POISONED BLOOD

Chapter 7

"Laney! Laney!" A hand is waving in my face frantically. I jump back and meet Eddy's troubled gaze.

"What?" He stops waving at me. His skin is pale as if his blood has run cold.

"It's like you weren't in there. I've been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes." I doubt it was ten minutes, but glancing down at my little touchscreen, my eyes widen. Dang. He isn't joking. I let my eyes focus on the rough, dark blue, dirty carpet.

"Are you alright?" He asks me this and I want to tell him that I'm not. I want to be held and told that it will all be okay. I need the truth, though. I will no longer let a lie be my comfort. I was a different person back then. I don't know her anymore. She wasn't me. Eddy just got in the way and messed me up more than I already was. No matter how much I want to avoid him, I can't.

"I'm fine." I ice my words and his lips tighten. I know I hurt him, but what does he expect? Pushing up from my desk, I ask the teacher if I can go to the restroom and skirt out the door as soon as she allows it. The halls aren't quiet, but they're not terribly loud either. I like it. No one is pounding my brain with their company or demanding things that I can't do. To make my break last longer I decide to walk to the vending machines across from the cafeteria and only hope nobody notices how far I am from the bathrooms. I reach my destination and just as I'm about to turn back I hear an angry male voice behind the wall of the hall that turns off to the left towards the office. Staring in that direction, I ponder on whether or not I should check it out.

"Ash, I'm sorry.." Checking it out, it is! Summer's plea to her boyfriend shuffles my feet on and halts me at the place just before the open space. I stand against the grey block wall and force all the other sounds away so I can hear their conversation better. Call it eavesdropping if you wish, but that's one of my closest friends and her jerk of a boyfriend. They're arguing; the argument is over something that Ash is blaming on Summer. GUUH! He makes me so angry that sometimes I swear all I want to do is throw a book at him.

"Whatever. I don't care." Ash shoots out and Summer hiccups. She's crying. Okay, if he doesn't get gone in the next minute, I'm gonna-

"Ash, wait!" My rant on Ash is cut short; he stomps from around the corner and I'm met face to face with all his non-glory. Uh.. He looks surprised to see me and I don't have a clue what he's observing; my expression could be guilty, angry, or a mixture of both and then some. His brown eyes are so dark that for a second I think they're black. Like a flash of lightning he's gone and I shiver at the cold air he left behind. Summer hasn't followed and I peek past the wall; she is on the floor with her knees held to her chest by her arms. My shoulders droop at the sight of her face in her hands. I can't go back to class yet, not with her like this. I go to her and drop onto the floor next to her, my hand hovers near her shoulder. I'm not good with comforting others; it's awkward, but I pat softly and her head tilts up a tiny fraction. Smiling at her, I wave. She shoves her face back into her hands and I gulp. This isn't easy.

"Do you want me to feed him to a pack of wild dogs? I can, all you have to do is say the word." Summer chuckles and I laugh. Well, that's a good sign. She sits up and drags her palms across her cheeks, wiping the tears with her jacket sleeves. A twinge gets me in the center of my chest for her and what Ash has been putting her through. I hate watching her cry and to view it repeatedly gives me a helpless feeling that splinters me. I know her and Ash aren't going to stay together. I also know that she will be alright and not just from believing it inside. I saw her in a dream with someone else and she was smiling as a boy spun her around in his arms with nothing but affection in his gaze. Should I tell her, or just let things take their natural course? I look at her figure balled up and hear her whimpers. I'll stick with hating her boyfriend and pointing out that he's not good for her. She may not want to listen to the alternative and she can not deny this. It can't feel right hurting every time you speak to your partner and all you do is fight.

"No, it's okay." She smiles at me. Her lips are the only thing smiling. Nothing can hide the pain on Summer's features. I'll be glad when this mysterious guy comes into the picture.

"You sure?" I grin and we both giggle.

"I'm sure. What about you? Did you ever message Eddy back?" Panic suddenly jumps onto my head.

"Umm... You won't believe this. Eddy is here." Summer stares at me, mouth hanging open and it would be comical in some other scenario.

"Here, as in at this school?" Well, I don't know what any other types of here there are. I don't want to sound sarcastic, so I just nod and she gasps.

"How?! I thought he wasn't going to be back for months?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too. Apparently, he was good and they're letting him off for good behavior." I raise my eyebrows as I say it because it doesn't click with me either.

"DO you think it's going to last?" I shake my head. Nope, with Eddy nothing good ever lasts. Summer studies me closely and I fidget.

"What?" I ask, avoiding her probing eyes. Summer isn't just an honest friend, she's someone who sees everything and I mean everything, even what you keep hidden. It's like she digs it out of you without your knowledge of what's happening.

"How are you holding up?" My eyes close for a second, and I open them again using more force than I should have to. I don't look at her and I'm not sure why. Is it the awkwardness that doesn't exist or is it the shame from having to walk the same halls as him, the fear of him being in my life? My chest feels heavy now and it weighs me down.

"It's fine."

"Laney, you don't have to lie to me and you know it." I stare at my knees, scratching at a tiny hole that's beginning in my jeans; I make it bigger and bite my lip thinking of what I've done. You just keep ruining things, don't you? Leave me alone. I feel a headache forming and work myself off the floor, lending my hand to Summer. She takes it and I pull her up.

"I know. It's just hard to deal with. I don't know if I want to talk to anyone about it, yet." I do want to talk about it, but I don't want to cry and I know that's what would happen if I tried. It sucks having the person who brought your worst parts to the surface around. My body jerks when I feel arms around me. I relax as I realize it's Summer's. I sigh. I'll tell her one day when I can handle it.

"I'm here for you if you need me." I hug back tight, biting back tears. What's up with me today? Clearing my throat, I let go and smile.

"And I'm here for you. Trust me, Ash better watch is back with me around." I laugh at her amused eyeroll.

"I'm serious, I don't like him and I'm pretty sure he knows it."

"He knows; he just doesn't know why."

"Would you like me to tell him?" We start walking back down towards my room and the bathroom that I've "supposedly" been in for nearly ten or more minutes. There's going to be some talk about that. For an odd reason this humors me and I giggle. Summer eyes me and it makes it that much funnier. Slowly at first, she giggles with me. By the time we arrive at my stop we're both guffawing and wiping away saltwater gathering at the edges of our eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She nods, still suffering from laughter.

"Bye, Laney." Waving she walks on down the hall. I glance at the door. I could always just wait for the bell and not have to sit in there with him... Oh, suck it up! Alright.. Puffing my chest out with the air leaving my lungs, I breathe a large breath back in and hold it as I go in. A few feet from my desk, I freeze. The air I was holding whooshes out of my mouth.