shredding them and bringing me back to the classroom I was unfortunately in.
Emily Walsh was tottering around in front of me, beaming flakily at Tyson and Rhys, “Tyson, Rhys, what are you two doing here with Amelia? Unless you’re here to see me and she’s just standing in the way of course. She’s always in the way; I just swat her away usually.” She rambled loudly in her nasally voice.
Rhys covered up a snigger with a sudden coughing fit, and when he was finished turned to Emily with tears in his eyes, “Esther, her name is Anabelle, not Amelia. I’m actually here with Anabelle. You see, Anabelle and I have slept together twice, and we have a commitment to each other. And Tyson is her brother; you might not have known that. Believe me, we know all about you swatting her away.”
As Rhys made his rather not so subtle announcement I felt myself wanting to punch him and thank him at the same time. That stupid bitch was always calling me Amelia, something that James found hilarious until she started calling him Jim.
Emily looked confused, and she teetered away to sit in her seat down the back of the room. James’s boy-ish face caught my eye, and he was pointing amusedly at the seat next to him, my usual seat. I nearly sprinted over to him, eager to see him again. James knew every thought that ran through my head before I even thought of it myself.
I plopped my ass down on the seat and his surprised expression increased ten-fold when Rhys grabbed a chair and placed it beside mine. “Annie, why the fuck is Rhys Brady sitting next to you in our classroom? Did you feed him magic mushrooms or something?” James chastised, wagging a finger at me while his blond hair flopped over his sky blue eyes. I noticed something else in his eyes though, a flash of hatred.
Rhys popped his head forward, “No, you see James, Annie has this kind of charm and seduced me. So I slept with her twice and I just can’t let her go. She’s too god damn cute you see.”
“Yup, the magic mushrooms.” James chuckled before handing me my maths book with a quick smile.
“And I’ve slept with her twice.” Rhys added hurriedly, nodding his head enthusiastically.
“No you haven’t, if you had, Annie would have told me before this and I would have kicked your ass for stealing my girl.” James articulated, raising a cynical eyebrow. His face contorting into one of severe discomfort.
Rhys blinked once, twice, three times. “Well, Emily doesn’t need to know that. And your girl? Annie isn’t your property.”
James laughed self-assuredly, “Yes, my girl. Annie’s been my girl for the past two years and she hasn’t even let me sleep with her, so I would know if you did, trust me.” I knew James was joking, so when he put an arm around me, I leaned into him. James was the best friend anyone could ask for, without a doubt.
So when Ms Landry walked in clutching her Irish book, I spied a quick glance at Rhys to gauge what he thought of James. And I saw the last thing I expected, an expression of hurt and hatred.
Ms Landry’s eyes widened with horror and confusion when she saw Rhys sitting beside me, and her Irish books fell to the floor with a dull thud. Those things weighed more than the bible.
“Rhys Brady! What are you doing in my classroom polluting the minds of my precious third years?!” She stammered, her face paling slightly.
Rhys smiled widely and innocently before replying, “Well, Simone, I’m just accompanying Anabelle here. I’m sure you were told about our current predicament.”
I snorted loudly, predicament my ass. And her name was Simone? Interesting. What did Rhys do to her for her let him act like that? Ms Landry picked her books up from the floor and sent me a glare as if it was my fault Rhys was there smiling like an idiot. Well, I suppose it was in a way.
She cleared her throat dramatically before starting to drone on about conjugating verbs correctly. Jesus, what did she think she was doing? Breeding super humans with brains that weigh more than their legs? No less than three minutes into the speech, a piece of paper was flicked onto my desk. I glared accusingly at Rhys, who was glancing idly in the other direction, a slight smile tugging at his lips. With a quiet sigh, I unfolded the note.
Dude, this is so fricking boring. Want to fuck instead?
I muffled a giggled and looked back at Rhys who winked back cheekily. Without hesitating, I scribbled a response.
Only if you tell me what you did to Simone to make her so terrified of you, the sweet little boy who likes cuddles in bed.
Within seconds, the now crumpled paper was tossed back at me.
It’s something to do with some mince pies containing cat food and a certain video she made with her boyfriend I saw on the internet.
I scrutinized Ms Landry, deciding if she looked the type to do that kind of thing, if I was right guessing what Rhys had hinted at. I decided that she wasn’t, she looked to homely to be into that kind of thing.
She looks too innocent. You lie, what did you do to her?
Rhys raised a cynical eyebrow at me, and shook his head.
I might have found out about her relationship with another student and blackmailed her for the past two years. And then I might have a video clip of her and that certain student in a compromising position.
I felt my jaw drop, and Rhys nodded enthusiastically, wide eyed.
Dude, that’s creepy. Who bangs their students? And you’re weird, taping people at it.
Rhys quickly replied, shooting glances at Ms Landry as he wrote.
You’re so sweet; you would put a diabetic in a coma. Your words are heart-warming. I feel so comforted being in your presence.
I was about to reply, when the sheet of paper was snatched out from my desk. James ran his eyes over it curiously and clucked his tongue twice. When he had finished, he gave Rhys the look. The look that told Rhys that he was so fucked up in the mind. I knew that look well, having received it on many occasions. James hastily wrote something.
Rhys, you’re weird. Taping teacher’s boinking students.
Rhys glared at James, and it felt awkward, sitting between those two. I could feel the tension, like there was some kind of forbidden secret they both knew.
James, back off. I asked Rhys and he told me the truth. Nothing more, nothing less.
James looked at me, baffled, and scribbled back.
Annie, I can’t believe that you’re siding with him. He’s talking crap, there’s no student-teacher relationship going on here.
Rhys chuckled when he saw that, and Ms Landry peered at us from the top of the class. Rhys met her gaze, and spoke as he wrote on the piece of paper, “Carry on, Simone. We’re listening to your rather enthralling speech about conjugating verbs.” She looked away, flushing slightly.
I think that Simone’s onto us. =P And James, we both know that’s a lie.
James hissed angrily, and screwed the piece of paper up in his hands. He stuffed it into his school bag and then stared at the front of the classroom. Seconds later, a fresh sheet of paper slid onto my desk from Rhys’s.
James has his cranky pants on. I personally think he’s on his period. Or that he needs to get laid.
I cackled with laughter at his immaturity, and shook my head at his cheap crack. Rhys snatched the paper back, and wrote on the sheet with his choppy, spidery hand-writing.
Do you remember Crayola Crayons? They used to have this colour...Emerald Green. It was my favourite colour and I could never figure out why. But I just realized why, your eyes...Emerald Green.
I sighed mournfully; I had honestly thought that we were past this stage by now.
I worry for you sometimes. You just never stop with the lines, the ever so painful lines.
Rhys laughed out loud, making everyone turn around to look at us like we were crazy. Which I now think we are. Rhys chortled some more, before proclaiming to the class proudly, “It’s okay people, really. Anabelle just promised me her heart and made a witty comment. Go back to how you were, please.”
I heard James snap his pencil in half under the table as he watched Rhys cynically. His jaw was taut and a vein was pulsing in his forehead. Rhys met his stare and raised an eyebrow, “Yes, James? Something bothering you?”
James’s expression grew grim, and he dropped the two halves of the pencil briskly. “Yes, Rhys, something is bothering me. And it’s you. You swan in here with my girl, pretending that she’s yours and then you bring up something from my past. Something I tried so hard to hide from Anabelle, and you just blurt it out like that. Then you go spreading bull about you two being an item when you’re not. You act all cryptic, hinting at something, but not telling anyone what’s going on. And you know what, it’s annoying.”
James had walked around from his table and stood in front of Rhys’s desk, breathing heavily from his nose. His face was only inches away from Rhys’s. “Tell me, Rhys. Tell me what the hell’s happening between you and my girl. Tell me now, why are you and Tyson here?!” He bellowed, and I was paralyzed.
Rhys sat there, unfazed and stared back coolly, “She’s not your girl, James. She’s never felt the same way. Accept it. I’m here, James, because Anabelle is going through a tough time and I’m here to help. Wherever she goes, I go too and so does Tyson with his camera, no matter how creepy that is. Now, sit down and be quiet. I’m trying to learn how to conjugate verbs.”
James barked a furious laugh, “Please, you’re here just to show off, you always have craved attention. There’s a reason you’re all alone, you know.”
A pained expression flitted on Rhys’s serene face, and he suddenly snapped at James, losing his cool exterior, “Hey, at least I’m not the one fucking my Irish teacher, little brother.”
An audible gasp rang through the room, though I wasn’t sure what at. The fact that Rhys and James were brothers or the fact that James was the one who had the behind doors relationship with Ms Landry.
Quick as a flash, James closed the space between himself and Rhys by punching Rhys in the nose hard, so hard a sickening crack echoed in the classroom. Rhys didn’t hesitate, not even for one second, he fought back.
Rhys shoved the desk away with a clatter and slammed his fist into James’s shoulder, making James stagger backwards slightly. Rhys dealt a deft kick to James’s ankles, sending James down. James hit the ground with a grunt, before rolling over on his back and attempting to get up. Rhys watched as James struggled to his feet, before unleashing a strong flying roundhouse kick.
James fell backwards again, staggering into the table. I winced for him when I saw that he had splinters sticking out of his forearm. Under a sudden impulse, I stumbled forward.
James had been my best friend for the past four years, I wasn’t about to just leave him being beat up by Rhys. But Rhys was the jerk I had met a few days ago, who I didn’t know anything about. I had to pick a side now, Rhys or James? I already knew which brother I would pick; I think I had all along.
I linked my arm with his, and dashed out the room. It wasn’t an easy feat either; he was over a foot taller than me after all. I dragged him along the empty corridors, ignoring his weak protests. I think secretly he was glad I had pulled him out of there, but pissed because I had ruined his big fight scene.
He didn’t even murmur a protest when I shoved him inside a cubicle in the girl’s bathroom and sat him down on a closed toilet seat. He didn’t squirm when I began to wipe blood of his forehead using damp toilet paper. Even though I was using my spit to dampen the toilet paper. He just sat there, emotionless, as I dabbed away at the scarlet stains that marred his features.
We stayed in silence for almost ten minutes, as if we were afraid to speak to each other. Like we were ashamed of our actions. I continued to clean his face; he continued to stare blankly right through me.
“You know, I’m not always like this. Kicking the crap out of people that piss me off. I’m actually not that bad, I think. Sometimes I wonder why it had to be me. Sometimes I’m happy with life. But why me?” He spoke, shattering the silence.
I thought about what he said, not questioning it. He would tell me when he was ready, that I was sure of.
Instead I wiped his cheek shakily, before pulling Rhys’s head into my chest, hugging him tightly.