and I knew he was suspicious. He had to be. My story was delivered with a shaky voice and unsureness. With all of that, he let it be. He didn’t poke or pry any more.
And that made me want to tell him everything.
“Are you going back to class?” he asked.
I was still stunned and stuck in my own mind over my little revelation. I wasn’t even sure why I’d thought it. I couldn’t tell him.
“No,” I said when I found my voice.
“I suppose I have no reason to go back either.”
Then we were just standing there. And I did something stupid. “Do you still want to spend a day together?” The words came out in a rush and I almost regretted them the second they were out of my mouth. But that disappeared when Hale smiled at me. He looked grateful and happy for the first time since this whole rumor thing started.
“I do,” he said. “I really do.”
I might have just gotten myself into quite a mess. But for the moment, I wanted to be in it. Something about him not poking holes in my story make me like him a little more. And, what could possibly happen in a day?
“Okay. Saturday?”
He thought for a moment. “Not this Saturday. I need time to plan this. Next Saturday? Is that good for you?”
I nodded with a timid smile.
“Three,” he said.
I almost wanted to kick him. But I let the anger simmer down. “I guess I’ll see you later,” and I started walking.
He caught me by the shoulder. “Wait.”
I turned. “What?”
“Let me bring you home.”
Hmm…my mom and sister are there…this might end badly. But the look in his eyes said I wasn’t getting off so easy. “Fine,” I didn’t bother fighting him.
The bell rang before we started. When the halls started filling with students, Hale put his hand on my back again and started guiding me through the crowd.
There weren’t many students at this school, but I didn’t like being around people at all. I unconsciously pushed myself closer to Hale. He put his arm around my shoulder and held me to him.
The crowd thinned as the students went into their classrooms or to lunch. In the distance I saw a boy leaving the girls bathroom, zipping up his pants. He looked familiar but I didn’t know his name.
“Classy,” I almost laughed at the sight.
“Girl bathrooms are far nicer than boy bathrooms.”
I looked up at him while we walked. “Have you spent a lot of time in girl’s bathrooms?”
He suddenly looked guilty. And that answered my question. I guess that the rumors about the girls were true. It left an uneasy feeling in me and my stomach sank.
Not a full minute after the boy left, Kenna came walking out into the now empty hallway. She was buttoning her shirt back up. I would have just walked right past her, if it weren’t for her mouth.
“Aww,” she said when she spotted us. “How cute. The Freakshow and the Psycho. What a cute couple.”
I stopped moving and stood in front of Kenna while Hale stood beside me. “Coulda swore I told you not to call me that.”
She shrugged. “Sorry. Freakshow.” She turned her gaze up to Hale. “You see yet? I guess I should assume you haven’t since you’re still okay touching her.”
“Fuck you,” was all Hale said, calmer than I was expecting.
She smiled at him. “How ya doing, Psycho?” she took a step forward. “Pissed off that everyone knows what you are? You’re welcome for that.”
My hands went to her shoulders as I slammed her against the wall. “You know something about that?” my voice was calm as I held her violently to the wall.
She had fear and anger in her eyes. “L-let go of me.”
I shook my head. “What do you know about the missing file? Are you the one who stole it?”
She stayed quiet so I slammed her into the wall again. She cried, “I didn’t do it.”
“But you know who did?”
“Let go and I’ll tell you,” she said. Her mascara was running down her face and I tried not to love this.
I let go of her and she stared at the glass doors for a
And that made me want to tell him everything.
“Are you going back to class?” he asked.
I was still stunned and stuck in my own mind over my little revelation. I wasn’t even sure why I’d thought it. I couldn’t tell him.
“No,” I said when I found my voice.
“I suppose I have no reason to go back either.”
Then we were just standing there. And I did something stupid. “Do you still want to spend a day together?” The words came out in a rush and I almost regretted them the second they were out of my mouth. But that disappeared when Hale smiled at me. He looked grateful and happy for the first time since this whole rumor thing started.
“I do,” he said. “I really do.”
I might have just gotten myself into quite a mess. But for the moment, I wanted to be in it. Something about him not poking holes in my story make me like him a little more. And, what could possibly happen in a day?
“Okay. Saturday?”
He thought for a moment. “Not this Saturday. I need time to plan this. Next Saturday? Is that good for you?”
I nodded with a timid smile.
“Three,” he said.
I almost wanted to kick him. But I let the anger simmer down. “I guess I’ll see you later,” and I started walking.
He caught me by the shoulder. “Wait.”
I turned. “What?”
“Let me bring you home.”
Hmm…my mom and sister are there…this might end badly. But the look in his eyes said I wasn’t getting off so easy. “Fine,” I didn’t bother fighting him.
The bell rang before we started. When the halls started filling with students, Hale put his hand on my back again and started guiding me through the crowd.
There weren’t many students at this school, but I didn’t like being around people at all. I unconsciously pushed myself closer to Hale. He put his arm around my shoulder and held me to him.
The crowd thinned as the students went into their classrooms or to lunch. In the distance I saw a boy leaving the girls bathroom, zipping up his pants. He looked familiar but I didn’t know his name.
“Classy,” I almost laughed at the sight.
“Girl bathrooms are far nicer than boy bathrooms.”
I looked up at him while we walked. “Have you spent a lot of time in girl’s bathrooms?”
He suddenly looked guilty. And that answered my question. I guess that the rumors about the girls were true. It left an uneasy feeling in me and my stomach sank.
Not a full minute after the boy left, Kenna came walking out into the now empty hallway. She was buttoning her shirt back up. I would have just walked right past her, if it weren’t for her mouth.
“Aww,” she said when she spotted us. “How cute. The Freakshow and the Psycho. What a cute couple.”
I stopped moving and stood in front of Kenna while Hale stood beside me. “Coulda swore I told you not to call me that.”
She shrugged. “Sorry. Freakshow.” She turned her gaze up to Hale. “You see yet? I guess I should assume you haven’t since you’re still okay touching her.”
“Fuck you,” was all Hale said, calmer than I was expecting.
She smiled at him. “How ya doing, Psycho?” she took a step forward. “Pissed off that everyone knows what you are? You’re welcome for that.”
My hands went to her shoulders as I slammed her against the wall. “You know something about that?” my voice was calm as I held her violently to the wall.
She had fear and anger in her eyes. “L-let go of me.”
I shook my head. “What do you know about the missing file? Are you the one who stole it?”
She stayed quiet so I slammed her into the wall again. She cried, “I didn’t do it.”
“But you know who did?”
“Let go and I’ll tell you,” she said. Her mascara was running down her face and I tried not to love this.
I let go of her and she stared at the glass doors for a
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