Everything Has Changed (The Rewrite)

Chapter 30

The conflict was driving her crazy.

Mich had yet to pluck up the courage to send Johanna the rest of the ugly truths she knew about Frollo, or the proof she knew would be perfect to get him put away for child abuse. And she had yet to tell Quasi that she was going against his wishes and working with his aunt to get him out of his situation. Or would be. He would be upset with her if he knew that she hadn't kept his secret as secret as he had wanted her to.

But what was she supposed to do when the boy she loved was hurting so much? She could sometimes pretend that nothing was happening, when they were playing music, when she was kissing him, when he smiled that adorable shy smile like nothing at all was wrong with his life. But she couldn't keep it up for long. She had to let him go home at the end of the day to a house that held nothing but danger. She had to pretend that she wasn't madly in love with him out in public so his father wouldn't get angry. It killed her a little bit inside every time.

"Mich."

And then there was Esme. Mich heard Quasi's breath catch, knowing that the sound of Esme's voice filled him with shock and fear, and she turned around, closing her locker. Beside her, Quasi stayed where he was, frozen. His trauma from Esme's treatment of him earlier in the year was strong. But the former bully wasn't there to hurt anyone. She just wanted to talk.

"Whatever your plan is, you need to make it happen," she hissed, leaning with her arms crossed, desperation in her eyes. "He's catching on to my little trick. I can't fool him forever."

Mich pursed her lips, glancing away. Frollo's second terrible sin. She would love to put him away forever for what he was doing to Esme. But it was such a precarious situation. "I'm working on it."

"You'd better do something soon. I can't live like this!" Esme pulled away, glancing down at Quasi but deciding not to say anything before she stormed away.

The students who'd been watching in hopes of getting Catfight Part 2 looked away, disappointed, and Mich leaned against the lockers, tipping her head back with a frustrated sigh. It was all up to her. She hated it. But she had made this her problem and she had to follow through.

"What was that about?" Quasi asked, looking concerned. "What d-did she want?"

"She's getting fed up with the blackmail thing." Mich turned to him, a resolved look on her face. "I'll see you at lunch. I have to talk to you about something important."

Now if she could only convince him that it was time. She had to do something. Whether he wanted it or not.

She spent her morning trying to figure out what she was going to say to him. She knew it wouldn't go well, however she started, but it was a conversation they had to have. When they met in the music room, she gave him her coffee, hoping that the double shot latte would somehow fortify him. So far it hadn't done anything for her nerves.

"I'm going to tell you something and I need you to not freak out," she said as he sat down and took a sip. Not the best start, but he was listening. She wrung her hands and took a deep breath, shifting on her feet. "I met Johanna after I left the other day. I told her the truth about your dad."

Quasi went very still, but the lid popped off the paper coffee cup he was holding and his eyes widened. "What?"

"She agreed that we can't do anything about it yet because it's too dangerous to risk him getting away with it without any kind of proof, but I have proof." Mich held up her phone. "I videoed him doing it ages ago, because I knew I'd need it one day. And I do need it. We can work together with Johanna to put your dad away, Quasi. We can get you out of there!"