When Saturday finally rolled around, I woke early and left the house unbeknownst to anyone. I quietly looked into Heath's room to find him still asleep and snoring softly. I knew he'd sleep in because we had stayed up late last night watching movies, the way we spend almost every Friday night. I was certain I'd be back before he woke up, I mean it was 6:30 in the morning after all.
So just as the sun was rising, I was in my car driving somewhere I wouldn't be noticed.
When I finally felt I was hidden enough, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Scott.
to: Scott
from: Holt
'Please answer my call. I promise no one's around me'
I sent it and then dialled his number and waited.
After about the tenth ring, just after I had given up all hope, the ringing stops and I heard a deep sigh on the other end.
"Holt" Scott's voice came and I felt the tears well up in my eyes, involuntarily of course. I guess subconsciously I was worried about him even though I knew he'd be okay.
"Thank god, are you okay?" I asked and he laughed.
"Didn't the guys tell you I do this shit all the fucking time? I'm fine now leave me alone" He said.
"Wait, don't hang up!" I begged and I heard another sigh.
"What?" He asked, somewhat ticked off.
"Where are you? I want to talk" I asked and he laughed.
"Nice try Holt, I'm not an idiot" He said.
"I never said you were. But if you keep bottling your feelings up, you will be. Now tell me where the fuck you are or come meet me somewhere." I said, asserting my commands a little more.
"What makes you think you're the one I want to share my secrets with Alissa Holt? I wouldn't open up to you in a million years" He said, showing me he had heard about the conversation between Todd and I.
"I still apologised for saying that and then opened up" I said, the other end of the line quiet for a long time.
"Scott, please. Let me in. No one else even has to know. Heath thinks I'm leaving you alone and I'd kind of like to get back before he wakes up so he keeps thinking that" I said.
"Why can't you just leave me alone Holt?" He almost pleaded. I say almost because I know the person Scotty Sire is and he's not one to plead, nor beg.
"Because I care about you Scott. I care about all of you but I care about you because of how much you've done for me" I said and he laughed.
"All I've done for you? Threatened you, tormented you and flipped your entire life upside down? You're welcome" He sneered. I sighed and rolled my eyes.
"No, not those things. I'm talking about letting me into your room that night, respecting my conditions, saving me from my brother. Hell, letting me into the group in the first place. You've only ever been good to me Scott and we both know it's not because I'm a girl, it's something more" I said.
Yet another long silence followed but he finally spoke just as I opened my mouth to hang up.
"Meet me at that abandoned bridge forest, that one you took photos at. I'll be there in ten minutes" He said, before hanging up.
Well what a mixture of emotions.
I was thrilled that he trusted me enough to meet up with me, I was smug about the fact that I had gotten through to him but I was also nervous and scared about what could happen, why he agreed with hardly any egging on. I also didn't particularly want to know how he knew about the abandoned bridge forest but I wasn't going to ask, not in this lifetime anyway.
I pulled into the parking area near the forest and began to walk in, seeing Scotty not too far away from me, back turned to me and smoke coming off his breath.
"Holt" He greeted and I sighed, stepping closer.
"Hey" I replied and he turned to me.
"I'm surprised you came" He said, my eyes opening and my mouth falling open in shock as my hand flew up to cover it.
He was way worse than Todd was after I got to him.
"Oh my god, what happened? Are you okay?" I asked, moving closer to him and stopping as he held his hand out to me.
"I'm fine. But my mom thinks I'm just causing trouble so she told me to fuck off" He said and I sighed.
"Can you at least tell me who did it? Or why?" I asked and he laughed.
"I couldn't, not without something going wrong." He whispered and I shuddered, cursing myself for not wearing a warmer jacket this early in the morning as a cool breeze swept through the forest.
"Here" Scott said, pulling his infamous leather jacket off and handing it to me.
"T-thanks" I stammered, my teeth chattering slightly. I wrapped myself in the jacket, also wrapping myself in Scott's scent. Jesus Heath would smell this on me from a mile away, note to self; shower at home before anything else.
"Please tell me. I promise I won't tell another soul. Scott, please" I begged and he sighed, looking away.
"I won't name names but collectively, they got to the security footage before I did" He said.
"They? They as in the other four guys?" I asked and he nodded.
"Wait, the footage of you threatening me?" I asked again and he nodded again with a sigh.
"Did Heath do this to you?" I asked, stepping forward.
"No, he was the only one not involved. The others agreed Heath doesn't need to know about this, not now and maybe not ever. David destroyed it, the other two beat me up. Heath knows nothing and saw nothing" He said and I nodded.
"I can't believe them" I whispered.
"Please don't chew them out Holt" He said, his hand grabbing my wrist. I looked down at the awkward encounter and he quickly released.
"I don't know, I'd kinda like to let it sit for a little then go to town on them" I said and Scott shook his head with a smile.
"Of course you would. But please, don't. There doesn't need to be more trouble and they were only protecting you" He said.
"Protecting me from what? You? In case you haven't noticed I'm standing right in front of you, alone" I said and he sighed.
"You were never one to let people protect you" He said and I shrugged with one shoulder.
"Scott they don't need to protect me from one of them, one of us I guess. You and I are friends and you had a bad day. I mean, Zane and I are friends even after he broke my arm and look at Todd and I. So what, you threatened me a little? You'd have to do a lot worse to get me to avoid you" I said and he smiled softly.
"We don't deserve you. None of us do, you're pure, real. You're the kind of girl that kids like us dream about being friends with, that the world dreams of being friends with" He said.
"Well then consider this a dream come true because we're friends Scott, now will you please go home and come back to school?" I asked and he nodded with a sigh.
"I guess. I just don't want everyone to be wondering about my face. I hate curiosity" He said and I spluttered, trying to hold back a laugh. I saw him crack a smile too and soon enough we were both laughing, a very weird scene between us for sure.
"I can't believe you're not asking me a million questions" He said and I shrugged.
"I can't believe you're not giving me a million excuses. You just opened up to me Scott" I said and he smiled.
"Yeah, I guess I did." He said.
"Now do you want to talk about why you've been so distant lately?" I asked and he sighed, looking away.
"Look, I'm not the kind to blab secrets. You need to talk to someone" I said and he nodded, looking to me.
"My mom and my stepdad are getting a divorce. It's been hard because I like him, more than I ever liked my own father. I've never told him that, he thinks I'm just a stupid kid who needs to be told no. We don't get along but I like the way he treats my mom. Me and her, we've been fighting about it a lot and I called her some things I shouldn't have but she also called me some things she shouldn't have. And his son messes with my shit to make me mad and get me in trouble." He said and I nodded, stepping closer to him.
"That sucks, it really does" I said and he laughed.
"I thought you were supposed to give me advice on how to fix my life, not agree with me!" He protested and I laughed too.
"No, I just wanted you to open up to someone, to have someone understand why you're acting this way for once" I said and he sighed.
"I guess it does feel a little better, in the weirdest way possible" He admitted and I smiled.
"See? Sometimes telling someone makes everything good for a while" I said and he smiled, somewhat sadly.
"Everything's not going to be good for a long time. But at least someone else knows why" He said and I smiled at him.
"So you'll go home?" I asked and he nodded.
"Yeah, I'll go home. See if I can calm this raging black eye down before Monday" He said with a stifled laugh.
"You have got the weirdest sense of humour I've ever heard" I said, shaking my head as he shrugged.
"Yours isn't that admirable either" He said with a grin.
"I'd better get home, before Heath wakes up." I said, slipping out of his jacket and handing it back to him.
"See you around Holt." He said and I nodded.
"I hope I do" I said, honestly as I turned and walked back to my car, leaving Scott standing all alone.
"I really hope I do" I whispered to myself as I started my car and drove away.
I KNOW THIS IS LATE BUT
I was away for the weekend and forgot to update before I left but I wanted you guys to stew in this suspense for a while longer heh.