Zander
Chapter thirty-two
As we ride the elevator up to Sierra’s apartment, we’re all quiet, not sure how she’ll react to us just showing up at her home. When we messaged Cyrus last night and told him we wanted to take her to school, he replied with ‘okay’.
We need to take a step toward her trusting us and getting to know her more. So here we go.
The dinging of the elevator doors as they slide open coincides with my exhale. My hands are shaking and I can feel my armpits sweating.
I’m nervous as hell, and I bet my brothers are, too. Even Colton came.
We step out and stride down the hallway toward her apartment. The hallway is so quiet, you’d think the building was abandoned.
I begin to wonder how many other children live here. Did Sam have friends in the building she played with? Does she miss them if she did? I make a mental note to ask her when I get home tonight.
When we reach her door, we all look at each other, silently deciding who’s going to knock first, but that’s answered when Colton reaches out and knocks loudly three times.
“What do we say?” Braxton whispers.
“That we came to give her a ride to school,” I answer.
We can hear the disengaging of the lock as the door slowly opens. Sierra’s eyes go wide when she sees the three of us.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, as she closes the door some, blocking our view inside.
“We came to take you to school.” I smile.
“Why?”
I glance over at my brothers, not sure what to say, so I blurt the first thing that comes to my mind.
“Because we wanted to. And I figured we could plan a time to meet for our project. Maybe this afternoon. We can hang out here if it’s okay.” I pray she says yes.
“Umm,” she looks over her shoulder into the apartment, before turning back to face us. “I don’t know.”
“Okay. Are you ready to go? If not, we can wait for you downstairs.” Braxton shifts his body, bumping his shoulder into mine.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll meet you downstairs. Just give me a few minutes.” She shuts the door in our faces, not even waiting for an answer.
“Did she seem nervous?” I ask.
“Can you blame her? We just showed up at her door with no warning. We don’t know what this new guardian of hers is like, so we may have made things worse for her. Let’s just go wait downstairs.” Colton turns, heading toward the elevator, leaving me and Braxton looking at each other with wide eyes.
“Did he—” I start.
“Yep.” Braxton shrugs before following Colton, and I fall in line behind him.
The ding of the elevator sounds just as we reach it and we quickly step inside, Colton pushing the button for the bottom floor.
“You think she’s going to agree to working on your project today?” Colton asks, and I tilt my head and lift my shoulders.
I hope she does. But I’m not going to push her.
She seems skittish right now, and the wrong move could send her running.
Once we reach the jeep, Colton and Braxton climb into the back seat, leaving the passenger seat for Sierra. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy as fuck that I beat the other two downstairs to get the keys today. Otherwise I’d be sitting in the back with the other unlucky one.
We’re not waiting long, maybe five minutes, before Sierra comes out of the building, her book bag slung over her shoulder and two books in her hand. She gives an awkward smile before heading our way.
I push off the jeep and make my way toward her, taking the books from her hand.
“Thank you,” she whispers, a tinge of pink on her cheeks as she looks down at the ground.
“You’re welcome. I can take your book bag too if you like.”
“Uhm, no, that’s okay.” When we reach the jeep, I open the passenger door for her. She sits down, placing the book bag at her feet and takes the books from my hands, placing them in her lap. Shutting the door, I run around the jeep and get in the driver’s seat.
The music plays softly on the radio as I turn the ignition on. Checking my mirror, I slowly pull away from the curb into the traffic and head for school.
“How’s Sam?” she asks as she picks nervously at the frayed edges of a piece of paper sticking out of her book.
“She’s doing good. She misses you, but I think the videos are helping,” I tell her, fighting the urge to reach over and grasp her hand in mine.
“They help me too. I’ve never gone this long without seeing her.” She lifts her hand, wiping the tear that escaped. Fuck. My heart clenches, not wanting to see her cry.
“You should see how she tackles us when we come in the door from school. She could take down the entire defensive line of a football team on her own. But once she gets our phone, she’s rushing away to make her video,” Colton says, and she turns to look over her shoulder at him.
Sierra doesn’t say anything, but I notice the slight turning up of the corners of her lips.
I guess she likes the idea of him being roughed up. But if it makes her smile, I’ll tell her stories of stupid shit that happens to him all the time.
“Is it okay if I come over and work on the project today? We’re a little behind and need to catch up,” I ask.
“Can I think about it? Maybe we can go to that coffee shop again?”
It’s not her house, but I’ll take it. I just wish we could meet somewhere without other people around.
“Sure, just let me know.” If only she could come to my house, but she can’t with Sam being there.
Colton and Braxton talk about a show they watched on television last night while Sierra just stares out of the window. She tries to hide it, but I can hear a soft chuckle every now and then at something they say.
It’s the cutest laugh ever.
I turn into the doughnut shop and go through the drive thru. Her head turns to me. “What are we doing here?”
“Breakfast. What do you want?” I ask her.
She shakes her head, but I’m not taking no for an answer.
“Coffee and a glazed doughnut it is,” I say playfully.
“Welcome to Dunk and Brew. What can I get you?” The scratchy feminine voice comes through the speaker, just a tad bit too perky for this time of the morning. Guess she’s had her coffee and some espresso.
I give her our order and pull up to the next window, my hand already hanging out with the cash before we get there.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she tells me.
“I know. I wanted to.”
The cashier takes the money from me, and hands me back my change.
We only have to wait a minute before she hands the bag of pastries then the coffees out to me.
I pass them along to who they go to. It still amazes me that when you have a multi drink order, they don’t go ahead and put it in a drink carrier.
We spend the rest of the ride in silence, other than the faint beats of the bass from the radio. Colton passes out the doughnuts to everyone. Sierra holds on to hers for a moment before taking a bite.
I can see her body tense as we pull into the parking lot at school. This place has been hell for her and I regret not standing up for her in the beginning.
“We’re here for you today. Any time we can one of us will be there to walk you to class. We’re not going to let them keep fucking with you, Sierra. You have my word.”
“Our word,” Colton and Braxton say in perfect twin unison.
“Okay.” She doesn’t even fight us, and that right there tells me this place is breaking her soul.
I hate it.
I pull into a spot in the student parking area and turn off the jeep. We sit there for a little while longer, finishing our breakfast as we watch cars come in and park around us, ignoring the stares from those who pass by us.
“Guess we need to go in,” Sierra says as she takes the last bite of her doughnut, then wipes her hands with a napkin.
She holds on to it, before I reach out, taking it from her and putting it in the bag along with my trash, then pass it behind me to the guys.
“Yep. Guess so.” I open my door and get out, walking to the back of the jeep and getting my book bag. The guys exit and Braxton goes to open the door for Sierra, only to be too late as she is already stepping out.
“Can I carry your books?” he asks.
“I’m good.”
We form a protective barrier around Sierra. Me and Braxton on either side of her and Colton in the front. No way are they fucking with our girl today. Not if we can help it.
As we approach the steps to the front of the building, I see Savannah and her cronies hanging out, evil smiles on their faces as they glare at Sierra. She hasn’t noticed, though, her head facing the ground.
We pass by her, heading inside only for her to move from their spot and fall in line behind us, laughing boisterously.
Something doesn’t feel right.
Buzzing erupts in the hallways as students pull out their phones, opening them.
I can feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. But I don’t reach for it. My eyes are focused on what’s going on around me. Sierra looks up just as a group of guys start pointing at her and catcalling.
“What’s happening?” she asks in a whisper.
“I don’t know.”
“What a fucking whore,” Savannah says loudly from behind us. “Guess you’ll fuck anyone no matter how old they are, Sierra.”
Sierra spins around to face her. “What are you talking about?”
“Just ignore her. Let’s go to class.”
We take a few more steps, as the finger-pointing and name-calling continue. It’s not until I look up do I see Wesley standing at the end of the hallway. He’s looking at the phone in his hand and his face is white as a ghost.
“Sierra,” he calls out painfully, but it’s as if he’s frozen in place.
She looks up at him, stunned that he’s calling her name.
“Let’s get her out of here.” Colton shakes my arm as he holds up his phone, showing me the video on the screen.
Oh shit!
“What is it?” she asks.
“Not here, babe. Wait until we get out of here,” I whisper in her ear.
“No, show me what you looked at. I want to see it.” Her voice rises.
“Please, Sierra, I promise to show you. Just not here. Let’s go,” I plead with her.
I don’t know what finally convinces her, but she relents and I wrap my arm around her shoulder and lead her out of the building, quickening our pace as I hear Wesley calling for her.
When she sees the video, she’s going to break. She doesn’t need everyone to see her reaction to what I’m about to show her.
“Text Cyrus,” is all I can say. He needs to be with us when we show her. He’s the one she feels closest to right now.
I’m going to fucking kill Savannah. I know she’s behind it. I’m not sure about Wesley. He legitimately seemed upset.