October Breezes (19 page)

"You okay?" he asked, puling me to the side. The black jeans and a black button-down shirt emphasized the pale blue of his eyes. "I tried caling to make sure you were okay, but your mom said you couldn't talk."

Swalowing hard, I nodded. "I'm grounded for breaking curfew and coming home drunk." I watched students drift toward their classrooms, and in the middle of a group of guys, I spotted Tyler laughing. He must have felt my gaze because he looked at me, smirked, and walked on.

"You sure you don't want to go to the cops?"

I shook my head. "No. I just want to forget it ever happened."

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Did you tel Devin the truth?"

"No. Why would I?

He shrugged. "Maybe because he's your best friend—

maybe because he loves you."

My pen fel to the floor and I bent to retrieve it. "How do you know that?"

"I have him in my history class. He sits next to me, Skye, and he talks about you. The conversation always leads to you."

I flinched and leaned against the wal. "He wouldn't understand. He warned me not to go, but I didn't listen."

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, but shouldn't you give him the chance? He's a good guy, Skye--ten times better than Kelin would be on his best day, or any jock with a footbal, for that matter."

Frowning, I said, "But you're a jock who plays footbal."

The bel rang, and I jumped.

"Easy." Jimmy settled his hand on my shoulder. "Yeah, I play bal—but I don't live it." He nodded down the hal. "I've got to get to class."

"Me, too." I headed into the room. As I trudged down my row, I could have heard a pin drop. Stil, everything the silence kept, I saw in their eyes, especialy in Emily Kent's from the back row, two seats away. As I slid into my chair and set my books down, she asked, “Did you have a good time on Saturday?”

I winced. No matter how I answered, I couldn’t win. So I didn’t answer.

“The cat got your tongue?” she said, louder.

Fortunately, the bel rang, saving me from replying.

Although that was my first hour in hel, it certainly wouldn’t be the worst. A few cheerleaders purposely ran into me. One guy grabbed my butt, and everywhere I went, gossip folowed.

Right before lunch, Kelin cornered me at my locker.

Although I’d never seen him angry, I knew by the hard line of his mouth he was furious. His eyes, normaly a pale blue, glinted grey, and he clenched his teeth. Grabbing my arm, he snarled, “We need to talk.” He wore his letter jacket. There was no teling what Tyler had told him about why I'd dropped it.

I swalowed hard and tried to pul away. “There's nothing to talk about.”

“Except why you had sex with my best friend while I was in his house? Did you think I wouldn't find out?” He pushed me into the locker. Although some students miled the halways, al the teachers had disappeared, heading either to class or lunch duty.

Becca skulked by her locker, smirking.

Upon hitting the locker, I gasped, doubled over, and almost fel. Kelin lorded over me, his face a raging scarlet.

“Goddamn it, Skye, I didn’t hit you that hard. Quit faking it.”

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to stand—slowly, so as not to jar my ribs. “I’m faking it?” I pushed one sleeve high on my arm, revealing the hateful bruises. “Am I faking these as wel?”

Then I roled up the other sleeve. “What about these? And let's not forget the ones on my ribs.” I looked at his stunned face. The color had drained from his cheeks and his mouth hung open. “Just in case you think I’m manipulating enough to do this myself, I’l show you.”

I put my fingers in the marks, but the bruises extended beyond my fingers. "Compliments of your good buddy, Tyler.”

“What in the hel….” Kelin stumbled backwards, and I jerked my sleeves down. He frowned, stil staring at my now-covered arms. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

I laughed, a hard bitter sound. “Go ahead. Say I slept with Tyler.” Becca also paled as she placed her hand over her mouth. I glared at both Kellin and Becca. “But maybe that was after he gave you punch laced with booze for me, knowing I didn’t drink. God, I was so blasted, I didn’t even know which way was up.” I couldn’t shut up, even as Becca ran down the hal to warn Tyler. “Maybe that was after he took me outside, pretended to help me get some air and then slammed my head against the ground hard enough to make it bleed. Maybe that was after he fractured my ribs so I was an easy target who couldn't move.” He came toward me, but I backed up. "Stay away from me." I started running without knowing where I was going, crying so hard I couldn’t make out anything except shapes. Then I ran into someone else--Tyler. He slammed me into the locker. “I told you to keep your big mouth shut!”

I winced and wrapped my arms around my chest, wondering if I would pass out. He leaned over me, his hands baled into fists.

“Get off her, Rutherford,” Kelin snapped, striding toward us.

“You believe her?” Tyler barked, hauling me to my feet, his fingers digging into the same place as he’d left bruises. At first, I struggled against him, but as I realized he wasn’t going to let go, I quit trying to get away. “She did me in the backyard while you were inside. Becca saw her. Did she look drunk before you left her? I don’t think so.”

Kelin clenched his jaw and leaned close. “I don’t know what I believe, but you’d better get your goddamned hands off and step back.”

“Fine. Have it your way.” Tyler made a big show of releasing me and moving away, his mouth twisting into a furious grimace. I ran away and hid in the bathroom until lunch was over.

In the stal, I tried to make sense of everything.
Dear God, would
this never be over?

I managed to get through the rest my classes by reading and working on my assignments. I realized if I threw myself into my classes, I wouldn’t think, wouldn’t remember—wouldn’t feel.

Just before seventh hour, al hel broke loose.

I headed to science class, but a huge crowd blocked my path. The bodies tensed together with people shouting alerted me that a fight was in progress. I tried to stay on the fringes of madness, but Becca grabbed my shoulder and pushed me to the center.

“See. This is what you caused, you bitch.” In front of me, Kelin took a swing at Devin. A mask of rage I had never seen before had transformed my best friend into someone unrecognizable; I had never once witnessed Devin enraged. His fist slammed into Kelin’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. Another fist folowed, and it appeared that Kelin had lost consciousness. A third blow hit before I threw myself between them.

“Stop it!” I yeled, shielding Kelin. Devin started to swing yet again but stopped just before his fist would have impacted.

“Get out of the way, Skye.” He tried to shove me to the side, but I remained.

“No. It’s not Kelin’s fault.”

“It’s not,” Devin panted, straightening up. “Then whose is it? Yours? Do you know what he was saying this morning? Things I couldn’t stomach.” He pointed to Becca as she moved toward Kelin. “Things I wouldn’t even say about
her
, though they might be true.”

“He didn’t do anything.” I reached for Devin, but he jerked away, glaring.

“Forget it, Skye. I’m done with you.” He ran down the hal, only to be intercepted by two principals. As they grabbed his arms, he glared at me, and I wished I had never been born.

Blood trickled from Kelin's mouth, and he wasn’t moving.

As I stood there, the world exploded in motion. Tyler rushed toward Kelin, and another principal cut him off and forced him back. Teachers ushered us to class, and though the students chattered madly about what had happened, I sat mute, hearing only the approaching ambulance's wail.

Once school let out, the secretary caled my name over the loudspeaker, teling me to report to the office. Apprehensively, I walked through the doors, and the secretary guided me to Principal Darrow’s office. Although I nodded and forced myself to comply, I realy wanted to run away and never come back. I sat woodenly in the office, looking at pictures of her family members and past students. I focused on a portrait of her daughter, taken when she was probably my age. The girl, holding a flute, smiled broadly without even a hint of sadness. Ms. Darrow stepped into the room.

“How are you?” She carried a cup of coffee, and I wondered how anyone could drink that stuff, let alone drink that stuff at 2:00 p.m..

“I’m okay.”

She set the coffee on her desk and sat down. “Your grades this year don't reflecting that attitude.”

I shrugged. “Maybe I haven’t been trying as hard as I could. Is that a crime?”

“No.” She shook her head. “But I think there's more going on. Skye, students talk, and we sometimes overhear what they say. Is there anything you want to talk about?”

I folded my arms across my chest. “No, there isn’t.

Why?”

She leaned back in her chair. “I know that you and Devin Abbott are good friends. But lately something has come between you. Today the two of you had a faling out after he assaulted Kelin Morgan.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

She picked up a pencil and tapped it back and forth.

“Let’s just say that I’ve never seen Devin angry. Ever. He’s a model student. I dare say he might face assault charges over this, and I’m trying to help him.”

I thought for a long moment, trying to figure out what to do, but I knew that even if I told the truth, it wouldn’t change what had happened. Kelin didn’t do anything to me. Maybe he'd known Tyler had spiked my drink. Maybe he hadn’t. But he didn’t rape me. Perhaps if I’d been honest with Devin about what had happened, I would have been able to stal him from picking a fight.

As it was, Devin had gone to the line for me again, and I had failed.

“He was trying to protect me. Except he picked the wrong person.”

Ms. Darrow’s eyes narrowed. “Protect you? How so?”

I shrugged. “There was something that happened this weekend, something bad between me and Tyler Rutherford. Devin only heard half of the story through rumors, and he thought Kelin was responsible.” My whole body tensed. Each breath felt shakier than the last. “How badly is Kelin hurt?” I kept seeing his bloody face, his body so stil.

Ms. Darrow picked up her pencil and jotted notes. “Kelin is stil at the hospital. We have not been apprised of his condition.”

My hair fel into my eyes and I shoved it back. “What’s going to happen to Devin?” My whole body shook violently.

The principal dropped the pencil onto the pad. “That depends on whether Kelin’s family presses charges.”

I cringed and cradled my head in my hands. “I can’t see his parents not pressing charges.”

“You never know." She paused and took a drink. "Skye, look at me.”

I forced myself to sit up and meet her gaze.

“The best thing you can do for Devin is to tel me what happened.”

“You…can’t ask me…to do that.” My voice cracked, and the shaking grew worse.

Ms. Darrow took my hand. “You’re right. Whatever happened was bad, but sometimes keeping it inside only makes it worse.” She squeezed my hand.

A soft knock interrupted her, and she turned toward it.

“Excuse me, Skye.” She walked to the door and opened it. “Yes.”

The secretary walked in. “Ms. Morgan is on the phone.

She'd like to speak with you.”

Ms. Darrow nodded. “Thank you, Judy.” She closed the door, walked back to her desk, and picked up the receiver, pushed the hold button. “Good afternoon, Ms. Morgan. How is Kelin?”

She paused. “I’m glad he’l be released tomorrow.” Another pause. “The student who assaulted him was taken into custody and remanded to his parents.” She leaned back in her chair, and a hard frown overtook her features. “Yes, Ms. Morgan, I do understand your concerns, but you don’t have anything to worry about. He has been temporarily suspended pending a hearing.” She flipped her pad to the next clean sheet and scribbled another note. “Yes, Ms.

Morgan, I wil take care of that, and I hope you'l keep us posted on Kelin’s progress. Thank you.”

Ms. Darrow slowly hung up and scribbled yet another note.

“How is Kelin?”

“He has a severe concussion and fractured ribs. He'll have to stay in the hospital tonight, but after that, he should be able go home and be back to school in a few days.”

She flipped back a few pages and looked at me. “So what happened between you and Tyler that caused the fight?”

I sat back in my chair and tried to steady my breathing.

“What difference would it make if I told you? It’s not exactly going to stop Kelin’s parents from pressing charges.”

“Maybe it wil. Maybe it won’t.” She looked at the paper. “I know something happened, Skye. You’ve admitted that much. Why don’t you be honest and let me decide if the information helps?”

I shook my head and tried to stand up, but my knees felt too weak. “I can’t talk about this.” I staggered to the door. As I started to go through it, it opened from the other side, knocking me down as the secretary tried to enter.

Pain shot through my ribs. I roled to my side, and I kept thinking,
I need to get up. She can’t know. I have to get up.

“Skye?” Ms. Darrow caled. “Are you al right?” She rushed to my side and brushed the hair from my face.

“I’m okay.” I tried to sit up, but the pain cut through me, making it hard to breathe.

Ms. Darrow looked at the door and yeled, “Get the nurse in here.”

I forced myself to my knees despite the pain. “I’m al right, Ms. Darrow. There’s no need to get the nurse.” I picked up my books.

Ms. Darrow stood and smoothed her skirt. “Skye?

What's going on?”

I re-arranged the books. “It’s nothing.”

The nurse came, and I bustled past, rushing to get out as fast as possible. Although I realy expected Ms. Darrow to stop me, she didn’t, and I headed home without my jacket. The icy wind cut through me, and I would have wrapped my arms around my body except the pressure would've made my ribs worse. Al the way home, I tried not to think about the hel my life had become. Once Devin would have offered me a ride, or Kelin would have. Now neither wanted anything to do with me.