Blue Moon: (Blue Raspberry Series #2)

by D. K Lake

  "What happened to JT's eye?" I ask, not expecting Boston to answer.

  "He got into a fight with Mitchel." is all he says on the subject.

  Hmm. I wonder what they were fighting about? It looks pretty serious.

  Whatever. I've had enough of today. And I swear if Mitchel turns around and looks at me one more time I will chuck my biology book at him.

  The bell rings and I stay back and avoid looking at anyone while I pack my stuff away.

  "You all right?" Nessie asks, stopping at the edge of my lab table.

  "Yep, I'm just peachy."

  "How are you fixed for time?"

  "I have to be back by four. Mom's coming home early all week so she'll be home just after four as well."

  "This whole grounded thing is becoming a bore."

  "Yeah, tell me about it. I'm starting to hate being in the house, it feels like a frigging prison."

  "Minus the hot guys."

  I roll my eyes and follow her out of the classroom but just as we get to the main doors a couple of boys knock into us in a hurry to get outside.

  "I'm walking here you morons!" Nessie yells.

  I hold the door open for her and look around at the parking lot, noticing there is a large crowd gathered around in a circle.

  "Whoa...what's going on over there?"

  "Oh, it looks like a fight." Nessie says excitedly, grabbing my arm and tugging me toward the circle.

  I don't really care who's fighting. I just want to get home before Mom gets home so she doesn't yell at me.

  Nessie fights her way to the front of the circle not loosening her grip on me. Everyone is shouting and cheering and I think I hear the name Torres. I dig my heels in, not really wanting to see JT beating the crap out of one of the students, but Nessie has a death grip on my arm and I have no choice but to go with her. When we get to the front I see Zeke flat on his back and Mitchel is on top of him punching the living shit outta him.

  JT stands on the other side of the circle laughing like it's the funniest thing he's ever seen.

  Amber is standing next to Phoebe and she looks a little pale, biting her nails as Mitchel lays into Zeke.

  "Why is no one doing anything?" I mumble to myself. "Here. Take my bag." I tell Nessie and hand it to her.

  "Are you insane?! You can't go in there!"

  "He's going to kill him if no one stops him!"

  "Kelsey...NO!" Nessie's voice fades into the background as I step into the circle. All eyes dart to me then back to the fight, I guess everyone thinks I got pushed in by mistake.

  I feel Nessie trying to grab my sleeve but I pull away and head for Mitchel. I catch JT watching me and I see the corners of his lips lift into a smirk. I am really starting to dislike him. I don't find this funny one little bit.

  I look at the situation, I've never intercepted a fight before and Mitchel looks really pissed. I just hope he doesn't hit me.

  "Mitchel!" I yell.

  He doesn't stop and I continue calling his name as I get closer.

  "Mitchel! STOP! You're going to kill him! Mitchel!"

  Zeke's face is covered in blood and he's not moving. I decide to step in and latch onto Mitchel's arm that is doing the damage and I feel a blow to the face and fall back on my ass.

  I should have seen that one coming.

  My face hurts like hell. I've never been hit that hard before, and not by a guy.

  I close my eyes and hold my face in my hands. I should have just let him get on with it, if he wants to go to jail then that's on him.

  "Shit...Kelsey!" Mitchel's voice cuts through all the noise around me and I open my eyes to see the circle splitting off and people are running away.

  My guess is there is a teacher on their way over.

  "Kelsey!" Nessie runs over to me and is pulling me off the ground.

  "Mitch...Get the fuck up! We gotta go!" JT shouts, trying to lift Mitchel off the ground.

  "Get the fuck off me!" Mitchel yells and pushes his brother off of him.

  There are two other guys helping Zeke to stand up and they quickly carry him to a car and push him inside. I so can't be here. If I get caught up in all this the school will inform my mom. I can see Mr. Collins heading this way and I quickly snap out of it.

  "Kelsey," Nessie pulls on my sleeve.

  "I know, let's get out of here." I mutter.

  "Kelse!" Mitchel calls after us.

  JT tries to drag him the other way but he pulls away from him and tries to follow me.

  "You stay away from her!" Nessie shouts. "You've done enough damage already."

  Boston helps JT and the pair of them manage to wrestle Mitchel into the Mustang.

  Mr. Collins is standing on the spot where Zeke got mauled by Mitchel and he's looking at all the blood on the ground and wondering who it belongs to and where they went. He doesn't know who to follow, us or JT. But JT is already behind the wheel and I can see Boston trying to restrain Mitchel in the back.

  "Come on, hurry up. Mr. Collins will be after us in a minute."

  I let Nessie pull me over to her car. Stephen isn't around so I assume he caught a ride with someone else. I fall into the passenger seat and she floors it out of the parking lot.

  Nessie takes me straight home and follows me indoors.

  "Does it hurt?" she asks, and I give her a pointed look.

  I can already feel it swelling and I know it will bruise like a bitch.

  "Ok, what we need is meat. I see it in all the movies, they put steak and shit on their faces."

  "Actual shit?" I deadpan, trying not to laugh at her.

  "No, not actual...oh, you're kidding, well, it's good to see he didn't knock your sense of humor out of your brain."

  Nessie opens the fridge.

  "Where is all the meat?"

  "What meat? We live off of pasta and microwave meals."

  Nessie closes the fridge and opens the freezer.

  "Peas it is." She presses it on my face and I winch. "It doesn't look good."

  "I'm so dead when Mom sees this."

  "What were you thinking?"

  "I was trying to save Zeke."

  "All you did was make those rumors look real...rushing into the fight circle to save your lover."

  "Zeke is not my lover. And Mitchel is an idiot. Why did he do that?"

  "I think it has something to do with that rumor, the one where your mom caught you and Zeke in bed together."

  "What? That wasn't the one I heard!"

  "Did you see Amber's face, she looked worried. Guilty almost." Nessie says.

  "You think she started the rumor?"

  "Who else? You said it yourself you overheard her first thing this morning, she probably had no idea who it was and just said that shit to stir things up."

  "Well, she did more than stir shit up, and now it's my fault Zeke has a broken face."

  "It's Amber's fault for being such a meddling little bitch."

  "So Mitchel flipped out over a rumor, really?"

  "We all know he has a crazy side. I mean, look at how many times he has forced his way into your bedroom. What normal person does that?! Hello crazeee town! Flashing lights. Bing! Bing!"

  I don't say anything and take her compact mirror and look at the damage. Fudge me.

  "The crazy kind, that's what." Nessie says, fishing her concealer out of her bag. "The only thing you can do is cover it up before your mom gets home, and maybe keep your hair over your face.

  "Do it." I tell her and she gets to work on my face.

  "Oww...careful!"

  "Sorry." she mumbles.

  She puts the peas back in the freezer just as the front door opens and Paige and Emily walk in and Mom walks in behind them. I forgot Emily was coming over for dinner. I pray they didn't see the fight.

  "What did I say about having friends over, Kelsey?" my mom says, walking into the kitchen.

  "Sorry, it's my fault, we were just finishing off some school work." Nessie smiles at her like butter wouldn't melt as she
picks up her bag. She places the concealer in my hand and winks at me before leaving.

  I feel like the black sheep at the dinner table. No one talks to me and I might as well not be in the room. I try to remember back to when Dad was here and dinner time was family time, we would all laugh and talk about how our day had been, now it was like someone had died. Paige and Emily don't bring up the fight which is the only good thing to happen all day.

  I take a shower and go to bed in a depressed mood. I have turned into one of those dramatic teenagers that hate their life and just want to bitch and moan about it...and yes, everything feels like the end of the world right now. I actually want to cry I feel so low. I can't even talk to Nessie. No phone. No laptop. I will surely go insane by the end of the week. I cry myself to sleep Monday night, wishing a sinkhole would swallow the house in the night so I don't have to go to school tomorrow. I don't think I can handle any more drama.

  31

  Tuesday the birds wake me up at the crack of dawn, singing and tweeting like we're in some Disney movie. I just want to shout out of the window and tell them to shut the fu-

  "Kelsey!" Mom shouts and bangs on the door.

  "What the hell?" I glance over at my sister's ballerina clock on the nightstand, 7 am.

  "Kelsey Annmarie Moon!"

  "What?" I scream, throwing a pillow at the door.

  "I'm now going to work. I want you back by four. Paige is at math club after school so you need to start dinner on your own. There are some fish fingers in the freezer, and the potatoes are out the back."

  I fake gag. I hate fish. I'd rather eat dirt.

  "Kelsey, did you hear me?"

  "Yeeeesss!" I yell.

  "There's no need to shout." she snaps before storming down the stairs. I hear the front door slam and her car pull off.

  I climb out of bed and stagger to the bathroom, still half asleep. Waking up so early should be illegal, I swear it's bad for your health. I brush my teeth and do minimal makeup, but spend an extra fifteen minutes trying to cover my black eye. And it's not your standard black eye, my bruise has spread down my cheek and there are little red blood vessels that look like vines trailing down my face.

  I look like a fucking hit and run victim. I sort my hair out and part my hair so it covers that side of my face, then I find the biggest pair of sunglasses I own, the ones I decide on are actually Nessie's. I pull on my hoodie. Mitchel's hoodie is hanging up on a hanger and I'm still deciding if I should cut it into pieces and deliver it to him, or burn it. It might make me feel better.

  I may have put it on for a little while last night. And sniffed it a few times. But I finally came to my senses and hung it up.

  I'm just about to leave my room when I hear someone banging on the front door. I know it's not the mail carrier, he doesn't normally break down the door to drop the mail off. I hesitantly tread down the stairs. My sister is already near the front door but she's not opening the door.

  "Who is it?" I whisper.

  My sister gives me a funny look. I'm wearing sunglasses and it looks like it might rain any minute.

  "It's that boy again."

  "What boy?" I ask in a shaky voice, flipping my hood up.

  Please don't be Mitchel. Please don't be Mitchel.

  She gives me another odd look. Yes, I look mad, hoodie and sunglasses.

  "Tell him I'm not here." I panic.

  I can't see Mitchel. I might actually cry if I have to speak to him, and then what will be the point of all the makeup on my face if I wash it off with tears?

  I can't believe he's here, he must have waited for my mom to leave. I wonder if he tried to get in my window and found it all boarded up.

  "Kelsey! Open the door!"

  I ignore him and pull on my boots.

  "What's with the sunglasses?" Paige asks.

  "I wasn't sure if the sun was going to come out or not. I like to be prepared."

  Ok, we both know I'm lying. She's not that stupid. I walk into the kitchen and grab an apple.

  "She's not here!" Paige shouts.

  "Bullshit!" Mitchel shouts back.

  "The bus will be here in five minutes. I have to open the door." Paige stands by the door with her hand on her hip and she reminds me of Mom so badly.

  "Open the damn door, Kelsey!"

  "She's already left for school!" Paige yells.

  "Just let me in. I need to see her!"

  "No. Go away!"

  I bite into my apple.

  "Take the back door." I tell her.

  "What about you?"

  "I'll just have to wait until he leaves and walk to school or I can ring Ness to come and get me. I'll be fine, just go."

  Paige walks to the back door but stops and looks back at me.

  "Did he hit you?"

  "What? No. Wh-why would you think that?"

  "I heard about the fight and that one of the Torres boys hit a girl. I'm not blind, Kelsey."

  I let out a sigh. "It was an accident. I don't want to talk about it. You better go or you're gonna miss the bus."

  "Fine. I'm leaving." My sister slams the back door and I quickly lock it.

  So she did hear about the fight. I hear her and Mitchel arguing out front and she tells him to leave again but he doesn't and barges through the back gate.

  I hide in the living room and shut the blinds. I'm actually scared he might break down the back door. What does he want? Has he come to see his handiwork...well, he'll have a job with the amount of concealer I used. That reminds me, I will have to beg Nessie for another bottle.

  After ten minutes it all goes quiet. The banging stops and he leaves. I wait another ten minutes and use the house phone and try ringing Nessie but she doesn't pick up. My mom confiscated my phone and hid it and I can't use it. I've checked everywhere and I get the feeling she took it to work with her. Let's hope I don't get bundled into a trunk on the way to school and need to use my phone.

  I let myself out and lock the door. The frigging shades are so dark and the clouds are covering the sun and I have to take them off before I walk into something.

  I don't get very far before someone steps out from behind a tree with a skateboard tucked under their arm.

  "You have got to be kidding me." I mutter and decide to walk the other way.

  "Kelse." Mitchel calls.

  I ignore him and walk a little faster. I should have thought to bring my roller skates, I would have been at the end of the street by now. He skates along the street at the edge of the curb next to me.

  "Kelsey, would you just stop a minute?"

  "Late. Sorry." I say and walk a little faster.

  He picks up his board and jogs beside me.

  "Stop...stop!" He grabs my arm and I shrug him off.

  "What? What do you want?" I yell.

  "Are you...ok?" he asks, searching my face.

  "You mean after you punched me?"

  "It was an accident. I didn't know it was you."

  He steps in front of me and blocks me. I try to go around him but he jumps in every direction I try to take. I take a step back and groan.

  "What do you want from me? I just want you to leave me alone!" I shout and a woman walking her dog across the street stops to stare at us.

  "Let me look at you." Mitchel drops his board on the ground, pulls my hood down and pushes the hair off my face before I can stop him and he knocks my bruise and I hiss and pull away.

  "What is all this shit on your face?" he asks, grabbing my head and pulling me back so he can inspect it.

  He wipes his thumb down my cheek and I dig my fingers into his wrist.

  "Don't, it hurts like hell, and that took me ages this morning."

  I can see the woman still watching us.

  "Pick your dog shit up!" I yell at her to get her to move along.

  Mitchel laughs and lets me push him away this time.

  "It's not funny, she knows my mom. Anyway, what are you doing here? You made me miss the bus and now I'm going to be late." I
walk around him.

  He picks up his board and follows me.

  "Can't you find some other girl to stalk?"

  "I'm sorry, I never meant to hit you, obviously."

  "Obviously." I mutter. "You hit hard." I add.

  "I thought you were someone else."

  "You have a really hard elbow. And it's a good job I wasn't a teacher."

  "I would of rather it had been a teacher. You know I would never purposely hit you, right?" he tells me, trailing me across the street.

  "I don't know anything about you. For all I know that might be your thing, hitting girls."

  "Seriously? That's what you think of me?"

  "I don't think anything. I don't think about you at all, just that you're a lying dirtbag."

  "I didn't lie. JT lied to you. I never sent those messages."

  "So you keep saying but I don't believe you."

  "I didn't...why won't you believe-"

  "And why exactly were you fighting with Zeke? What had he done wrong to deserve that?"

  Mitchel swallows thickly and looks away.

  "Whatever." I mumble and cross the street, trying to lose him.

  "Slow down, would ya?"

  "Nope. Late, remember?"

  Mitchel starts coughing and I look over my shoulder and see him wheezing a bit. I stop and wait for him to catch up.

  "You should quit smoking." I say as he pulls out an inhaler from his pocket.

  "You know, you walk really fast for such a short person." he smirks.

  I turn around and start walking again.

  "I was joking. It was a joke!"

  "Haha..." I trail off and cross the street again.

  "Where are you going? You're just zigzagging all over the street."

  "I'm trying to get rid of you if you hadn't noticed."

  "Well, that's not happening."

  I stop and turn around and he walks into me.

  "Why are you following me, Mitchel?"

  "I wanted to make sure you were ok?"

  "Well, I'm fine so you can leave now."

  "Leave? We're both going the same way so we might as well walk together."

  "Maybe you could walk a little further over."

  "In the street?"

  "Yup, preferably when there's a bus coming."

  "A bit harsh, don't ya think?"