A Plagued Winter

Chapter 11

Further and further we stalk towards an unspoken line. I see her, she takes a step forward, mirroring me. How much further are we willing to go, before we cross the barrier of what we've always known, into something untold.

Andre

I hear the commotion before I see it. Somehow, as I tried to drown out the humming noise of chatter in the loud cafeteria with my head down and eyes closed against the cool plastic of the table; I hear something that stands out against all the noise. I hear Carlee as clear as day in a voice that wreaked havoc against my ears. She's loud and sounds almost as angry as the first day I heard her, with the same laced venom to her words. Who was she stinging now?

I sat up and searched the cafeteria for Carlee. Finding her almost instantly, three tables down from the table I sat at. Her eyes were locked onto a dark skinned girl sitting in front of her and I knew immediately by the look in those copper colored pools that the girl sitting in front of Carlee was taking the damage.

"You think you know everything don't you?" Carlee started, her voice raised against the noise of the crowd. Around her, others began to look in their direction.
"And when you suddenly feel like you don't know the details on everyone in our entire fucking school then you lose your shit. Cuz you have to be able to control everything here right? It makes you go crazy when you don't? Tell me I'm wrong Journey. Or any of you, since y'all wanna keep staring at me."

The dark skinned girl sat up in her chair with a quick force that I could tell, even from this distance, she was fuming.

"What about you then Ms. Carlee? Huh? Being in on everything has its perks you know. You wanna talk all this shit but you're just the same as every other freak I've heard about. You've had a free ride cause' of your little friend. And I've been holding back on spilling everything I know but now I don't have to. Maybe your little celebrity friend, Mr. Andre, should know too don't you think?"

Carlee's eyes darted towards my direction for a fraction of a second with a look of fear. Quick enough, that only I could see she looked like a cornered cat. And in that instant, I had already decided what I was going to do.
In sync with Carlee, I stood up in my seat and began to walk towards them. I knew people were staring. I could feel their gazes permeate my backside, but I didn't have time to care.

"Leave him out of this.. you have no idea who Andre is and what he's like. You can keep trying to back me into a corner all you want. I don't care. Go ahead. Tell everyone if you want to. If that's how you've felt for so long. It's not like everybody doesn't already know. In fact, shit, maybe I could do it for you. I'd enjoy ruining your fun." Carlee smiled a smile that radiated only icy hatred.

I heard the dark skinned girl scoff as I got closer to them. As badly as I wanted to run over to Carlee across this stretch of illuminum floor that seemed to obtain the ability of quicksand, I had to remain cool and collected. Causally strolling with a fire in my heart that dared me to destroy the girl who tried to mess with her.

"You're willing to spill everything you've been trying to hide for so long just for some fuck boy? Damn you've really lost it haven't you? I wonder how Trey would feel knowing his best friend was so easily put under someone's control. Oh wait. I forgot. Guess he can't really find out can he?"

At this, Carlee's eyes widened and in them, her vulnerability presented itself in a way that stabbed at my heart. How could anyone hurt someone with that look in their eyes?

Throwing away the rational decision to walk calmly, I crossed the distance between us and appeared by Carlee's side. Reaching swiftly to grab Carlee's hand as if it was the most natural thing for me to do. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Carlee looking up at me in astonishment, tears glazing over her wide brown eyes. So I could deliver all the rath I felt without giving into Carlee's penetrating look of incredulousness, I focused onto the girl that caused her pain and let all of my rage pool into my glare.

I was taller than her by about a foot so I was glad that I was able to look down at her and have her shrink away from me. Away from my mind in the moment, I could tell that the cafeteria had gone quiet and most likely everyone's attention was pointed at us.

In a dead voice that I hoped was as hostile as I felt without shouting, I spoke to the dark skinned girl.

"I'd step off if I were you."

Her eyes widened and she looked as if she wanted to hide herself away. I let my disgust show on my face at this recognition. For a moment, she said absolutely nothing and as I waited for her to speak, I watched her gaze return to Carlee with pure anger.

"You're done." The girl hissed.

I scoffed and her attention came back to me.

"If you mess with her again. I can promise you it'll be much worse for you."

She left my gaze and drilled holes into the table in front of her.
Seeing that I striked fear into her once more I felt satisfied. I tugged on Carlee's hand, that had tightened it's grip on mine like a deadbolt, and looked down at her. She had her head held low and her hair covered her face like a dark, curly curtain.

"Let's go." I said to her in a soft and gentle tone. Carlee nodded without looking up at me and I pulled her by the hand, leading her out of the stunned cafeteria.