“Are you ok?” I lean forward as I watch the pool of blood continue to expand over the black-top pavement.
Her eyes flutter momentarily, and I look around once more, hoping to see flashing lights, to hear sirens…msomething or someone coming to help us.
“Please, wake up.” I shake the lady. Her long brunette hair covered in red sticky goo.
She opens her mouth to speak, but only a choked gurgle escapes her.
Ignoring the blood, I lean into her. I hug the stranger as she slowly slips away.
I pull off my red and black flannel and drape it over her.
She’s gone.
I drop my face into my hands and lose any bit of strength I thought I had. I’ve always had to be the strong one. The one who held it together. The keeper of everyone else’s emotions. Big girls don’t cry—Dad would always say. Yet, here I am, watching life end right in front of my eyes and with no witnesses, the tears fall, dropping on the pavement and washing away in the blood.
The sound of a groan escapes Dad’s car and I pull myself up, limping over to the passenger side that I climbed out of. I stretch myself up and look in the window that I climbed out of and see him lying inside. Climbing out was effortless. Life or death. Climbing back in feels impossible with all of the broken glass. I can see a huge gash on his head with blood streaming out of it falling carelessly on his face. With his eyes closed, one may think he isn’t alive, but his brief movements tell me that he is. Just as I get a good enough grip to try and climb back in to help him, I hear a car coming down the road. I drop myself back down and make my way to the road. Standing in the middle, I throw my arms up. It’s a police car.
Yes! He can help us.
“Blakely Porter, is that you?” A familiar voice, a familiar face. Yet, I can’t put a name to it. “Are you ok? Who is with you?” He says, just as his eyes meet the helpless lady lying in the road. He hurries to her side and yells over his shoulder. “Get in my car, stay put.”
I do as I’m told. He’s a police officer. He will help us. He will save dad, and everything is going to be ok.
He did help, but nothing was ever okay after that day.
I dial Knox one last time. Still no answer. I can’t understand why he’s ignoring my calls, unless of course, he’s pissed at me, too. It seems to be the theme today.
“Still no answer?” Meg lifts her head from her Literature book.
I shake my head. “Where the hell could he be?”
“Maybe they called a Sunday practice.” She shrugs, completely unaware of what is going on right now. I just told her that Jasper and I had a fight, and I needed to talk to Knox about it. Rumors have been flying and everyone knows that Jasper and I have something going on, even if neither of us know what that something is.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Did you already get this done?” she asks, referring to the English literature assignment. “It’s never ending. Mrs. Burton sure does like to stick it to us on the weekends.”
“Haven’t even started.” I speak the truth. I’ll throw something together at the last minute. It can’t be too hard to write a quick paper on American identity.
“How are you even graduating?” She laughs. “You’re not really screwing Principal Somers, are you?”
“What?!” I spit, “Where in the world did that come from?”
“Sorry, Blakely, I shouldn’t have said anything.” She shifts herself on the bed where we both sit. Now with her back against the headboard next to me.
“Well, you did, and now, you need to explain yourself. Why would you ever think that I was sleeping with Principal Somers? That’s just gross!” My voice is harsh, as it should be at such an accusation.
“Petra said…”
“Of course, she did. I should have known.” I shake my head in complete disgust with the girl I once called a friend.
“She said that Brady Nillson saw him leaving your house early in the morning at the end of the summer. That he looked rushed as if he was trying to escape without being seen. Petra being the loudmouth she is, basically told everyone about it.”
“Damn that girl!” I shout. “This is getting out of hand. She is literally trying to destroy my reputation. Scratch that, she has destroyed my reputation.” I jump off the bed. “I’m settling this once and for all.”
“Wait, what are you doing?” Meg raises her brows with a slack expression.
I don’t know what I plan to do, but I have to do something. “I have to talk to her. She has to stop this. First the rumors about Wyatt, and now the fricken principal.” I bury my face into my hands, and it’s taking everything in me not to crumble, right here and now. Something that I don’t do. I break in private. In the shower, when no one is home, and I can scream at the top of my lungs. In my nightmares, where I can wake up and know that it wasn’t real. In my mind, where no one can hear me. There is nothing louder than your thoughts screaming at you in a silent room.
“Blakely, it’s ok. No one believes that wench anyways. They all know she’s just jealous. I was only joking when I asked if it were true.”
“Does everyone know that? Do they really? Because, I’m beginning to realize that I have nothing for anyone to be jealous of.”
I can feel the lump rising in my throat, and I know that I have to get out of here. I was planning to stay the night, but I can’t be here. I need to be alone, and there is no place lonelier than home.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jasper
After a long night of trying to get a phone number for Mike Porter, Jimmy was finally successful. I’ve put a lot of thought into what I want to happen, and it’s time for him to pay. When my calls were unsuccessful, I sent texts—all unanswered. I won’t give up. Not a chance in hell.
Sleeping on Marco’s couch wasn’t exactly the comfort I’ve grown accustomed to. I may not like living with Val and Knox, but my own bed is sounding pretty nice right about now. I’m forced up a little earlier than normal, since I’ve got an extra twenty-minute drive to school, but the solitude of the drive is nice.
When I walk into the school, I feel like an outcast. Not that I was ever in with these birds—not that I ever wanted to be. I never tried to fit in, and I had no intentions of making friends here. Yet, I let my guard down and opened my heart to the wannabe queen of the school, getting it trampled on in the process. Everything has changed—at least for me. No one else may know what happened all those years ago, but I feel even more strongly now, that this school is full of rich liars. Each person I pass by, likely harboring skeletons in their closet. We all have secrets, but I can feel the darkness of the ones that lie in the minds of the students at Redwood High School.
I just need to finish this year. Now, more than ever, I need out of this town.
Today, though, today, I’m willing to take whatever grade is given to me to as long as I can make it clear what I really think of the girl who took part in destroying my life—the Cassiopeia of Redwood.
I walk into class, unsure of whether or not Blakely will even show her face. I take my seat, slouching back with my eyes glued to the door, examining the expression of each student who walks in, wondering if they knew, too. Hell, maybe the whole town knew. Maybe the jokes have been on me for the last seven years. Maybe Dad moved me here for a reason. I’m beginning to realize that nothing and no one are what they seem. Even the one person I trusted most in this world. When Knox walks in, his eyes dart to me. A look of worry on his face. I cock my head and hold his gaze until he nervously breaks it.