28.
The line cut off and I stared wide eyed at Dale, who looked back with shock. It was Derrick who shook me,
''His girlfriend? Are you sure its her?'' Beside me, Aiden looked like he wanted to throw up, a sick look was etched on his face and he was clutching at his hair, disbelieving.
''She was there the whole time.'' He muttered. Exactly my feelings.
''Lillian is inside isn't she?'' Trevor demanded, ''I think we need to rush to her instead of sulking!'' He was shouting now, and it was enough to make me gain my footing again, ''the line got cut as well!''
Dale dialed her number again and the frantic gaze in his eyes was enough to make us understand what was going on. Before anything, I was running straight inside the school building, turning towards the back where Dale and Lillian and opened the doors from.
''Lets split up!'' Dale announced, the rest was lost to me, the only thing that I could hear was the painfully loud beating of my heart and the chaotic state of my mind. Lillian's words and the cut off line kept replying in my mind and I couldn't keep myself from imagining the worst case scenario.
''There's no need, I can hear voices.'' We all paused near the hallways, which lead to the security quarter.
''Hall'' I muttered and entered the main hall which housed the reception and major offices. There was a staircase in the middle, which led up to the quarters and the archive rooms.
And as soon as he opened the door, I saw them and my heart lurched.
There they were; both of them.
''Stop!'' Hayley shrieked when she saw us entering, she had a firm hold around Lillian's neck and was holding her tightly against herself, standing right at the tip of the landing. Hayley was barely recognizable; her mascara was smeared beneath her wide and frantic eyes, her makeup was gone and her hair were left open, they framed around her face like a bush and I saw tear tracks on her cheeks.
We all halted out steps, looking at the scene and taking in the situation. I swallowed when I caught a bruise on Lillian's cheek and specks on blood on her hand.
Shit! Shit! Shit! I never thought or imagined that situation would escalate to something like this, something this dangerous. With horror I realized I had just told Carmen and the rest to keep the guard from calling anyone. No one knew we were inside, no one knew we were inside with a psychopath.
''It was you all along.'' Behind me Marley whispered and Hayley let out a bark like laughter, the sound echoed around us and Lillian whimpered as her hold tightened.
''Look who it is! Its my boyfriend's best friend. The Marley Carson. The runaway. The coward. The slut!''
''You-'' I stopped Derrick with a stern look. One move and things would end up messier than it already was.
''Of course it was me. Who else could have done it? But what did I do so wrong that you all were hellbent in finding me?'' She was whispering now, muttering, but her voice was clear to me. Then her eyes found mine, ''It was you right? The pest who wouldn't leave my Aiden alone? You orchestrated the whole thing didn't you?''
''Hayley...please let-''
''SHUT UP!'' She suddenly yelled, ''JUST SHUT UP!'' I took a deep breath, and exchanged a glance at Dale who was shaking with anger,
''It was me all along! Congrats for guessing! But I did it for love...is it a sin to protect those you love?'' She was asking Marley, her voice shook with every word, ''you and I were friends weren't we? We were both the nerds, but you were the only one he ever acknowledged.''
''We were friends!'' Marley snapped, she was stepping forward now,
''That's the problem! Right there! You were friends with him, you were close. And not only you but this bitch as well,'' she yelled back and shook Lillian, if Hayley let go, Lillian would fall, ''he was always surrounded by you two! One was his fucking best friend and one was a damn slut!''
Marley flinched, emotion took hold of her and her eyes were starting to brim with tears, ''You...did all that over Aiden? Just to get Aiden?''
''I knew I could have targeted her,'' I knew she was refereed to Lillian but she jabbed her as well to make her point clearer, ''but even if Lillian damn Fisher was gone from my Aiden's life, you would have stayed. That's why...that's why I needed a way to make sure both of you leave.''
''I'm gonna kill you.'' Hayley glared at Dale who had uttered the words, rage dancing in his deep blue eyes, his hands clenched into fists, ''I'm going to kill your psychotic ass!'' he shouted and lunged for her and then, she held Lillian right by the edge of the landing,
''I would like to see you try,'' Hayley replied, a mad grin on her face.
''Why would you do this to Allyson?'' Marley was asking her, demanding in a grief stricken voice. I stared at her, wondering why was she asking questions like these. And then when I risked to look back, I saw Aiden who was quietly backing away, an inch a second, towards the door. She was stalling Hayley.
''Her?'' Hayley threw a nasty look in my direction, ''she was trying to hard to be the new Marley Carson. She was the fucking reason why he broke up with me! I couldn't stand her! Even after I showed the word what kind of whore she is, Aiden only thought about her...even when I-''
''You almost killed me,'' I began, I had no intention to have a conversation with her, at that moment it was hatred that burned inside me, it was fury and it was disgust. But I already knew that Aiden had left the room, he had hung behind Trevor and Derrick, not saying a word because he had a plan.
Right behind Hayley was a huge window, it's glass pane were reflecting tiny specs on light, but she was too crazed to notice anything anymore. I just needed to keep her talking, to keep her from pushing Lillian, until Aiden used to window.
''You were the one who caused the accident.''
She wasn't grinning anymore, ''What was I suppose to do then? Let you steal away Aiden? He has a habit of taking pity on any girl who talks nicely to him. He never realized that I was the only one who ever loved him...and I can't allow him to ruin our relationship over some American bitch who decides to show up all the sudden-''
She never got a chance to say anymore, a second later the window behind her smashed and the glass shattered on the floor, Hayley yelped and let go of Lillian. I screamed at the same time as Marley when Lillian lost her footing. But Trevor was faster than anyone else and leaped forward to catch her.
He met her on the fourth step and his arms went around her, they both fell backwards, with Trevor keeping a hand on the back of her head. I ran towards them when they rolled towards the floor.
''Lily! Are you okay?'' They were both okay, save a few gashes on Trevor's arms and face. My heart was nearly crushed with the relief I felt.
Above us, on the landing, Hayley was on the floor, with shards of glass surrounding her, crying in pain as some of it dug beneath her feet. Aiden was there, standing a little distance away from her, his shoulders shaking, his expression broken.
''You hurt them all over something so small,'' he whispered, and I saw tears running down his face. He was crying.
''Aid-''
''How can you hurt them over something so small!?'' He cried in anguish and as if it was too hard to stand he fell on his knees and slammed his fists on the floor, right on the broken glass. He didn't stop and kept doing it.
I rushed towards him and fell down beside him, grabbing his hand, ''Stop! You're hurting yourself.'' I enveloped him in a one sided hug, feeling his tears soaking on my shirt. Closing my eyes, I patted his back with my good hand,
''Its going to to okay...its going to be okay...''
The next series of events were a blur. The doors were thrown open and Flynn and Addy were there, with them came the police and my parents, the Cattermoles and the woman whom I assumed was Derrick's mother, who had arrived with his aunt.
Aiden, Trevor and Lillian were taken to to the hospital for examination and the rest of the school watched as Hayley was taken away. Tears running across her face, her head down and her parents rushing along with panic in their eyes.
I could faintly hear my own parents scolding me and talking to the teachers that had shown up as I sat on the stairs where Lillian and Trevor had fallen, my eyes dry and my mind exhausted.
Across the hall, Marley's parents were hugging her and she was smiling at them teary eyed.
''I told you didn't I?'' I said to Derrick when he came to cit by me, ''she'll come back.''
''You said right.'' He whispered and kissed my forehead.
* * * *
Trevor looked sorry when he came in my room. I had been sleeping when dad announced that my friend was here; I wasn't sure which one it was so he explained,
''The one who defended you!'' Dad sounded pretty darn proud of him, like he was boasting about a son who had come back from saving the world from apocalypse or something.
''Are you okay now?'' I asked when he sat down on the spare chair,
while I stood by the window, drawing the curtains and allowed some light to peep in.
''Still handsome, still hot.'' He replied, I looked at me amused, there was a band aid on his forehead, and a healing scar on his arm.
''Are you here to say sorry?'' I mused, and he began to look guilty again, not so hot and handsome anymore, was he?
''I am sorry Mouse.''
''I'm not angry at you,'' I murmured, sitting on my bed, ''but I will be, if you don't stop calling me mouse.''
''You're not angry?'' He asked, slightly amazed,
''I'm not,'' I repeated, ''I was upset a little. I just wish you guys would have told me.''
''Trust me, I wanted to. But it wasn't my secret to tell.'' He said,
''Rose...I mean Marley didn't want anyone to know?'' Marley had been taken home by her parents, so she wasn't living with Trevor anymore. When they found out (Derrick included) that they had been sharing the same roof, they all were surprised. In fact, Derrick was still shooting glares in Trevor's way whenever he saw him. Marley and Mrs. Wayland had done a good job to explain them that Trevor was just protecting her they weren't dating.
I knew that was going to change soon.
''That's true. She said she'll show up when she was ready.'' He said, briefly.
''So my guess was true, the reason you came to school was to find Hayley.'' He nodded, it was uncomfortable for me to bring Hayley up anymore, every time I said her name or thought about her, really gnawed at me. Reality that brought up painful things I didn't want to remember anymore,
''Yeah, Marley knew about everything though. Now you believe me right? That I wasn't stalking you.''
I frowned, ''Yeah whatever.''
Trevor laughed, some time ago I used to cringe every time he laughed at things that weren't so funny, now the sound was familiar enough to make me smile, ''So tell me something, how did you guys meet?''
He stopped laughing as he began to say, ''It was a coincidence actually...the first time I saw her, she was sleeping on a bench outside campus square. Me and my friends were there to watch a play that my friend's brother had organized. When we came out, she was still sleeping on the bench.''
''She slept on a bench?'' I asked in a quiet voice, wondering if Derrick knew. It would be better if he didn't.
Trevor nodded, ''She got into a fight with the the boys there, me being the knight in the shining armor saved her and you know what happens next.''
I made a face, ''No I don't.''
Trevor sighed, ''The boys turned out o be real thugs-''
''You are a thug too.'' I pointed out,
''We made a run for it, before I knew it she ended up at my house.''
''You let her stay?''
A proud smirked answered it for me, ''She said she'll do my homework for me.'' I had a feeling he was leaving a lot of details out.
''How did you find out about who she was?'' I asked the question that had been bothering me the most.
''Actually, what happened was that, someone hired me to find Marley Carson. Before that, I didn't knew the name of the girl living at my place. I pretended not to know anything for some time...Marley found out what was going on and ran away.'' A pained expression took home on his face, ''it took me days to find her again and persuade her I won't tell anyone.''
''Who was it? The person who hired you?'' That was new to me,
With a grim face he answered, ''Cattermole.''
I remember Dale's shock that day, when he saw Marley, and how he had looked at Trevor with accusation. He knew all along. He knew Rose was Marley and he knew how close we were. So that's why he kept asking me to stay away from Trevor?
''Dale knew?''
''He hired me to find Marley. The reason he didn't want anyone to know was, because he feared if Marley was forced to go back, she would run away again. He knew she wasn't ready.''
Dale...he was so confusing all the time. Some days he would yell and shout and accuse me for being selfish. Other days, he would desperately try to save a friend. Some days, he would even send a sincere smile on my way.
''I can't believe he knew...'' I muttered looking over at Cattermole's house through my window.
I couldn't see him there. Then I reminded myself if was Daniel's window, not Dale's.
Jeez, I couldn't really see him, could I?
* * *
I couldn't imagine how going back to school would feel like. Things had changed a lot in the past three months, we had changed. When I had first came to live with mom, it was the idea of change that haunted me, that prevented me to be true of myself, to embrace people around me. After everything, I had come to realize that change was inevitable, just like time - with time.
Even so, I knew that one way or another we had to get used to normal life and put behind things that had happened so far. Dad preferred to do so as well, he left last night to go back to New York and made me promise him that I would spend Christmas with him. I refused, I needed to spend Christmas with mom as well so we agreed to visit each other in summer.
The good outcome of everything was the open relationship I now shared with mom, with nothing to hide, and nothing to regret, it was easier to be myself around her. She wasn't awkward anymore and had actually started scolding me. She actually gave me a curfew now, even though I was going to be eighteen next year - still, I couldn't be happier.
Although she had decided that she would pay Mr. Cattermole on my behalf despite my refusal. She had said that I should keep working at the cafe, and stay honest with her about everything. Mr. Cattermole and mom spent an hour putting the money back and forth, he kept saying how embarrassing it was for him, while mom argued she was more embarrassed.
I said goodbye to her as I closed the door behind me and let the wind greet me. Mom had asked me to start learning how to drive so she could get me a car, I had told her how scared I was about driving. She hadn't laughed at me like Dale had ages ago, instead she told me to take my time.
I smiled at the thought, and then I saw a car parked a little distance away from our house. At first I didn't recognize it, then I saw Aiden leaning against it, his bandaged hands in his pockets and a blank look on his face.
My smile faded as I approached him. He saw me from afar and stood up straighter, greeting me with a broken grin. It was exactly that - broken and lost. Like he was trying to grin but couldn't make himself to do so.
''Hey, going to school?'' I asked when I was closer to him.
''Can we walk for a bit?'' That was a strange question, I narrowed my eyes briefly but nodded.
''Sure'' I replied and started to walk beside him on the road, we were heading towards the bus stop.
''You won't be late for class right?''
I sighed, ''Class eh? Sounds normal right now. A bit insignificant too, or is it just me?''
This time he finally cracked a smile, a small one still, ''I'm sure its same for everyone. When is Marley coming to school?''
''She'll write her exams in June next year and join us in September,'' he nodded, ''so, did you guys talk?''
I didn't know how things were between Aiden and everyone else. I had seen him Lillian sitting by him when they were treating his hands, but that was it. I was sure Derrick's hostility had worn off, since it was Aiden who had managed to save Lillian from Hayley, not only her, but Marley as well. I hoped that Derrick saw how guilty Aiden had been and made up with hi
''We talked,'' he said, his face was a mask of sadness, ''Ally...I told her that I wished she hadn't left. Do you know what she said in reply?''
I stared back blankly. We had stopped walking, ''She said; 'I wish you would've stopped me.''
''Aiden-''
''Marley...all this time, she had only one thing to offer me; that's hope. Even when things were rough between us, even when I turned my back on her, she didn't stop hoping that I would believe her. And that makes me feel like the biggest asshole in the world.''
I remembered seeing him crushing his hands on the glass, his face had been twisted in pain and he was crying. Aiden was crying. Even now, I could see how red his eyes were; but there weren't any tears left in them.
''Its not your fault.'' I whispered, because with a sinking heart, it occurred to me that Marley had healed. I had healed. But Aiden had just gotten worse; the guilt he was carrying before had doubled.
''It is my fault,'' he replied fiercely, ''all of this that happened, it was all my fault. Hayley did this because of me.''
''Hayley did this for herself. She was selfish-''
''Selfish for me. She was twisted beyond repair and even that's my fault.''
I felt the loss of words, loss of anything that would take away his pain and calm him down. Before that moment, I never cherished words enough.
''She hurt you and Marley for my sake,'' he breathed deeply and closed his eyes, ''Marley was all alone, she had to leave her own house, she had to suffer with depression, she probably wanted to end herself at that moment,''
''Aide-''
''And it doesn't end here Ally. You were almost killed. Marley was almost killed, Lily was almost killed - every person I care deeply about was about to die because of me. What if it had happened. Oh God! Ally...what if that car had hurt you beyond repair, what if that plant had hit Marley in the head, what if Lillian...'' He couldn't go on anymore.
Aiden wasn't bleeding, his scars were hidden, but his pain was unbearable. It was difficult for me to see him like this, I couldn't even bring myself to imagine how he felt at that moment.
For the longest time, with his eyes closed, he had pressed his hand against his temple, his lips trembling.
''I'm taking your time ain't I?''
''You are more important to me.'' I said,
''I came here to tell you how grateful I am to have you as a friend and instead I started with my whining,'' he let out a humorless laugh, ''you were a friend that I could never be to Marley. Thanks a lot Ally, for letting me help you, for letting me be by your side. For trusting me.''
''Why are you saying all this?'' I asked weakly. He got a paper out of his pocket and gave it to me, his driver had followed us and brought the car right by the bust stop.
''There's one last thing I need you to do; please give this to Marley.'' I opened the paper, in there was a singular word.
Sorry
''This is?''
''I never got a chance to say that to her. I'm not sure if she forgave me, but one last time, I want to apologize.''
''Last time? What does that mean? Are you not going to see her again?'' I knew Marley. Maybe not like he did, or like Lillian and Derrick did. But I knew her enough to know that she would forgive Aiden.
He backed away from me and opened the door of his car, ''Take care Ally.'' He said and smiled for me, putting all of him into it and then he left. Is stood there for a longest time until my phone rang,
It was Lillian,
''What's up?'' I thought she had called to ask me why I wasn't at school till now, instead she said,
''Ally? Did you see Aiden anywhere?''
I frowned, Aiden's paper still in my hand, ''Just now, why?''
On the other side, she sounded almost sad, ''I just found out now; apparently he withdrew from school. Ally,'' she whispered, ''he left.''
I stared at the spot his car had disappeared from, tears blurred my vision and I hung up. He hadn't come to say thanks, he had come to say goodbye.
''You asshole...'' I whispered to no one.
* * *
The last chapter will be up by the end of this week (hopefully)
I told you guys abt the new stories I had plans to post, tbh those plans have changed. New stories are still coming but different ones.
Also, I would love if you guys can check out my new work ''SKY LIGHT'', its on my profile! :D