Chapter 29 #2
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. “I’m fine.” She pushed herself up onto her elbows. “Help me up.”
“Huh… Not sure it’s a smart idea. Your face is ghost-white right now. You’ve just scared the shit out of me.”
“I wanna sit.” Her eyes traveled all around us. “Everybody is staring.”
“Let them stare.”
Still in my arms, she motioned to sit, but seconds later, her eyes rolled back, and her body sagged against mine.
Her eyes lost focus, and her blush-pink shirt contrasted with her pale complexion.
Her quivering lips looked blueish as they parted, but no word escaped her mouth.
I took her hand in mine, and it felt colder and smaller than usual.
“You’re not fine. Don’t feed me bullshit.”
With one hand, and never releasing her, I pinched the back of my sweatshirt at the nape, pulled it over my head, and draped it across her legs in case she was cold.
I held her limp body in my arms, using my upper body as a shield to hide her from all the commotion around us and inquisitive stares as much as possible.
She shivered and I pulled her closer to me, wishing my body temperature could warm her up.
“Mase? Don’t leave me, okay?”
“Never. I’m not going anywhere. You are safe. Hang on.”
Minutes later, the school nurse appeared and took charge, checking Melinda’s vitals before helping her stand and urging her to her office.
I trailed after them, carrying Melinda’s bag. “Is she gonna be okay?”
“Yes, Mr. Pierce. Miss Shepard needs a little time to recover. Water and some calm.”
“I’m already feeling better.” Melinda’s fingertips grazed the back of my hand. “I’ll be right behind you. Don’t worry, okay?”
The late bell rang.
“I’ll check on you after first period.” I handed her bag to the nurse, then dropped a kiss on her forehead before walking away.
“Mase?”
I looked at her over my shoulder, my heart breaking for the girl I loved. Her eyes were shiny and unfocused, tears hanging from her lashes. “Thanks. For saving me again.”
“I would save you a thousand times. That’s what personal nurses are for, no?”
We exchanged a hint of a smile before I left and hurried to my homeroom. That feeling weighing heavy on my heart wouldn’t go away. My insides had turned into one giant knot. Something wasn’t right. I had no idea what it was, but I knew it in the marrow of my bones.
A part of me was afraid to find out I was right.
“Okay, Mase, this has to stop. You can’t follow me around all the time like a sick puppy. I’m not gonna faint again. I was dehydrated yesterday. It was a one-time thing.”
“Explain to me why I’m not convinced then? You’re wearing a white blouse and right now it looks the same color as your skin, which says a lot. Luckily for you, you’re wearing maroon pants because otherwise, I would have mistaken you for a ghost.”
She let out a low chuckle. “You worry too much. I swear I’m no ghost. Anyway, I’ll catch you at lunch.” We stopped in front of Melinda’s second-period social studies class. “This is me.”
“Wait for me when the bell rings. I’ll be right here when your class ends.”
She pushed me back with a hand before catching her book bag that had slid down her arm. “Get lost, Mase.” Even though she tried, she couldn’t hide the smile in her voice.
The clock ticked by too slowly, every second stretching into hours.
“Mr. Pierce. Please come see me.” Mr. Rockwell called my name after he dismissed the class. I would be late. I had told Melinda I would walk her to her next class.
I stood by his desk, rocking on my heels, not sure what he wanted as we waited for the students to rush out of the room, flooding the hallway, the mayhem of their footsteps and chatter echoing around us.
“You wanted to see me?” I strangled the strap of my bag as if it could make him speak faster.
“I was tasked to ask you to walk Miss Shepard to the athletic building. Don’t ask me why, but that was the order I got from Coach Vivien. She’s waiting for her in her office. I told her I would send you right after class.”
I pointed to my chest. “She asked you to tell me to bring Mel over there? What’s going on? This sounds sketchy as hell.”
Mr. Rockwell lifted his hands in surrender.
He was a retired cross-country coach, and all the students had a soft spot for him.
“Hey, Mr. Pierce, don’t shoot the messenger.
” He shoved the stack of papers he had to grade into his bag and waved me off with a flick of his wrist. “Go now. You’re dismissed. ”
“Fine. See you tomorrow, Mr. Rockwell.” I hurried down the hallway, catching Melinda as she was strolling toward her locker.
“Mase. Have you seen Paige? She wasn’t in class, and I know for a fact she was looking forward to today’s assignment.”
“I crossed paths with her earlier.” I tugged at her hand, and she got in step with me. “We gotta go to the athletic building. It seems like Coach Vivien wants to talk to you or something.”
She clasped her hand, a large grin lighting up her face.
“Do you think she has received college offers on my behalf or something? I’m still waiting for Crestwood U to make an offer so I can commit to them.
” I hadn’t told her yet that I had already committed to them too because I knew Melinda wouldn’t go anywhere else.
“My times are amazing this year. Mase, I think this could be it. Yes, I feel it in my bones.”
My lips pulled into a smile, mirroring hers.
She stopped and frowned. “Huh, but why did they ask you to tell me?”
I shrugged and then swept a hand down myself as we resumed our walk. “I’m irresistible. Maybe your coach needs to take a peek at my exceptional handsomeness to get through her day.”
Melinda elbowed me in the ribs. “Careful with the ego, Mase. If it inflates and grows too much, you won’t be able to play ball anymore because it’ll be in the way.”
“Never. I’m Mason Pierce, remember.”
“Gosh, you sound just like Chase.”
“What can I say? We spend too much time together, and it must have rubbed off on me.”
She shook her head, her smile widening. “You don’t need Chase to be cocky, Mr. Football.”
“That’s why you can’t resist me. Want to grab your jacket from your locker?”
“No, it’s fine. It’s just a two-minute walk. Anyway, you’re wearing your letterman jacket inside like it’s a sweater. So, if I’m cold, I’ll steal it.”
“No need to steal it. I’ll give it to you. All you gotta do is ask. For what it’s worth, I like the idea that if you receive an offer, I’ll be the first person you tell it to.”
Her fingers squeezed mine, bringing me peace and calming the crazy thundering of my heart.
“I kinda like it too.”
We both halted when the door of Coach Vivien’s office opened and Paige exited, glancing at her feet instead of us.
“What are you doing here?” Melinda asked with a tightness in her voice that wasn’t present before.
Oh God, this meeting wasn’t about college.
Melinda realized it too because the blood drained from her face, and it appeared like she had seen a ghost—for real this time.
I pressed a palm to the small of her back, trying to inject her with some courage. The thundering of my heart turned erratic. This meeting was a setup. It screamed bad news.
“Paige?” Melinda’s gaze bored into her best friend, whose guilty expression was impossible to miss.
Tears brightened Paige’s eyes, and her cheeks were flushed. “I’m sorry, Mel. I…I really am.”
“You are sorry?”
“What is she talking about?” I asked, not sure I was understanding the scene unfolding before my eyes.
“What did you do?” Melinda asked her friend, her tone accusatory.
“What needed to be done. You know I love you, right? And I will always love you. All I want is for you to get better.”
Melinda clenched her fists, her entire body tensing. “What…? How?”
“Paige? Mel?” I looked back and forth between them both. “Can someone tell me what’s going on right now?”
Before either of them could say something, Coach Vivien exited her office and motioned for Melinda to enter. “Melinda. Please, come on in and take a seat.”
Instead of going in, Melinda stood there, as if she was rooted to the tiled floor, sorrow flooding her face.
“Melinda,” Coach repeated, more insistent this time.
“Go. I’ll be right here when you’re done,” I murmured in her ear.
She nodded, casting a glance down, and let go of my hand. She plodded forward in silence, her head hanging low as if she was on death row.
Melinda jerked her arm away when Paige tried to grip it. “Mel? Please don’t be mad.”
“Don’t. Don’t talk to me” were the only words she told Paige before the office door shut after her.
I turned to my brother’s girlfriend. “What’s this?” I asked, pointing to the closed door with my chin. “What did you do? What did Mel do?”
Paige stepped away until her back hit the wall behind her and dropped down to the floor, folding her knees and burying her face in her crossed arms. “I did something terrible. I broke my best friend’s trust.” Sobs rocked her. “She’ll hate me for this, Mase. I may have destroyed our friendship.”