Part 8 (1/2)
That was true. Lacey had told Audrey a lot of private stuff about her past, her dreams, and her relations.h.i.+p with Bro. Not once had Audrey broken a confidence.
”Yes, I know.” And a part of her wanted to speak about what had transpired with someone so it would be... more real. Lacey snorted at her ridiculous notions. ”He loves me.”
Audrey's eyes sparkled with glee, and her grin widened. ”Wow. He said that?” Unable to say it with her quivering voice, Lacey merely nodded. ”Oh. My. f.u.c.king. G.o.d.” For a second Audrey just breathed really, really fast, and Lacey was getting concerned. Then Audrey let out a loud whoop of girlish glee. ”Oh, Lacey. I'm so freaking happy for you.” She hugged Lacey so hard her bones crackled under the loving onslaught. Lacey laughed with her best friend, embracing her just as heartily. Suddenly, Audrey pulled back a bit. ”So, where did did you sleep last night?” you sleep last night?”
Lacey scoffed, playfully outraged. ”Not in Bro's bed!”
”Oh.” Audrey managed to sound somewhat disappointed, but then she grinned. ”Well, plenty of time for hanky-panky later. He loves you, and we all love you, too, honey.”
”Me too. Love you all, I mean,” she said. She hoped her confession of Bro's love for her was one she could share with others in the future, and no one would bat an eye at her h.o.m.os.e.xuality. Unfortunately, that line of thinking brought her back to the only family member she had left, who couldn't stand the sight of her. Despondency reared its ugly head again.
As if sensing the s.h.i.+ft in the mood, Audrey said softly, ”You're not alone, honey. I'm here for you, and so are a bunch of others. Families are forged through fire, and we're all definitely battle-hardened b.i.t.c.hes.”
Lacey had to chuckle upon hearing that. ”G.o.d, Audrey. You're so bad.”
Audrey's arms tightened around her as she sighed smugly. ”Perfectly bad.”
”Now you're f.u.c.king girls too? Finally you're acting like a man, but you've still got a d.a.m.n dress on? Get up, Lance. I'm taking you home.”
Both girls jumped at the sound of the man's harsh voice. Lacey started at the sight of her haggard-looking father, who hurried toward the bleachers, his clothes rumpled and reeking of booze. His eyes were bloodshot, and he snarled at Audrey.
”Dad....” Lacey stood up, shocked and afraid.
Audrey got up too, her worry palpable. ”Want me to call for help, Lace?”
”His. Name. Is. Lance.” Roger shook his fist in front of Audrey. Having successfully climbed the two rows of seats, he was now right on their level.
”No, it's not.” Audrey's body had gone rigid, yet Lacey could tell she was primed for a fight.
”Stupid wh.o.r.e,” Roger swore under his breath and closed the gap between him and Lacey. ”You're coming home, boy, where you belong. And I'll whip this nonsense from your mind if it's the last thing I do.”
Even as the words came out of his mouth, Roger grabbed Lacey's hair and yanked her with him. Lacey fell on her knees, feeling a sharp pain and her clothing rip as she cried out. As she struggled to break free, her nails dug into the skin of his hand, but he slapped her across the head and made everything spin and wave and sparkle. Nausea roiled in her stomach, and bile rose in her throat. Pain rattled inside her brain like seeds in a calabash.
Suddenly, Roger grunted, and his grip on her hair loosened.
Lacey heard a shrill shriek. ”Let go of her, motherf.u.c.ker!” And as her vision cleared, she saw Audrey draped over Roger's back, her arms around his throat.
By then Roger was cursing loudly, using words Lacey had never heard and hoped to never hear again. He tried to shake Audrey loose. Finally, he got a fierce grip on her arm and tossed her over his shoulder. Audrey landed on the wooden bleacher bench with a thud, all the air whoos.h.i.+ng out of her lungs as she gasped in agony.
In horror, Lacey saw Roger wrap his hands around Audrey's throat and squeeze.
It was all too much. Lacey knew the man she had called father was gone for good.
”Let go of her,” she screamed, throwing herself on him.
In a heap of flailing limbs, they fell down on the bench below with Roger on his back and Lacey on top of him, slapping and punching and scratching and kicking. Deafened by the roar of blood in her ears, she was faintly aware of an animalistic squeal that seemed to be emanating from within her. But then everything faded to the black of instinct, shot through with red and white flashes of anger and pain.
”WOULD you hurry up already, you slouch?” Bradley's taunting voice ribbed at Bro's expense, and he flipped his friend off, causing nothing more than a chuckle in response. you hurry up already, you slouch?” Bradley's taunting voice ribbed at Bro's expense, and he flipped his friend off, causing nothing more than a chuckle in response.
On their way out to the field, Bro slowed his step. As much as he wanted to see his girl in the bleachers, he worried about her state of mind. He wondered if maybe this attempt at normalcy was premature. Perhaps she wasn't ready to watch him play ball all afternoon, sitting there with nothing to do but twiddle her thumbs and think about all the c.r.a.p that had been flying at her lately. Bro didn't want her thinking too much, because he knew where that would lead her. His shoulders slumped in defeat.
”Geez, Bro. You look like you've already lost the game.” Bradley punched him lightly on the arm.
”Pansies get stepped on.” Deacon brushed past them, hitting his shoulder on Bro's arm hard on purpose.
The rough bullying act had the opposite effect on Bro of what was intended. Deacon may have wanted to crush Bro's spirit. Instead, he got a fighter on his hands. ”Enjoy your winning days, d.i.c.k d.i.c.k. Once you're out of high school, all you'll be doing is asking ”You want fries with that?” and I'll be there with a video camera in hand to record it for all time.”
Bradley wasn't the only one who laughed. Deacon's expression darkened.
Then one of his teammates, Spencer, called out, confused, ”What the h.e.l.l is all that ruckus?”
Everyone stopped in midstep to listen.
Bro's heart froze in an instant when he recognized the desperate cries of the girl he loved.
His feet were moving before his brain caught on. He felt as if he were on fire, as if his feet had wings, never touching the ground. Behind him he heard more feet running, the thumping loud in the open s.p.a.ce between the school buildings and the field.
As he rounded the corner of the bleachers, he came to a halt, sensing Bradley right next to him.
What he saw chilled him to the bone.
Roger Purcell was fighting on the lawn with Lacey and Audrey, all of them tumbling and shouting and ripping into each other on the ground.
”Oh my G.o.d...,” Bro managed to gasp.
And then he was running again, his feet finding their way to the girl he adored.
”Stop!” he yelled, grabbing onto the first limb he could reach amid the tussle.
The arm belonged to Audrey, who growled and fought back, probably indifferent to whoever was holding her. ”f.u.c.king let me go! He's hurting her!”
Bro all but tossed her aside, knowing Bradley would catch her. ”Lace!” he shouted, so desperate to get her to safety his vision blurred. An elbow landed on his chest, and from the size and strength, he surmised it belonged to Roger, though he doubted the man realized who he had hit.
Other people joined in, trying to pull the two fighters apart as best they could.
Finally a slender arm came into reach, and Bro yanked Lacey up. ”Stop!”
Lacey's eyes were glazed over and disoriented as she stared at Bro, clearly not recognizing him. Her nose had b.l.o.o.d.y blotches, as did her busted lower lip. She had scratches all over, and her dress and stockings were torn.
At long last, she blinked hard, frowning. ”Bro...?”
”Yeah, babe. It's me. Snap out of it.” Bro barely heard his own voice but was aware of the high-pitched quality.
The light of comprehension lit up Lacey's eyes, and she straightened up, looking over her shoulder at Roger, who was restrained by Bro's teammates, about to get up on his feet.
”He... he attacked Audrey....”