Walking into detention, I noticed Foster had his head down on his usual desk and Mr. Fitz is already at the front of the room. Foster didn't look up when he heard me walk in and Mr. Fitz greeted me with a friendly smile. Even though I was late. To show him my gratitude of not getting me into more trouble, I smiled back then warily looked around the rest of the room and let out a huge sigh of relief. No Vincent. I guessed he only got a two-day detention for harassing me, in which I thought he deserved more time. But I was glad that he was done with detention. Since, then, detention would be one less place to worry about where Vincent was concerned.
I plopped down at my usual desk, and glanced over to see that Foster was fast asleep.
He was extremely pissed when Vincent angrily threw my bag, thinking that Vincent wouldn't hesitate about taking his angry out on me, not just my bag. Yet, I didn't agree and just rolled my eyes up at Foster before going over to help Jess from going into a full blown panic attack.
Although when I walked over, Michael was already calming her down. That day I learned she didn't like being yelled at. So I told them that Foster and I wouldn't hang around them at lunch until we get this Vincent thing solved.
With nothing else to do in detention, given you can't really do much, I watched Foster sleep.
As he slept, I noticed he was different. More childlike. His jaw, which is flexed at all times unless he is teasing me, was now relaxed. His eyes were shut concealing all the different expressions he can hold within one day. He had no care in the world while he slept, his past didn't matter, Vincent didn't matter and I didn't matter.
I wondered where he went to when he's dreaming, and just then, he sighed softly shifting his positioning.
I knew he was out of balance today because he didn't get any sleep at my house. It made me feel guilty for him staying with me, waking him up and making him talk to me so early in the morning.
"You can quit staring at me, Maggot." Foster's eye opened suddenly, completely catching me off guard but he didn't say anything more as he faced away from me to fall asleep once more.
For a beat, I sat there being stunned over the fact I got caught observing him. God, I was such a freak.
To hide my embarrassment, I leaned over my desk. With one quick look at Foster's back, I waited for detention to be over without another word, allowing Foster some peace and quiet to sleep.
When Mr. Fitz announced that detention was finished, I looked toward Foster and realized he's too far gone to hear that we were no longer being held against our will.
Standing, I pulled my tote bag over my shoulder and walked to Foster's desk, and gave Mr. Fitz a look stating that I would handle him. Mr. Fitz smiled to me in thank you, and demanded for me to have a good rest of the day, before leaving the room.
Once I heard the door shut softly behind him, I quietly ask Foster to wake up. No response. So next, I poke him. Still nothing.
Sighing, I sat in the desk chair in front of him and decided to wait for him to wake himself up. He was probably extremely tired.
To cure me of boredom, I texted Cassie but don't get a response. She might be working or with a guy, right now. After about five minutes, I figured she wasn't going to text back anytime soon. I put my cellphone back into my bag before turning around in the desk to glance at Foster.
Still asleep.
More time goes by and he hasn't moved or even shown that he was going to wake up anytime soon.
Tired of waiting, I slammed the tip of my shoe into the leg of Foster's desk. To which he automatically lifted his head but upon noticing that I was the one that woke him, he frowned. He unhappily looked at my smiling face.
Then without any verbal response, he thudded his head down on the desk again, ready to fall asleep.
"Come on Foster, detention is over." I complained, wanting him to get up already but he didn't listen.
"You know Vincent is going to be out there somewhere, right?" He mumbled into his arm, looking more relaxed than ever.
I glanced at the door wondering if Vincent was going to bust through it ready for a fight, but nothing happened. So I stand ready to pull Foster out of the seat and drag him out of here, but really, that wasn't going to happen because of so many levels. One being his weight over me and the fact he probably wouldn't let me get too far doing that.
"Well, then let's get to my car and avoid him." I said and pulled up on Foster's shirt but he just slapped my hand lightly away.
"Ugh...you interrupted a good dream, Maggot." He stood, and I squinted at him suspiciously because I didn't know where he was going with that comment. Foster didn't say another word about it and only stares down at me somewhat peeved.
"What you going to 'punish' kiss me because of it," I glared up at him and watched as he stretched his back out, twisting his body around. It probably hurt from sleeping bent over that desk for so long. He yawned, then tilted his head thinking about what I had said before stilling his movements.
"I can't decide if you're saying that as if it's a bad thing or you're bringing up to remind me..." He leaned in closer to me, pushing my hair back from my face before he cupped the back of my neck with that hand.
My eyes closed reflexively, expecting his kiss.
He, instead, changed the subject, "What are we going to do if we see him? Just so I'm clear." My eyes flew open and I gazed at his lips, which just a second ago seemed to be about to touch mine. Though, now his lips were lifted into a slight smirk, and he released me.
His hand on the back of my neck went back into the front pocket of his jeans, and he leaned against his desk waiting for an answer to his question.
After a moment, my mind began to work but that was mostly due to his smirk increasing in size over the effect he had on me, "Um... run, I guess." I finally answered,
"We are going to outrun the star soccer player. Good plan, Maggot."
Yeah not the best, I had to agree but, "If he's out there, and I mean if, you will not fight him." I told him sternly.
"Maggot. I could have this dealt with in seconds—"
"Oh yeah, and what would happen to you after? Is your dad going to use the same excuse, and do you actually think that will work? You're willing to get expelled for this guy?" Foster looked away from me, " Didn't think so. I'll think of... something." I shifted on me, realizing I had no plan.
"You know, if you weren't involved I'd already beaten the shit out of him."
My eyes rolled, "Foster, he got detention because of me... leading to him getting benched. He's just using this as an opportunity to get revenge on you. If not for me, this wouldn't be happening. So I have to do something because I don't want you to get hurt or expelled since I didn't just push him away when he groped me."
"You're blaming yourself for what Vincent has already been doing to girls for years...? Maggie, I thought you were better than that." He stared me down annoyed, before thinking better of it, and looked away.
I ignored his snappy comment, "It doesn't change the fact that what's happening now was due to me." I said crossing my arms over my chest and leaning my weight onto one leg. He wasn't going to change my mind anytime soon. My guilty conscience wouldn't let me.
I waited for him to calm down and look at me with an understanding that I couldn't just let him handle Vincent alone. He did look back at me but only with an expression that let me know he was completely far off from understanding my point of view.
We could have continued to argue about it all day, but I wanted it to end, "You're being really irritable today. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the floor this morning?" I asked him smiling, but I didn't ever expect to get a response to that question. And as I assumed I didn't get one. I sighed giving up and dropped my big plan on lightening the mood, "How about we just see what happens... maybe we won't see him."
At that, Foster gave me a look that said he didn't believe in that logic for a second, but I didn't give him a chance to question me. Instead I left the room. I made my way down the hallway but Foster stopped me, pulling me into another direction.
"We're going the long way around." He said, but didn't indicate the reason to why we were now walking around the entire school. Especially, considering the parking lot was only a couple more hallways away.
I didn't like it one bit. We were walking on the outskirts of the school and stepping across dirt and grass. I kept my hand on the side of the building so that I wouldn't accidentally slip.
Suddenly, Foster threw a hand up, that told me to wait, and I paused as he looked around the corner. Although, incomparably done with the trek around the school, I ignored his hand. I pushed it out of my line of vision and walked ahead of him.
"Hey, look the coast is clear." I said happily up at Foster, as I walked out into the parking lot with zero sign of Vincent. All Foster did was lift his head in agreement, and cautiously followed behind me, "Now all I want to do is get in my car and turn up the air conditioning." I stated, aggravated with this heat.
I riffled through my bag, to get my keys out, ready to get away from this place. After finding my keys, I tossed them in air for show and almost let them slip through my fingers awkwardly when I caught them. I cringed, expecting to hear a teasing remark from Foster but he kept quiet. Weird. Turning around, I saw that he wasn't looking at me. I glanced to where his eyes were set on. As I looked, Vincent stepped out of a sedan at the other end of the lot.
I knew my car, which was inconveniently parked at the end of the row we are walking down, was about forty feet away. God, why was there was so much traffic today! Usually this omnipotent being had been working in favor of me...until now.
Foster didn't hesitate a second longer as he pushed me toward the car, which made me stumble forward. But he caught me by my forearm and yanked me up as he ran. And when I had my balance again, I accelerated into a full-out run.
I heard Vincent yelling at us, but not really caring exactly what he was said. I only assumed that it wasn't anything nice.
Vincent's shoes were hitting the concrete somewhere far behind us, but he was getting steadily closer. Foster would probably be able to get away from this guy, if he wasn't busy trying to keep me running. His hand pressed into my lower back, and he forced me in front of me, toward the car.
"Maggot, you better unlock the car soon." Foster yelled down at me, and I shuffled the keys around in my hand. I got my thumb over the button and as we got closer to my car, I quickly unlocked the doors.
Suddenly, Foster stepped ahead of me and opened the driver door. Next, he shoved me through the open door.
I somehow ended up awkwardly between both seats, as my side dug into the center console. Breathing uncontrollably, I tried to sit up and get the emergency brake out of my back. Although, Foster didn't allow me much time to move over, much less lift my legs out of the way, as he slid himself into the vehicle.
Shutting the door, he quickly pressed down on the lock button the driver door, just as Vincent practically slammed into it.
Without missing a step, Foster took my keys from my hand and quickly pressed the lock button. Locking the rest of the doors before Vincent could get smart enough to check those too.
"Foster, I'm going to fucking kill you." The voice came from Vincent as I saw him now next to hood of my car, "Why are you avoiding me you piece of shit?"
I noticed Foster's jaw clench, but he only puts the key in the ignition and turns on the car.
Vincent smacked his hand down on the window just as Foster reversed out of the parking spot. He ignored Vincent completely as he drove the car out of the parking lot.
"I told you he would be there." Foster looked down at me from the corner of his eye. Under his stare, I quickly maneuvered my way into the passenger seat of my car and leaned back against the upholstery.
"How could you have known that?" I said both irritated that I had been wrong and also in disbelief in what just occurred.
"He did the same thing when we were freshman, but he had back up that time." That quieted me. Vincent must have ambushed Foster after school back then, too.
"You could have just said that earlier." I looked out the window and tried to catch my breath. Not really knowing what else to do since he was now driving. Though, Foster took my silence as something else.
"You're okay, right? I mean you're not freaked out...um I can pull the car over if you want?" Foster asked me quickly, full of concern. This made me snap my gaze back to him with a small smile.
"No, I'm fine— I feel safe. I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me." I told him honestly realizing I wasn't scared of Vincent when Foster was around.
"Yeah, I wouldn't," he confessed seriously before throwing a smirk in my direction, and then quickly looking back at the road.
*~*~*
Later that night, I was waiting for my dad to get home from work, but kept myself busy with my Economics assignment that Ms. Romero gave to us just as we were exiting the classroom. Although, I was done with it already so I was only reading it over for grammar because I didn't want to be docked off on unreasonable points, knowing that she wouldn't hesitate for a second to grade me down. That women sincerely didn't appreciate that I was in her class.
Sighing, I leaned back into my chair and looked out of my window to see what Foster was doing right now.
He had his blinds down halfway so I could only see his legs, moving back and forth in his room. Then he was stood in front of his bed for a while, before suddenly turning and leaving his bedroom.
I curiously got up from my chair, walking over to the window to get a closer look. After a few moments, I saw him now out front of his house walking quickly down the sidewalk, but not before pulling his hoodie up covering his face.
I glanced at my clock and saw that it was nine-thirty. Where would he be going at this time of night? Vincent's face immediately popped into my head. And with a groan, I quickly grabbed my cell phone off my desk before I ran out of my bedroom.
If he was going to go fight Vincent, after everything I just said to him...he was going to get his ass kicked from me. Once outside, I noticed Foster only made it a little ways down the street so jogged to catch up to him. I tried calling out to him, but he didn't answer, or either didn't hear me.
Before I could stop him, he turned left off our street onto the main one in town. With one more look to my house, I quickly texted my dad to not worry about me if I wasn't home when he got back. Then remembered to throw a quick 'I am safe' message in there as well, which was probably going to end up being a big fat lie later. But I really want to know where Foster was going and what he was up to.
I picked up my pace to the end of the street when I saw him on a bus bench, tapping his foot on the ground.
Well mystery solved, Foster had his headphones in, once again. Sighing, I slowed down and walked calmly up to him.
He didn't notice me getting closer as his eyes were set on the city bus coming closer. He stood just as the bus stopped next to the curb, its doors opening mechanically. Foster stepped on, and waits on the stairs of the bus as he shifts through his pockets. Finally, he pulled out a bus pass, the one I recognized from his room.
Taking one more step into the bus, I grabbed the back of his hoodie and yanked. He turned, looking down at me angrily. Though, when he noticed that it was only me giving him a what-hell-are-you-doing look, he sighed and pulled out an ear bud.
"You're not following me are you, Maggot?" He asked sarcastically, before turning back around and handing the driver his bus pass to get stamped
"Where are you going? If Vince—"
"I have more important things to think about than that asshole."
"Then where—?"
"Are you on or are you off?" The bus driver interrupted my question, peeved that we were having a conversation on his steps. Foster looked down at me as if to say 'yeah, what he said.'
So I did probably most stupid and stubbornness thing of all.
I got on.