Breathe

by Tania Trozzo

“If you think I would just stand here and let you attack her, then you don’t know me at all, brother.” He took a step closer to Bruno and his hands were fisted.

  Bruno grunted in pain. “So, you’re taking their side then?”

  “I’m not taking sides, Bruno, you are. Just drop this. You keep bringing up our friendship, well what about you? Huh? Drop this for me. Just let it go, but if you don’t, I can’t help you anymore, and I won’t.” Leo countered.

  Bruno looked at him, and glanced at Clara, his gaze hardening but he didn’t respond.

  Clara grabbed Leo’s arm. “Come on, Leo. Let’s go. It isn’t worth it.”

  Leo stood rigid staring at his former friend for a few minutes. Slowly Bruno stood to his full height still wincing in pain but he didn’t back down and neither did Leo.

  “You’re right, Clara, he isn’t.” He walked backward ensuring that Clara was behind him until he shook his head and turned the corner to head back to the library.

  Minutes later, Gabe burst through the doors of the study room of the library where Clara, Leo and Sonia were waiting. She was slowly pacing along the back wall but she reached for him as he rushed towards her. He ran his hands over her hair, her shoulders, her arms checking her for any harm. Clara grabbed his hands and stopped him. “Hey, I’m ok, Gabe. I’m ok.”

  He looked at Leo. “Thanks, man.”

  Leo lifted his head and said, “I didn’t really do anything, she’s the one that gave it to him good. He’s probably still in pain.”

  Gabe looked down at Clara who grinned a little and shrugged. “He had it coming. I should have delivered another punch or something.”

  Connor chuckled. “Why don’t you guys tell us what happened?”

  Together with Leo, Clara began to describe the episode with Bruno. With each passing moment Gabe grew more tense until of course when Clara fought back. Shaking his head he kissed her temple. “You were supposed to be at the team meeting. Is that why you weren’t there? Did you know he would try this?” Gabe asked Leo.

  “I’ve been keeping an eye on him. I just didn’t have a great feeling and honestly, I was trying to see if I could talk to him and make sure he didn’t do anything. I’ve known him since I was a kid. Yes he’s always been wild and volatile but not like this.”

  “I’m sorry, Leo,” Clara said looking down at the floor.

  Leo shook his head. “Clara, it’s not your fault. He’s changed.”

  Connor was staring at Gabe, who suddenly let go of Clara. “Alex should be here soon, and he’ll take you home. Leo?” Leo nodded.

  “Wait, what? Where are you going?” Clara looked to Sonia for support, who shrugged.

  “Don’t worry,” Gabe began to say.

  “No. No way. Don’t you start telling us not to worry.”

  “Clara….” Gabe started to say but Clara stepped up to him and stopped him from continuing.

  “No, Gabe. Enough. This has to stop.”

  “This is the second time I wasn’t there and he could’ve have seriously hurt you!” Clara’s eyes widened with his outburst.

  “What if he tries to hurt you again?” Connor asked her. Leo was quiet. So was Sonia but Gabe and Connor were looking at her expectantly for an answer.

  “Then we take it to the principle or to his football coach.” She turned to Leo. “You take it to your mom. I take it to my family. Gabe, you tell your father.”

  Gabe sighed and softened his tone. “Baby, I need to at least have a talk with him. I can’t not do anything at all.”

  “Telling an adult may lead to him being expelled from the team and that would just make him angrier,” Leo responded.

  “Ok, I get it. But can’t it wait until tomorrow? He isn’t going to do something tonight.” She looked at Sonia who nodded in accordance with Clara.

  “That’s what we did the first time. We waited.”

  Clara looked at everyone and asked, “Can you guys leave us alone a few minutes please?”

  “Come on, both of you, let’s get Alex up to speed.” Sonia pushed them out the door.

  Gabe exhaled and pulled her in his arms much more gently. He needed to hold her and Clara was hugging him back just as tight. “I don’t have a good feeling about you leaving now. If you have to confront him, do it tomorrow on our turf.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “Please, do it for me.” Gabe groaned as he sat down and pulled her in his lap as he leaned his forehead to hers. “Gabe, please,” she repeated.

  “I am doing this for you. If something were to happen to you because of him, I’ll lose it Clara, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  She nodded, “I get it. But he deals drugs and you don’t know who he’s with. They could be dangerous. Confront him, just do it somewhere safe and with backup.”

  Gabe closed his eyes a moment. “I should have taken care of him first. I shouldn’t have waited until now.”

  “You did the right thing by waiting.”

  “How could you say that? Bruno tried to hurt you today. I know you downplayed it, Clara. You’re my girlfriend so I should have taken care of this sooner.” His eyes radiated anger.

  “But, instead, you took care of me. I needed you then to help me get through it,” she stopped speaking and cupped his face, “just like I need you now.”

  Gabe’s eyes flared and he crashed his lips to hers. Clara kissed him back just as fervently. God, she wanted him. Thank goodness for privacy in this room. Clara pulled away just a tad but Gabe was quick to yank her back to him. She whispered, “Promise me, not now.”

  He sighed, “Fine, I promise,” sealing it with another deep kiss. She moved even closer and he moaned. After several moments his lips slowly made their way down her neck, to her collarbone when there was a knock on the door.

  “Why are we always fucking interrupted?” Gabe groaned, his breathing uneven, his forehead on her shoulder.

  Clara ran her hands at the nape of his neck. “Well, we are in the library.” She straightened herself out and smoothed his hair, before answering, “Come in!” Gabe tickled her side causing her to squirm and let out a slight shriek when Alex walked in with an arched eyebrow and shaking his head. But just like that, he turned serious quickly. “You ok, Clara?”

  Her facial expression softened, “Yeah, I’m ok.”

  Nodding but still searching her face for a moment until he turned his question to Gabe. “So, what are we doing?” All of them looking expectantly at Gabe.

  Gabe’s gaze was intently on her. “Nothing for now. Let’s go home. But tomorrow he is fucking mine.” Clara breathed a sigh of relief and kissed him hard on the mouth as Gabe stood up and carried her out of there.

  47

  Clara

  Gabe: Connor and Sonia r coming to pick u up. I’ll see u at school.

  Clara was reading the message when she heard a car honk their horn. Worried about Gabe, she kissed Julia on the temple and hurried outside.

  She quickly typed a response. Y?

  Gabe: Just car trouble, baby. If I don’t see you before do not leave Connor’s side.

  Both messages beeped through as she was walking to the car. She was relieved it was just car trouble even though it seemed a bit coincidental because she also knew he would take care of Bruno without her being there. But she hoped that she would be able to at least talk to him beforehand.

  Clara: Ok, be safe. And then added. I love u.

  Gabe: And I love u.

  As she hopped in the car, Connor was the first to say, “Good morning, C”

  “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” Sonia reached back and squeezed her hand.

  “I’m stopping at Wawa to get some coffee and something to eat.” He looked in the mirror at her and smiled ruefully. “I had to leave earlier to come get you guys so I’m starving.”

  “Sure, you are.” Sonia smirked.
“But, I could definitely use a coffee, so fine.”

  Clara responded, “A coffee sounds perfect. Sorry you had to wake up earlier today, Connor.”

  “I’m not. I get to drive the two hottest chicks to school. I’m not complaining. I just really need to eat something. Plus, I take my job of keeping both of you out of harm’s way seriously, whether Gabe asked me or not.” He looked in the mirror again, “so for today, both of you will be blessed with my company all day.” Clara was quiet for a few minutes. She understood what they were doing. Hell, she accepted their protective behavior, she would do the same for all of them.

  But last night after receiving a text message, Gabe seemed strange and left shortly thereafter. He obviously had been super tense after what happened so she didn’t blame him when he didn’t stay for dinner. But when she texted him before bed, he hadn’t responded until 2 am when she found the message after waking up this morning.

  “Were you with Gabe last night?” Clara asked Connor.

  Connor whipped his gaze to Clara in the mirror obviously surprised at her question. Sonia was staring at him and then furrowed her brow as if thinking of something. Connor looked at Sonia and blew out a breath. He was silent for a little while. “Yes.”

  Clara knew that Connor would not tell her what or where they had gone. But that didn’t stop Sonia from asking. “So, you’re not going to tell us where you went? Alex was with you too.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Luckily they’re ok so means it couldn’t have been too dangerous,” Clara started to say,

  “and we know it doesn’t involve other girls,” Sonia continued.

  “What? No, it didn’t at all.” Connor stated, “Gabe wouldn’t do that. We wouldn’t do that.” He looked at both Clara in the backseat and at Sonia briefly when he said that.

  “But the fact you won’t tell us where you went, which I didn’t expect you to, means that we wouldn’t be happy about it,” Clara finished.

  “There’s a good reason, that’s all I’m going to say.” He parked the car and got out. “Come on, let’s grab some breakfast.” He quickly started to joke around and change the subject shutting down any more questions at least while they were in the Wawa.

  When they got in the car Clara did have another question, “Will Gabe be at school today?”

  Connor answered quickly, “Yeah, why wouldn’t he be?” But something was off in his tone. “But we both know he has to take care of something so, Clara, please, Gabe listened to you last night so today, just please listen to us. Do not leave my side.”

  “What are you going to walk me to every class?” Clara snorted.

  He chuckled. “Pretty much, yeah.”

  “Aren’t you taking this to an extreme? I’m in school, remember?”

  “You were in school when Bruno got to you yesterday. Gabe can’t be distracted.”

  “What are you all going to do?” Clara asked quietly.

  “For starters, we’re going to beat the shit out of him. Then after that,” Connor hesitated but then added, “it depends if he gets the message.”

  “Let’s hope he gets the freaking message,” Sonia said quietly as she shook her head. “He’s obsessed, and I’m not sure with what.” She looked at Clara behind her.

  They finally pulled into the school parking lot and Clara looked around for Gabe or his car but didn’t see it. Connor turned around to look at Clara in the eyes. “Please, Clara, don’t go anywhere by yourself.”

  “I’m with him on this Clara.”

  “Alright,” but Connor continued to look at her expectantly until she said, “I won’t go anywhere without you or the others.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped out of his SUV. As they started walking, Connor put both his arms around them. “Come on girls.” Both Sonia and Clara shook their heads, Connor was going to milk the attention their entrance would bring. As they were walking, she had a feeling of someone watching her so she turned her head to the right and stopped. Connor and Sonia stopped as well.

  “You, ok?”

  She shook her head. “Yeah, I’m fine. You just got me feeling all paranoid, now.”

  Connor looked around and frowned. “Just stay close, C.”

  They all headed inside, everyone parting to let them by, inquisitive looks from some of them since Connor had an arm around the both of them.

  “What’s up, man?” Bobby called out shaking his head.

  “Hey, Bobby.” Connor grinned, enjoying the attention. They stopped at Clara’s locker first and then headed to Connor’s. Clara kept looking around for Gabe but to no avail.

  “Hey!” Clara jumped slightly. It was Alex, his hair wet from having taken a shower.

  “Lacrosse practice this morning?” Clara asked him.

  Alex grunted. “Yeah, got to get into kickass shape. You guys good?” Connor nodded, a silent conversation happening between them. All four of them, were about to go straight to Sonia’s locker when down the hallway to the right, there was a bunch of commotion. Cops were there asking everyone to clear the hallway. The principle was there as well when the custodian handed him a set of keys.

  “This one,” one of the officers said as he pointed to the locker.

  All four of them got closer, pushing through the crowd that had formed but when anyone of them tried to object, one look from Connor or Alex and they quickly moved out of the way. Henry, was also there watching the scene unfold, when Giuseppe, approached them.

  Alex asked him, “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know man. But my locker is right there and they made me move. Not sure what they’re looking for.”

  “Who’s locker is that?” asked Sonia. Giuseppe looked at the locker, as if he was remembering everyone that was near him when his eyes widened.

  “Shit, it’s Bruno’s. I can imagine what they’re looking for.”

  “Yeah, I think we all know what they’re looking for.” Henry commented and Connor nodded.

  Right at that moment, Bruno approached, a moment of panic across his face but he hid it immediately. “What’s going on?”

  “Is this your locker?” One of the cops asked him. Bruno looked at the principle.

  “Bruno, is this your locker? Remember, it will take me two minutes to go look it up, it’s best you cooperate,” the principle reminded him.

  He nodded. Connor had already stepped in front of Clara and Sonia, with Alex right next to him. Henry also moved slightly to shield her from the other side. Clara tried to peek through Connor and Giuseppe to see what was going on. Giuseppe glanced at her and the others when realization hit him and he also took a step back shielding her but allowing her to look. He nodded slightly. There was literally a wall surrounding her.

  All of a sudden, Clara saw Sonia looking behind them, Leo was pushing through when he came to halt, his eyes widened. The principle opened the locker and one of the officers stepped forward rummaging through it. The cop searching through the locker, pulled out the jacket and a few other things located there, he then reached his hand to the back and to the top. He froze glancing at Bruno and at his colleague who stepped closer to Bruno. The cop pulled a grey cloth pouch stuck to the top of the locker and opened it. He looked inside, pulling a small plastic baggie filled with pills. He quickly stuck it back in and then raised his gaze to Bruno.

  “Let’s take him down to the station.” The other cop grabbed Bruno, and pulled his hands behind his back, calling for backup from the device on his shoulder. The first officer continued searching coming up with another gray pouch stuck to the top section of the locker.

  “That isn’t mine. I have no idea where that came from.” Bruno struggled.

  “Yeah, yeah that’s what they all say.” The cop cuffing him said.

  The principle was shaking his head. “Anything you need officers, we will fully cooperate. I’m s
ure there is a reasonable explanation to this.”

  Leo stepped forward torn between worry for his friend but anger as well. The students in the hallway parted, the guys pushing Clara and Sonia to the side so the cop holding Bruno could walk through and he was met by another cop at the entrance. Bruno kept repeating that it wasn’t his.

  “That stuff isn’t mine. I don’t.” But then stopped as realization hit him that he was probably going to say something stupid. The cops read him his rights and Bruno kept his head down until he lifted it and noticed Alex standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. Bruno’s gaze was fixated on him until he moved to Connor and kept looking around him.

  “Someone set me up. I don’t sell drugs.” A few students snickered and he glared at them. Right at that moment, Gabe walked into the hallway with his father right next to him. Both of them looking at the scene in front of them. Gabe quickly glanced around until he saw Alex and Connor with a question mark on his face. Connor shifted to show him Clara was right there. Gabe looked relieved.

  “It was you, wasn’t it?” Bruno started yelling at Gabe.

  “Be quiet,” the officer stated.

  “It was him. I’m sure it was him, he must have planted it earlier.” Bruno was grasping at straws, not knowing obviously that Gabe had just gotten there.

  Gabe’s father smirked. “I’d be careful about your accusations, seeing as though he just got here with me. I was actually here to speak to the principle about something important, maybe something you know?” Ralph indicated that he was in the know about Bruno who stilled and quieted down immediately. Clara was extremely confused. Did Gabe’s father know about Bruno and what he’d done? Was that why Gabe came late? The cops led Bruno out and put him in the cop car.

  “Everyone get in class, let’s go.” The principle yelled out. Gabe stepped forward towards the others looking at Alex who shook his head slightly. Clara frowned, until Gabe’s fingers came up to her face, smoothing over her forehead and pulling her close. She looked up at him.

  “Did that really just happen?” Clara asked in disbelief.