Breaking Free Page 3

  We were watching the movie A Walk to Remember in the living room, and I noticed that Beth was crying halfway through. When the movie ended, I turned off the TV and looked over at her.

  Beth sniffled and wiped away the tears on her face. “I know you probably noticed how sick my mom is.” She waited for me to say something, but when I didn’t, she continued, “they diagnosed her with breast cancer last year.” She sounded close to tears again.

  I took her hand in mine but kept quiet.

  “She started chemo treatment shortly after the diagnosis, and she had surgery to help get rid of the cancer. But by then, it was too late, and the cancer spread farther. The radiation made her sick, and it’s painful to watch her waste away. My dad tries to take care of my brothers and me as much as possible, but most responsibility for the twins falls on me.” She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. “I hate that she’s going through this, and most of all, I hate that I can’t help her.”

  “You are helping her though,” I told her, and she looked up at me, her eyes shimmering with tears. “You are helping her by being there and remaining strong for her during this tough time.”

  She hugged me then and whispered, “Thank you.”

  After that night, Beth confided in me a lot more. If it wasn’t about her mom’s illness or her twin brothers, it was about her boyfriend, Josh. They met in middle school, and Beth knew she loved him as soon as she saw him.

  “I knew he was the one for me as soon as I saw him.” She clasped her hands together and looked dreamily upwards from our spot at one of the mall’s food court tables.

  I choked on the drink that I just sipped and coughed.

  She reached over and patted me on the back. I grabbed some napkins and coughed into them. After the cough subsided, I squeaked out, “But you guys always seem to argue over something.”

  Which was true. Any time I saw them together lately, they were arguing.

  Beth shrugged, picked up a fry from her tray, and pushed it in her mouth. “Every relationship has fights, and the people in them come out stronger than before.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “It’s just… Ever since he became football captain, his time has been consumed by practice and studying.” She sounded annoyed. “And girls have been practically flinging themselves at him.”

  Ah. Jealousy.

  “You know he doesn’t seem to care that they are doing it either. Like yesterday, we were in homeroom, and this girl was flirting with him right in front of me. He flirted back like I wasn’t even there.” She slammed her fist down, which landed on her tray, making it fly up, spilling her drink and fries all over the floor.

  “Okay… I think we need to go get a pedicure,” I told her as I spotted a janitor shooting Beth a glare as he made his way over to clean up the mess.

  I got up from the chair and grabbed Beth’s arm as I went.

  I gave the janitor an apologetic look before I hauled Beth away from the food court.

  We arrived at a nail salon and were seated next to each other in the massage chairs.

  Beth had pulled her phone out of her pocket and began texting away on it.

  I chewed the inside of my right cheek, debating on whether to ask Beth why Joshua seemed so intimidating.

  When I saw her smiling at her phone, I decided to go for it.

  “So, what is it about Josh? He seems… so…” I couldn’t think of the right word for him without her thinking I had a thing for her boyfriend.

  “Like a genius? Like he’s hot, and he knows it? Or like he can slice you wide open with just a quick cut from his dark, mysterious eyes? Is that what you mean?”

  “Intimidating.” I went with what I thought.

  Beth looked up from her phone to look over at me. A look passed over her face, but I wasn’t sure what it was.

  She looked down at the ladies who were working on our feet. “Can we have a minute?”

  The ladies exchanged a look of wonder before getting up and walking away.

  Beth put her phone down on the table beside her before she answered me. “What I’m about to tell you can’t leave here. Do you understand?”

  I nod my head as curiosity pumped through my body.

  Beth took her feet out of the water bowl they were in and swung them over toward me. She leaned in and whispered, “Josh’s mom died when he was born. His dad has blamed him for it ever since. Josh put walls up that I can’t even get through. He can be… pretty scary at times, but I love him, so I don’t let it bother me. He’s a great guy when he wants to be.”

  Beth sat back after she finished talking and called the ladies back over.

  We finished up at the nail salon and decided to go outside to wait for my mom, who planned to pick us up at five.

  On our way to the mall entrance, we stopped in a jewelry store to look around. I was looking through the necklaces when one caught my eye.

  “Can I look at that necklace?” I asked the saleswoman.

  She took out the necklace, handing it over to me. It was a bluish-purple heart with diamonds lining the outer edge.

  “Oh! That’s really pretty!” Beth awed as she came up behind me.

  I smiled, but when I looked at the price tag, the smile turned to a frown. I handed it back to the saleswoman, mumbling, “Thank you.” Then turned around to walk out of the store.

  “Wait!” Beth called out, which stopped me in my tracks. “How much is it?”

  “Two hundred and eighty dollars,” the saleswoman answered.

  “I’ll take it,” Beth declared, whipping out her credit card. The saleswoman’s eyes grew wide in shock.

  “What!?” I turned so fast I almost gave myself whiplash. “I won’t let you buy that for me.”

  Handing the saleswoman her credit card, Beth shrugged her shoulders. “It’s my dad’s credit card. He gave it to me early as a gift for helping around the house with the twins while mom’s been sick.”

  “Beth!” I exclaimed.

  The saleswoman put the necklace in a small box, and then in a bag. “Here you go, miss. Thanks for your business today.”

  Beth turned on her heel with a smug expression on her face and handed me the bag.

  When I didn’t take it, she shook it in front of my face.

  I grabbed it and asked, “Why did you do that?”

  She shrugged again, smiling as she walked by me. “I wanted to give you a Christmas present.”

  “Christmas was three months ago!” I called to her retreating back.

  Later in my room, I smiled as I looked in the mirror at the heart necklace that now lay against my chest. I felt bad that Beth spent money on me, but I loved how it sparkled every time the light hit it.

  The following Wednesday, I told Beth I would pay her back for buying it, but she shook her head when I mentioned it.

  “No. It looks good on you. Just think of it as a late Christmas present or an early birthday present.”

  I smiled to myself as I remembered last Saturday, twirling the necklace around my finger.

  “That’s pretty. Where did you get it?” Asked a girl who Beth would say looked like a clown due to all the makeup she had on her face.

  I was sitting in my U.S. government class, working on a group project with three other students, our desks in a square.

  I looked up from the necklace to look at her. “At one of the jewelry stores in the mall. My friend, Beth, bought it for me.”

  A girl who was sucking on her lollipop made a popping noise as she pulled it out of her mouth in shock. The other girl next to me stopped scribbling on her paper and stared at it with large eyes that reminded me of owl eyes.

  “What?” I asked, looking around at the girls.

  “Elisabeth Jones? The Elisabeth Jones? The one who is dating Joshua Henley?” The girl with the lollipop asked.

  I nodded my head, wondering why it was such a big deal.

  “You should be careful with them,” said the girl next to me.

  I turned to look at her cur
iously. “Why?”

  “There was a new girl last year who hung out with them all last year. What was her name…?” The girl with the clown face put her hand up to her chin, thinking.

  “Wendy. Her name was Wendy.” This came from the girl next to me.

  “What happened to her?” I asked them as curiosity got the best of me.

  “Nobody knows. She just never showed up to school again after Christmas break. The rumors said she died, but I don’t believe it. I think she had a thing with Josh, and Beth found out about it.”

  “She couldn’t live with the embarrassment of everyone at school knowing she was stepping out with her best friend’s boyfriend, so she dropped out.” The girl with the lollipop and swirled it around in the air. “I mean, who could blame her? The rumors that followed Christmas break were nasty.”

  “What were they about?” I asked her.

  “Shut up. All three of you. You have no idea what happened to Wendy. Until you do, keep your traps shut,” the girl next to me snapped out.

  “What would you know about it? You’re too busy with your books to care about what was going on,” makeup girl stated with annoyance in her tone.

  Before the girls continued to bicker, or I could ask any more questions, the teacher called the class to order.

  I couldn’t help but wonder who Wendy was and what actually happened to her.

  Chapter 5: Present

  I am startled by a cheerful Anna when I open my front door.

  “Good morning,” she says brightly, and I try not to squint at her.

  She has on a bright yellow shirt with little white flowers at the bottom and black leggings. With my black jacket covering my green shirt and my dark blue jeans, I look dim compared to her.

  “I texted to let you know we were here, but since you didn’t come out right away, I figured I would knock!”

  Since getting out of the shower this morning, I was debating taking the bus or riding with them to school. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to sit with the intense stares boring into me or sit in a jeep with Seth and a bubbly Anna who will talk a mile a minute.

  When I knew they were there, I sat on our gray couch for a minute longer, wondering if I should just skip altogether. But then decided I didn’t want to draw my parent’s attention with a call home, so riding with them to school was the lesser of all the other evils.

  Plus, Anna’s bubbly personality so early in the morning almost always makes me glad I ride with them to school. I smile slightly at her and lie, “Sorry, I was finishing my breakfast.” I had eaten half a banana and some toast but finished long before they arrived.

  Anna turns on her heel and practically skips to the Jeep, where Seth is waiting with his head leaned back on the headrest, eyes shut.

  We both climb in and slam our doors, jolting Seth awake. He looks over at Anna with an annoyed expression before he catches my eye in the rearview mirror and gives me a tired smile, sending my heart into overdrive.

  “Good morning. She’s way too cheerful in the morning, isn’t she?” he asks, making me grin in agreement.

  Anna reaches over the Jeep’s console and playfully punches Seth in the arm, making him laugh.

  Surprisingly, it brings a small laugh from me as well.

  Seth puts the Jeep in reverse, heading to school.

  I stare at Anna in wonder as she bickers with Seth. Seeing Anna so happy and bubbly makes me ache for that kind of happiness again.

  I turn away from them and stare out the Jeep window. Will I ever be that happy again? Or will memories of that night continue to eat at my soul until I no longer have one?

  Any happiness I feel quickly seeps away when we arrive at Baylor High, and I am suddenly filled with the dread of possibly seeing him again. I climb out, and my legs feel like rubber. I stare at the buildings, and all I want to do is climb back in the Jeep. I feel the palms of my hands start to sweat, and my breathing becomes uneven.

  I feel an arm come around my shoulder, making me jump, and I look over to see a concerned-looking Anna staring at me. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She glances around the parking lot, then back at me, her eyes as round as saucers, jokingly faking being scared. “There are no ghosts here, right?”

  I actually laugh for a second time that morning despite what I’m feeling. I shake my head at her.

  “Phew! Good, I’m glad. Let me text Mom really quick to let her know we got to school all right. She freaks out when she doesn’t hear from one of us.”

  She rolls her eyes at Seth, who has been quiet since we exited the Jeep. I catch him watching me curiously and look down at my shoes to break eye contact with him.

  Anna finishes messaging her mom and grabs my arm, pulling me in the school’s direction. “Come on, slowpoke! We’ll be late for homeroom if we don’t hurry.”

  My legs still feel like rubber as I walk silently behind Anna.

  Seth comes up beside me, and slightly grazes his shoulder against mine, sending electrifying waves through my body. “I love your laugh. You should do it more often,” he whispers, making the heat rise in my face.

  As we get closer to the entrance, I notice Beth walking away from the parking lot laughing with Haley and Brittany flanking her.

  She stops mid-laugh when she notices me and glares. She quickens her pace, and her cold shoulder makes me shiver even though it’s ninety degrees out.

  I watch her go and hear Seth slowly whistle through his teeth. “Who was that? She didn’t look very happy to see you, Paige.”

  Anna speaks up before I can. “That, I believe, is Beth. She’s in my homeroom. You should have heard her complaining yesterday about the AP homeroom class being canceled because there’s no teacher. She was not happy, to say the least. Do you know her, Paige?”

  Her question makes me shrug, and I reply, “Not anymore.”

  That solves the mystery of Joshua being in my homeroom.

  I follow Anna and Seth through the doors.

  We say goodbye to Seth, then walk toward A-wing. The sound of my pounding heart fills my ears, and I wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans.

  We walk beside one another, and I stare at my shoes again because I don’t want to make eye contact with anyone. As we get closer to my homeroom, I see him.

  One leg pushed against the wall and his hands deep in his letterman jacket, he’s talking to another guy in a matching jacket.

  I feel the world around me tilt, but I refuse to run away again.

  Joshua glances up from the other guy, and his dark brown eyes come to a stop on Anna and me.

  I see his eyes sweep between us, and his eyes glitter with smugness at seeing me.

  “Hello, Paige,” he says in a tone dripping with sarcasm as he gives Anna another slow once over, making her shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

  I freeze and glance at Anna from the corner of my eye.

  She is eyeing Joshua with a confused look before turning to me with a small smile. “I guess I’ll see you after class.”

  I nod, and with one last look at Joshua, she walks down the hall to her homeroom at the end of the hallway.

  I walk by Joshua and sit close to the back of the classroom. I know he sits behind me even before he says anything to me.

  He leans forward in his seat, and his sick smug voice whispers, “The new girl looks mighty hot. Maybe she’ll be the next one to know how good I am in bed. I know you still remember, don’t you, sweetheart?”

  I tense up but ignore him. I feel the tears prickle my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

  I scoot up in my chair as far away from him as I can as the teacher starts the class.

  The teacher, Mrs. Silver, starts calling out names for attendance. When she calls my name, I squeak out, “Here.”

  She turns in my direction and asks, “May I ask why you weren’t here yesterday for the first day of school?”

  I hear a chuckle behind me, but I ignore it.
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  I shift in my seat and look down at the top of my desk. “I woke up late.” I lie to her.

  She clicks her tongue and says, “Since it’s the first week of school, I’ll let it slide, but don’t make a habit of it.”

  Those words should help me relax, but the tickling feeling of eyes burning into the back of my head makes me stay rigid in my chair.

  Mrs. Silver turns away from me to finish the roll call. I’m trying to remember my breathing technique and keep telling myself that I can sit here in front of him and still be okay. I force myself not to turn around, but I can feel him gloating at how uncomfortable he is making me.

  When the bell finally rings, I bolt out my chair. It’s already deafening from all the other students, but I can still hear his smug laugh following me as I go.

  As soon as I’m outside, I lean against a wall a few feet away from the double doors. I swallow the bile that’s threatening to choke me, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

  Anna comes out, a look of wonder on her face, and when she sees me, a huge smile spreads across her face.

  I walk toward her, a smile small breaking across my face.

  How am I going to get through the next one hundred and eighty-eight days of school being in the same building and homeroom as him…

  Chapter 6: Past

  Since learning about Wendy, I wanted to ask Beth but wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. It took me three weeks to finally get up enough courage to ask.

  We were in her bedroom, getting ready to go out to a party. We had to sneak out the window so her parents wouldn’t hear us leaving. It wasn’t the first time, and we never got caught, always back in Beth’s room before the sun came up.

  When we first did it, it took a lot of convincing from Beth to go through with it. I never snuck out in the dead of night to go to a party, so to say it scared me was an understatement. I was absolutely terrified of getting caught.