by Naomi Niles
“Hi.”
“Hi,” I said back.
We were still strangers, and I have to say it was awkward to have a guy across the hall, even if that hall was very long.
“I left my math book at school. Can I borrow yours?”
“Uh, okay. Did he give us homework in that class?”
“Yes. He did. Chapter twenty three.”
“Yikes. Good thing I brought it home,” I said.
He nodded, then smiled. “Do you want to do the homework first and I’ll come back later?”
I reached into my backpack. “No. I’ll do the homework later.”
“I’ll get this back to you in fifteen minutes.”
I looked at him with wide eyes. “It only takes you that long to do your math homework?”
“Yeah. To me, it’s easy.”
“Wow. I will have to get you to help me this weekend. I can’t seem to grasp it.”
“Were you recommended for this class?” he asked me.
“No, but my mother wanted me to take it for college.”
“Well, there’s your problem. You weren’t ready for it.”
“My stupid grades reflect it,” I said.
This was comfortable. I could talk about school with him. Then the silence fell, but I kind of didn’t want him to leave. “Uh. Did you get on the team?”
He frowned. “No, I didn’t make it.”
“I’m sorry, Dylan.”
He shrugged. “It’s okay. Your dad was right. I need to put myself out there and try things.”
That might mean he wouldn’t be friends with Cole. That would be okay. “You did that.”
“I’ll have to see what else I can get involved with.”
“How’s your mother?”
Another frown. “She’s out of the hospital, but in a rehab center. She’ll be there for a few days.”
“Was it drugs?”
His face fell. I should have asked that.
“Forget I asked. I’m sorry, Dylan.”
I really was. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. He was turning out to be a nice guy.
“It’s okay. It was almost an overdose.”
“I’m sorry, Dylan.”
“Not your fault.”
His face wasn’t so open anymore. I had tread on personal ground and I had to bring things back around. “Uh, are you taking the SATs on Saturday?”
“I’m signed up, but I don’t know if I’ll bother.”
I shifted in my chair to get more comfortable. “Why not?”
“Not like I can afford college.”
“You haven’t applied anywhere?”
“No. I couldn’t visit.”
“You could start at the local community college,” I said. Part of me wanted to go there for nursing, but I knew my mother didn’t want me to go into that field. It was a fight we had often.
“I can’t pay for it.”
“Financial aid.”
“But that has to be filled out by a parent, and that’s not going to happen.”
That was a bind. “There must be something you can do.”
“I can be emancipated.”
“But we’re eighteen. Aren’t we considered adults?”
“Not in terms of financial aid.”
“Then get emancipated. What does that mean?”
He leaned against the door frame. “It means that I can take care of myself. That I’m not under a parent’s authority.”
“Do it.”
“It costs money and I’m not working,” he said.
“Maybe my dad could help.”
He shook his head. “Your father has done enough for me. I can’t ask him to do more.”
“I could.”
“No, Taylor.”
It was only the second time he’d said my name, and I liked how it sounded in his mouth. That was odd, for sure. I wasn’t usually attracted to the bad boy and with his longer hair, scruff, and tattoos he was definitely a bad boy.
“Why not? He’d do it if I asked.”
“I know he would, and I’d owe him even more that I do now.”
“It’s okay to ask for help, Dylan.”
“Not for me,” he said.
I didn’t understand. I asked for help all of the time. Was it a guy thing? Maybe. My father helped me all of the time.
“Is it because you’ve never had anyone to help you?”
“Why are you trying to analyze me?” He pushed off the doorframe. “I’ll get this book back to you in fifteen minutes.”
He spun then walked out. I’d pissed him off. I ran to my door. “Dylan?”
He stopped in the hallway then turned to me. “What?”
“I’m sorry for whatever I said wrong.”
He pressed his lips together. “It’s fine, Taylor. You don’t have any idea.”
“No, I don’t. So, if I do it again, please tell me and know that I don’t mean it.”
He studied me, and I wasn’t sure what he was thinking. I told myself to never play poker with Dylan. Certainly not strip poker. Now, where had that idea come from? I’d never played strip anything with anyone.
“It’s okay, Taylor. You don’t know any better.”
“But I’m not a child, so tell me when I insult you. I don’t want to.”
He nodded. “Okay. Deal.”
I smiled, but he didn’t return it. Instead, he turned back around and left me alone in the hallway. What an odd person this Dylan was. Would I ever understand him?
Chapter Five
Dylan
Cole greeted me outside of school after Taylor’s mom dropped us off. I wasn’t sure if he’d even notice me since I didn’t make the team.
“Tough break, not making the team,” he said.
The email had landed in my inbox only minutes before I arrived home last night. It had been nice to be out with kids my age as if I didn’t have a care in the world. The reality of my mother in the hospital didn’t creep in until I woke in the middle of the night.
I had been disoriented, not sure where I was. The bed was too soft. The room too big. Then, I remembered. I wasn’t able to sleep any more with worry for her. I should be worried. She is my mother.
Taylor poured me some coffee when she saw my face that morning. Maybe she wasn’t such a bitch after all.
“I’ll be okay. Guess I have to try something else,” I said as we walked into the school.
“How’s everything else going?”
Part of me wanted to take a step back. Why was he asking? “Uh, okay, I guess.”
“How’s your mother?”
I had told him about my mother last night. I don’t know what I had been thinking, but I guess I needed to unburden myself. Now, I wish I hadn’t. “Uh, she’s okay. I’ll go visit her this weekend.”
“Is it better living with the Deans?”
“Yeah, it is. They’ve all been nice.”
We walked toward by locker. I opened it and pulled out what I needed for the next few classes.
“Even Taylor?” Cole said.
“Even Taylor. She isn’t so bad.”
Cole shook his head. “Not so sure I’d trust that.”
“Why not?”
I had nothing to lose by trusting Taylor. It wasn’t as if she could kill my reputation in school. Everyone already thought of me as a thug or bad boy. How could it get any worse? Taylor had nothing on me. I was pretty sure that Mr. Dean hadn’t told her what I’d been doing when he found me. Even if he had and she spread it around, no one would care.
Sadly, they wouldn’t be surprised by it – that’s how everyone thought of me.
“She’s not all she seems to be. I’ve seen her screw a few people over.”
“Well, I’m all for giving everyone a chance. Especially since I don’t ever get one,” I said.
Cole shrugged. “I think you’ll be sorry, man.”
“What has she done to you?”
He put a hand on his chest. “To me? Nothing. I keep her at a distance.
I’m firmly in her friend zone.”
“If you’re her friend, why are you talking trash about her?”
Made me wonder what he would say about me behind my back.
“I’m not talking trash. I’m just warning you. Friend to friend. That’s it. Don’t kill the messenger.”
I bit my tongue. No need to make an enemy of Cole. Being friends with him could keep some people off of my back. “Okay, no problem.”
Cole flashed a winning smile that would open doors for him in life. I didn’t have a winning smile. Instead, I had an off-putting scowl which Cole hadn’t seemed to be bothered by.
It hadn’t bothered Taylor last night, either. I’d reserve judgement on her. She deserved a chance. Not that she needed one from me.
She was currently surrounded by what I thought of as her groupies. As Cole and I walked by, they all checked him out. I can’t imagine they were checking me out. When I looked at Taylor, though, her gaze was on me. She smiled.
That was the most recognition she’d ever given me in school. I smiled back, then moved on to my first class. I could have walked her there, but I doubted that she would like that. No reason to push my luck.
We had a pop quiz in math and I could tell that Taylor wasn’t doing well. She kept huffing and groaning. It might be fun to help her out later. She wasn’t bad to look at, at all. She wasn’t my type, but that’s okay. It was just homework help.
, the teacher collected our papers. When Taylor turned to put something in her purse, she glanced at me. Her brow was furrowed and her frown creased her face.
That bites. She’s pretty unhappy. I smiled at her, but she didn’t smile back. I didn’t take it personally.
The class went quickly and, to my surprise, Taylor was waiting for me in the hallway at the end.
“I really need your help this weekend,” she said.
She didn’t look around at all. She just stared at me.
“I can help you, but maybe you better let your mother know that you can’t do this class.”
“We’re in the second semester already. I can’t drop it now.”
I nodded. She was right. “That sucks. Okay. We’ll set aside some time this weekend.”
“Thank, Dylan.”
She flitted away. I watched her for a moment, and then I realized Cole was walking the other way. He glanced at Taylor as she went by, then at me. He shook his head.
“Nothing’s going on, Cole. She asked for math help.”
“That’s how it starts. Haven’t you seen any teen movies? That’s how it starts.”
“We live in the same house and I doubt that Mr. Dean would appreciate me doing his daughter right under his nose. He’d kick me out and I don’t want that to happen.”
“Keep that in mind, sport.”
I would. I owed Mr. Dean a lot. Fucking his daughter would be the last thing I should do. Besides, she wasn’t interested in me and wasn’t my type. No worries. We could probably be practically naked and I wouldn’t be interested in her.
Cole slapped me on the back. “I got class. Hey, I’m getting some friends together on Saturday. Come by my house about eight. We’ll hang out. Play some video games.”
“Sure. Sounds good.”
My weekend was wide open, after all. No dates. No parties, but really there never were.
***
I stopped in the men’s room before my last class. I’d waited all day. I was in there alone, thankfully. Using the urinal then washed my hands. That’s when I saw it.
I’d been thinking about what Cole had said about Taylor. She’d been on my mind all day, and I hoped I could help her.
Written on the wall were the words: “Taylor Dean is a slut.”
I didn’t think she was. Cole had said she was a cock tease. That usually meant that she was virgin. So how could she be a slut?
Someone came in and I took my time washing my hands. I’d be late for my next class, but that was fine.
“Hey,” the person said as they washed their hands.
“Hey.”
That guy left as the bell rang. Shit, I was going to be really late for class. I dug into my backpack for a marker. I couldn’t let that sit there. I’d never had a sister, but I wouldn’t want someone to say that about her if I did.
She wasn’t and even if she was, it wasn’t up to someone else to make that judgment. I knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of judgment. Most people thought things of me that weren’t true. I knew that I’d never overcome my reputation in this school, but no need to drag Taylor down.
I found the marker. Uncapping it, I began to cover it up.
The door swung open. I jumped and probably looked guilty.
“What are you doing?”
The newcomer looked from me to the marker and then to the wall. I had covered a good portion of it by then. “You should be in class and not in the bathroom.”
The man grabbed my arm and dragged me out of there.
“I was just-”
“Save it. We’re going to Principal Elliot’s office.”
I didn’t know this guy, but I had a feeling he knew who I was. Principal Elliot certainly knew who I was. Sadly, I’d get no leniency from him, even if it had been months since I’d been in to see him.
I was able to snag my backpack before I was pulled into the hallway.
“I don’t know what you kids are thinking when you do stuff like that.”
He hadn’t let go of my arm. He was going to bruise it, but I sucked it up. I wasn’t going to whine. I just followed him to my punishment. It wouldn’t be my first.
The teacher dropped me onto a chair in the outer office. “Wait here.” Then he turned to the secretary and asked, “Is he in?”
“Go ahead.”
She waved her hand without looking up. When she did look up, she frowned at me. “Haven’t seen you in awhile.”
I shrugged. I wanted to try and explain the situation to the principal, even if I knew he wouldn’t listen.
Staring at my feet, I just grunted in her direction. She went back to her work. The door to Principal Elliot’s office swung open. The teacher who had nabbed me left with a smirk on his face. Was he enjoying this? Was this how he got his rocks off?
“Come here, Mr. Cabot,” Principal Elliot said.
I sighed, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and trudged into his office. He closed the door behind me. “Sit down.”
I knew the drill. He was going to listen to my story, then lecture me as if I was guilty. He’d already decided I’d get detention. Yada, yada, yada. Been there, done that.
I sat on the chair across from him. He might have tried to call my mother, but she wouldn’t be answering.
He settled back behind his desk, a frown on his face. “We haven’t had the pleasure of seeing you in awhile. Have you kept your nose clean or just gotten better at not getting caught?”
I picked at a spot on my jeans. I really wasn’t a bad kid. I just made poor decisions. “Kept my nose clean.”
“I understand that your living situation has changed.”
I looked up at him. “How do you know?”
“Mr. Dean called me yesterday and told me that you were under his care at the moment. You’re eighteen, so I don’t have to call him, but I’ve been friends with him for years, so I’m going to let him know that you were in here. I want to give you detention. For a week. We’ll see what he says.”
I didn’t care if he gave me detention, I didn’t, but I really didn’t want him to call Mr. Dean.
“I was covering up something bad said about Taylor Dean,” I blurted out.
He stopped with his hand poised over the phone. “Oh?”
“Yes. It said she was a slut, and I think that’s awful, so I covered it up.”
He folded his hands on the desk, clearly thinking about what I said. “Whether that is true or not, it is still vandalism.”
“I know, sir.”
“You do. Mr. Carter said you resisted him.”
“What?” I looked the man square in the eye. “I didn’t. I didn’t even say anything.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I knew he caught me, and I just came here with him.” I rolled up my sleeve to where the marks his fingers made. “He did this.”
Principal Elliot eyed the bruises. He blinked a few times. “I’m going to call Mr. Dean. I’ll talk over your punishment with him. Then, one of us will tell you.”
He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. “Here’s a pass to get into your last class. Try to stay out of trouble on your way there.”
I snagged the paper and left. I wasn’t going to thank him because I didn’t think he’d done anything great for me. He was on as much of a power trip as Mr. Carter.
Chapter Six
Taylor
I came home from practice early. I’d heard from several people that Dylan had been in the principal’s office. I’d never been sent there and had no idea what you had to do to be there. What kind of trouble was he in?
As soon as I opened the front door, I could hear my parents arguing. They rarely did that, so it freaked me out.
“Why did you bring that delinquent into my house?” my mother asked.
Guess my father had left work early to pick up Dylan from school. That sucks. My parents don’t yell at each other. Why was Dylan here if he was just going to make them do that? I sighed, leaning against the door.
They were in the living room, and I didn’t want to be roped into the argument if I walked past.
“It’s my house, too,” my father shouted back.
I cringed. I’d never heard him so angry. I didn’t want this disruption. This was my senior year and I wanted the second half to go as smoothly as the first. Would my parents get a divorce? Was this the end?
I just didn’t know what was happening.
“You did this. You and your projects. Well, he isn’t a stray dog.”
“Mallory, you are overreacting. He didn’t kill anyone. He’s not even going to get detention other than to clean that bathroom on a Saturday.”
“What will the neighbors think? This isn’t a large town. How will I hold my head up in the grocery store?”
I sighed again. Of course, she’d worry about that. I was worried about my standing in school. I was popular, but that could change in a heartbeat. Something like this could drag me down. I wanted to be mad at Dylan. What had he done?