Sierra
Chapter twenty-two
I’m nervous as hell as I walk to school. Not knowing what’s coming should be second nature to me by now, but it isn’t. I honestly thought Zander was different. The kindness he showed me made me think that I finally found a friend, some support here at school. That’s what I get for thinking.
Honestly, it’s probably for the best, especially after Wesley’s threats. I’m afraid he may have an idea that Sarah isn’t living with us. I can’t risk him calling Child Services on us, so I was going to have to end the friendship anyway.
I take my time walking onto campus, keeping my head down all the way, wanting to put everyone out of my mind. I know they’re all pointing and laughing, but that doesn’t mean I have to look up to see it.
A deep voice calling my name halts me in my tracks. “Sierra, can I talk to you, please?”
Looking up, I see Zander with Braxton standing right beside him.
Even though I haven’t known them long, both he and Colton have slight differences that, if anyone were paying attention, could tell them apart.
Braxton has dimples where Colton has a small scar on the right side of his forehead and a little dark brown freckle right on the outer edge of his left eyebrow.
Reaching into my bag, I pull out the phone and hand it out to Zander. “Here’s your phone,” I tell him coldly.
“No, I don’t want it. I gave it to you to use for our project, and my mind hasn’t changed. If you would have answered the phone last night, you’d know there isn’t any game being played on you. Braxton was truly apologizing, and I had no clue he sent you a message,” Zander pleads.
“You expect me to believe you?” I ask them as I shake the phone in my hand.
“Yes,” Zander says bluntly. “I’ve been your friend and not once have I done anything to make you doubt me or tried to do anything to harm you. In your heart, you know you can believe me and Brax. Come on, just give us a chance.”
“Pleaasseee, Ci Ci!” Braxton begs, placing his clasped hands under his chin as he goes down on his knees, and I can’t help but laugh.
I can’t believe he’s using the name Sam calls me. He’s really pulling out all the stops.
“Ci Ci?” Zander asks in confusion.
“Yeah, it’s what her sister calls her. A guy has to use everything he has in his arsenal to win the trust of a beautiful girl,” Braxton announces, and my mouth drops.
Beautiful? Me?
“What about Wesley and the others? He doesn’t want you to be nice to me. He’s even warned me to stay away from you if I know what’s good for me.” If it comes down to me or everyone else, I need to know if they will choose me.
“What do you mean, warned?” Zander’s body becomes rigid.
“It’s nothing, really. I just need to know.
Maybe it’s best for everyone if we’re not friends.
Honestly, I have enough shit to deal with at this school, and I don’t need the fallout of what will happen if you’re nice to me.
” I have to think about Sam here and keeping her safe and with me is more important.
“First off, there is no universe where we will not be friends.” Zander reaches out and cups my chin, tilting it up so I have to look him in the eyes. “The assholes in this school can deal with me if they don’t like it.”
“And me!” Braxton steps closer to us. “We’re here for you and if anyone says anything to you or hurts you again in any way, they have to deal with the two of us.”
My body tingles and my heart’s beating fast. Two boys are declaring they want to be here for me and staring like they want to devour me. Wesley used to look at me that way until he stopped. Now he looks at me with hatred and disgust.
“I can’t. The cost is too great and Wesley wouldn’t like it,” I finally mumble in defeat.
“Let us deal with Wesley,” Brax says sternly. “Now, we’d like to hang out with you on Saturday. We could go to the park. You could come to our house and swim in the pool before it gets too cold and we can’t. What do you say? Yes?”
It sounds delightful, but I have Sam and I just can’t ask Mrs. Butler to watch her. Not when she already does so much for us as it is. I go to speak, but Brax starts before I can.
“We know you probably have to watch your sister and we want her to come too. So see, you have no excuse. What time can we pick you up?” He smiles widely, showing his perfectly straight white teeth.
“Yep, no excuses.” Zander places his arm over my shoulder, turning me toward the school. “Now we need to go or we’re going to be late.”
As we near the steps leading into the school, Wesley, Savannah, and their minions are standing sentinel, glaring at me, with their eyes focused on Zander’s arm over my shoulder and Braxton beside me.
My stomach drops at the look in his eyes.
I just set a fire under the beast, and he is ready to pounce on the opportunity to take me down.
But what has me even more conflicted is the carbon copy of the boy standing beside me, firmly planted behind Savannah with a pained yet angry look on his face. Am I the cause of it? I couldn’t live with myself if I were.
“Okay, new bestie, what time are we picking you and your cute little sister up? Sam, right?” Zander picks up the conversation like we didn’t just walk past a hungry den of lions and lionesses.
“Za…” I start, but Braxton cuts me off.
“Ten, I think ten is good. It gives them time to get up and eat something, then we have a good chunk of the day to play in the water, eat, and watch a movie before bringing them home. You work at night on the weekends, right?” They both look at me, waiting for an answer.
Sighing, I finally give up. “Yeah…” I realize no matter how much I protest, they’re not taking no for an answer.
“But Wesley won’t like this. Can we keep it a secret and can you not hang on me while we’re at school?
” Then, needing them to agree, I pull out the big guns.
I give them my best puppy dog eyes. “Please?”
“Fuck Wesley, Sierra. We told you we’re your friends and friends don’t hide in the shadows,” Zander announces boldly as he reaches out and opens the door, removing his arm to allow me to walk in front of him.
Looking back one last time, I see Wesley’s narrowed eyes glaring back at me, his face cold and hardened.
Wesley
I fumed all day. The bitch is lucky she got called down to see the guidance counselor during our shared library class this afternoon, or I would’ve cornered the slut.
The fucking traitors stuck close to her ass any chance they got today, and I was looking forward to being alone with her.
I have an assumption that they had their dad call her down just to keep me from fucking with her.
Pulling into the driveway, I see my dad’s car and I get more pissed. He’s been a fucking pain in the ass for the last week. Our relationship has been strained. The way he treats my mother pisses me off to no end.
Coming inside the house, I see Millie, our maid, on her hands and knees scrubbing the baseboards. She looks at me, smiling sweetly.
“Is Mom home?” I ask as I lean down and give her a kiss on the cheek.
Her eyes fill with sorrow as she forces a smile. “She’s in her room.”
“Is she asleep?” She’s probably been taking pills and drinking and passed out cold. If she’s in her room, that’s normally what’s happened.
“She had such a busy day and needed a nap.” I love how she covers for my mom, but I’m not a kid. I know what’s going on.
My parents think they’re so clever at hiding how much their relationship has gone to shit.
My father turned to whores, and every bitch at his office who thought they could climb the ladder of success by riding his dick.
Then Mom, well, she turned to pills and alcohol, letting the high mask her depression.
Walking down the hallway heading toward the kitchen, I hear my father’s raised voice.
“She’s exquisite, Donald. Wait until you see her and then come back and tell me.
I’ve had a taste of her once and I’m craving more.
Once you all have a chance to see her, we will discuss our next step at our next meeting. ”
What The Fuck! I stop outside his slightly cracked door to listen, but he lowers his voice so the rest is muffled. Inching closer to the door, I’m caught off guard when it slings open and my father is standing there with a shocked look on his face. But he regains his composure quickly.
“Don’t we have better things to do, Wesley, than sneaking around the house? Didn’t you have football practice today?”
“Not today, sir.” His question pisses me off. Of course, the great Malcolm Johnson doesn’t know his own son's schedule. All he cares about is that he can brag to all his associates about how his son is following in his footsteps.
“Well, maybe they should add in more practices, especially if you plan to take it all the way to Nationals. The last game you had, your team barely won.” He looks down his nose at me as he speaks.
“Who were you talking to, Dad?” My curiosity gets the better of me, wondering who this exquisite person is, he mentioned.
“That is none of your fucking concern. Where’s that lush of a mother of yours?”
“Millie said she was taking a nap,” I bite back, not saying what I really want to say to him.
“Fine, tell her when she wakes up that I’ve got a dinner meeting and will be staying in town at the office condo since I have to be at work so early in the morning, and the meeting will run late.” He strides down the hallway, not even giving me a chance to say anything.
I wait until he turns the corner and I hear the front door open and shut before I turn to his office door.
Reaching out, I grasp the handle and go to turn, but it doesn’t budge.
Fuck, he locked it. No worries, I'll find a way in there sooner or later. I noticed about six months ago that the door was locked one day after he left, something I now realize he does anytime he isn’t in it.
Heading on to the kitchen, I pull out some stuff from the fridge and cabinet, making a sandwich while devising a plan on how I’m going to handle this little Sierra problem. It’s time I put an end to it.