Chapter 15 - I Couldn't Imagine Being In His Shoes.
During first period, the overhead speaker buzzed on and the entire school heard the dean's voice: "Miss Kathleen DeTrees and Mr. Ash Diabolus to the front office. Kathleen DeTress and Ash Diabolus please, come to my office."
I knew this was coming. I had't slept all night and it wasn't until an hour before school started that my mind finally left the events of last night and began to prepare the future.
The teacher nodded at me, and Ash and I were excused from class. I found the building's tile floor awfully interesting. Ash walked on one side of the hall while I walked on the other. When we were exiting, he politely held open the door. Only to have second thoughts, pull it shut, and step in front of both doors.
My eyes flickered up at him but returned to the grimy ground the next moment. I didn't know what to say. This I had not prepared myself for.
"We need to make up a story that matches," Ash said. "We can't tell the truth."
"W-why not?" My voice was thick and strained as if I was about to cry.
Suddenly, Ash gripped my shoulders. "I killed someone. Sure, it's easy for the prince of Evil and what not to just kill another demon. Is that what you think?"
"No," I whimper. "I-I just..." I burst into tears all over again, soaking his shirt all over again, his arms around me all over again. A few minutes later, I retreated and pulled myself together. I began to wipe my face as I said, "If we don't hurry, they'll wonder what's happened to us."
"You're right," he said. "So follow my lead."
~
Ash and I sat silently in Mr. Murphy's office. It wasn't the first time.
"I hope this-you being here, I mean-I hope it won't become a regular thing," the dean said. "So, an employee allowed the both of you to check out past the time you allowed off campus. Then you came back looking like, well to put it bluntly, looking as if you'd been running through the woods. Would either of you care to explain?"
"We were, uh..." Ash began, his brow furrowed. "We were just being teenagers, Mr. Murphy."
"Miss DeTress?" Mr. Murphy turned to me. "Care to elaborate on 'just being teenagers'?"
"It was't her fault!" Ash blurted out, leaning forward in his chair. My head whipped up in surprise, and I stared at him wide-eyed. "Don't punish her for something that's my fault."
"And what is your fault, Mr. Diabolus?" Mr. Murphy demanded.
I stared at Ash in wonder and horror. What's his excuse? Why'd he take the blame entirely? I was the one who ran out in the first place.
"Do you really want all the little details?" Ash asked Mr. Murphy, and I froze. The dean studied Ash while I ground my teeth and clenched the chair's arms. Ash gave him a look that said, 'Do you really? Really? You might want to re-think this one.'
I turned red with abashment and anger. I wanted to scream and to pound my fist into Ash's devilishly perfect face.
I'm sure I wouldn't have been so mad if I had lost my virginity already or if I was a slut. But I was sixteen and not slutty. I didn't plan on loosing anything until college. Call me a goody-two-shoes, but I'm not going to care. I made up my mind, and I was sticking to it. So with Ash stirring up the lie he was, you could say I was feeling many unpleasant feeling all at once.
"Ash, please, step outside for a moment," said Mr. Murphy sternly. "I'd like to talk to Kathleen alone for a moment."
" 'Kay," Ash murmured, and he headed for the door. But not without raising his eyebrows at me. He obviously thought he was a genius with the lie.
"Kate, is there something you'd like to tell me?" asked Mr. Murphy. "I understand what you do in your personal life is none of my business, but I think any adult would be concerned if what you two did was only one's fault." I must've given him a look that he mistook for confusion because he kept talking! "That would be considered r-"
"No!" I shouted abruptly, taking the dean by surprise. I put my thumbs on my cheeks and my index fingers on my forehead. I refused to look him in the eyes for what I was about to say. "No. It was both." I shuddered, and then covered my face with my hands. "Can I go now?", I whispered.
"Stay right outside," Mr. Murphy told me quietly. "Tell Ash he may come in now."
I stood up, pushing the chair back, and walked out probably looking like a zombie. I'd never been in shock, but I figured I was halfway there. The door eased shut behind me, and Ash came up to me.
Something dark spurred inside my stomach. I looked up at Ash with disgust. "I hate you."
"What?" he asked. "Did he believe it? Yes. Is anyone else in the entire school going to know? Not unless one of us says something. It's between us. Now all we have to do is convince Mr. Murphy not to punish us to severely. Everything can go back to before the e-mail since it was obviously Coach Hector who actually sent it. I mean, why else would he have been following you at night? Trust me, I know devils. It was him who sent it."
I collapsed on the cushioned bench. "Just leave me alone. It's your turn to go in there."
Ash frowned but said no more. He disappeared into the dean's office.
~
"Kate, come back in," Ash murmured. He held open the door for me, and I took a seat in the office. Ash followed.
"From what I've heard, I've decided...not to suspend either of you." I almost smiled as a wave of relief washed over me. Almost. Ash did smile, though it was faint. "Next time though you will be suspended. Just remember expulsion is followed by three suspensions. Get to class. Have a good day, Mr. Diabolus and Miss DeTress."
~
During lunch, I sat on the bleachers. I had been thinking about what happened in the office all day, but I'd also been doing school work. Lunch was when I really focused on it. I realized Ash was right. None of the others knew why we had been in the office, and they didn't need to know.
It wasn't until PE that I started questioning that. As soon as I saw Ash, my wall crumbled. Coach Hector taught this class. I wondered what would happen and who would force us into playing sports. Ash strode over to me. My first mistake was not walking away to avoid him.
"Don't say anything," he whispered. I didn't respond. "Kate, this is serious."
I glanced up at his blue eyes. Mistake number two. His eyes were filled with worry, fear, and stress. He'd killed a man. Well, a demon but still. After a long silent moment with our eyes locked, I peeled mine away.
"I know," I muttered. "I'm sorry."
"Kate?"
"Hm?" I grunted.
"Is the tutoring still on?" Ash asked. His voice was lighter. "Your dorm at seven-PM, I mean."
I forced a fake cough that sounded real enough. It kept me from smiling, even if the smile was practically invisible. "Sure, whatever."
"Okay," Ash mumbled as a tall woman with curly black hair and hazel eyes walked into the gym. "Looks like our substitute is here...I'll see you around, then."
I watched him walk away and start talking with Ted.
"Hey, where's Coach?" called Ted to our substitute. "Is the old man sick?" The substitute ignored Ted's question and introduced herself as Coach Rebecca, the girls' volleyball coach. Her hazel eyes were wide with anxiety and worry.
I could see Ash flinch and tense up, and I was a few yards away. I couldn't imagine being in his shoes. Killing someone.
~
For the majority of the lesson it felt more like Ash had his eyes on me rather than the book or papers. He just watched me workout the problems this time, and he'd correct me if I did anything incorrect. His blue eyes bore into me like he was expecting me to jump out of the window and disappear forever. It scared me a bit. It felt like Ash was just acting funny; he wasn't being himself.
"You finished?" he murmured, and I nodded. He picked up the piece of paper, studying it one last time to check for any mistakes he missed. "Looks good. Good job."
"Thanks."
We fell into an awkward silence. Normally I don't find silences too awkward because I'm rather introverted to begin with. However, you could feel it like you feel moist on a humid day. It was uncomfortable. As the silence went on, Ash didn't advert his gaze away from me, which only made it worse. It felt like thorns were poking me and ants were crawling all over my skin. I shivered .
"Are you cold?" he finally broke the silence.
"No," I mumbled. "Is that all for today then?"
"Oh, yeah," Ash said, turning awkward. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Soo, what are you doing for Christmas and New Years? That's coming up, huh?"
"Lucy and I are going home," I said. I thought I detected a spark of disappointment in his blue eyes, but it was gone so I figured I had imagined it.
Ash's brows came together. "Your cousin lives with you?"
"No," I answered slowly. "The other way around. Well, technically, I live here."
Ash let out a nervous chuckle, and I gave him a small smile.
"Anyways," I said hastily. "I live with Lucy's family-my aunt, uncle, and cousins. Did you go here before? You might've known Lucy's older sister, Dakota?"
"No, to both," Ash answered softly. "How come you don't go home?"
"Too expensive," I admitted. "I'll Skype them, I'm sure."
"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go to a New Years party," Ash admitted. He quickly added, "Other will be there. You can bring Lucy. It's here, actually, on New Years Eve night slash New Years morning. It's for the students and their families-but mainly for the students who can't go home during the holidays."
"You can't go home?" I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my mouth, but Ash didn't come off as too bothered.
"No, I'd be kind of forced to stay home then," he said nervously. "I wasn't supposed to leave in the first place. That's why I got the e-mail and that whole chain of events happened. My relatives are evil, what can I say? Oh! When I said family could come to the party, my family won't, I promise."
I let a smile slip. "Alright, I'll see if I can go. I'll be here with my aunt and her family or not be here at all."
"Okay, cool," said Ash. "I'll go then. See you tomorrow." He grabbed his books and rushed off. As soon as the door slammed shut, I hit my head against my desk. "Kate, you are beyond stupid at this point."