Count On Me(78)

The screen finally goes dark and of course our blissfully unaware Principal is trying to do damage control, but he doesn’t realize that it’s too late. Controlling that would have been shutting the shit off the minute the first hateful comment spewed out of my mouth, not waiting until the end.

Idiots.

I see movement out of the corner of my eye and the blue of her dress retreating and as she flies down the stairs, heading for the door. Wasting no time, I chase after her.

Catching her as she makes it about halfway across the gym, I grab her arm and spin her around to face me.

“Isabelle, don’t run.”

She’s crying. I can see them running down her face, one after the other and with each tear that drops, I’m pretty sure my heart rips apart a little more. I know the way all of that looks and sounds, but she has to know I would never have done that to her. I don’t think I have it in me to do that to anyone, at least not anymore.

She’s shaking her head at me, moving so fast it looks like a really bad exorcist impression. I need to make her stop this. The last thing she needs to do is completely meltdown in front of everyone.

“Isabelle—Stop! Please.”

I try to pull her to me and she yanks back on my arms, slipping on the floor and falling down in the process. Before I can reach out my hand to her, another hand comes out of nowhere and tracing it all the way up, I see the very last person I expected, standing beside her.

“Get away from her, you son of a bitch!” I yell. “You did this!”

“What are you talking about, K? Everyone heard you on the tape. You’re the one that said all those things. Gotta hand it to you, bro. I didn’t know you had it in you to be that god damned cold.”

I notice her struggling to get to her feet and again I hold out my hand to her. She grabs onto it, pulling herself up and in an effort to protect her from what’s going to happen next, I push her behind me. Before I take my next step though, I hear it.

She speaks.

“You said it…all of it.”

It stops me in my tracks and as I turn toward the sound, toward her, that’s when it happens. Dillon’s fist connects with the side of my face and I stumble. Concerned with her and making sure that she doesn’t get hurt, I push her again. I see the look of complete freaking horror on her face as she’s taking everything in.

Blocking him before he can level me with another punch, I get my bearings back and rise to my feet. Ducking as he swings at me, I use the only tool I’ve got left and I kick him as hard and as quickly as I can. Stunning him exactly the way I hoped I would, I’m on him before he can even get a chance to adjust to the change. Rushing my body at his, I drop him to the floor and even though his hands are raised in a weak attempt to block me, I level him with punch after punch, until they all start blending together.

I can feel my energy draining, but I don’t stop. I can’t. He’s had this coming for far too long and I don’t give a shit if we’re in the middle of the homecoming dance or not, he’s going to pay for every damn thing he’s done.

As I raise my hand up in the air, I feel someone attempting to hold me back and not thinking, I spin around, my other hand ready to swing and take them down. One direct hit. It’s only when I hear the scream that I realize it wasn’t a teacher or even the Coach that I hit.

It’s Isabelle.

“Fuck!”

Climbing off Dillon, content that for the moment he won’t be getting up, I slide across the floor toward her. It’s only when a hand comes out in front of me that I stop. Ms. Taylor is looking straight at me, her eyes as hard as steel, her hand directly out in front of her, as she’s bent over the only girl I’ve ever loved.

“Stay away from her, Kayden. You’ve done more than enough.”

She leans over Isabelle and says something I can’t quite make out before using her weight to pull her up. I’m on my knees in the middle of the floor, watching as she’s lifted up into her favorite teacher’s arms and escorted out of the gym. It’s only when she’s completely out and I know she’s safe that I’m able to move again and when I do, I turn right back to Dillon.

His lip is broken open, bleeding, and I can already start to see his left eye changing colors from the punches I leveled him with. I’m tempted to rail on him again, but something stops me. Looking at him now, he reminds me of something that I’ve been doing everything in my power to block out.

He’s as broken physically as I am, but that’s not what hits me hardest. It’s the realization that through all the brokenness, he reminds me of someone.

Me.