eyes.
Mr. Zee spent the rest of the class polling us about the quiz. I drifted off thinking about Neil, hoping he wasn’t dead. It seemed as if there was a pattern forming. Everyone around me was getting hurt: first Officer Bradley, now Neil. Who was next? As I combed through my brain trying to come up with some sort of theory, the bell rang, jarring me back to reality.
I rose from my seat and joined the other kids who were filing out and realized that Ben never made it to History. It must’ve been one hell of baseball meeting.
I pushed my way out of the classroom, but Darcy got tangled in the crowd. My next period was Study Hall, but I had about ten minutes before class.
I leaned against a locker outside the room waiting for Darcy when Ben walked up.
“There you are,” Ben said.
“The meeting took the whole period?”
“Yep. It got kind of heated,” he said.
“What happened?”
“Nothing. You know guys,” Ben said.
I honestly don’t. Boys, guys, whatever—not in my vocabulary.
“Jack Powell, our pitcher, was being his same old self: an ass. The meeting got heated so Coach Welles gave us a free pass for first period. Nice, huh?” He had a grin from ear to ear.
“Jocks get away with murder.” I said. “Is Sam on his way to anger management?”
Ben nodded.
I’m sure Sam is thrilled to spend the next period learning how to control his anger. I hope that he doesn’t lose it during his class.
Darcy made it through the tangled web of students and planted herself directly in front of me. She didn’t acknowledge Ben. Obviously, she was pissed.
“Spill and spill now!”
“You haven’t told her yet?” Ben asked as he let out a low whistle.
“Like I’ve had time and, oh yeah, let me call up Darcy on some cruise ship in the Caribbean. Are you insane?”
Ben raised his hands and leaned back against the locker.
“We don’t have much time, so I will spare you the details.” I didn’t realize I was touching my left cheek until Darcy grabbed my hand.
“Jo, focus.”
“Cliff tried to rape me at knife point and I fought back.” This was the second time I said it out loud. The first time I cried, but this time it was as if a fifty-pound weight fell off my shoulders and the hall spun in front of me.
“He what ? That mother f—”
“Easy, Darcy,” Ben said.
“I hope the bastard looks worse than you.”
Darcy was an Aries. She held true to her astrological fire sign. Her powerful expression of energy and her impulsiveness had gotten her into trouble many times, especially with people of authority.
I tuned Darcy out. I didn’t want to talk about it. I had to give her more details or she wasn’t going to let up. I loved her as a sister, but her impatience drove me crazy.
“You better give her something,” Ben whispered.
“I’m not ready to dish on the details. We have to get to class, anyways. And you know the halls have ears.”
“You owe me, then. After school, we’ll go to my house and hang out. My mom won’t be home until nine tonight. Deal?”
“I can’t go right after school.” I wrinkled my nose.
“Why not?” Darcy asked. A red color surfaced under her tanned cheeks.
“I have to go and see Coach Welles.”
“Are you trying out for the baseball team?” she asked.
“It’s something Mr. Jackson wants me to do,” I said.
Ben chuckled. He thought it was cool watching the exchange between Darcy and me. I turned and extended my arm, but he caught it before I could punch him.
“You don’t want to do that, love.”
“Oh, but I do,” I said as I nodded.
“Hello. What’s with the love and I do shit?” Darcy rested her hand on her hip and raised her brows. “Explain. Mr. Jackson wants you to do what?”
“You better tell her,” Ben said.
“Yes, you better tell me,” Darcy said, her voice teetering on the edge of screaming.
I glared at him.
“Mr. Jackson feels it’s a good idea to learn how to protect myself. I have to take self defense classes
Mr. Zee spent the rest of the class polling us about the quiz. I drifted off thinking about Neil, hoping he wasn’t dead. It seemed as if there was a pattern forming. Everyone around me was getting hurt: first Officer Bradley, now Neil. Who was next? As I combed through my brain trying to come up with some sort of theory, the bell rang, jarring me back to reality.
I rose from my seat and joined the other kids who were filing out and realized that Ben never made it to History. It must’ve been one hell of baseball meeting.
I pushed my way out of the classroom, but Darcy got tangled in the crowd. My next period was Study Hall, but I had about ten minutes before class.
I leaned against a locker outside the room waiting for Darcy when Ben walked up.
“There you are,” Ben said.
“The meeting took the whole period?”
“Yep. It got kind of heated,” he said.
“What happened?”
“Nothing. You know guys,” Ben said.
I honestly don’t. Boys, guys, whatever—not in my vocabulary.
“Jack Powell, our pitcher, was being his same old self: an ass. The meeting got heated so Coach Welles gave us a free pass for first period. Nice, huh?” He had a grin from ear to ear.
“Jocks get away with murder.” I said. “Is Sam on his way to anger management?”
Ben nodded.
I’m sure Sam is thrilled to spend the next period learning how to control his anger. I hope that he doesn’t lose it during his class.
Darcy made it through the tangled web of students and planted herself directly in front of me. She didn’t acknowledge Ben. Obviously, she was pissed.
“Spill and spill now!”
“You haven’t told her yet?” Ben asked as he let out a low whistle.
“Like I’ve had time and, oh yeah, let me call up Darcy on some cruise ship in the Caribbean. Are you insane?”
Ben raised his hands and leaned back against the locker.
“We don’t have much time, so I will spare you the details.” I didn’t realize I was touching my left cheek until Darcy grabbed my hand.
“Jo, focus.”
“Cliff tried to rape me at knife point and I fought back.” This was the second time I said it out loud. The first time I cried, but this time it was as if a fifty-pound weight fell off my shoulders and the hall spun in front of me.
“He what ? That mother f—”
“Easy, Darcy,” Ben said.
“I hope the bastard looks worse than you.”
Darcy was an Aries. She held true to her astrological fire sign. Her powerful expression of energy and her impulsiveness had gotten her into trouble many times, especially with people of authority.
I tuned Darcy out. I didn’t want to talk about it. I had to give her more details or she wasn’t going to let up. I loved her as a sister, but her impatience drove me crazy.
“You better give her something,” Ben whispered.
“I’m not ready to dish on the details. We have to get to class, anyways. And you know the halls have ears.”
“You owe me, then. After school, we’ll go to my house and hang out. My mom won’t be home until nine tonight. Deal?”
“I can’t go right after school.” I wrinkled my nose.
“Why not?” Darcy asked. A red color surfaced under her tanned cheeks.
“I have to go and see Coach Welles.”
“Are you trying out for the baseball team?” she asked.
“It’s something Mr. Jackson wants me to do,” I said.
Ben chuckled. He thought it was cool watching the exchange between Darcy and me. I turned and extended my arm, but he caught it before I could punch him.
“You don’t want to do that, love.”
“Oh, but I do,” I said as I nodded.
“Hello. What’s with the love and I do shit?” Darcy rested her hand on her hip and raised her brows. “Explain. Mr. Jackson wants you to do what?”
“You better tell her,” Ben said.
“Yes, you better tell me,” Darcy said, her voice teetering on the edge of screaming.
I glared at him.
“Mr. Jackson feels it’s a good idea to learn how to protect myself. I have to take self defense classes
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