There's a Place For Us (Complete)

Part 11

I. An Exquisitely Tragic Love Affair

(Part 11)

"I didn't egg your house!" Adam insisted somewhat calmly. Isabella shook her head in disbelief. She wanted to believe him, but he had no excuse as to why he was there in the first place then.

"Then why were you here?" she asked strongly. Adam sighed. "I'll explain, but please don't say anything until I'm done." He waited for an answer. "Please Isabella," he persisted.

"Fine."

Adam relaxed a bit. "I was home," he started. "I was on FaceBook and I saw that Drew had updated his status. It said 'egging some freak's house tonight. Anyone want to join?'" He looked up to see her reaction at being called a freak, but she didn't seem phased. "I knew he was talking about you and I hurried over here as quickly as I could. When I pulled up, Drew saw me and he smiled...

That's when the first egg was thrown." He continued his slow continuation of the events of the night. "I ran up to him and um... I put him in a headlock and beat his guts out." He said the last part quietly, almost ashamed. "All the others were scared of me and they didn't try to help him. Then you opened the door, and they ran away."

Isabella smiled bitterly, not believing his story. "I don't believe you."

"Why?!" Adam burst out. "Because you just met me! You've known Drew forever! A bond like that doesn't just disappear over night, over some freak you know nothing about!" "I know you..." Adam said. Isabella shook her head at him. "No you don't."

Just at that moment the old woman across the street came running out pointing at Adam. "This boy! He saved your house!" Isabella looked at her questionably. "He beat those guys up! Scared the daylights out of them!" She laughed. "Great job kid!" Adam half smiled and nodded his head. "You two better get inside. It's chilly out here," she said, then headed inside her house as well.

Isabella stared at Adam, and Adam stared back. "Come inside," she said, leading him into her house. She turned the light to the livingroom on and Adam sat on the couch. Isabella sat too, but far enough away where they wouldn't accidentally touch. "Let me see your hand," she said. He held out his hand to her, and Isabella's cold fingers gingerly held it. His knuckles were bruised and a person could easily tell he had been fighting. "You better take care of that," she said. Adam brushed it off. "Me and Drew always get into fist fights. This is nothing." Isabella nodded her head awkwardly, something she seemed to do often. She didn't understand why someone would stay friends with a guy he always physically fought with.

"Where are your parents?" he asked. Isabella stiffened. "They're umm... Ahhhh... Business trip." She seemed unsure of the actual answer and her answer was unconvincing. She wasn't saying something.... She wasn't saying a lot of things, but Adam was determined to get through to her.

"You've got a friend in me. Don't forget that," he said. Then he headed towards the door and left; but school was tomorrow and things were about to get a little bit worse.

Isabella awoke from a peaceful sleep by a belly deep scream. She couldn't understand the words being yelled, but they definitely weren't pleasant.

She once again threw her bathrobe on quickly and ran to the door. It was early in the morning. Maybe 5:00, but she would've gotten up in twenty minutes anyways to get ready for school. Isabella opened the door and found two familiar faces on her front porch. The strong, able old woman was beating Adam with a broomstick. "Get away you dirty scum!!! Ahhhh! Get away!!" With every word, her hit got a little more aggressive. Adam ducked away, blocking his head with his arms. "Get off of this porch!!"

Isabella stood, shocked, but finally snapped back into reality. "Louisa!" she shouted. Adam and the woman looked up, not even having noticed her before. "Isabella," the woman said coldly.

"Louisa," she replied in an equally cold tone. Louisa held out an envelope towards Isabella and Isabella took it into her grasp. Then, Louisa quickly vanished, mortified at coming face to face with her granddaughter.

Adam smiled awkwardly at Isabella as she turned towards him. "I was just cleaning your house. I'm basically done." She looked at the walls of her house and there were almost no remains of the night before.

"Why did you do this?" Isabella asked quietly. "Cuz it's my fault they did this to you" he replied ashamedly. "You can go inside and get ready if you want. I'm good out here, just finishing up. Unless you don't trust me..." he continued. She wasn't sure if she trusted him with everything, but she trusted him with this. So she headed inside and got ready for school. She came out an hour later dressed in a baise turtle neck sweater and a long forest green skirt. "Coffee?" she asked Adam, popping her head out the door. "Sure," he said, lighting up. "Milk and two sugars please."

She came back out with two cups of coffee in her hands. "We both better get going. It's almost 6:45," she said. Adam nodded his head and watched as she locked the front door. She took her keys to the car out and placed them in the ignition. It started up fine, but when she started to drive away she realized something.

All four of her tires were flat.

Adam came over and examined them. He sighed. "Looks like... Umm. Drew did this. He put holes in your tires." Isabella rolled her eyes. "What an idiot," she muttered. "You could ride with me," Adam offered. Isabella stiffened, then relaxed. "Um, yea. Sure." Adam cleaned his hands with an old rag he had sticking out of his pocket. "Alright. Let's go."

When they arrived at the school, they joined in the slow march to the front doors. They talked quietly with one another, but stopped when they saw Drew. He stared at them, and fire raged in his eyes, and he willed the fire to burn them to pieces.

Adam walked to Isabella's locker with her and when she opened it, she found another surprise. But this surprise was by far the worst. It made Adam's skin crawl and it made him so angry that he willed his own rage to pull Drew to shreds.