11. Chapter Eleven
Iwake up and at first I”m a little confused about where I am. But looking around the memories soon flood in. Going to the concert, and seeing Stacey, beating up her ex-boyfriend, then coming back here and getting to watch her come undone for me.
Then I remember that we had fallen asleep together. I look around and don”t see her. I rush to the bathroom, hoping she”s in the shower but she”s gone.
Wait, did she leave? What the Fuck?! Did she sneak out while I was sleeping? Did she wake up regretting last night and run?
So many questions run through my mind. Why do I even care? I leave girls all the time, fuck ‘em then chuck ‘em, so why does it bother me this time?
I jump on my bike and head home, back to my own prison in the woods. The home is filled with more nightmares than I can count. I pull up and make my way inside. “Nate?.... Nate…Nathaniel, you here?” No answer.
I rush towards his bedroom and bang on the door. “Nate, you in here?” I push the door open slowly, “If you”re wanking in here, say something as I don”t wanna see that shit,” I call as I head inside.
But his bed is empty too. Where the fuck is he?
I’m just about to call him when I hear a door slam. I head towards the front door and see Nate standing in the hallway removing his shoes.
“Where the fuck have you been?” I ask.
“Sorry, I”ve been up since the early hours and couldn”t get back to sleep as I was too nervous and excited for today. So I decided to go for a run to settle my nerves.”
“Nervous for today? Why?” I ask, but when I see the smile drop from Nate’s face I realize I should know.
“You forgot didn”t you?” Nate says sadly.
Shit! What the hell are we supposed to be doing? I rack my brain for an answer but nothing comes.
“Of course I didn”t forget,” I lie. “I just meant you have nothing to be nervous about; it’ll be fine.”
“Nothing to be nervous about? You remember how difficult school was for me, when we moved in with the Jacksons because…..”
Shit, I promised I”d go with him to orientation day. Fuck! I totally forgot.
“.... so that”s why I”m so glad you”re coming with me.” Nate says, finally stopping to take a breath.
“Of course I”m coming with you. I just have to drop some stuff off to John, but I”ll meet you outside the main gate in an hour.” I reassure him as I tap him on the shoulder and then rush off to get the shit done that I need to do. So that I’m on time to be there to be who Nate needs me to be.
An hour later and I”m standing outside the high school, the last place I ever thought I would find myself again, impatiently waiting for Nate to show up. I specifically told him to meet me at twelve o”clock, yet the little shit is almost fifteen minutes late already. If he knew all the strings and favors I had to pull with the head teacher to get him enrolled here, he”d thank me.
The decrepit old principal here has hated me for months, ever since I started dating some seniors, which apparently led to a cat fight between the two girls I was sleeping with at the time. I don”t know why the girls made such a fuss in the first place. I was honest and told both of them from the beginning that we weren”t exclusive and that I didn”t do girlfriends. So technically, it”s not even my fault that they both caught feelings. Stupid girls, they both thought they”d be the one to change this bad boy. Yeah, right. I scoff
I”m about to hop on my Harley and ride away when I see a familiar looking lady walking up the stairs toward me. I stop to stare at her, silently hoping it’s not Mrs. Williams. I can feel the venom building up in my body at the mere sight of her. And of course, things get much worse when I see a girl walking right behind her. I remember when I was a kid, Nathaniel used to say Isabella was the only girl in the family, and how we used to joke that she was the family princess. So there is no doubt in my mind that the girl has to be Izzy. Although she looks nothing like the annoying little girl I remember Nate sneaking off to meet.
I’m almost tempted to smile at her until I remember that all of this, our move, and the forced separation from Nate are all her fault. It”s because of her that I broke my promise to Mom and have been all alone for the last few years. It all started because of her and her big, fat mouth. I look up and realize she”s staring at me, so I give her my best fuck off, before I kick your ass look until she looks away.
I can”t help but wonder what she”s doing here and when she came back. I know it must have been recently because I”ve passed her grandparents” house numerous times on the way through since I got back. At first, I just watched them, then I started playing little tricks on them. I slashed a few tires, smashed a few bottles outside their house, and put weed killer in all their rosebushes. It came to a head on the first birthday without Nate when I went out and got drunk and decided to throw a brick through their front window. Luckily, I missed, but it was enough to bring me back to reality a little bit because if I ended up in jail, I would never see Nate again.
Besides, if she”s back in town, that can only mean trouble. I”m going to make it my mission to make sure Nate doesn”t see her because I know once he does, it”s game over. He”s been in love with her and pining after her for as long as I can remember, and I know if she shows up again and plays with his emotions, I”ll risk losing my brother forever. I know that even now, he’d follow her to the end of the earth.
I”m running around like a madman. I was supposed to meet Gabe ten minutes ago, but I”ve been thinking way too long about what to wear and how to look. Today there is an open house at my new school, Avery High, and they always have a big summer carnival. I remember my brother telling me about it when we were kids. About all the fun things they have there and how it”s the place to be for all the popular kids to be seen before school starts. The first time he went, he saved up for weeks to be able to afford the visit.
After getting a glimpse of a girl that I”m sure was Bella just a few days ago but chickening out before I got to confirm my suspicions, I’m more determined than ever not to make that mistake again. If Bella really is in town like I suspect, I know she won”t pass up the opportunity to visit the carnival. I have to make sure I make the right first impression. Readying my nerves, I send a quick text to Gabe, grab my keys, and head out.
Me
Sorry, Gabe, I lost track of time. I”ll be there in about 15 minutes.
Gabe
You have 10 or I”m leaving!
Me
Alright, I”ll be there as soon as I can.
A few minutes later, I”m just getting off my bike when I get another text message.
Gabe
Change of plans, let”s meet for lunch instead.
Me
I”m already here, where are you?
Gabe
Meet me at the soccer field.
Me
I don”t know where that is, it”s my first time at the school, remember? I”m parked near the main office.
Gabe
Alright, I”ll come to you then.
Gabe arrives a few minutes later. ”Should we go in?” I ask him, but looking closer, Gabe seems angry. ”What”s your problem…”
”Nothing.” he bites out, ”We’ll get a drink,” he adds, virtually dragging me away. What the fuck is up with him? I wonder.
About thirty minutes later, after much pleading, I finally persuade him to go in, and we”re greeted by the principal, Mrs. Cross. She gives us a tour of the school.
”So let”s head to my office.” The principal suggests.
I follow behind and can”t help but hear Gabe grumbling and probably swearing under his breath.
As we walk in, she immediately sits behind her desk, somehow looking even more authoritarian than she did before. I chose the chair directly opposite her desk. I notice how the light from the window behind me seems to glisten against the photo frames stacked on her desk. But Gabe stands, leaning against the door, legs crossed, arms folded, sporting his signature pissed off look.
”Sit down,” I mouth silently, but Gabe just flips me off. I whip my head around to the principal, ready to apologize, but thankfully she”s busy looking in her drawer of paperwork.
”Here it is,” she suddenly says, pulling out a wad of paper.
”So tell me about your last school, so we can figure out what the best fit will be. I know you were held back, but how have things been since?”
”Well….” I begin before explaining all about what I”ve been doing these last few years and then follow her for a tour around the school.
Throughout the walk, Gabe looks around anxiously. I don”t know what”s wrong with him. I assume it”s just old memories. Although, if I”m honest, he was hardly ever here anyway because of Dad, so I don”t understand why he”s acting so weird. The tour ends, and Gabe tries to convince me to leave again. I reluctantly agree and tell him I need to go into town, but he insists that he”ll accompany me, so I tell him that I have plans to meet a girl for coffee. This seems to satisfy him, and he agrees to leave me alone and go on his way. I start walking towards town, but as soon as I see his bike go by, I turn around and head straight back to school. Part of me feels guilty for purposefully tricking Gabe, but I wasn”t exactly lying when I said I intended to meet a girl. I just forgot to mention which girl and the fact that SHE currently has absolutely no idea she”s meeting ME.