Count On Me(91)
“Staying clear of Hurricane Kayden.”
Well shit. I wish I’d known that before. If I had any clue that the reason he completely bailed on Isabelle had to do with me, I would have fixed it. With my track record though, I probably would have made it worse.
“Look, as fun as this little chat is, you see what’s happening as well as I do. I need to stop it.”
“Give it a couple more minutes.”
Now he’s got my attention. What does he know that I don’t? What could Isabelle possibly do in the next two minutes to stop what Dillon and the others have planned for her?
It’s only when I turn back to check on them that I see what he’s getting at.
Isabelle doesn’t need me at all.
She’s got this.
Belle
I’m smiling and despite the fact that there’s nothing about this situation that’s funny, I can’t stop.
The minute Amy mentioned taking me in the bathroom, there was a second where I felt my heart speed up and I worried about what would happen next. When Dillon agreed with her, it got a little worse. It’s only when Charlotte opened her mouth that everything changed.
It’s no secret that she likes Kayden; even to someone like me, it’s completely obvious and kind of sad. Even if everything that happened between us was a game, I think I know him well enough to know that the last person in the world he wants is Charlotte. She’s needy, pushy and way over the top. As popular as Kayden is, he’s content staying under the radar. She’s the complete opposite, which means they would never work out.
It’s because of this that I know what to do and despite being afraid, I’m not going to let it stop me.
“If he’s yours, where is he now?”
Tim breaks first, laughing and Charlotte shoots him a look of death before Dillon joins in.
“Holy shit, the retard can actually speak.”
“Thanks, Tim.”
His face scrunches up at my words and I know I’ve confused him. That’s the thing about these guys that until lately, I never knew. They might be intimidating and downright scary, but if you look hard enough, you can find a failing in them. It makes them just like everyone else.
“Thanks for what?”
“For proving that Neanderthals still exist.”
“What the—”
The smile from earlier quickly turns into a laugh as I realize, he didn’t understand any of what I just said. He’s definitely not the bright one of the group.
“What confused you? The word I used or the fact that you are one?”
“Amy, I think you need to take this mouthy bitch into the bathroom and show her what happens to people that talk back to us.”
“Yeah Amy, do it. You see how well it worked out for you the last time.”
This is the most I’ve spoken since I started here almost four years ago and despite knowing that, I can’t stop. I’ve been waiting years to stand up to these people, the ones that spent their entire high school existence making my life a living hell. Now that I can do it, there’s no way I’m stopping, no matter what they threaten me with.
“You take one step in her direction and getting suspended will be the least of your worries.”
Spinning around at the sound of the voice, I see him and he’s not alone. Eric’s walking right beside him.
“There you are baby! I knew you’d show up!” Charlotte calls out and the hall is filled with laughter, as Eric starts and Kayden quickly follows it up with one of his own.
“Yeah, I bet you were banking on it. That is why you’re doing all of this, right? You figured I’d come running?”
Turning back and seeing all their faces, I realize he’s right. They cornered me because they wanted face time with the very person walking up behind me now. The thing is, by the time I finally fought back, they’d lost hope of him ever appearing.
“You want me, you got me.”
“Kayden…”
I don’t want him doing this. He just got back, the last thing he needs to do is get into a fight, especially over me. Everything that happened with Dean should have been the end of it.
“Isabelle, I can’t believe I’m gonna say this because it’s weird, but please, shut up.”
I want to be hurt by his words, but with the smile he’s wearing, coupled with the softness in his green eyes as they’re directed solely at me, I can’t be. He’s not trying to be mean this time. He’s just being Kayden.
He turns back toward Dillon and the others and his expression quickly changes. Gone is the softness in his eyes. Now he just looks annoyed. Almost as if this is the last thing he wants to be doing on his first day back.
“You know, I’ve been trying to figure it out and it just never made sense to me. There’s always been this unwritten code with us. We pick people, throw them around, talk shit about them, making them feel like shit under our shoes, but we always steer clear of the Special Ed kids.”