Count On Me(48)

He extends the pad to me and moving around me he goes to the door. My heart begins to speed up as I realize that if he does what I think he’s going to do, I’m gonna be locked in here with no way out.

He’ll have me caged in.

“I’m just gonna lock it for privacy, I swear. If you want to leave at any point, just tell me and I’ll unlock it.”

Before he even finishes his explanation, I’ve already written out what I want to ask him first. I can’t handle the way he’s acting and I need answers.

What are you being so nice to me?

“Because what happened to you was wrong and I want to make it up to you.”

Why now?

“I told you the other day. I miss my best friend.”

That’s all?

“No it’s not all. Isabelle, I practically run this school. People expect me to act a certain way so I do it. Amy was actually the one that chose you that day in the parking lot. I went along with it because I have a rep I need to maintain. I feel like shit about it. All of it.”

That’s great for you. Are you done now?

“I guess I am. I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry and I won’t do it anymore. I’ll make sure the others leave you alone too.”

Right now I’m seeing Dillon in a way that he’s never been. He does seem to be sorry and wants to make up for it. His face looks pained and as much as I want to believe he’s just playing me again, I don’t. I think he means every word of what he’s saying.

Thank you.

“Don’t thank me. I don’t deserve it.”

You’re going to tell your friends to leave me alone, so you should be thanked.

“If you say so. Look, I know I don’t have the right to ask you for anything, but do you think you can talk to Kayden for me? I really do miss hanging with him.”

This is where he loses me. He’s on the football team with Kayden and they have practice tonight, Kayden warned me about it last night before we stopped texting. If he really misses his friend that much, why can’t he talk to him at practice? Why does he want me to do it?

Why don’t you just do it at practice later?

“Because you’re probably going to see him first and it might sound better coming from you considering everything I did.”

Well I can’t come up with anything to say back to that, so I let my eyes stray off him and over to the door. A move he catches because he steps toward the door and unlocks it.

“I told you I would let you go when you wanted to leave. I meant what I said, Isabelle. I really am sorry.”

I write one final message before making my way past him and through the door. Turning around once I’m back in the security of the hallway, I press the notebook to his chest and hope he gets the message.

I’m going to talk to Kayden.



Kayden



The last thing I expect to see when I round the corner is Isabelle standing directly in front of public enemy number one.

What the hell she’s doing with Dillon is beyond me, but unlike the other day when she had to text me to help; she wouldn’t have to wait this time. I was more than ready for him this time. Him and whatever sick game he’s playing.

“There you are!” I call, coming up and wrapping my arms around her, hopefully making my position known to the asshole standing across from her. He might be trying to make Isabelle believe he’s sorry, but I knew better. This kind of leopard never changes his spots.

Dillon would always be running a scam; it’s what made him and Dean so alike. They were both snakes.

Taking my feelings completely out of it, what we did to these kids for the last four years was wrong on every level imaginable. We tortured them thinking it was fun. Sure, I don’t want that happening to Isabelle because of the way I feel about her, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna stand by and let it happen to anyone else.

At some point we all have to grow up. Sure, high school might be the best years of our lives the way people say, but once that’s over what are we gonna have? An old football career if we don’t play college ball and a whole lot of broken people on our conscience. I don’t want that.

Maybe there’s hope for me after all.

“Are you okay?” I whisper and she nods her head. I look up to see Dillon watching us and I’m just waiting for him to make some crack or even smile. I’m more than a little ready to pound on him again. It’s only because of the petite blonde in front of me that it hasn’t happened yet. I refuse to let her see me like that.

“See you around, Isabelle and thanks.” He says before turning and jogging the opposite way from where I’d come. It takes everything in me not to run after him considering even being in the same space makes me want to hit him, but Isabelle shifts under the weight of my arms and again, I’m focused solely on her.