Brooklyn’s POV
I pull up in front of Hannah’s house early today. Five minutes early to be exact. Her door opens and she walks out, almost skipping, to the car with a wide grin on her face. I unlock the door and she hops in. “Good morning, best friend. How are you?” she asks.
I smile. “Now that’s way better than the first day of school.”
“Being on time is also way better than being late,” she adds, pulling the mirror down and looking at herself.
“Says the one who thinks I should ditch the strict time schedule, let loose, and be more spontaneous. Those are most definitely your words.”
“Well, we both know this is a different circumstance.” Looking at herself always ends up with her applying lip gloss and fixing her hair. The topic of her house always causing her to do so. “Speaking about your family’s strict time schedule, I can’t believe your mom forgot to pick up Bruce.”
“Believe me, Bruce and I are still not over it.”
Even though Bruce was extremely silent the whole dinner, causing me to not have much to say either, my parents still said nothing about her forgetting him. I doubt my mom even told my dad that it happened, and since he’s barely connected with us, Bruce probably never got the chance to reveal why he was so sad. As long as those pies, cookies, brownies, and all the other desserts she’s frying her brain over are on their way to being finished before Saturday, nothing else seems to matter.
However, it didn’t slip their minds to check up on my tutor sessions with Mitchell. I can’t possibly tell them that things are now going horribly because, as Carol says, I’ve played with his emotions and embarrassed him. I simply said we’re doing great and he’s learning a lot. I wish that was the truth.
“I just can’t wait until this business party comes and goes. You’re coming, right?” I ask, hope filling my voice. Having to attend these business parties and smile, talk about my academic achievements and lifetime goals is already not my favorite thing to do, but it’s even worse when I have to converse with these coworkers the whole night because my friends aren’t there to rescue me.
“Of course. I’ll be a little late, though. I have to wait until my dad falls out drunk on the couch so I don’t have to answer any questions, but Stacey and the others will be there.”
“I know. I even invited Jason,” I say, grinning. We’ve been texting here and there more lately. Hopefully this Saturday will be a lot better for us to spend time together without Mitchell ruining it. He won’t be anywhere near this event.
“Well, the more the merrier.”
I can already see Ryan leaning against his car as he waits for us. I park right along side him and Hannah and I get out. She wraps herself in his arms and they share a few pecks. Nice to know that everything is still flowing well with them, just like with the rest of my friends. I’m still stuck on the fact that Mitchell is saying I’m oblivious to their life problems. None of them seem to be going through anything dramatic. Stacey and Cody are doing great, they proved it while they were at my house, and Jeffrey is still as cool as a cat.
“Hello...I’m still here, guys,” I joke, patting them on their backs and getting them to start to move towards the entrance of the school.
“And it’s nice to see you both,” Ryan says, throwing his arms over our shoulders, directing us down the next hallway. “How was your nights?”
“Mine was fine. The guys and Stacey came to see me. Where were you two?” I ask, smirking.
“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Ryan says, laughing. “We weren’t together last night.”
“Yeah, I was kind of busy. Had to run a few errands,” Hannah say as we make it to my locker.
I raise my eyebrow while doing the combination. “Running errands at night, Han?”
“Yeah. I thought you were laying in bed all night to keep away from your dad?” Ryan questions, folding his arms over his chest.
“Umm, well, you know that he never stays away as long as we’re in the same vicinity. And Macy was being a total bitch again, nagging me about bringing these materials we need for our next practice, so I went out and got them,” she says, looking off into the distance. “Speaking of Macy and materials, I’m going to go give them to her. They’re quite heavy in my bag.” Before Ryan and I can say anything else, she walks off in the opposite direction.
“She’s acting strange,” I say, not really meaning to say it aloud, but she is.
“Tell me about it. Since when do cheerleaders need to materials to practice, and how did you she run errands...the bus?” Ryan asks. He looks like he’s thinking about it really hard before he just shakes his head and shrugs. “Look who’s coming.” He points in the direction that Hannah was looking before she ran off. Coming down the hall is Mitchell and Jackson.
I watch them as they stare ahead of them with cold glares and can’t help but think how they resemble each other so much. The way they walk, look, and act. Jackson looks just as evil as Mitchell does and knowing that there are two of them in this school sends chills down my spine. I didn’t even know how Jackson really was until he ruined my date with Mitchell. Just like Hannah, I barely noticed him at all since he’s been here, but I should’ve known that he’d be just like Mitchell and his we hate the world and everyone in it posse he hangs around.
Mitchell doesn’t even slightly acknowledge my presence as they pass me. Not a quick glance, scowl, or insult. Is he really this upset about what happened? I honestly didn’t mean any harm, but I don’t want to feel like the bad guy here. I haven’t once tormented him or embarrassed him the way he has done to me. I’ve never felt as humiliated as I felt last week in my whole life, and I think it’s about time he apologizes. I guess I’ll be the bigger person and apologize first.
“How are things between the two of you?” Ryan asks, knocking me out of my thoughts.
“Peaches and creme,” I say sarcastically with a fake, wide grin.
“That bad, pal?”
“That bad.”
As soon as the final bell rings, I grab all of my things and head out of the classroom. I did all of my homework for the night in all of my classes so that I can have some extra free time. Not only do I have to go to work in a bit, but I have to take Bruce to his baseball practice, so I needed more time on my hands if I wanted to apologize to Mitchell. Our lunch session isn’t until tomorrow and from the way he completely ignored me today, I know that he’ll most likely ditch it, so I have to take control of things.
Before I make it out of the school doors, I see Jason talking to one of his teammates by some lockers. We catch each other’s eye contact and he smiles, gesturing for me to go towards them. “Hey, you,” he says, opening his arms for me.
I grin. “Hi. What’s going on?”
After hugging me, he wraps his arm around my waist. “Just talking to my buddy Zack here. I know you two may know of each other, but I should formally introduce you two. Brooke, this is Zack, and Zack, this is the girl I’ve telling you about,” he says.
I can feel a blush come onto my cheeks. “Good things I hope,” I say, holding my hand out. “Nice to meet you, Zack.”
He shakes it firmly. “Nice to meet you too, Brooke, and yes, all good things, but I have to admit, the guy talks about you too much,” he jokes, making us laugh.
“Well, that’s nice to know. I would stay and chat longer, but I really have to get going. Nice meeting you again, and Jason, do you think you’re still going to make it Saturday?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he says, kissing my cheek. “I’ll call you tonight.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
The whole walk to my car I keep pinching myself to make sure that I’m not dreaming and all of that just happened. Jason is so sweet and makes me like him even more day by day. I wonder if he really speaks so much about me or if his friend was just helping score good points. Either way, I can’t stop grinning. Hopefully Mitchell doesn’t ruin my good mood and this goes well.
I pull up to the huge, black gates yet again and press the button on the intercom. “Name?” says the same stern voice. I still don’t know who it belongs to.
“It’s Brooklyn. The tutor.”
“There is no tutor session scheduled today,” he says.
“I know, but I’m here to just speak to Mitchell.”
“I have been ordered by Mitchell not to let you in, ma’am.”
My jaw drops. I’m pretty sure that if possible, it would’ve dropped hard enough to sound off the car’s horn. I can’t believe Mitchell told him not to let me in. Is it really this serious? “Sir, this is just a big misunderstanding, and if you can let me in, this will all be resolved.”
“I apologize, but I can not do that. Have a good day, dear.”
Is he serious! I groan loudly as I back out of the long driveway. Mitchell does not know who he’s messing with. I’ve been jumping oceans trying to help him and this is how he repays me. Well, I am no longer...jumping? Jumping! Yes.
I park my car on the open street and get out, slowly sneaking up to the side of the huge gate. If I thought that his driveway was long in a car, it’s like the length of the Golden State Bridge if you’re walking. I look around, seeing no security or security cameras anywhere. If I’m going to do this, I have to do it quickly, especially before I change my mind.
The gate only seems about ten feet tall, which isn’t so bad. I’m an excellent gymnast and I’ve climbed my fair share of gates and walls. Of course only because as a hobby, my family and I do rock climbing in the summer, so with that experience, this shouldn’t be so bad. I just can’t knock the feeling that I’m actually breaking and entering. Me, Brooklyn Waters! I’m breaking into Mitchell Maxwell’s yard. I’m the one trespassing. How ironic.
I firmly place my hands around the steel bars and get to climbing. One leg movement at a time, pulling myself up while breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. Good thing I have great upper body strength. I’m most definitely going to thank coach tomorrow. It doesn’t take long before I’m at the top and flipping myself over like I used to do on the monkey bars in elementary school. Already being half way, I just easily jump down. I smile at my achievement as I dust my hands off. That gate is no match for Brooklyn Marie Waters, I know that much. Maybe I should take Hannah’s advice and join the cheerleading team before it’s too late. Help her deal with Macy too.
“Hey! What are you doing?” yells a deep voice, knocking me out of my thoughts.
I look to see who it came from and it’s a security guard coming towards me with a baton in his hand. As much as I want to stay and explain that I’m not some groupie here to stalk Mitchell, I already know that the guards have been informed that I’m not supposed to be here at all, so...I run. I run as fast as I can all the way up to Mitchell’s front door, which is a journey, with now two guards following behind me.
“We have a code blue! I repeat we have a code blue! I need all guards at the front door! All guards at the front door!” I hear one yell into the walkie-talkie.
What the hell is a code blue? Is it a crazy person, a burglar, a stalker perhaps? This is becoming surreal and I’m starting to regret that I even went through with it, especially now that I’m corned by four guards blocking the door and the two guards coming up behind me, all with batons and handcuffs in their hands.
“Okay, I know that I’m...trespassing, but believe me, this is not as it seems. I’m supposed to be here. In fact, you can call Mr. Maxwell down here right now and this will all be straightened out,” I try to explain, but maybe it’s a little to late for that.
One guard gives me a look of disbelief, but grabs his walkie-talkie anyway. “Mr. Maxwell, I’m sorry to disturb you, but can you please come down here. It’s urgent.”
I smile. “Thank you. This will be over in a second.”
“Just don’t move. In fact, put your hands up where we can see them,” another one orders.
“Whoa, what? No, I’m not a criminal. I’m a guest.”
“Guest don’t hop walls and resist arrest! Now put your hands up,” he shouts.
I gasp and slowly raise my hands up. These guards are really mean. Do I look like I can harm a soul? I look down at my plain, blue jeans and white, Polo shirt. I look like a simple student.
“What are you dragging me all the way down here for? This better be good or you’re all losing your jobs!”
I don’t even have to look up to know who the voice belongs to.
“What the hell are you doing here, and why is this a code blue?”
I let out a deep sigh. “Mitchell, I can explain all of this. If you can just tell them to let me go inside, we can talk.”
He glares at me coldly and folds his arms. “Why are you here? You’re not supposed to be here!”
“I thought you said Mr. Maxwell would straighten your story out,” the first guard that called Mitchell down here says.
“Well, when I said Mr. Maxwell, I was referring to Mitchell’s father.”
“Sure you were. Do you want us to escort her out of here, call the police even?”
Once again my jaw drops. The police?
“Do whatever you want with her. Just get her out of my presence,” Mitchell says, taking a box of cigarettes out of his pocket and turning to walk back in the house.
I fight my urge to cringe. “Mitchell, stop!” I shout, but he continues walking. “Mitchell, I hopped your damn gate to talk to you. Listen to me damn it!” I’m guessing my sudden outburst was enough.
He stops dead in his tracks, turns back around, and storms towards me. Before I know it, he’s grabbing my wrist and pulling me inside. “I’ll deal with this,” he tells them, before slamming the door behind us.
I can admit, my heart is racing and I don’t know what he’s going to do to me. I wish I would’ve told someone that I was headed here just in case. I’m sure if he wanted to kill me, his father has enough money to make it look like I ran away, hitchhiked a ride, and was thrown into some woods in the middle of nowhere. Just the thought makes me even more terrified, especially because he’s pacing quickly and breathing in and out loudly like he’s going crazy.
“Speak! You had all the balls just a minute ago and now you’re as silent as the scary, prissy, geek you are. What’s the matter, cat got you tongue now!” he yells, making me flinch a little. “What do you want from me?”
I take a deep breath and run my hands through my hair, trying to remember the whole speech I’ve been putting together today, but it’s been knocked out of my head. “I just...I just wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean to embarrass you in any way yesterday. I was just playing along to this stupid game you made and I thought you were too,” I say.
“Embarrassed? You could never embarrass me. You could never get to me.”
“But you said yourself that I was playing with you and it wasn’t fun and games. I realize that now. That’s why I’m saying-”
“Saying what, Brooke? Don’t feed me the same bullshit you were saying in the room. Better yet, don’t say anything at all. This right here, us, this is business. Tutoring, and that’s it. Today, there’s no tutor session, so you can see your way out,” he says bitterly, grabbing a cigarette out of the box and lighting it in front of me.
I don’t know what comes over my body, whether it’s the anger or feeling of humiliation yet again, but next thing I know, I’m snatching his cigarette out of his hand, throwing it on the floor, and stomping it out. “Now you get this straight, buddy! It’s okay to be embarrassed. Hell, you embarrass me every moment we spend together, but I’m the one who’s growing the balls to apologize for making you feel little and like nothing. You don’t have the guts to apologize to me for the things you’ve done, but I do, and if you want me out of here, then fine. I’ll go, but we have a tutor session tomorrow at lunch and you better be there or I’ll just go to your father and quit! I’ll finally quit for your sake!” Having nothing more to say, I turn on my heels and storm out of the door.