Chapter 12
"Archer Winters! I swear on everything that's holy if you drop those shoes into the river I will find a way to kill you slowly and painfully!" I yelled at Archer as he swung my Nike High-tops over the edge of the gurgling river.
"You shouldn't tempted and teased me like that this morning" he said simply.
I shot him a flat look. I had teased him but nothing I did deserved a punishment this harsh.
"They're new!" I whined, crossing my arms.
His gaze flickered down to my chest briefly before he lazily drew it back up to my face.
"Sorry baby" He released the shoes and I ran forward, bending over the railing to see my shoes hit the water.
"ARCHER!" I yelled, racing down the steps and running along the river side, in hopes of catching my shoes.
"I'm telling you. Leaving a man hot and wanting is not okay. At all. Especially not during a school break."
I swung a branch I found on the grassy river bed out over the water, the very tip of it grazing the red basketball shoes.
I groaned as they slipped off and kept drifting with the current.
I tried again further down the river and very carefully lifted them out of the water by the laces.
I breathed out a sigh of relief, tipping them over to drain out the water, before hugging them close to my chest.
I turned around and flipped Archer off, "I'm getting you back for this!"
*
We visited Raven again on Wednesday. The clinic was silent just like the first time we'd come.
We pushed open the door to find her already looking at us.
"I told her we were coming" Archer said with a smile on his face as she went up to her and kissed her cheek.
He pulled up a chair beside her wheelchair and leaned his elbows on the table. I was about to leave the two for a bit when Raven looked up at me and smiled, her eyes sparkling. She waved with her arm and let out a happy squeal.
Archer opened his arms for and I slipped onto his lap.
"She's a real bully Raven" Archer started.
I scoffed, turning around to sock him in the stomach.
We took her out again to the same bench we'd gone to last time, taking a blanket with us this time for Raven.
Archer talked most of the time, his hand clasped firmly around mine, while he used the other to gesticulate through the air.
I looked up when I heard a car engine rev up on the country road close to where we sat.
I squinted through the sunlight, watching the car pass by the fence. I felt the blood rush to my head when I recognised Sanchez behind the wheel, a malicious smile on her make-up caked face.
I grasped Archer's hand tighter and pointed to disappearing car.
"That was Natalie" I said, rubbing my forehead.
Archer's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing at the road, still whirling with dust.
I saw a muscle in his cheek twitch as he took a deep breath and turned back to his sister.
*
Archer is related to a retard
I ripped the paper off the wall with enough force to pull some of the paint off as well.
I was furious. How dare she.
I moved down the hallway with quick steps, pushing Mel out of the way as I went looking for Archer.
I tore down six more posters that had been placated around the school. When I finally turned the corner onto the hallway that housed our row of lockers I found Archer with his fist in his hair.
He turned to look at me, his eyes widening slightly when he saw the look on my face.
"C'mon. Let's go" I took him by the arm, feeling all his muscles bunched up.
"I will find her. And I will make her life living hell" he swore as he moved alongside me.
I made a beeline for the main office, walking past the receptionist and right into the office of our head dean.
I slapped the paper onto his table and looked up at with the most intimidating look I could muster.
"This is what Sanchez does to people, sir. She followed us to the clinic of Archer's sister. Now we come back this morning and this is the shit we find placated in the school halls."
My chest was heaving.
Mr. Wincston said nothing as he took the paper from my hand. He scanned the paper before setting it back down.
"How do you know it -"
"I saw her drive away. I know it was here. Trust me" I breathed.
Archer was clenching his fists so tightly by his sides I was afraid the tendons in his hands would snap. I clasped my hand around his, and related his fist into a somewhat normal position.
"Look Echo. While I appreciate your efforts to stand up for you friend, there isn't anything I can do. I can give her a warning, but that's the extent of it. Her parents fund more than half of the school. Half of the school."
I looked at our dean with an open mouth. "You're not doing anything because you're scared they're going to take that brat out of the school?" I bit out.
"Watch your language Lee." he said pointing his finger at me, "This has happened before. You've heard the story from your friends probably. And just like back then, there isn't anything we can do now. If we suspend her, her parents threatened they'd take her out of the school. I can't let that happen. Not with all the new pending projects lined up for Ravenport High."
I stepped back from his desk, taking deep measured breaths to try and refrain from screaming.
"It's not worth it baby" Archer said, taking my arm and leading out of the office. I followed Wincston with my eyes until Archer dragged me over the threshold and back into the reception area.
The receptionist who had greeting me on the first day sent us a sympathetic smile before we left the office.
There was whispering in the crowds as we passed. Archer looked so angry that people shut up. No one dared to breath a word. That was until Sanchez appeared at the end of the hallway, her hands resting on her hips.
"Are you sure you don't have a little of that retard gene in your body?" she screeched down the hall, earning a loud round of support by her brainless groupies.
Archer came to such and abrupt halt in the middle of the hallway that I slammed into his back.
"No, no, no" I breathed, trying to grasp his arm before it was too late, but Archer tore out of my hold and barrelled down the hallway, towards a suddenly terrified looking Sanchez.
"Archer! Stop!" I yelled, running after him.
He was this close to actually running over Sanchez when Ryder slammed into him from the side, pushing him into the lockers and holding him there.
"Sanchez. Back the fuck away from him if you don't want to get checked into a hospital tonight" Ryder seethed at her, struggling to hold Archer away.
I caught up with the two, but let Ryder handle Archer. I wouldn't have been strong enough.
Archer turned around and punched the locker so hard it left a considerable dent in the soft metal door.
He let out an animalistic growl, before messing up his hair and pushing Ryder away.
He moved down the hallway ignoring everyone, including me as he made his way to the exit of the school.
Students in the hallway dispersed quickly when two teachers appeared to see what the commotion was about.
I looked at Ryder and then at a retreating Archer.
"Give him some time. He needs to work this off. He'll come around" Ryder said, patting my arm before picking up his bag and heading to class.
I contemplated going after Archer but decided to give him some space, heading to my next class instead.
But I couldn't focus. I couldn't, for the life of me, understand why anyone would get a kick out of bringing out the worst in another person. Why someone had to drive a person so mad, he or she nearly lost all sense of judgement.
I grumbled, lifting the pencil I had been subconsciously digging into my notebook.
When the school bell finally rung and we were let out I packed up my stuff quickly and left the school building.
I was about to get on the bus when I saw Archer's car pull into the lot.
He still had a stormy look on his face but sent me a tired smile.
I hoped over to his car and slid into my seat, leaning over the centre console to kiss his lips.
He cupped my face in his hands, deepening the kiss; pouring all his frustration, anger and hurt into it.
When he pulled away he sighed deeply, setting the car in reverse and pulling out of the lot.
"I'm not ashamed of Raven." he finally stated when we were on the interstate. I had no idea where we were going but it seemed to help Archer cool off so I kept silent.
"I just think its unfair towards Raven. Even though she's not here, no one has the right to talk about my sister like that. And it was a horrific eye-opener that the school really would do nothing."
*
The guys, Teddy and I sat curled up on the couch of Archer's home, watching a horror movie. Don't ask me why.
They guys had insisted and so I had eventually relented, burying my face in Archer's shoulder. The soundtrack alone was enough to scare the living-daylights out of me.
When the doorbell suddenly rang half way through the movie during a quiet scene we all screamed. I was sacrificed to open the door and found a tired looking pizza delivery guy, balancing six large pizzas.
"Watching horror movies are we?" he asked with an amused grin.
I chuckled, nodding my head before hanging him the money and thanking him.
I trailed back into the living room and caught a glimpse of a frozen corpse on the TV screen, quickly averting my gaze.
I set the pizzas on the table an idea began to form in my head. An evil smile crept across my lips as I looked over at Archer who had a disgusted look on his face.
"I'm gonna go grab my sweatshirt from upstairs" I said to the group, receiving non-committal grunts.
Payback's a bitch.
I messaged Teddy to come meet me out in the hallway, hearing her excuse herself from the movie to go to the bathroom.
She ducked out into the darkness and grinned at me.
"What are we planning?" she asked rubbing her hands together.
I giggled at her readiness to help me, without even knowing what I had planned.
"I'm going to get back at Archer for tossing my basketball shoes into the river"
"He tossed your basketball shoes into the river?!" she exclaimed, resting her hand against her chest in an utmost offended manner.
I chuckled, "yeah he did. So I'll go hide in the basement. I need you to ask him to go fetch some drinks from the fridge down there in a minute. Make sure he gets them, not one of the other guys."
"What's the plan?" she asked, after nodding her head.
"Surprise" I grinned, turning and stepping down into the basement.
I found the freezer I had in mind and stuck my hands inside, numbing my fingers.
I heard commotion upstairs and then Archer's voice.
"Why can't you get them?" He grumbled.
"Because you're the host fat ass, now hurry"
The door opened and thin sliver of light fell in, illuminating the steps shortly before it snapped shut again. I stood right beside the light switch at the bottom of the stairs, holding my cold hand out in front of me.
I chocked back a laugh as I waited in anticipation for him to reach the bottom of the stairs.
His breathing was shallower than usual and I grinned. The manly man isn't so manly now.
When he was close enough I took a shot in the dark and reached out, my cold fingers touching his warm neck.
He let out the girliest scream I ever from a guy, before jumping up and away, his arms flapping around madly.
I couldn't help myself and began laughing, apparently freaking him out even more.
Eventually I took pity on him and flipped the switch, the light flickering twice before steadying.
Archer sat crouched in a corner between two boxes, his eyes wide like saucers.
"ECHO LEE!" he yelled, standing up on shaking legs, "YOU LITTLE SHIT!"
I cackled the whole way up the stairs, delighted to find Teddy standing at the top of the stairs with her phone. She had recorded the whole thing.
The other guys had surrounded her, leaning over each other as they hooted with laughter.
The door slammed open shortly thereafter and a pale looking Archer emerged, who's eyes zoned in on me.
"You!" he breathed, pointing a finger at me.
I moved behind Ryder with a sly grin on my face.
"Sorry babe"