Somewhere in Between
Page 21
“I’m glad I have you too.” He kissed her head again, running his hands along her back as they sat and waited for their parents to return.
LtB
Gemma found out quickly what having not only Leighanna in her corner could do, but also Trisha Scott. As soon as rumors and questions started to spread, Leighanna had been on damage control. And once Trisha found out-though she failed to mention it when talking to Gemma and Elliot, the two seniors joined together to stop any more people from talking or speculating about Gemma. In fact, they discreetly started a rumor that Penny was just jealous of Gemma and Elliot’s closeness, and that she made up a story about seeing Gemma at the doctor’s as a payback because Elliot didn’t like her.
It wasn’t a malicious rumor, just something to put the twosome in their place.
More than anything, people believed that since Penny and Cassie had been so cruel to so many. And it was as close to the truth as the two could get without giving the actual truth away, since it was true; neither of the girls liked the closeness between Gemma and Elliot, and it would only make sense Penny would make up a lie to get back at Gemma. In the end, they managed to divert all attention from Gemma, and onto the punishment Penny and Cassie had received as well as how dumb the girls seemed, since why would a guy want to date a girl who had no problem talking bad about someone the guy cared about just to get his attention?
“I’m all about Jesus and forgiveness, but those bitches should be locked up,” Maggie Blake could be heard saying at lunch. “They threw eggs at my house!”
“I think they were born without souls. Or hearts. Cause really, who does that and thinks it’s funny if you have any humanity in you?” Lisa was quoted in Biology.
“Jealous harpies, is all they are. Elliot likes Gemma so why not say shit about her? Like that will make the guy like you instead. They’re lucky Leighanna hasn’t beat them up yet. She can make a grown man cry, I heard,” Becky Court told Ricky Carmichael in seventh period English.
“Tell me about it. I think Leighanna showed extreme restraint. Anyone talked about my sister like that…pow! Then again, she probably didn’t want to be tainted by touching them,” Craig decided at last period ended.
It was all anyone would talk about, at least after Trisha and Leighanna were finished. And Gemma and Elliot were able to get through the rest of the school day as peacefully as could be expected. While she’d had the option to go home, to escape, Gemma knew doing so would only make anything speculated about her to be proof.
It was just as they were walking to Elliot’s car, hand in hand again, that anyone said anything directly to Gemma.
“Hey Gems?” It was Trent, jogging up to her. Leighanna nowhere to be seen.
“What’s up?” She leaned against Elliot’s car, his body resting beside hers, putting on the air of nonchalance. She knew what Trent wanted, it was what she figured everyone wanted if they knew the real truth, she just wanted to seem less affected than she was. She wanted to portray that what had been said about her was nothing, lies, and exactly as Leighanna and Trisha had claimed. But this was Trent, not some random classmate, and the look on his face made her not so confident in her façade.
He came to stand right before her, his normally grinning face more somber than she ever remembered seeing it. “I just wanted to tell you, I love you. You’re like a sister to me. No, you are, you are a sister to me. You’re the little sister I never had. And I would do damn near anything for you.” His voice was softer too, as he spoke. “I’m not gonna ask you what happened. Leigh has given me a rundown, but only because I don’t wanna know, or need to know anything more. But I do know some things. And I need you to know, I am here for you. No matter what. You need me, for anything, anything at all, and I’m there. In a heartbeat.”
Tears fell down her face as she let go of Elliot’s hand to hug Trent. It was the first time she’d made the effort to touch another man, not Elliot or her father, and while she was still a little nervous, everything Trent had just said to her made those nerves fall away. “Thank you,” she whispered into his hard chest.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you,” he whispered back, and it sounded like there were tears in his voice. “I am so very sorry.”
She couldn’t speak, the lump in her throat too big to get passed. So she just nodded against him.
Elliot watched the scene before him with a heavy heart. A few tears slid down his cheek and he made quick to brush them away. People didn’t understand. Gemma may be the one who was hurt, but what happened to her, it affected everyone who cared about her. Dr. Archuleta taught him that. It was part of the reason his nightmares were so severe, she’d said. And seeing big, tough guy Trent, someone most were intimidated by until they got to know his big goofball self, crying, it was so heartbreaking.
Leighanna showed up a few minutes later, a devious smile on her lips as Trent and Gemma parted and everyone prepared to leave. She didn’t say anything to Gemma until that night after dinner, and that was only after being glued to her cell phone for an hour with a vicious laugh pouring out of her on occasion.
“Let’s just say, Miss Scott is not the delicate flower she lets people believe her to be,” was all Leighanna offered until Gemma pressed for more. “Okay, okay! Sloane didn’t want Penny and Cassie cleaning out their lockers until after school ended. She didn’t want them intermingling with everyone else for obvious reasons.” It was known throughout the day that many the two had bullied were hoping to gang up on them and render payback. Principal Sloane had decided two wrongs didn’t make a right. “Well, because Trisha is cheer captain, she was having meetings with the coaching staff after school to not only take Christie off suspension, but to officially replace the two bitches.”
“That’s good to hear Christie will be able to cheer again,” Gemma commented softly. She hadn’t seen Christie again the rest of the day and it made her nervous. She didn’t know how to address anything with her kinda-friend, and she didn’t know what Elliot was going to be facing. She was anxious to talk to him later.
“Yeah, well, Trisha also explained that she should be present when the girls were cleaning out their gym lockers. Just in case they tried to do anything,” Leighanna almost started laughing. “Let’s just say, Trisha may or may not have split knuckles tomorrow if you see her.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Guess she was actually going to just tell them off, but they started talking shit, thinking they were still cool for all the bullshit they’d pulled. She had enough of them, and they both left school with a black eye a piece.” Leighanna had a smile on her face. Though it seemed wistful, almost like she wished it were her in Trisha’s place. “And before you ask, the girls knew better than to say anything after that, so no, Trisha will not be punished for this.”
She was a little confused, but Gemma didn’t question anymore. She was surprised the girl’s parents hadn’t accompanied them into the locker room to get their things. But that didn’t matter. What else could have occurred to have them not try to ruin Trisha as a final hurrah? Because there had to be something. They didn’t seem like the type to go quietly, especially if she hit them. So what could it be? She knew she wouldn’t get the answer out of Leighanna.
“It’s not what they deserve, but it’ll have to do,” Leighanna spoke again. “Besides, word is, they are really not going to like where they’re going. I don’t know much more than that.”
LtB
As Gemma and Elliot talked that night, Gemma relayed everything Leighanna had told her. Elliot was just as surprised as Gemma had been, though he voiced wishing he could have seen it. He also said it had nothing to do with Trisha or wanting to see girls fight and everything to do those brats getting what they deserved, if on a smaller scale. In turn, Elliot told Gemma he didn’t really see Christie. She had stayed late at the hospital and then had a lot of homework to work on. She skipped dinner and went straight to her room but not before huffing at everyone and everything. Her bedroom door was slamme
d once she reached it.
When Gemma asked what Elliot really thought about his sister’s behavior, he told her honestly. “I almost expected this, I guess. I mean she was kept in the dark, and even though she and my parents say she’s trying, she is still Christie. Christie still wants to be the center of attention. But,” he began but trailed off.
“But…what?” Gemma prompted.
“My parents talked to me about it. They wanted to make sure I knew they’d spoken with her about everything and got her to stop any potential large-scale tantrum she may have wanted to have. Which is really the main reason they came to school today. Christie’s “something bad” message to my mom was more about her being left out than anything else. They showed up just in case,” he continued with a small laugh. “Dad said that while yes, Christie is upset at being out of the loop, they talked today, and she realizes this isn’t about her. And she can’t make it about her because for one, she doesn’t have the right to feel hurt after everything she participated in. He said he told Christie while she was busy trying to make everything about her, acting in a completely selfish manner, her best friend was suffering and she was too full of herself to even notice there was a problem. He said if anyone is to blame for her being kept out of the loop, it’s her. But more than that, he said you deserve a friend who isn’t trying to make your pain their gateway to popularity. Guess that shut her up quick, well other than the huffing and door slam.”
It quieted anything Gemma had intended to say, too. “Wow.”
“Yeah. She doesn’t really know details, it’s no one’s place but yours to fill her in if you want. But she knows something happened, that Penny and Cassie are idiots, and if she wants any chance of being your friend again, she’s going to have to get over herself.” Elliot paused, “Okay, that’s really more what I thought. But it’s still true.”
At that Gemma laughed. But then she sobered up quickly. “I just wish…things were starting to look up, you know? Things were going okay. I’m mean yeah, things could be so much better if you know…it had never happened… or the cops knew something… but I’ve been better. I don’t want to be set back because of this.”
“Have you thought about…,” Elliot started but stopped. “You are better. And I don’t think, by the mere fact that you didn’t cower today, that you are going to have a setback. You accomplished so much today,” he boasted, hoping she understood. “But if you’re worried, maybe talking to Dr. Archuleta will help.”
Gemma nodded even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “Yeah. I see her tomorrow. I’ll bring it up.” Her goal had been to talk to Dr. Archuleta about her feelings regarding Elliot. She had decided to finally “man up,” as it were, and get it over with. Now, she didn’t know if it was the right time, since the whole thing with Penny and Cassie had made her feel weak, regressed.
They hung up not long after that. The day had been tiring, and Gemma was ready to sleep it away.
LtB
The following few school days passed much as the rest of Monday had. People looked at Gemma, but mostly just shook their heads with a look on their faces that suggested Leighanna and Trisha had completely succeeded. When Gemma visited Dr. Archuleta, she was a ball of nerves.
“What happened your first day back?” Dr. Archuleta asked quickly, without her usual preamble. Something told Gemma Dr. Archuleta had an idea already.
And without even a breath, Gemma launched into the tale of the day before. When she finished, she found she was panting from anger. It was anger she hadn’t let herself feel the day before, too worried people would notice she was in fact, affected, and worse yet, damaged. “My sister and um, Trisha made sure people didn’t talk about me.” It was the first time she had mentioned Trisha to Dr. Archuleta, and it made her wonder if she should have said anything. Was it some kind of violation? She wasn’t the doctor so she wasn’t certain.
For the longest time Dr. Archuleta sat, a contemplative look on her face. When she spoke, it was not what Gemma was expecting. “First, I want to tell you how sorry I am for what you went through. Regardless of what was discovered, something like this, it should never get out. Not unless you want it to be out. As for Sarah, the receptionist, we’ve spoken with her, and she is currently on an unpaid leave of absence while the situation is investigated further.” In that moment, Gemma knew Dalton Wade really had kept his word, and called to resolve the matter immediately after leaving. “Second, I want to tell you how proud I am that you chose to stay at school yesterday. It took a lot of courage. And no one, absolutely no one would have thought of you differently had you decided otherwise. What you went through can bring down the most powerful. But you stood tall.”
“I just didn’t want to add fuel to the fire,” Gemma murmured.
“I understand that. Regardless, I’m proud of you.”
It was in that moment that Gemma found her courage. “There was something I wanted to speak with you about.
LtB
“I can’t believe what happened to Gemma, man,” Josh muttered around a bagel.
Elliot watched his friend make a mess all over the counter before he responded. “No one can. Not even me.” He didn’t say even though he was there. No one knew that just yet. “But she’s doing so much better.”
“Yeah. I wondered why you guys avoided me for a while there. Thought it had something to do with Christie, thinking you were choosing sides being that she’s your sister, and was Gemma’s best friend, but uh,” Josh stated as he looked around, even though no one else was home, “I never saw you guys with her, so I wasn’t sure what was going on.”
Elliot just nodded. He didn’t want to talk about this anymore. It was still entirely up to Gemma to tell what she wanted. Even if Josh had some inkling, he wasn’t going to be the one to fill in the holes. “What about you? You talking to Christie again?”
Josh just shrugged. “Kinda. I mean I’m talking to her, but we’re not really talking talking, you know?” Elliot didn’t but didn’t say anything. “Like, after Christmas, I called her. I wished her a happy new year. But yesterday, it was like bad Christie popped up again. I don’t know, Gemma passes out, and instead of being concerned, she was pissed because no one told her what was going on! You saw her tears, I really thought it mattered, and then once you guys were in the office, she was asking why everyone was keeping things from her.”
“My parents told me they talked to her about that.”
“Yeah, you should have seen her though. She called your mom right quick like, ranting about something bad happening. I actually thought she was upset because of everything, but then she started going off on no one telling her anything and that it wasn’t fair, she had a right to know,” Josh shook his head. “I can’t believe how deep Penny and Cassie managed to get. I mean, Chris has always been a little selfish, but she was never mean. She was never this bad. It’s like a guy who has the alcoholic gene. Give him some liquor and all hell can break lose.”
It disturbed Elliot to hear Josh talk about Christie that way. And not because it angered him, the diss. He was disturbed because it was an accurate description. She may have been starting to get her life right, but she still had a long way to go. “I hope she starts to really get better now that she won’t have anyone around to feed the monster.”
“Me too, man. Me too.”
LtB
Gemma had a lot to think about. Dr. Archuleta had left her with a lot to consider. She still wasn’t completely certain, but there was hope. Before she could delve too far into her thoughts, her cell phone buzzed on her night stand. It was an unfamiliar number; local, but not one she knew. She thought to let it go to voicemail, but at the last minute, answered.
“Hello?”
“Gemma? Hello, this is Detective Vasquez.”
Hearing that name, after so long of not hearing anything from the detective, Gemma’s blood ran cold. “H-hi, Detective Vasquez. How can I help you?” Her voice was trembling almost as bad as her body had suddenly begun to.
CHAPTER TWELVE
She was numb. She didn’t feel the leather on the seat she sat on. She couldn’t feel the chill in the air. Or feel the way Elliot kept stroking her hand, trying to soothe her. She didn’t feel anything. The moment Detective Estrella Vasquez uttered those words about possibly knowing who hurt her, her entire body, her mind, completely shut down.
Gemma remembered walking downstairs, seeing her family sitting at the dinner table, since dinner was going to be served soon. She remembered telling them about the phone call. She even remembered calling Elliot to tell him. It would be important for him to know too, she’d thought. But while she remembered, it felt like someone else’s moments. Every action felt like they belonged to someone else.
“Gemma? What’s wrong?” her father had asked her, but his voice was muffled, like she was under water.
She never answered him because she couldn’t say. She couldn’t articulate the words needed to tell her father how out of control her mind was running. Even in her phone call to Elliot, she didn’t really say much.
“Detective Vasquez called. They’re coming to my house.”
It was Elliot who showed up and ended up explaining what was going on.
This was almost worse than the moment she started walking into the police station those months before. She was in a daze, desperately trying to snap herself out of it. It was only when Elliot pulled her to him, held her tight, and told her she was going to be okay, that Gemma felt anything close to cognitive. She nodded her head, and followed him into her kitchen where the two detectives working her case were waiting.
She didn’t remember them arriving.