by Raathi Chota
“Where’s Momma?” I asked as I went to the kitchen.
“She’s working late, I guess.”
“This is the third time this week,” I said as I took out the mac and cheese from the microwave.
“Well, at least she has a job, Blake,” he said from the living room. I rolled my eyes.
“Yeah…unlike some people,” I muttered to myself.
Axel Gunner, my twenty-two-year-old brother, was jobless and too lazy to go study. Momma was an assistant at a vibrant company that owned a bunch of hotels and stuff, so the money was good. There was enough money to keep a roof over our heads until one day it was all gone, and my mom had to go look for a new job. I sat on the sofa and ate my food in silence. I turned to my brother, who laughed at something the woman said on the television. In no way did I want to end up like him.
Chapter Six
Lana
“Is this a thing now?” Miranda asked as she looked at the cigarette between my lips.
“Just a show, girl,” I said as we walked to the side of the school.
“Temporary, right?” she asked for the third time today.
“Yes, Miranda!” I exclaimed. “It’s not like I’m going to get addicted.”
“Sorry…just asking, because you said that the last time.”
“Well, this is only my second one today,” I said, then decided to change the subject. “Who you taking to Homecoming?”
“Some guy.” She blushed, and I knew it was the right topic to talk about.
“Some guy, huh?”
“Shut it, nerd. It’s Marcus Sanders.”
“Marcus…the guy that came at the beginning of the year? He’s cute,” I said, then dropped the cigarette. I crushed it under my foot as she spoke.
“I know, right? We’ve been talking for a while now.”
“Do you like him?”
“Yeah…I like Marcus Sanders,” she said, then bit her lip. “And he’s my date to Homecoming!” She pulled me in for a hug. I laughed and hugged her back; I was glad my best friend was going to Homecoming with someone she liked. “We’re going shopping on Saturday. Don’t forget. We need dresses.”
“Ugh…I’m sure my mom has something.”
“Yeah, if you want to come dressed as a surgeon, then sure,” she said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and gave in. “I can’t wait! Plus, your date is Carter freaking Halls. You guys will be the couple to beat.”
“Beat in what?”
“Homecoming king and queen!”
“I don’t know—”
“Don’t worry, I nominated you, and plus, Them are nominated too!”
“All of them?”
“Yep.”
“I don’t think Blake will come. He probably thinks Homecoming is crap. Aidan will likely be his goofy self…”
“Remember last year when we took a picture then he dumped a bucket of fish oil on you?” Miranda laughed.
“Yeah…I hugged Jennifer and Kelly so tight they almost fainted from the smell!” I chuckled as the memory entered my mind.
“Hopefully this year will be different,” she said after we recovered from our laughter.
The last bell went off, signaling the end of the day. After I finished at my locker, I decided to take a slow walk to Ethan’s car. I walked down the quiet hallways until I heard footsteps behind me. I walked faster, and so did the people behind me. I looked up and saw a figure close to me. Benny Nielson. My eyes widened, and I turned around to face two other people. Nick and Liam. I turned around again to see Benny’s smirk; he nodded, then Nick and Liam stood on either side and lifted me by each arm. They turned around and walked down the empty hallways. A feeling of déjà vu swept inside of me.
“Wh-what are…you…” I stammered as I looked at them. They walked out of the building to the exact place where Aidan and Ethan dragged me last week. Instead, they shoved me against the wall, making my glasses fall off.
“Hold her,” Benny said. They roughly pulled and pinned me against the wall. I exhaled deeply as Benny stepped toward me. Liam and Nick slowly released their grip from me and backed off as their leader inched closer. “Don’t you get it, Lana? They’re using you!” he exclaimed, then grabbed my jaw. “They’ll end up hurting you…”
“Look who’s talking, you fucking hypocrite,” I hissed. Benny snapped as he hit the wall next to me with the palm of his hand, then gripped my jaw again.
“I’m doing you a favor, Lana.” He laughed. “They’re gonna break your heart just like he did.” I tilted my head at Benny as a smile broke onto my face. Benny raised a brow then took a step back. “What are you looking at?”
“An asshole who couldn’t take a punch from Levi Radcliff,” I said and watched as the vein popped in his neck. Benny raised his fist, then looked at me.
“Do it. You’ve done it so many fucking times it won’t make a difference!” I shouted as he looked at me.
“Will you shut up!” he yelled, then punched the wall. This time he pressed his forehead against mine. He exhaled deeply as I looked at him.
“I will not be silenced!” I giggled. Suddenly, my giggles turned into laughter as I pushed him off me. Benny, Nick, and Liam backed away as I sank down the wall and laughed.
“Are you fucking crazy?” Nick asked as I calmed down.
“Do you really wanna know?” I asked with a smirk. Benny became annoyed, and the next thing I knew, he’s right in my face as he held my arms up with one hand and cupped my face with the other.
“Are you on drugs, Willson?”
“Nope!” I said as the corners of my mouth turned up. I was nervous, but I didn’t want them to know that, so I joked around. Benny let out a growl as he looked at me. I heard voices, and it looked like he did too as he looked over his shoulder.
“Hey, what the fuck?” Ethan yelled. Benny turned to me, and I smiled.
“I can’t hate you, Lana Willson. I’d rather hate myself,” Benny said, then shook his head. He got up, and I squinted my eyes through the sunlight. Ethan approached us, but Nick and Benny blocked him. I sighed deeply as I felt my eyes droop. My head ached as I watched Ethan fight Nick and Benny. I heard laughter in the distance and turned to see Liam. I leaned my head back and groaned as I shut my eyes.
***
My eyes shot open as I looked up. I laid in a bed in an unfamiliar room. I sat up and looked around, yet something told me I’d been there before. I looked at the bedside table and saw my glasses were shattered. The broken pieces brought my memory back, but all I remembered was Benny, who tried to take a punch, but something stopped him. I raised my legs to my chest and cried. I buried my head into my knees as I thought back to what happened earlier. I felt the edge of the bed go down with someone’s weight. I saw Ethan with a saddened look on his face. He took his shoes off, then laid next to me. I didn’t care if it wasn’t normal, so I relaxed next to him. He put his arm around me as I cried into his chest.
“Shh…Lana, don’t worry, you’re safe now,” Ethan mumbled as he rubbed my back. I sniffed, then looked up at him. His eyes were dark, and I noticed that he had a cut on his lip.
“I hate him so much!” I cried into his chest, then remembered when Benny said, that he couldn’t hate me. Ethan rubbed my back and assured me that it was all right.
“I’ll get him,” he growled as he kissed my forehead. He wiped my tears away with his thumb, then hugged me.
“Ho-how did you know?”
“I was getting worried since you took so long, so I went to look for you, then I heard shouting and saw…”
“Oh, thank you.”
“It’s okay, Lana,” he said, then sat up. “I’ll go get you some water.” I slowly stood up and stretched after he left the room.
“Ouch,” I mumbled as I hit my foot on something. It was the same parcel that I saw yesterday in the bathroom. I glanced at the door. Ethan could be back any second. I quickly crouched down and looked under the bed: more parcels that looked the same. I shoved the package under the bed
as the door opened. I sat down as Ethan brought a cup of water with some medication.
“For your head,” he mumbled as he set the pills down. I thanked him, then took the pills.
“What happened to your lip?”
“Err…nothing, just practice,” he said, then shrugged his shoulders. I knew there wasn’t any extracurricular activity that Ethan was involved in today because he offered to take me home.
“I’ve arrived! Your lives just got better!” an annoying voice said, and Aidan entered the room. I playfully rolled my eyes as he sat down on the bed. I noticed he had a bruise on his chin and his arm, but I ignored it. Aidan was the one who transformed awkward situations into funny ones, so I didn’t want our only hope to be uncomfortable, too.
“Where are we?”
“The cottage…duh,” Aidan said as he took out some cigarettes. Ethan took out a lighter, then held it in the center as we lit our cigarettes. I didn’t protest as I blew out the smoke; it calmed me. I watched Aidan as he stared at the ceiling, attempting to blow smoke rings. I glanced at Ethan, who was already staring at me. He immediately looked away as his cheeks turned red. “You going to the football game tomorrow night?”
“Err…I don’t know.”
“Please come, Lana. I need you,” Ethan said as he stared at me.
“But…what if they start again?” I mumbled.
“Sit with us. They’re not going to hurt you ever again.” Aidan stood up. “We should probably get you home. I’ll be waiting in the car. Don’t get too touchy, you children,” he joked as he walked out of the room. I blushed as I thought how he’d save us from an awkward situation but made one up when he left. I turned to Ethan, who already had his eyes set on me. I rose to my feet and crushed the cigarette in the ashtray nearby.
“Can I ask you something?” he asked as he got up from the bed.
“You just did.”
“Promise me you’ll come to the game tomorrow night?” he asked as he walked closer to me.
“Y-yes,” I mumbled as I stepped back, then hit my legs against the bed. Ethan firmly placed his hands on my waist and looked at me.
“And will you wear my jacket for, you know…good luck?” He smirked. I must have been as red as a tomato; I nodded, then took another step back but fell on the bed. Ethan landed right on top, our faces inches apart as he stared at my lips. He leaned in slowly as I closed my eyes.
“Hurry up, you two!” Aidan yelled from outside. My eyes shot open as I cautiously slipped from beneath Ethan, who also got off the bed. I looked at my glasses on the table.
“Err…I’ll get you new ones.” He walked to the table and took a plastic bag from under it; he put the remaining pieces in, then put it in a drawer. “My dad knows a guy,” he mumbled, then walked out of the room. I slowly followed as we walked out of the cottage. Ethan held the door open for me as I got in the car. Aidan spoke to someone on the phone, and it looked like a serious conversation, since his eyes slanted and he whispered. He saw us, then told the person he’d call back. He put his phone away and got in the driver’s seat. The ride home was awkward, so Ethan switched on the radio.
“How did you guys find that cottage?” I asked from the backseat.
“Ethan’s dad was going to use it for extra storage, but it was too small, so he told us we could have it,” Aidan said.
“So that’s like your…man cave?”
“Yeah, plus it’s far away from everything,” Ethan said.
“And everyone,” I said to myself. We pulled up to my house to see Dad getting out of his car. He turned around and smiled. Dad was okay with Ethan, since he’d come to my house before, and his dad always gave my dad discounts at his stores. I got out of the car and thanked the guys.
“Hey, Dad,” I said as we got into the house.
“Hey, sweetie. Your mom will be coming home late. Someone just went into labor,” he said as he walked to the kitchen. “So…Mexican or Chinese?” he asked as he held his phone.
“Err…Mexican.” I smiled as I sat down at the island. Dad joined me after he placed the order, then gave me a once over.
“You okay, kiddo? You have a bruise on your cheek,” Dad said, touching the injury gently. “Was it those boys? I swear I will make sure—”
“No, Dad. I just fell today,” I said as I placed my hand on his arm. His jaw tightened as he looked at my cheek again.
“Y’know…your mom approves you seeing all these boys since you haven’t mixed much with the opposite sex, and…I do too. You should enjoy your last year of high school.” He sighed. “But if any of those boys break you…I will break Ethan and use him as a stick to beat the rest of them.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Food will be here soon.”
“Great…I’m just going to clean up,” I said as I walked upstairs. I opened the door and immediately shut it. I heard movement in my room, and my eyes shot open. My eyes widened as I saw what it was…or in this case who. “What are you doing here?”
I looked at the blond beauty on my bed, with a smirk might I add. I locked my door to make sure my dad wouldn’t interrupt us while I kicked him out.
“Carter Raymond Halls, what the hell are you doing here?”
I pictured him perfectly, well, not really, since his jaw was jacked up.
“What? I can’t talk to my Homecoming date?” Carter asked as he shifted on the bed, then patted the space next to him. I slowly sat down as I eyed him suspiciously.
“What happened to your jaw?” I asked. He opened his mouth to reply but got cut off.
“Lana…you okay in there?” My eyes snapped to the door handle, which rattled. I got up and ran across the room to the door. I glanced at Carter, who grinned. I glared and mouthed him to get out, but he opened my sheets and got comfortable in my bed.
“Err…yeah, Dad, I’m good,” I mumbled.
“Food’s here. Open the door.” My dad raised his voice. I slowly opened the door and got out quickly.
“Yum, food, I’m starving!” I said as I looked my dad in the eye. He turned to my bedroom, but I took his hand and dragged him downstairs and into the kitchen. We sat at the island and ate the Mexican food. Dad eyed me suspiciously, but I smiled. I ate my food so fast I swear my mouth was on fire. After five minutes, we heard a thump from upstairs. My father’s eyes turned to the stairs as mine widened.
“What the hell was that?” Dad asked, rising from his seat. I stood up and blocked his way.
“It was just my books. I was studying…yeah. That’s why I locked the door. So I put my books on the bed, and they must’ve have fallen off.”
A phone call cut off my dad’s response. I sighed in relief as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone.
“Hello?” He returned to eat his food. I did too, occasionally looking at the stairs. Carter better get the hell out of my house. “Uh huh…got it,” Dad said, then ended the call. He sighed heavily and got up.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah…some idiot robbed Mrs. Evergreen’s boutique. Now I have to go in.” Dad sighed as he grabbed his jacket and keys. “I don’t know how long your mom or I will be, so…stay safe,” he said as I walked to him. “And no boys over while I’m gone.” He kissed my forehead. I awkwardly chuckled as he walked out the door. I heard the car start and listened as it got quieter. I grabbed the rest of the Mexican food, then ran upstairs to my bedroom. I opened the door to see a shirtless Carter Halls on my bed.
“It’s not nice to stare,” he pointed out. I scoffed, then strolled to the bed. I sat next to him and opened the food. We ate in comfortable silence. “Are you okay?” he asked as he tilted his head. I sighed and nodded, but Carter didn’t buy it. “Lana, has Benny ever done that to you before?”
“Y-Yes, Carter, of course…I mean, you saw it once last year.” I laughed drily; he’d asked as if he hadn’t seen me like that before.
“I didn’t realize it was so…”
“Brutal? Damaging? Painful?” I cut him off. I was
mad; now he cared?
“Lana, I’m sorry. I won’t let that happen ever again. None of us will,” Carter said. He slowly put his arms around me, but I tried to push him away. After two attempts, I gave up and cried in his arms.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled into his bare chest.
“It’s okay. They’re going to get it someday,” he said as he played with a lock of my hair.
“I’m all fucked up and depressed. Why would you want to go to Homecoming with me?”
“Because you’re you, Lana Willson. You don’t give two shits what people think of you. You’re funny, a risk taker, and…you gave us another chance. We were assholes to you, but you gave us another chance, and I can’t thank you enough for that,” Carter said as he cupped my face. He gently wiped my tears away, then kissed my forehead. “I promise…you will never get hurt again.”
After that, we talked about anything and everything. It was funny to lay on my bed, laughing and talking as if Carter hadn’t done anything to me. He used to tease me a lot.
“I need to change,” I said as I got up from the bed. I walked to my closet and grabbed my pajamas, then walked to the bathroom. “You staying the night?”
“If you want me to,” Carter said from my room.
“Well, it’s already late so…” I said, then shrugged my shoulders. I sat by my desk and put my arm on the bureau.
“What you thinking about, Willson?”
“How I’m going to get Benny Nielson back.”
“Need help?” Carter asked as the corner of his mouth turned up. I walked to my bookshelf and opened a book that I’d hadn’t opened in years.
“Middle school yearbook?” Carter raised a brow. I had a devilish grin on my face as I opened the book. Two papers fell out, and I held them in my hand.
“I know you only came here at the beginning of freshman year, but there was an incident that happened in middle school with Benny. If anyone ever brought it up, he made sure they were dead.”
“Wait, Aidan told me Benny came to school dressed in his pajamas, thinking it was pajama day?” he asked as I nodded.