Mr Bayne was looking at me.
“Problems?” He asked concerned.
“No,at least I don't think so. It was my friend Lucy. I have to go,she's waiting for me,” I stopped, he was looking at me strangely.
“Mr Bayne, I'm really sorry I kept you here. Thanks for everything.”
“You're welcome” He said smiling at me.”See you Monday Cassidy.”
I smiled at him and left hurriedly to the exit. There I found Lucy who gave me a strange look when she saw me coming.
“Cassidy,were you crying? Your eyes are so swollen,” she asked worried.
"I'm fine now,” I said, I didn't want to talk about this right now.
“And Mr Bayne?” She was going to start it again.
“Can you stop making silly questions and tell me what is happening? You seemed so excited on the phone,” I told her impatiently.
“Yes,come with me.“
“Where? I have to go home. I'm already late,” I said. She ignored my comment and grabbed me by the the arm and began to drag me.
"To my house. I have to show you something.”
“What?” I asked wondering.
“Just come with me,you'll know when we arrive,” she said cutting it short.
I looked at her quizzically,she seemed so nervous. She kept dragging and she seemed in such a hurry, what was she not telling me? She was walking so fast that I nearly had to run to keep up with her pace. Why was she so eager to arrive at her house? What was it she wanted to show me? In ten minutes we were there. I was breathless. I still felt a little weak. She pulled out her keys and dragged me into her bedroom.
“So,what do you want to show me?”
“Just wait here. I'll go and get it,” she said closing the door.
She disappeared for a few minutes. I sat down on her bed. I couldn't understand her strange behavior. What was she showing me that was so important? In that moment the door opened and I looked up to see what she had brought in. Suddenly I felt my knees going weak, my heart stopped beating. I couldn't breathe. Tears began to roll down my cheeks. I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't. There in front of me was Tyler. I looked at him, he seemed tired. He hadn't shaved and had circles around his eyes. I stood up with my legs trembling and I ran to him and hugged him tight. Just feeling his body close to mine made me feel better. I inhaled his smell. Oh I was craving for his smell. I was craving for him to touch me. In that moment I realized that he was not hugging me back. I pulled back a little and looked into his eyes, there was something different. He seemed so cold.
“Tyler, where have you been? I've been so worried,” I asked him. "Oh Ty, I missed you so much,” I said trying to hug him again but he pushed me gently away, I looked at him hurt.
“Tyler talk to me. What's happening ,why are you so cold ?”I asked as I felt my stomach tighten.
“Cassidy,we have to talk. Sit down please. Cas, I shouldn't be here but I wanted to tell you personally and not over the phone. We have to stop our relationship, we can't be together anymore," he said calmly.
I looked at him shocked. What was he saying.? Was I hearing well?
“What? Tyler?”
“Cass, a lot of things happened in the past 5 days. I have been arrested. I have been in jail for 2 days,” he said weakly.
My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe what he was saying. My stomach ached badly.
“What do you mean, how, why?” I asked.
“Lisa Leighton reported me, the police came for me. I was interrogated for hours they treated me like I was a dangerous criminal.”He said distraught.
“But why they didn't come for me?”
"I didn't let them or at least my father didn't.”
“Your father”? I asked astonished.
“Yes Cassy I had to do what I never thought I would be doing. Asking for his help. Cassidy, my father is a very important and influential person. He's powerful and rich and he managed to get me out of prison, but on one condition. I was ordered not to come near you anymore. Also I can't teach. They don't want me to be near people under 18. My life is ruined. I won't be on the sexual offenders list because my father paid a lot of money. I begged him to try and keep you out of this story and he managed to do so. There won't be any trail but I can't see you anymore. Are you understanding.?” he asked. He seemed devastated.
No, I couldn't. I felt anger, frustration, pain, an unbearable pain. How could he tell me not to see him again? I began to cry.
“No, Tyler. You can't do this to me! Even my life has been hell these passed few days. Everyone got to know about us and they think I'm a slut,they insult me. Write horrible things on my locker,the teachers hate me. They all do. I don't know what I would have done if Mr Bayne didn't help me,” I cried.
“Mr Bayne? Oh Yes. I had told him to keep an eye on you. Glad he kept his promise. I'm sorry I really am. We should have never started this relationship. We should have waited until your graduation. We knew what could happen, we let passion blind us. We have done things without thinking Cas but now it's finished,” he said. There was sadness in his eyes.
“You can't be serious, you can't do this to me Tyler. I love you, I love you so much. I can't live without you. please,” I begged crying.
“Cassy. I can't do anything. I'm sorry. I don't want to go to prison, if I stay with you I will have to face trial and if they convict me,we still can't be together. Try to reason Cassidy please,” he said sadly, he seemed resigned to destiny, he was not going to fight.
“Tyler there is a way, I will leave school, we can escape together. Maybe go to Europe and get married. Please Tyler don't leave me, please!” I begged in a strangled voice.
“You think I haven't thought about that? But it's impossible, the police have my name. How could we leave from the airport without being caught? It can't be done. Even to come here I have risked a lot. I took one of my father's cars so that no one would recognize me.“
I couldn't stop sobbing. I couldn't breathe. I felt a tightness in my chest as if someone was trying to pull my heart out. Now, more than ever I knew that I would love this man forever.
“Cassidy, I have to leave you now. I don't want my father to
find out that I took his car and I still have about 3 hours drive. “
“No!”
I stood up and ran to him and hugged him tight, this time he hugged me back.
“Cassidy, I will always love you. I promise but you have to let me go, you'll fall in love again and you'll forget me.”
“No! This won't happen, you're the love of my life. Tyler, you promised you would be coming for me after graduation. Please I'll wait 6 months. I'll wait for you but -”
He shook his head.
“No, don't wait. I don't know if I would be able to come, and 6 months is a long time,especially for a girl of your age. Cassidy we have to move on, life goes on. It's been wonderful getting to know you, being loved by you. I swear I never loved anyone this much in my life but everything is against us. We can't go against all odds, there are limits and we have to respect them.”
Saying this he grabbed my waist and pulled me to him and kissed me. Oh how I had missed his kiss, it was a kiss full of pain and desperation. I wanted time to stop, it had to. I wanted to be in his arms forever. He broke the kiss and pushed me gently away.
“Farewell my love. Please be happy. I don't want you to be sad, you will always have a special place in my heart. I will never forget you,” he said as he caressed my face.
“No! No. Tyler Please. Tyler!!” I shouted. I didn't want to let him go.
He looked at me with tears in his eyes and then released himself from my grip and went away leaving me to drown in a pool of tears. The pain I felt was unbearable, it was the end. How was I going to go on, how? In that moment Lucy came in and she hugged me tight.
“I'm sorry Cas. I really am. I never thought it was going to end this way.”She said sadly.
“Oh Lucy,Lucy. I.. I..”
I couldn't talk I just needed to cry. Lucy ca
lled my mum telling her that I would be staying at her house for a while. I couldn't go home in this state. I couldn't believe this was happening, it was so unreal, a nightmare from which I struggled to wake up but it was all in vain.
CHAPTER 45
When I got home I locked myself in my room. I Didn't want to see anyone. My mother was very worried and she kept coming to my room knocking at the door. I would just shout at her. I wanted just to be left alone with my pain, hoping that till Monday I would feel better. But by Monday I didn't feel any better. I just felt angrier than ever. I was so angry at Ms Leighton. She had ruined everything, it was all her fault that Tyler has left me. She will pay for this,one way or an other. Anger and resentment kept building up in me and by Monday morning I felt I was going to explode. I arrived at school early, on purpose. I wanted to face her before school started. I knew teachers arrived early and that they usually are in their staff rooms drinking coffee. I walked angrily to her staff room and when I arrived I opened the door without even knocking ,slamming it against the wall. I saw her looking at me, holding the mug of coffee in her hand. Ms Larson was seated beside her. They both look at me stunned and when my gaze met hers she could see all my anger. I went to her and slammed my hands on her desk. I didn't care about anything right now. I only wished to tell her what I thought of her. If I only I could, I would have hit her in the face and pulled her from her hair.
“You called me a slut? You bitch!” I snapped.
“Cassidy what's going on?” Asked Ms Larson astonished.
Miss Leighton rose her hand to silence Ms Larson ,“You stay out of it, I can handle her don't worry,” she told Ms Larson, still looking at me. “This is not the right place to discuss this Cassidy,” she said in a calm but angry tone.
“Oh yes it is. You're mean, you're cruel. How could you do that to Tyler?” I shouted.
“I did nothing, I don't know what you're talking about,” she lied.
“Oh really? He knows you reported him, they told him and he hates you more than ever. If you wanted to punish me so much you shouldn't have done it through him,” I retorted harshly feeling my breath quicken. I was shivering, I was so angry.
She stood up. We were face to face, she looked into my eyes and smiled, a cruel nasty smirk, like to confirm she was happy with what she had done. At that moment something clicked inside me, making me lose control completely. I hated her and I just wanted to kill her. I slapped her face and grabbed her by her hair. She wasn't expecting this and for a moment she froze but then she pulled my hair and pushed me back. I insulted her and she shouted back at me. I was going to go for her again when I felt two strong arms grabbing me from my waist. I struggled to let go but froze when I heard his voice.
“Cassidy calm down. What's happening?”He asked in a concerned voice, his arms tight around me. It was Mr Bayne.
“Let me go.... let me go!” I shouted. “I want to kill her.”
Mr Bayne ignored my requests instead he kept holding me.“No, Cassidy stop it. What did she do to make you lose control like this?”
I turned my head to face him, his gaze was soft as he looked directly into my eyes. “Ask her,she reported Tyler... they arrested him!” I said my voice cracking.
His eyes darkened and I felt his hands tighten around me, he was clearly angry.
“What? Lisa have you really reported him?” He asked astonished.
She looked at him and shrugged. How I hated her.
“He didn't deserve any better, he broke all the rules, he had to be punished.”She said to justify herself.
I kicked ,“Bitch!” I shouted. I tried to break free but he wouldn't let me go. I couldn't move.
“You said you loved him," he told her." I don't call this love, when you love a person you want to see him happy-" He paused, and his arms loosened a little, I turned around to face him, he had a very sad expression on his face.
"Even if you have to suffer yourself. I never thought you were so mean."
Mr Bayne didn't wait for her reply but kept holding me while he dragged me outside. He kept walking without looking at me or saying anything until we were in the History room. Then he closed the door and let me go. I fell to my knees and began to cry.
“Are you mad?” He asked me harshly, I gazed up at him. He seemed more worried than angry. “My God Cassidy, what do you think you were doing? You know you can get expelled from this school for ever?You won't even graduate, you're playing with your future!” He rasped.
“I don't care, he left me. He isn't in prison because his father helped him but the police told him never to come near me again. I lost him forever, he doesn't want me anymore and it's all her fault," I said in a single breath ,tears rolling down my face. "Why have you stopped me?" I cried.
"You shouldn't have done that” I looked at him and I could see how angry he was but there was something else in his eyes, sadness.
“If I hadn't stopped you, you would have hurt her. You can't solve anything in this manner can't you understand that?" He said raising his voice to a higher pitch. I stared at him as he blew out."Listen. I know it hurts but you have to try and cope with it. You have to react to the pain, it will fade, it will go away ,day by day it will.”
“No! I want to die. I don't want to live without him, my life has ended, nothing makes sense anymore,” I cried desperately.
He looked at me in rage and I saw him coming near me, he got down on his knees and grabbed my shoulders, his fingers dug into my shoulders like steel. I stared at him as he shook me.
“Look at me, life hasn't finished. You'll find love again, you'll forget him,” he shouted.
“No, no,no. “ I cried trying to struggle to get free from his grip but he didn't let go.
“Damned.. Cassidy!” I froze I never saw him this angry,he was such a gentle person, usually so quiet. Why was he so angry? The expression in his eyes was indescribable.
“Listen," he said trying to regain control. " You'll find a guy that will love you even more than Tyler did, I'm sure but you have to keep on going, you can't do this to yourself. You're just 18.”
“No, it won't happen. No one wants me. Who would want a girl like me? All the guys in the school think I'm a whore. If any of them would come near me would be just to have sex. You don't understand,you don't know how many indecent notes I found in my locker. I hate my life. I can't go on. I just can't.”I cried.
He was still looking at me and although he had his glasses on I could see that his eyes were watery. Then he caught me off guard. I thought he was going to yell at me again instead he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight. My heart missed a beat as my face was buried in his chest. He had a good smell. I felt confused but good. I really needed some comfort right now.
“You life isn't finished" He said softly. " Cassidy,you'll graduate. I promise you that, I'm not letting you ruin your future. I'll be here for you. I will help you to surpass this moment but you have
to help yourself. You have to accept that Tyler is out of your life, he's gone OK? The sooner you'll accept this, the sooner you will feel better. Cassidy are you listening to what I am saying?"
“Yes,” I managed to say.
“Promise me that you'll try, please.”
"OK,I promise,” I said. I was trembling in his arms. I felt so strange.
“Good,” he tried to pull away but I didn't want to. I clasped his shirt digging my finger in his chest.
“Cassidy. I have to-"
“Please,just a little bit more.”I pleaded as I buried my face deeper in his chest, so deep I could actually hear the rhythm of his heart beat.
He didn't say anything and just kept hugging me. I closed my eyes and let myself relax in his arms. I wanted to stay like this forever. I kept imagining Tyler. I kept imagining being in his arms. No,stop it Cassidy! Tyler left you, it's Mr Bayne you're hugging. Mr Bayne? Oh my God. I opened my eyes and pulled back slowly.
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