The Bullies Who Loved Me

by Mia Belle

  I fling my arms around her. “That’s really great, Mom.”

  She squeezes me tightly, then draws back. “Now you can finally have a life and not be tied down to the diner.”

  “Mom, I love working there.”

  “I know, but you need some time for yourself.” She plays with my hair. “I know things haven’t been easy the last few months.”

  I give her a real smile. “Things are great right now.”

  I’m still not sure about the guys, but what I do know is that my mom’s happy. And that’s all because of them.

  Chapter Thirty

  Caden

  Caden: Hey, busy?

  I sent that text to Daphne ten minutes ago, but she hasn’t responded. My first thought is that something happened to her. Or maybe she’d rather talk to Ryder. He was kind of all over her at school, but that’s probably because of Avery. He’s worried she might do something to Daphne. So am I. That’s why I threatened her not to touch Daphne.

  Ryder’s family has power over hers, but she’s still the second richest kid in our town. And besides, Ryder’s dad expects him to marry Avery when they’re older. She’ll always have a hold over him.

  But I think the main reason why Ryder was so pushy today is because he’s lonely. Eric’s busy with whatever and I usually volunteer at the hospital when I have free time. He’s stuck in that huge house all by himself with only the help to talk to.

  My phone pings and I dive to pull it out from under my pillow. I think I dozed off a little.

  It’s from Eric. I asked him earlier if I could come over with my grandma’s famous apple pie. She baked an extra one for Eric and his family.

  Eric: Now’s not a good time, sorry. Thank your grandmother for me.

  I play with my phone, twirling it between my fingers. No matter how hard it is, I need to be patient. I’ll get my best friend back, it’ll just take some time.

  I’m dozing off again. Today’s practice was tough, since Coach is working us super hard to prepare for our next meet.

  Ryder swam extra hard today, but I bet it’s because we had a guest in the bleachers. The guy wanted to show off. He loves showing off to girls.

  But Daphne’s not just any girl. There’s something special about her.

  My phone pings again. My eyes are blurry as I make out the words.

  Daphne: Hi. No, I’m not busy. Why?

  I sit up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes before clicking on the video call button. She answers right away, her face filling up the screen.

  “Hi,” I say.

  She smiles. “Hi.”

  “I was thinking about you…about the practice today.”

  She laughs. “Are you guys always so serious? I mean, you looked like you were having fun, but Ryder was killing it.”

  I laugh, too. “He was showing off.”

  “Right. For all his fans.”

  Nah, I’m pretty sure it was mostly for her.

  She gazes at the screen. “You look like you just woke up.”

  “Yeah, that happens after practice. My body isn’t as strong as the other guys on the team.” I didn’t mean for that to slip out. I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about that.

  Curiosity conquers her face. “You look just as strong. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  I shake my head. “I’m not. There’s a reason I’m not as strong. I don’t know if I’ll ever meet their level. Maybe if I push myself really hard, but I don’t really want to. It’s okay. Swimming is something I do for fun and share with my friends. Ryder’s looking to make a career of it. So was Eric, but…” I let my voice trail off.

  Daphne nods, her face still curious. “But why can’t you be just as strong?”

  I rub the back of my neck. “Something happened to me when I was younger. Most people don’t know about it, other than my friends and my family. I don’t really like talking about it.”

  “Oh, sorry for asking.”

  I smile. “It’s okay.”

  Maybe I’ll tell her one day, if I feel up to it. That is, if she’ll still want to talk to me. Our friendship is very rocky.

  “What are you up to?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “My mom bought a workout DVD and we planned to try it this weekend, but she was curious and wanted to start after dinner. She kind of crashed into a chair and stubbed her toe.”

  “Ouch.”

  She laughs. “But it was funny! And she laughed about it, too.”

  I join her laughter. “That’s great. Your mom is such a nice person. And so is your dad. I learned a lot about cooking from him. You’re…” I clear my throat. “You’re lucky to have them.”

  Her smile drops. “Sorry. I forgot that your parents…”

  I shake my head. “No, please talk about yours. I love hearing about them.”

  She nods unsurely. “They’re sitting on the sofa and Dad is putting ice on my mom’s toe.”

  I laugh again. “Sounds like they really love each other.”

  “They do. When I was little, I dreamed to have that one day.”

  “You don’t want that anymore?”

  She’s quiet for a little bit, and I wonder if we’ve lost the connection. But then she talks again. “I’m not sure such a thing exists for me.”

  “Of course it does.” I want to tell her that I want the same thing. I want a special relationship with a girl, same way my parents and grandparents have. But the words get stuck in my throat.

  Besides, I doubt any girl would stick with me when they find out my secret. I’m a little too young to worry about it now, but it’s always at the back of my mind.

  “Caden? You still there?”

  I snap back in. “Yeah. Sorry. What did you ask?”

  “It wasn’t important. I’m really sorry for talking about my parents like that. It was very insensitive of me.”

  “It’s okay, really. I don’t mind.”

  Her smile is small. “Okay.”

  Quiet.

  “My grandma made pie,” I say to ease the awkwardness.

  She laughs. “I bet it was good.”

  “Really good. Maybe I’ll bring some leftovers for lunch tomorrow. The guys love her cooking. And I’ll bring Eric’s pie, too.”

  “Eric’s?”

  “My grandmother made a pie for his family, but he doesn’t want me to bring it over.” I sigh. “He’s pulling away and I don’t know what to do. Sorry, I shouldn’t dump all this on you.”

  She shakes her head. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. I’m just not sure how to help. You guys need to be there for him. Be supportive. Don’t push. I don’t know. Maybe that’s dumb advice.”

  “No, it’s great, thanks. I really should stop pushing him before he’s gone for good. And now that the truth about Blake will soon be public knowledge, I don’t know how he’ll handle it. And Phoebe, too. He’s dealing with so much.”

  She nods.

  I smile encouragingly. “You can be a good friend to him, too. I know he’d like that. But, um, if you don’t feel comfortable…I know it’s not easy, after what we did to you.”

  She’s quiet again. “I think you guys are trying too hard to make it up to me. Why do you care so much?”

  I don’t know what to say. Do we need a reason to care? “We just do. We were wrong. We were assholes. It’s not right.”

  “Isn’t an apology enough?”

  “We like you. You’re a good person. If not for you, Jackson wouldn’t be released from jail.”

  She frowns. “Assuming the cops believe the video was real. It’s not like they announced it or anything.”

  I nod. “Eric was called in for questioning. They wanted some information about the video. They’re investigating if it’s real.”

  “Makes sense. Hopefully he’ll be released soon.”

  I rub my forehead. “This whole situation sucks. Like, how could I be pissed at Blake when he was such a good older brother to us? I can’t imagine what Eric is going through. No wonder he’s stuck in his h
ead.”

  Her eyes soften. “He’ll be himself soon.”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself.”

  We talk about different things until it’s time to go to sleep. I roll around on my bed, thinking about our conversation. I really like talking to Daphne. I feel like we have some sort of connection, maybe because we’re both looking for someone special.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Daphne

  Mom wants to take me shopping on Friday after school. She’ll leave the diner for a few hours, entrusting it in her new employees’ hands. I told her I don’t need new clothes, but I guess she’s in such a good mood she wants to spoil me.

  The mall’s on the other side of town, and we need to take a bus there. This bus is so packed there’s no room to even breathe. It’s hard for Mom to maneuver her way around and I catch some people scowling. I wish I could slap them.

  If Mom’s bothered, she pretends not to be. I guess she’s determined to make our mother-daughter bonding time special.

  I appreciate all this, I really do. But I hate shopping. First of all, I’m not that picky with what I wear. I like comfy T-shirts and jeans. The second reason is because Mom has a hard time shopping. When she sees something she loves, chances are she won’t find her size. She gets all hopeful, then is so disappointed. I can’t stand it.

  It takes about an hour before the bus drops us off at the mall. Practically all the passengers get off with us and spill into the many different stores.

  We start off with women’s clothes. Sure enough, Mom gets all excited, only to be disappointed. She places a shirt back on the rack. “One day,” she says to herself before turning to me and giving me a wide smile. “Let’s look at more things.”

  It takes two hours before we settle on a few outfits. After we pay, we go to another store, one that sells home and bath stuff. Mom’s looking to buy new sheets and a few more kitchen gadgets.

  As I’m looking through some towels, a guy with golden blond hear catches my attention. Eric?

  His back faces me, but I know it’s him. He’s reorganizing the towels, folding them, making them look presentable. A few shoppers pass by, asking him where things are located. He directs them to the right area.

  Mom tells me she’s going to look at something else, but I barely hear her. Does he work here? Is that where he rushes off to every day after school and on the weekends?

  He turns around and freezes when our eyes meet. Then he faces the shelf again, refolding the towels.

  I make my way to him. “Hi.”

  He slightly turns to me. “Hey.”

  “You work here?”

  He nods, looking away. I don’t get what the big deal is. Lots of kids our age have jobs. I had one at the diner.

  “That’s great, but why are you keeping it from Ryder and Caden? They’re worried about you.”

  He shrugs, continuing to fold that same towel. “Just don’t tell them you saw me here. And don’t talk to me.”

  “Eric…”

  “Daphne, isn’t this one of your friends? Eric, right?” Mom asks as she heads over to us. She smiles. “Shopping here, too?”

  He forces a smile. “Yeah.”

  I just stare at him. Lying to my mom? I still don’t understand why the need to keep this a secret.

  “Great, maybe you can join us later for dinner.” She walks off.

  I turn to him. “You lied right to her face.”

  He doesn’t say anything as he bends to straighten out the items on the bottom row. I wait for him to respond, to maybe explain, but he doesn’t do any of that.

  I find Mom looking through these crazy weird kitchen gadgets that most homes don’t even need. My mind isn’t here—it’s busy with Eric. What’s he hiding?

  We gather the things we need, pay, then Mom goes searching for Eric. He’s busy talking to a few shoppers, and as soon as he sees us, he goes still.

  Mom pushes herself forward. “Ready to eat?”

  “Thanks, but I’m okay.”

  She studies him. “You look like you hardly eat. An athlete like yourself should always be eating, shouldn’t you?”

  Mom doesn’t know he quit the team.

  It looks like she’s not leaving until he agrees to join us. He runs his hand down his face. “In a minute. I need to talk to someone first.”

  “If you’re here with a friend, he can join us. Meet us at the food court.” She smiles before walking off.

  Eric’s eyes meet mine before he moves toward a room in the back. He must be telling his boss that he’s taking a break.

  I feel bad that Mom’s forcing him to eat with us. Is she trying to push one of the guys on me?

  “Where’s Eric?” Mom asks, glancing around as we settle down at the food court. “Oh, there he is.”

  I look to where she’s focused on and see him dragging himself toward us. He surveys the area until he spots us. I’m sure Mom’s frantic waving helps.

  She gestures for him to sit down. He reluctantly does, bending away from us like he’s worried we’ll uncover his secret.

  We get our food, then sit here quietly. The rest of the court is buzzing with chatter, but not our table.

  Mom looks from me to Eric. “Did something happen? Is that why you haven’t been spending time with your friends? I don’t see you around much.”

  Right, because he has a job.

  Eric shrugs. “Been busy. My dad works a lot and I help my little sister with her homework.”

  Mom nods, eating at her food slowly. She ordered something light but satisfying. I’m glad she’s making a change in her life, I just hope she’s not doing it because of me. “That’s good. Education is very important. Your sister is in middle school?”

  “Yeah, she’s twelve.”

  “That’s cute. Is she a swimmer like you?”

  He laughs lightly, picking at his food. “She’s terrified of the water.”

  We laugh, too.

  Eric’s smile drops. “My brother tried to teach her, but it was impossible. Every time she got in, she cried and yelled for us to get her out. To this day, she still doesn’t know how to swim.”

  “You’re a good brother,” Mom says. “But yes, swimming is very important. You should try to convince her.”

  He gets a dark look on his face and shifts in his seat. Maybe bringing up swimming isn’t the best idea. Of course it reminds him of Blake.

  We continue eating in silence. A few minutes later, Mom excuses herself to the bathroom and it’s just me and Eric.

  “Sorry she kind of forced you to come,” I tell him.

  He doesn’t say anything, his gaze on the other diners. Then he looks at me. “Please don’t tell the guys that I work here.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  I lift a brow.

  He sighs. “Money’s tight. Dad works a lot, but it’s still not enough. So I have to work.”

  “It’s not a big deal. Why the secret?”

  He wavers. “I don’t want the guys getting in my business or feeling sorry for me. Or like they need to help me. Ryder will throw money at me and Caden will worry. I just want to keep this to myself.” His eyes meet mine, pleading. “Please don’t tell them. And pretend you didn’t see me here.”

  “Okay, but you should still tell them. They’re your friends.”

  He doesn’t say anything, just plays with the salt shaker.

  “I won’t say a word to them, but are you okay?”

  He looks into my eyes. “That’s exactly why I don’t want anyone to know. That look in your eyes. You feel sorry for me. Want to help me. I don’t need your help.”

  I hold up my hands. “Fine, don’t snap at me.”

  He puffs up his cheeks. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

  We’re quiet until Mom returns. She insists on paying for his meal—telling him it’s payment for when he helped with the diner last Friday—and he doesn’t argue with her.

  “Take the leftovers for your little s
ister,” Mom urges. “We don’t need this much food.” He’s a little embarrassed as he thanks her and leaves.

  Mom watches him go. “He’s a sweet boy. It’s so sad what happened to his family.”

  We continue with our shopping, thankfully not seeing him again.

  ***

  On Saturday morning, news breaks out about Jackson’s release from jail. He’s coming home in a few days.

  When I walk into the kitchen, I find Mom and Dad bent over the TV like there’s a million bucks in there. The news reporter is talking about the truth of what happened that night.

  So it’s public knowledge now. I hope Eric and his family are okay. I’d text him, but I figure he wants to be alone right now.

  “Sweetie.” Mom wraps her arms around me. “Did you hear the news? They learned that Blake really did kill that girl. The other boy is innocent and will go home soon.”

  I nod. “Social media is exploding with the news.”

  She plays with my hair. “Everyone is finally going to believe you now.” She hugs me again. “You have no idea how worried I’ve been.”

  I pull back. “About me? Why?”

  “Because no one believed you. I was worried maybe the kids at school would give you a hard time. But that didn’t happen.” She smiles. “And now everyone knows you were telling the truth that day. They should never have doubted you.”

  I give her a weak smile. As long as she doesn’t know about the bullying, everything is fine. I don’t want to worry her further.

  Dad’s still glued to the TV, eager for more updates. There’s so much speculation online about Blake and the murder. A lot of people think it’s some sort of ploy to ruin his name or something. I wonder if the video will ever be leaked. Probably. Those things always happen.

  After I eat, I slip my phone from my pocket and text Caden. Have you heard from Eric?

  He replies immediately. Just texted him. He and Phoebe are okay.