Isabelle.
She’s seen the cops pulling up to my house at all hours of the day and night. She’s seen the ambulance coming for Dean when he drinks so much he gives himself alcohol poisoning. She’s seen him and even me carted away in handcuffs. The difference is I took her issues and exploited the hell out of them, while she holds onto mine. Her doing that means no one knows the truth about the way my life really is. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s just that nice of a person or her social issues, but whatever the reason, she’s never let it slip and I’m grateful.
It’s not that I care if people know, because I don’t, but I’ve built myself a pretty good back story here and I don’t want to have to start over when people find out. I don’t want to deal with the looks I’ll get and the change that’ll happen when the truth comes out. It’s a waste of time and energy. She knows though and because of that, I want to keep her as close as possible. I’m securing my place even though I’m pretty sure I don’t want it anymore.
“If I didn’t see it with my own freaking eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. Kayden Walker, the king of Wexfield High, cuddling with the retard.”
I’ve been expecting this. With the way I pulled her to me and dragged her up the stairs, it’s inevitable.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut your mouth right now.”
“Or what, Walker? You gonna go postal on my face again?”
“It crossed my mind,” I snap as I take in the group of people around me. “Wonder if this time your girlfriend will come to your rescue.”
Tim moves toward me, but the minute his eyes lock on mine, the urge to fight building, he takes a step back. It’s good to know that at least one of these jackasses is smarter then he looks.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you man, but you better snap out of it. People are talking and it’s not good for you if it keeps up.”
If I didn’t want to knock the smile off his face so bad, his words might have gotten to me. I know exactly how it works here. I know it will only take one or two more times of me being seen with Isabelle for everything I’ve achieved here to come falling down around me. The thing is though, I just don’t care. They can take their little clique and shove it.
“Awe, Dill. I didn’t know you cared.”
“Man, the girl’s really gotten to you hasn’t she? You’re willing to throw away everything for some stupid girl that can’t even talk to you.”
I ignore everything he says because I don’t think I’m ready to admit to myself, let alone them, that there actually might be some truth in it. I’m just trying to do the right thing, it’s that simple.
“Just leave her alone Dillon. You want someone to harass, you’ve got a whole school full of people. She’s off limits.”
I watch as he seems to consider my words, a first for him considering how idiotic he can be. Just as I’m about to push my way around them and head to my locker, he speaks and the minute he does, I know that the peace I thought I might have been able to broker, isn’t going to be happening anytime soon.
It’s going to get a hell of a lot worse.
“You want me to leave her alone, then you’ve gotta pick someone to take her place. You want us to believe you don’t have a thing for this girl, well here’s your chance.”
Chapter Four
Belle
“Isabelle, I don’t think he’s coming. I’m sorry.”
I want to turn and tell her thanks for pointing out the obvious, but even if I could say the words, I still wouldn’t. With the way she’s looking at me right now, her eyes full of the same pitied expression I see every day, I just want to get as far away from her as possible and enjoy what’s left of my lunch.
By the time class let out at 11:15, I’d completely given up on trying to calm myself. It was easy for the first little while to forget about Kayden and his promise of coming back for me, but the more time that went by, the harder it was to ignore. I started sweating first and then my heart started racing and no amount of movement or other coping mechanisms seemed to help.
When Ms. Taylor said that we could go, I took my sweet time. If he was outside the door waiting for me then I was gonna make him wait as long as possible, even if it got him in trouble. As it turns out, the time I wasted didn’t seem to matter because he didn’t show anyway.
I don’t know why it bothers me that he’s not here. I guess I hoped that the look of determination I saw in his eyes this morning was true and he would be different in some way. That he wouldn’t be the same Kayden I’ve known him to be for the last eight years. He would be better somehow.