Freak Girl

Chapter Five

Chapter Five                                                                     

Amber took her time getting to school, her back smarted and stung as the cloth of her tee shirt clung to the fresh welts on her back. Well she definitely wouldn’t be staying out late again, she resolved pulling up in front of Millie’s house.

Ringing the door bell Millie answered and taking one look knew right away what happened. She rushed her inside closing the door.  Millie was her godmother and an herbalist.

An hour later she was doing better as she handed a note to Mrs. Williams in the office for her tardiness. Mr. Doppler’s class was already in session so she slipped in and went around the outer wall to her seat. No one bothered her, as Mr. Doppler was watching.

Sitting gingerly in her seat not leaning back Amber tried to relax and listen, when her book she had drop at the library was slipped onto her desk, “we need to talk.”

Bryce whispered to her. Closing her eyes she just wanted him to leave her alone.

Amber hid for most of the day in study hall, skipping gym and two of her classes, because the pain was too intense to concentrate.  That didn’t discourage him though, he some how found her, and sitting down next to her he whispered,

“you can avoid but not hide,” his voice was hard.

She slipped him a note in blue marker, “go away!!!!” 

Leaning in he whispered, “we will talk.”

She shook her head, making the room suddenly tilt precariously. Bryce noticed how she held her head and leaned in asked,

“are you alright?”

She started to stand when her knees began to crumble, dark pockets of blackness popped in her visual followed by a rushing sound pounded in her ears and suddenly she felt nauseous.

Bryce caught her easily enough. Adjusting her arm across his shoulder, he hiked her up lending support.

“Is everything alright Mr. Downing?” Mr. Green asked of them.

“Yes fine, I just need to escort frea, . ..” he caught himself then rephrased,

“Amber to the nurse, sir.”

“What are you doing?” Jimmy hissed exasperated. Bryce totally ignored him.

Out in the hall Amber whispered,

“leave me alone.”

Bryce smiled to himself and before he even thought about it swung her easily up into his arms. She moaned but didn’t fight him, in fact she rested her head against his shoulder. Why did that feel right?

“This doesn’t mean we’re friends.” She muttered.

“I know,” he told her.

“I can’t go to the nurse.” she whispered.

Again he said, “I know this too.”

Amber didn’t care how he knew that at the moment, her stomach wanted release of it’s content.

Bryce took them instead to the top of the roof where the Botany class had their Botanical Garden.  Here he set her down on a bench, and waited. She brushed her hair aside and hurried to the corner where she instantly threw up.

Afterwards Bryce handed her a cool cloth, which she hesitated in taking,  “why are you doing this?” Her throat raw.

To be quite frankly he didn’t know yet. This was new to him even, as if he was going against some sort of code. Then he looked down at her and became captivated by her eyes, they were unusual, the very color of blue grey suede, fringed out with thick dark lashes.

This he wasn’t expecting, he turn away quickly to hide his growing confusion.

Running his hands down his jeans in nervous agitation, Bryce suddenly felt out of his safe zone. He sat down on the bench rubbing his hands together,

“I was there,” he announced out of the blue.

“Where?’ she sounded confused as she looked away, wiping her mouth.

“Last night, I saw what your father, . . . I mean how he, . . . did to you.”

There it was out he said it. Now as he waited not looking at her, Bryce felt awkward.

A silence so heavy weighed between them when she spoke low, “he is not my father.”

He slowly turned toward her, his eyes uncertain, this wasn’t what he expected to hear,

“who was he?”

“Step father”

“oh,” he nodded in relative understanding.

Amber began to sit down next to him when he said her worst fear.

“You need to tell someone.” Bryce stated.

Amber was off the bench so fast it made her head light headed again. Bryce went to help her and gently press his hand on her back, she moaned and twisted away from him.

“This was a mistake, just leave me alone.”

“No, Fr, . . .Amber, just wait” Bryce insisted.

 “You can’t even say my name,” she complained looking hurt.

“You can’t hold that against me. You’ve allowed it,”Bryce counted looking miserable, didn’t she get that.

“I know your just being nice to me because of the paper. I get it, but please stay on your side of the field and don’t try crashing mine.”

Amber went to go when he stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

She instantly froze, he felt it, her whole body had reacted, waiting, but for what?

And then it dawn on him and he immediately let her go, “help me to understand.”

“Why?’ she looked at him as if he had the plague.

“Because it’s wrong.” He countered. Why was he even saying this? He had enough to deal with and if his friends even caught wind of this all hell would break out. Jimmy hated this girl.

“It’s too complicated and I can’t trust you.”she argued back frustrated. 

“Why don’t you give me a chance?” His mouth said the words but his brain told him he was walking on thin ice here.

Amber so wanted to let him in, just to have someone to relate too, but he had one particular friend she couldn’t trust.

So she did what she had to, hoping to get her off his radar.

“I’m not some pathetic project to take on Bryce Downing,” her voice sounded tormented.  “Never said you were,” he frowned his expression closing at her accusation.

“Then do us both a favor and forget this conversation and me! Stay on your side of the team.”

So with that she walked away and he let her.

Amber sat in the girls bathroom and cried silently for all the could have been’s.

Please comments welcomed. Let me know what you think of the character.  Visist my website and blogs at,   Taylorraven.com