Part 26 (1/2)

Again.

Tom cooked me stupid breakfast. Like oatmeal and blueberries would make him a good father. I burned myself on the d.a.m.n coffeepot again and almost broke it right there. Tom watched as I took my blood sugar, his brow all creased as if he were really interested.

My bag caught on something sharp on Tom's stupid front door, and the front pocket ripped about a half-inch. Just enough to p.i.s.s me off, but not enough to warrant a new bag. I forgot my hat, so after motioning to Elliott that I'd be just a minute, I went to get it. Coming back out, my gloves caught on the same sharp thing and snagged.

By the time I got in the car, I was ready to smoke a blunt and pop some Vicodin.

But Tom and Wallace had been serious when they pulled out that s.h.i.+t about rehab, and Tom was pretty adamant that he knew I was smoking pot, so I needed to stick with the s.h.i.+t that didn't smell and would be out of my system in a day or so.

I couldn't just go off looking for Aiden and leave Elliott to walk into school again by himself. I felt bad about yesterday, so I had to make sure that I didn't screw it up today too.

I got out of the car after he parked and waited until he got out too. The shock on his face stung, because I knew that I had hurt him by not doing this sooner.

I didn't want to hurt him.

So we walked into school together. It really wasn't a big deal, but it felt weird. The people looking at us were p.i.s.sing me off. I knew it was only like two people, but still.

Elliott's locker was on the other side of the building and usually we pa.s.sed each other going to first period, so I knew that his first cla.s.s was somewhere nearby. I had to go left to get to my locker, so this was as good a place as any to part.

”I'll see you.”

He stopped just as I did. ”W-w-will you ssssit w-with me in Ssssstudy Hhhhhall?”

I took in a breath. Chris was back in school and I couldn't very well sit at the same table as that a.s.shole anymore, but I wasn't exactly thrilled about sitting with Elliott's group. That seemed like a lot of pressure, and I didn't know them.

I knew Jane, but the others were just...

”Fine,” I agreed, even though I would rather not sit with anyone at all.

”Sssee you,” he said with a smile.

I turned and headed to my locker, growing more and more uneasy about the prospect of sitting with Elliott. I wanted to, but at the same time, I really, really didn't.

Before I got to my locker, an arm slipped around my torso and I gasped as I was drawn close to someone's body. For a split second I froze, unable to even breathe. That moment felt so very, very long.

”Sophie,” he said in my ear, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn't the voice I normally heard.

I twisted in his hold and pushed him back. ”Don't grab me, Aiden.”

He smiled at me and removed his arm. I stepped away and went to my locker. ”Do you have pills on you?”

He leaned against the locker next to mine and smiled. ”Somehow I figured you might want some, so I brought a couple with me. Do you have money?”

I sighed. ”Yes.”

Aiden pressed his hand against my breast, his eyes l.u.s.tful. s.h.i.+fting away quickly, I grabbed my books and shut my locker. ”Well, are you going to sell them to me or not?”

I looked up to find him smiling. ”I've got some new s.h.i.+t too. You'll like it.” He opened his hand to reveal a small bag of white fluffy powder. ”It's a blend.”

I didn't even care what it was a blend of, the majority of me wanted to s.n.a.t.c.h that little bag out of his hand immediately and inhale it as fast as I could.

But I didn't.

”I just want the pills.”

He closed his hand and his smile s.h.i.+fted into a smirk. ”All right. I was going to let you try it, but since you're not interested...”

”Maybe another time.” s.h.i.+fting on my feet, I hoisted my bag up onto my shoulder. ”Can I get those pills now?”

We went to the most spa.r.s.ely populated hall in the building and he sold me six Hydrocodone for twenty-five dollars. Before he walked away, he offered his new stuff to me again, but I declined once more and made my way through the school in antic.i.p.ation of the first bell. I could pop a pill in first period.

Some stupid freshmen boys were being loud and obnoxious in the hall, and I just wanted to get to my cla.s.s. My mind was preoccupied, trying to figure out how I could make phantom voices and touches go away, when I felt something very much corporeal palming my a.s.s.

I spun around and found one of the freshmen, a tall, skinny kid, just standing there, a dopey smile on his face, his d.i.c.k clearly half-hard in his jeans.

”What the f.u.c.k?”

”Sorry, I didn't know.” He grabbed his crotch and adjusted himself.

My eyes narrowed. ”Didn't know what? That your hand was on my a.s.s or that you were a complete waste who'll never get p.u.s.s.y acting like that?”

The a.s.shole beamed. ”I didn't think you'd mind. Chris told everyone that you like it dirty. I figured you...”

He kept talking, but my mind and body froze.

Hot breath in my ear made me feel nauseated. The feeling of fingers on my face, a thumb in my mouth, nearly dropped me right there.

That's it, Sophie, be dirty for me.

Even though I saw the freshman moving his hand toward me, I was powerless to stop it.

But then he was gone and there was a loud noise to my right. My body finally complied with my brain's order to move, and I turned to see what it was.

I felt total confusion over the scene before me, because it was so out-of-the-ordinary that I had to be dreaming this s.h.i.+t up. I could see the back of Elliott's gray t-s.h.i.+rt as he held the kid against the locker by the neck with his forearm. The muscles of his arm were incredibly strained.

It took me a moment to process everything, but once I did, I somehow propelled myself forward until I was standing next to Elliott. He looked like he could kill that boy right there. I put one hand on his bicep, and the other on his shoulder.

”Elliott, stop,” I said quietly. Nothing good would come from him hurting that kid, as much as I wanted him to. If he got caught beating someone else up, he'd probably get expelled, if not worse.

His jaw was clenched tightly, but I felt the muscles under my hands gently release. It was enough for the boy to sneak away, rubbing his neck. Elliott stood there paralyzed for a long time, even after the bell rang.

Body shaking, chest heaving, Elliott looked lost.

The hall was empty now. As I went to hold his hand, I absently wondered if his broken fingers felt any better.

”Elliott,” I whispered after long moments of silence.

Finally he turned to me, sucking in a long but stunted breath. ”O-o-okay?”