Then There Was You

Chapter 14: I Know What You Did Last Summer

Lilah

"So, when were you going to tell me about you and Theo?!" Clover sounded out of breath as she caught up to me during recess.

   I looked over my shoulder, finding her just a few steps away looking through her phone for something. When she was at arm's length, she stopped and presented a picture. I groaned as I recognized the angle.

Fucking Brock!

"So that's why everyone's been acting weird all morning," I sighed under my breath while she stood there waiting for an explanation.

"I don't know what to tell you. We went out and we're figuring things out. It's not like I announced it to the world. Some idiot snapped a pic and now everyone knows," I shrugged, careful not to knock over my gel-o.

Clover hummed in response and side-eyed me as if trying to read me.

"Fine. You get away with this one. But now," she paused and hopped like an excited bunny, sending her pigtails flying up and down.

   The style gave her a childlike appearance, and her behavior, right now, didn't help. She hooked an arm around mine, somehow balancing her plate food with one hand as she led us to our table.

"Now I need to know every little detail," she whispered, as we approached Theo and Tyreek.

Immediately I grew alarmed as I saw Theo with his head tilted back, his jaw was tight and the veins on the side of his neck looked tense as if in great pain.

"Theo, come on. You can't be here. You don't look alright, man," I heard Tyreek whine just as we stopped next to them.

Theo pushed some hair off his forehead with a groan. When his eyes landed on me, I nodded in agreement with Tyreek.

"His right, Theo. You don't look good at all," I said.

He let out a defeated sigh and nodded, "Fine. I'll go to the nurse. She'll probably send me home so can somebody get my economics book for me? It's in my locker."

"I'll go get it," I volunteered, stopping Tyreek by saying as he tried to protest.

Theo smiled softly, "Thanks, Lilah. The code is 1991," he said and I was immediately on my way.

   Within minutes I had the book. On my way to the exit, I noticed Brock stepping out of Mr. Martin's office. A sly smirk tugged at his features when he saw me.

"Hey, Delilah. You look beautiful today," he said and began to walk with me.

"Fuck off, Brock!" I spat, wanting him to feel the sting of my venom.

He chuckled that obnoxiously nasally laugh that made me want to punch him.

"Easy tiger! I guess you need more than Wheels out there to take the edge off," he said, amused.

My head snapped towards him and I stopped abruptly. He did the same.

"Don't call him that, you asshole," I said, facing him head one.

   Brock towered over me by at least one foot. His broad shoulders and overall large frame should have intimidated me. But that wasn't what did it. It was the sinister look in his eyes as they ran over my body.

"That's one dirty mouth you got. What else can it do?"

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

"I don't think Caleb would be cool with you flirting with his ex-girlfriend, Brock," I said, crossing my arms.

The gesture seemed to grab his attention. He was now looking at my chest as he said, "He wouldn't mind sharing," he paused, and then his gaze was back on my face, "I know all about you, Delilah," he whispered with a mischievous grin.

I took a step back, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"W-What do you mean?" I stuttered, my eyes struggling to look at his face.

What had Caleb told him?!

   A few seconds went by, and I dared to look at him. The knot in my stomach tightened when I found him basically drooling as he stared at my covered chest.

Feeling my gaze, he looked at me and gave me a toothy smirk.

"They're a lot perkier than I imagined," he said, with a malicious glint in his eyes as he walked away.

My heart, dropped as I put the pieces together. This only meant one thing.

Caleb had shared my pictures.

   Tears began to well up in my eyes but I fought them back. Taking in a deep breath, I shook off this overwhelming dread, looking down at Theo's notebook. I needed to bring it to him so he could go home. I'd worry about my dilemma later.

When I stepped out into the courtyard, a new anxiety filled me as many eyes followed me around.

Did they know?

Theo wasn't there when I reached our table. No one was.

"Lilah!" Clover's voice sounded behind me.

I whipped my head around to see her running towards me, panic all over her face.

"What's going on? Where's Theo?" I asked, meeting her halfway.

"They're getting him to the hospital. He started shaking, the nurse thinks it might have been a seizure," she said.

I felt my hands go numb as a million thoughts raced through my head.

   Clover was still talking, but it was as if her voice was underwater. My hands grew moist, and his book slipped out of my hand, landing on the ground with a loud thud. The sounds caused every head nearby to jerk in our direction, that included Caleb's table. Our eyes met, and the gravity of what he'd done on top of Theo's medical emergency finally hit me.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I turned to my best friend.

"Lilah, what's wrong?" she asked, her panic now focused on me.

I gasped and the first tears slid free.

"Come on. Let's go to the bathroom," she said, pulling me away from prying eyes.

"Now tell me what's going on? Is this about Theo," she asked the moment we entered the empty bathroom.

My legs couldn't hold me up anymore, so I let my back slide off the fall as I came to sit on the floor.

"Oh God, you're crying on the bathroom floor. What the hell happened?!" she shouted, now freaking out.

I looked up at her through teary eyes. Hugging my knees for comfort, I lay my head on my legs, "Caleb... he..." I hiccuped, making no sense, but Clover understood everything as she got down on the floor with me and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Li," she whispered into my hair while I sobbed against her shoulder.

   Why did I ever trust a guy like Caleb of all people? What did I ever see in him that I went ahead and exposed my body for him to share with God knows how many other people? My mind was spiraling, but one thought sobered me up. Theo, at the hospital. Alone and scared, fighting for his life.

"And you put him there," the voice in my head whispered.

   A new wave of guilt coursed through me and fresh tears escaped my closed lids. My mind was a minefield and I wanted nothing more than to get away. But the outside world was so cruel. I didn't think I could withstand one more blow. 

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