October Breezes (18 page)

I chewed on my lower lip, debating whether I should ask the question weighing on my mind. Finaly, I thought there wasn’t any reason not to. “Do you realy think she’l send me to my dad’s?”

He shook his head. “No. Not that you're going to test her, are you?”

“Not by a long shot.”

Warren spotted the picture beside my bed, the photo of me with my mom when I was three when we were playing in the snow.

It was hard to believe just two-and-a-half short years after that my father would leave us both. He picked up the photo and ran his fingers lightly across the glass.

“So what happened last night?”

Immediately my body tensed. “It doesn’t matter.” I puled a rubber band from my wrist and drew my hair into a pony tail.

“Beautiful picture of you and your mom.”

I smiled. “Yeah, it’s one of my favorites —not that I have a lot to choose from. Since it’s only been the two of us for a while, there’s no one around to take the pictures.”

He set the frame back on the nightstand. “Look, Skye, I’m trying to help you, but you have to trust me. I know something happened because I could see it in your eyes, and it’s stil there.

Only you can tel me what that something is.”

A lump settled in my throat as I tried to understand why Warren cared, considering the way I had treated him for so long.

“Why did you give me that book? You could have chosen anything.

Why that?”

Warren looked on my shelf and spotted
To Kill a
Mockingbird
. “Two reasons. First, that I knew you didn’t have a great life with your dad, and I knew I couldn’t replace him. Just because I was here and he wasn’t didn’t change anything. But if I could have given you any man to be your dad, I would have given you Atticus Finch.”

I chewed harder on my bottom lip. “And the second?”

He shrugged. “Because I wanted you to realize that some people wil surprise you. You’l think you’ve got it al figured out, but then everything shifts. Sometimes those shifts are good.

Sometimes they're bad. Frankly, I always wanted to be one of the good ones.” He offered a gentle smile. “Now that I’ve answered your question, wil you answer mine?”

I swalowed hard and thought what to tel him and what to leave out. “After the game, Kelin and I went to his best friend’s house for a party. I told Kelin I didn’t drink beer or anything with alcohol in it. He brought me punch, saying it was the only thing without alcohol.”

“You think he knew it was spiked?”

I shrugged and plucked tiny bals of lint from my bedspread. “It doesn’t matter, does it?” I closed my eyes, and Tyler’s face flashed into my mind. His mouth was open, and he silently laughed.

“Skye?”

My eyelids snapped open, and I shuddered. “What?”

“Then what happened?”

“I came home.”

He stood and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

“You sure that’s it?”

“Yes.” I tried to even my voice.

He stepped toward the door. “I’m not saying you’re lying, Skye. Maybe you have reasons for not wanting to disclose everything, and I understand. I haven’t earned your trust. But if you want to talk, I’d like to listen.”

I waited until he’d walked out before picking up the book he’d given me and clutching it to my chest. Warren was right about how quickly things changed. Once I had seen him as a problem, but now I could accept that he loved my mom. I had become the problem.

* * *

I looked around Tyler Rutherford’s politely manicured
back yard.

Cold.

Moonlight glistening off my bare skin, glowing in the
naked pallor of my body. All of me seemed white except the
bruised areas. The marks seemed larger and blacker.

“Skye? Where are you?” Tyler called. “I’m ready to
have some fun.”

Despite my nakedness, I ran toward the house, but the
doors were locked. All the teenagers inside peered out the
windows. They pointed and laughed as Tyler caught my arm
and threw me to the ground.

“No!” I screamed.

I woke and sat up. My ribs burned from the sudden movement. I gasped, closing my eyes until the savage spearing sensation halted and I could breath again. For a few seconds al I could hear was the violent beating of my heart and the harsh gasping sound as I struggled for breath.

Then my mother exploded into the room, flipped on the light, and sat on the bed, shaking me. “Skye? What is it? What’s wrong?”

The bright lights drove the nightmare away and I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to pul myself together. During the dream, I had sweated profusely and the night air had chiled me.

“Nothing…just a dream.”

Frowning, my mom touched my forehead, checking for a fever. “Do you feel sick? You’re sweating like crazy.” She puled her hand back, shaking her head. “You don’t have a fever.”

My shirt and pajama pants stuck to my sweat-slicked skin.

“I’m okay.” I licked my dry lips. “It was just a dream. That’s it.

Nothing to worry about.” I lay back on the bed, wishing I could make everything go away.

“What was the dream about?” Mom persisted, scooting closer.

I closed my eyes, hoping I could eventualy fake her out so she would leave me alone. “I don’t remember.”

Mom shook her head and brushed the bangs from my eyes. “You woke up screaming loud enough to wake the dead, and you don’t remember what scared you? When I first heard you, I thought someone was attacking you.”

I felt the color drain from my face and considered myself lucky that my mom didn’t realize just how close she was to the truth. “No, I don’t remember it.”

“Anything you want to talk about?” She studied my face.

“No. I just want to go back to sleep. I have school tomorrow, and my teachers wouldn't like me sleeping though their classes.”

Mom slowly stood, stil frowning, but her gaze appeared distant, the expression she often wore when concentrating. Right now that problem was me. Suddenly I'd become realy strange to her, and she was trying to understand. She kissed me on the forehead, a gesture she had abandoned three years ago when hugs and kisses had suddenly became too embarrassing for a junior-high girl. Tonight it comforted me. “Goodnight, Skye. Sleep tight.”

Maybe that was a stupid way to say goodnight. She’d used those same words forever, and for whatever reason, they did bring me some peace. Although I knew she'd stood, she hadn’t left, so she must have been watching over me, waiting for other signs something important was happening. A few moments, later she flipped off the light and left me once again in the dark, alone with Tyler’s memory when I would have given anything to be able to tel her the truth.

I didn’t sleep after that and spent most of the night waiting for dawn. But with the sunrise also came the fear of school, of facing al those witnesses. Did anybody know what Tyler had done?

As I stood before my closet, trying to pick out an outfit, two solutions came to mind. I could skip school, or I could play sick. If I failed to show at school, the secretary would cal my mom and while I, too, doubted Mom would pack me off to my dad's, I wasn’t going to give her any reasons to think I needed that wake-up cal.

On the other hand, Mom would never alow me to stay home sick when I’d been fine enough to get drunk two days ago. I was going to have to face things.

As I changed, I glanced at the angry bruises bluing my arms. He might as wel have burned the imprints of his hands into my skin because the bruises were obviously his handprints. Smal ovals marred the skin where his fingers had dug in. I touched the evidence of Tyler’s cruelty and kept seeing his face, feeling the hard ground beneath me as his body slammed into mine. Al the while, he’d covered my mouth with his hand. I started shaking and dropped the clothes. My naked body appeared pale and wounded in the mirror. My lips quivered and curved into a grimace. Al the tears I'd shed had turned my eyes to an unnatural green. “There’s no use in crying anymore,” I told myself. “No tears can wash it clean.”

“Skye!” my mom caled. “Hurry up. You’re going to be late.”

Afraid she'd entered, I draped my robe around my body and picked up my jeans before reaching for a grey sweater. I jerked on my clothes, trying to ignore the pain radiating from my ribs. Last, I tugged my hair into a ponytail and slid into my boots.

Grabbing my coat and backpack, I strode toward school.

I peered at my watch, realizing my mom had been right. No matter if I ran al the way, I wouldn't beat the tardy bel, but I didn’t have a choice. Stepping off the porch, a cold wind whipped around me, jerking my hair back. As I walked, I heard a car pul up beside me.

Gripping my backpack, I kept my gaze straight ahead, trying to recognize the vehicle by sound. My heart sped up. God, I didn’t want to face Kelin. I walked faster and tugged my backpack straps higher on my shoulders.

“Skye?” Devin said, stepping out of the car. "Hang on a second."

I stopped, unsure what to do.

“Please ride with me.”

I slowly turned and shook my head, trying not to shiver as I looked at the street where a half-ful bottle of soda lay on its side.

“I'l walk.” The words caught in my throat; if I went near him, I'd start crying. Once my defenses had hit that low, how could I ever get them back up?

“Please.” Devin shut his door and stepped toward me as he looked at his watch. “You’l never make it in time, and your mom wil kil you.” He walked to the passenger side and opened the door for me. “Please?” He wore an unbuttoned blue and grey flannel shirt with a white t-shirt beneath it.

Steeling myself, I woodenly walked to his car and got inside. While he drove, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “What happened this weekend?” he asked casualy.

“Not much.” I stared out the window, chewing on my lower lip.

“That’s why you’re grounded?”

“No, I broke curfew Saturday.” I unzipped my backpack, pretending to search through my books. At each bump in the road, the bobble-headed Betty Boop danced and my ribs ached horribly.

I wished I could trade places with that dol. I wished my life were that easy.

We puled into the parking lot, and Devin puled the keys from the ignition and shoved them into his pocket. I started to get out, but Devin caught my arm, the strength of his grip sure. At first, I panicked inside, remembering the last time someone had grabbed me, but then I forced myself to relax. This was Devin. He'd never hurt me.

Some of my thoughts must have shown up on my face, because he frowned in concern. “You al right?”

Nodding, I forced a weak smile. “Just peachy, Devin.

Don’t worry.”

He slowly released me. “I’m glad.” Although his tone sounded sincere, his expression, the clenching of his jaw, the frown, suggested anger. Before he could say anything else, I jerked the door open.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said, hurrying toward the building.

As I reached the entrance, I took a deep breath and forced a neutral expression
. I can’t do this,
I thought, my body shaking, my knees buckling slightly. I gripped the handle, but I couldn’t force myself to tug it open.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I jumped back, clutching my ribs. Devin arched an eyebrow and shook his head. “I’l get the door.” He held it open, and there was nothing else to do except go inside. I walked slowly as I headed toward my locker, my gaze averted to the floor ahead of me. From my peripheral vision, I noticed students buzzing around each other in my passing. They gawked at me, their eyes gleaming with expectation. Clutching my books tightly, I felt so alone. Then I realized Devin walked beside me, his body shielding me from prying eyes, at least on one side.

“Mind teling me why everyone is staring?” he asked.

I reached my locker, and when I opened the door, I finaly said, “It’s a long story.” I took a deep breath and tried to release the tension knotting my shoulders.

“So tel me.” He leaned against the next locker.

I picked up my book and spiral, along with a pen. “We’ve got to get to class.” I shut my locker door and tried to reattach the combination lock with fingers that fumbled badly. Once I dropped it, and Devin grabbed it and slid it into place.

“Anything you want to tel me before class starts?”

I swalowed hard, closed my eyes, and tried not to react.

“Just don’t listen too closely to what people say, okay?” My voice trembled, matching my whole body.

"I know something bad went down. I just don't know what." Devin frowned. Hard lines creased his forehead. “If Kelin hurt you, Skye, I'l kil him.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about.” I cradled my books to my chest. As far as armor went, I knew it wouldn’t stop anything, but it kept me moving. “Besides, I thought you weren’t planning to pick up any pieces.”

Devin clenched his hands into fists and shovedthem into his pockets. “I’m here, okay. Can we leave it at that?”

He started walking me to class, and on the way I heard more than one girl laughing. I shouldn’t have looked up, but I did, and she pointed at me and said something to her friend. Devin scanned the crowd, pretending not to focus on anyone. “Whatever happened, you sure got the school talking,” he muttered; as he walked, his shoulders formed a hard line.

“Don’t you need your book?”

He shrugged. “Not particularly. It’s not like we use it.

And today we’re giving oral reports.”

I looked at his empty hands. “Where's yours?”

He shrugged. “I’l be one of the slackers who goes tomorrow.” Ahead of us, Kelin stood next to Becca. They were so engrossed in conversation they didn't see us. Devin's eyes narrowed to slits, as though he wanted to spit nails. “Sure you don’t want to clue me in about the party?”

Becca ran her fingers down Kelin's chest then she kissed him—or tried to; at the last moment he turned away, and she caught his cheek instead. “The party was a bust, Devin. Nothing good came of it.”

"Suit yourself," he said, heading to class.

I turned toward the doorway and almost ran into Jimmy.