Twenty-three
With every step closer to the Principal’s office, the more the panic rises.
It’s like I’m in slow-motion, all the sounds around me muffled like I’m underwater, just walking to my execution. It might be nothing, but I’ve developed a pretty good radar for when shit’s about to hit the fan and the alarm bells are ringing. Whatever’s about to happen, it’s not gonna be good.
And when I turn the corner, all of my suspicions are confirmed.
My uncle’s pacing the hall, adorned in his full uniform. Chatter blasts from the radio at his hip and he retrieves it, saying something back that I’m too far away to hear. As he spins to do another lap in the opposite direction, he spots me.
Everything inside of me freezes; my blood, my heart, the use of my brain. I don’t know what to do or what to think. I can’t even begin to wonder why he’s here, ambushing me in such a public place. Surely he knows that he can’t get away with anything here, right? Unless… that’s not what this is about.
That thought has me propelling forward.
“What is it?” I blurt as I come to a stop, still keeping a healthy distance between us. “Is it April? Is she okay?”
“Well, how the hell am I supposed to know that, huh?” he hisses. “You’ve both been gone for days, remember?”
“Oh, yeah? And whose fault is that?”
His jaw clenches, nostrils flare - telltale signs that he’s getting pissed, reaching the point of eruption. He moves closer, crossing right over that invisible boundary line I drew. The instinct to flee rises up, to get as far away from him as possible, but a voice inside my head tells me to stay, to let this play out. If he hurts me here, in the middle of the school with a shit-ton of witnesses, then maybe I’ll be free. Fuck, I want him to hit me.
But, to my surprise, he stops just a few inches away and lets out a long breath, calming himself. Shit. Why did he pick today to finally learn some restraint?
When he speaks again, his voice is level and controlled, not a trace of anger. “Look, I’m sorry. Okay? Things got… out of hand. I want you to come back home.”
I frown so hard that a tension headache forms in the back of my skull. He’s sorry? He wants us to come back? What the fuck?
It’s only now that I’m realizing just how… sober he seems. His words aren’t slurring together, something I’ve only witnessed maybe once or twice since I’ve been here. And his eyes are clear, not bloodshot like normal, and there’s no sweat dripping down his temples. There’s no pungent smell of stale liquor wafting off of him, either.
“I don’t understand,” I say slowly. “Is this some kind of a trick?”
“No trick. I just figured it’s time to take some responsibility for once, and you and April are my responsibility. I wanna do right by you both. It’s what my brother would have wanted.”
The urge to call bullshit is so strong, I have to shut my mouth to stop the words from flying out. Even if he is being genuine - which, fat chance - there’s no way in hell I’ll ever believe a single word this man says. You don’t be an asshole your whole life, then wake up one day and suddenly decide to change. It doesn’t work like that. I’m not even sure that spiel about my dad is the truth. For as long as I can remember, uncle Jamie was just my dad’s mysterious brother that he never had any contact with. I never knew the reason why, but I have a pretty good idea.
This whole thing - him coming here and trying to make nice, even sobering up for the occasion - is all just a part of his game. A way to get what he wants. And I’m not falling for it.
I shake my head and take a step back. “No, thanks. I think we’ll stay where we are.”
Not wanting to entertain this any further, I turn and walk away.
“That’d be a big mistake, you know,” he calls after me, making me freeze mid-stride.
I fucking knew it was all an act.
The sound of his footsteps echo in my ears, along with the pounding of my heart. He’s right behind me now, but I don’t turn to face him. I don’t move a muscle. Just stay rooted in place, bracing myself for whatever’s about to come next.
“You think I’m stupid? You think I don’t know where you’ve been staying, where you are at every hour of every damn day? I’m not as dumb as I look, boy.”
It’s hard to breathe with this crushing weight on my chest. I know he loves to embellish on his capabilities, but that doesn’t stop the cold hand of fear from twisting up my insides. If he knows where I am all the time, does that mean he knows about Asher? And if he does, what’s to stop him from using that against me? If this came out, it could ruin Asher.
“What do you want?” I ask, voice low and shaky.
“I already told you. I want you to come home. You and April.”
“Why?”
“Do I need a reason? I sure as hell don’t need to explain any of it to you.” He edges even closer, drops his voice down an octave. “It’s a nice house, right? Mrs Sanderson’s place? It’d be a real shame if she were to lose it.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, bile rushing up my throat as images of Mrs Sanderson’s home run through my mind. The warmth in there, the happiness permeating the walls. She’s lived there for years. It’s the last thing she has left of her husband. Losing that would be like breaking her heart all over again.
“And that money she got after her husband died?” he continues. “Imagine if all of that were to disappear? That’d be rough, huh? Homeless and broke with nowhere to go. She probably wouldn’t even last a week.”
“Stop.”
“And why stop there, right? There’s a whole list of people I can go after next. Hal, that pretty girl who works at the diner, maybe some of April’s teachers. Then when I’m through with them, I’ll—”
“I said stop,” I snap, far louder than I intended. I’m shaking with rage, red mist clouding my vision. I take a breath, try to calm the hell down. “I’ll do it, okay? I’ll come back. Just… leave everyone alone. Please.”
A door creaks open down the hall. Principal Fischer steps out of his office and heads our way, a big-ass smile on his face. He’s completely oblivious to what’s going on out here.
“Oh, good,” he says, stopping beside us. “I was hoping your uncle would find you. Did you get everything squared away?”
“Sure did,” my uncle answers. He claps a hand on my shoulder, and I try but fail to hide my wince.
Principal Fischer nods and moves along, shaking my uncle’s hand before he goes. I try to follow his lead, but he yanks my wrist, stopping me from going anywhere.
As soon as the Principal’s out of earshot, he leans in and says, “Tomorrow. If you’re not back by noon then I’ll be pinning an eviction notice on Mrs Sanderson’s door. Understood?”
I pull out of his grip and walk away.
* * *
I try catching up with Asher after school, but he’s already out on the field in his practice gear by the time I make it to the athletic department.
I sneak under the bleachers, watching him for a few minutes. He’s in his element out there, so hyper-focused. He’s calling the plays and letting everybody know where they should be, and he does it with ease. Even from here, I can see how much everybody respects him, listens to his every word. And not just because he’s the Asher Brooks, but because he’s a born leader. It’s not hard to imagine him as the captain of an NFL team, or maybe even a coach someday. His talent speaks for itself, and a surge of pride shoots through me when he throws a pass that leads to a touchdown.
Asher, Mrs Sanderson, Hal, Sienna… I don’t want to go back to my uncle’s house, don’t want to be anywhere near him, but they’re the reason I have to. I can’t let him hurt any of them. I won’t let him.
With a newfound sense of determination, I give Asher one last look and leave.
* * *
“I don’t like this, Oakley,” Mrs Sanderson mutters. “I don’t like this one bit.”
“Neither do I.”
We both turn, checking from our position at the breakfast table that April’s still distracted by the cartoons on the television. Luckily, she is. Mrs Sanderson stands and retrieves the coffee pot from the counter, refilling both of our cups before sitting back down again.
“What does he want?” she asks. “Why does he want you to come back home so badly?”
“I have no idea. There’s definitely something else at play here, and I’ve been wracking my brain for hours trying to figure out what, but…” I cut myself off with a shrug.
She sighs, pondering that for a beat. Then she leans closer, determination etched into her features. “All I care about is that you two are safe. Whatever he threatens me with, it’ll be worth it to keep you here.”
“Mrs Sanderson—”
“I’ll think of something. Somebody, somewhere must be able to help us. To get us out of this mess. Maybe if I—”
“There’s nothing anyone can do. This isn’t just about me and April anymore. If we stay here, he’s gonna go after you and anyone else who tries to help us.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“Well, I’m not.” I slump back in the chair, shaking my head. “I can’t let you do this. I can’t watch your whole life be ruined because of me. It’s not right.”
She grabs my hand. “But what about you, Oakley? And April? You don’t want him to ruin my life, but you’re letting him ruin yours.”
“I don’t have any other choice.”
Silence descends, my words hanging in the air between us. Maybe I should feel angry by this turn of events. Upset, even. But, I don’t. I don’t feel anything. I’m just… numb. Resigned to the fact that no matter what I do, we can’t get away from our uncle. Not until I graduate. It was stupid to think otherwise.
Mrs Sanderson’s watching April again, silent tears streaming from her eyes.
“I’ll keep her safe,” I say. “I promise.”
She nods and sniffles, wiping the wetness from her cheeks. “I know you will. And we still have tonight. That’s a good thing, I suppose. You know, I always wanted a daughter. Unfortunately, that wasn’t in the cards for me. But… being with April, it’s really given me a taste of what that would’ve been like.”
An idea forms in the back of my mind, a way for us both to enjoy our last night of freedom. “Hey, why don’t you and April have one of those girls nights tonight that you both love? You know, with the sappy movies and bad food?”
“Are you sure? What will you do?”
I shrug, a smile already tugging at my lips. “I’m sure I can figure something out.”
Mrs Sanderson grins, thanks me profusely, then rushes off to get started on a batch of April’s favorite chocolate chip cookies. I slide my phone out of my pocket and open up mine and Asher’s message thread. The anticipation thrumming through me makes my fingers shake, and it takes three attempts to even make the text legible.
Clear your schedule for tonight. You’re mine.