Stranger Love (Discontinued)

8: What's Her Deal?

The bell rings and I move to the front of class as others leave. Miss McGregor wanted to speak with me about a test I apparently failed in but something tells me she's wrong. She's more of a mess than she was yesterday and honestly, it concerns me. "Yes, Miss?" I ask. "Any reason why you got so low? You always used to earn good results." I shrug shove my hands into my pockets. "I'm sure you got the wrong person, Miss. Notice how the shit kid got good results?" She lifted her strained eyes from the decaying flower on her desk and gazed at me in question. It was silent for a moment before she looked away and looked back at the results.

"My apologies, Audrey. I seem to have marked some answers wrong," she says with a sigh. "It's alright. You look like shit, Miss. Are you alright?" I ask. "You can go now. I'll be correcting the mistakes I made." Okay, that's weird. Maybe my mom will know why she's acting like this. I leave anyway and head to my locker to put away some books. I look out to the courtyard garden where the prom will be set this year. They plan on making it a romantic party setting this year. I don't see myself going to a prom for or with a date. More so the alcohol.

It's raining lightly, gloomy and cold for a summer's day. The school was quickly emptying with students. I haven't seen Jessica at all today so I assume she's helping her grandparents with something. So I head outside, careless about the rain, and spot Sasha and her slaves following Taylor. They were laughing in a bitchy way calling Taylor names, demanding an apology from her. I lean against my car and light a cigarette, taking in a long breath of damp fur trees with a hint of cigarettes smoke.

Just as Taylor walks by the dumpster alley, Sasha shoved her into it and jumped in after her with her goons. I couldn't hear much other than a faint yelp that accompanied a spurt of blood. As much as I hate Taylor, I can't help but feel the need to save her from whatever shit they're doing to her. So I drop my half done cig and head on over. Taylor was crying for help while she was being thrown about, punched and kicked with some brute force while Sasha insulted her, her words cutting deep. "Hey!" I yelled, yanking the blonde back by the collar.

"The fuck's your problem, punk?! Can't you see we're teaching this bitch a lesson?!" "She already had her karma last week! Three against one is looking like you plan on killing her!" She shoves me into the large dumpster and continued to kick the living shit out of Taylor who coward into a ball in hope to save herself. Rage had got the best of me and I knock goon number one out cold and pulled the second down by her hair, her head smacking the concrete hard. "Listen here, Bitch," I say as I pin Sasha against the wall, staring her dead in the eye.

"You keep going and you'll commit murder and I'll be forced to give you a taste of your own medicine. I don't care what this bitch said or done but I think she's had enough shit for a month. Now you piss off and leave her alone or I'll break your skull with my bare hands, got it?" Sasha was silent, lips thinned and eyes gazing into my stern ones. Taylor sobbed in the background, her goons were silent. "Shitting bricks or something? Answer me!" I demand. Her eyes dropped to my chest and crawled up my arms before she nodded vigorously. "Vacate yourself and your goons and quit starting drama." I push off her and she leaves with her conscious goon carrying the out cold one.

I look to Taylor who held the bottom right of her chest, blood dripping from her mouth as she trembled holding herself up. "The fuck did you do this time?" I ask, earning no answer. Typical of her. "Come here. I'll help you up," I say as I do so. I take her to my car and put her in so I could take her home. It was wordless between us but the radio played some Avenged Sevenfold. I gaze at her quickly just as we pull up to the side of her house. She was out cold, bruising and covered in some blood and dirt. Her parents aren't gonna take to this too kindly.

After lifting her to the front door, her dad walked out calmly as if he wasn't surprised to see Taylor in such a state. "Care to explain what happened?" He asked with a sigh. "No idea. All I know is I saved her from death. Gonna take her or not?" I ask rhetorically. He does so and without another word, he's inside with the front door shut. I roll my eyes and head on home. When I arrive home, I see that Theo was sleeping by the window. It's honestly really cute, reminds me of Sophie who loved watching the rain. I love watching it too, it's quite therapeutic. I enter the house, somewhat drenched and the gaze from Dad was just full of hatred. He hates when I walk into the house soaked.

"'S up," I say, casually. "You could've at least used an umbrella. Go change your clothes. Dinner will be ready in an hour." I head upstairs and quietly walk into my room where Theo snored softly. Would it be right to wake her? Only one way to find out. I shake her lightly which was enough to wake her immediately. Those large eyes had me lost for a moment. "Hi," she whispered. "Suppose you like the rain. Wanna relax out the back?" I ask as I set my jacket over the chair at my desk. "I'll stay here. How was school?" She asks. "Boring as hell. Taylor was jumped though, almost killed." Theo let's out a long lasting yawn and stretch then hugged her knees.

I begin to undress, throwing my wet clothes into the basket by the bathroom and taking a new set of clothes from my drawers. I glance over to Theo, her eyes fixated on my waist. "What's with the scar?" She asks. I look to the faint line across my left hip and smile. "Thought it would be fun to jump from tree to tree. Landed on a sharp rock and twisted my ankle." She visibly shivers from the thought and I can understand why. It wasn't nice and the bill was scary. Now fully clothed, I sit on my bed and read through some messages. Some from Jess, some from Sasha. One from Mom saying she'll be late home by around thirty minutes.

"Would your society accept me for being different?" I look to Theo questionably while she gazed out the window. "Where's this coming from? You really want to meet others that badly?" I ask. "I was forced into hiding by my society because I was a mutant to them. Now I'm scared I'll have to do the same here because I'm not human." I sigh and sit with her by the window, caressing one if her hands. "Not everyone will accept you. As long as you have people who do accept you. Hell, you might even find someone who loves you."

She seemed to have lost interest in what I was saying when lowering her head. Clearly doesn't believe me. "Come on, trust me. You won't be lonely forever." I punch her shoulder playfully, earning a slight smile from her. It reminded me of Jess and how I've not spoke to her today. Not sure why she was off. It would be best sending a text and ask if she's okay. Would that be weird? Nah, probably not. Unless it is from her point of view. "Hey, Jess. You weren't in today. Is all okay over there?" Fuck, that sounds so cheesey. Why don't I sound cool or unconcerned? "Things are good. Sorta fractured my wrist after tripping on the stairs. I'll be fine!"

"Shit, Jess. You want me to get you anything tomorrow? I can bring you some ice and soda if you'd like." Christ, I bet I sound like a tween now. I look to Theo who gazed at me with a suspicious smirk. "What?" I ask. "What's with the weird bright smile?" I could feel my cheeks heat up, shifting my eyes to my boots. "Sorry, just talking to a friend. She was at the hospital today fixing up her fracture. I think I'm sounding cheesey, though." She nods reluctantly, keeping her little smirk when she looked away. "What?" I ask. "Oh, nothing. I'm gonna use the bathroom. Be back in a minute." She's not spilling. I hate it when they do that. Keep something about me to themselves. I don't get it at all. What do they know that I don't?