Hey Punk, Keep This a Secret

Chapter Eight: Chance Andrews

 Some moments after Landon left, there was a knock on the door. At first, I figured that Landon might have forgotten something. However, to my surprise, CJ greeted me when I opened the door.

"Why in hell aren't you at school," she asked.

"Long story," I said, "What about you?"

"Also a long story," she answered.

We both figured that telling our "long stories" at the door was a waste of heat, so we went inside and sat in the living room instead. When CJ saw Devin sitting on the couch, she said, "You're here too? God damn, this place must be a troubled teen clubhouse."

"It kind of is," I said. "Too bad Danny isn't also hiding away here."

"Danny is smarter than to come to a caseworker's house for cover," CJ said with her usual attitude.

I chose to ignore that comment, because I didn't feel like arguing with her. "Who's telling their 'long story' first," I asked.

"Not me," Devin said.

"Nobody asked you," CJ said to Devin. Then she turned to me and said, "since I figure your story is more exciting, we'll save you for last."

Devin groaned. "Wow, selfish much?"

CJ hadn't even acknowledged his snarky comment before she began her story. "I was getting ready to say the announcements over the loudspeaker this morning, when this girl from your class came into the office and handed me the attendance sheet. I glanced over at it for a moment, and I saw that you were absent! Now, knowing you, you would have still come to school even if you had stage 4 cancer. So this was pretty scary."

I interrupted her and said, "Aw, you cared about me?"

This was quickly met with, "Shut the fuck up and let me finish."

"As I was saying; this was pretty scary. I didn't want to recite the pledge of allegiance anyway, so I said 'fuck it.' Literally, I said it over the announcements that I wasn't going to do it. Then I had to beat the ever-living shit out of Mrs. Marlie, and run out of the school to find you. It was a mess, your ass should feel grateful," she finished.

"I do feel grateful," I said with a little bit of fear.

"Good," CJ said, "now tell your long story. It better be a doozy because I didn't come all this way to listen to something mid."

"It will be, don't worry," I said. "So here's the story: You guys's know Hart I'm sure. My boyfriend? Well, he came a lot earlier than I expected him to. Yesterday night, he surprised me with his appearance. You'd think I'd be excited, and I was! But the moment my mom left, he started acting weird. He said funny things about my chair, and- and-"

"Get to the point," CJ said.

"Okay, Jesus Christ CJ," I said. I was a little pissed off at her impatience, but I tried not to let it show. "He tried knocking me out by throwing glass at my head, and then he raped me."

Nobody gave a response.

"Oh my god, somebody please say something," I begged, "the silence is going to drive me nuts."

Just as I said that, I heard my phone buzz at me with a notification.

CJ and Devin looked at me.

I opened my phone, and what I saw was unbelievable. It was a whole fucking miracle. "Danny is typing..." was written in a small notification on my lock screen. My eyes had lit up at the sight.

Before she even finished, I excitedly opened our inbox and sent, "HOLY SHIT" in all capital letters, followed by, "DANNY IS THAT YOU?" Then, I dropped my phone on the carpet and cupped my hands around my mouth in total disbelief.