Danger Love Ahead

Chapter Twenty-Three: Back to School

(April's version) 
"Are you sure those can fit me?" I asked staring at the pair of jeans, Mariah was holding up. I wasn't even sure if the jeans were decent enough for school. After a very heated argument with Mom, Am and Kenny, I had finally caved. I was going back to Graham High School, never mind that Brandon was there. My last argument, I thought, could win them over. I was sure actually. I was wrong. My mind drifted back to earlier that day.
Again Mom, Kenny and Am were siding with Brandon. Mariah hadn't arrived yet. Three guesses who's side she's on.
"Stop trying to defend him!!" I threw my hands up in exasperation. Maybe, if they knew why I suspected him, they'd see it my way. I slumped in defeat and decided that it was time to tell them what kind of person, Brandon really was. "You've been wondering WHY I didn't want to see him? Why I HATE him?-" so maybe I lied there. I didn't completely hate Brandon...I mean I tried but I couldn't. There was a large amount of resentment for him, huge...but disgustingly I still hoped I was wrong about him. That maybe there was some kind of misunderstanding. 
"He did THIS to me!" I jabbed a finger at some purple bruise on my upper arm. The castes were all finally off but the bruises still marred a few places.
"You keep saying that," mom's voice had calmed into curiosity. "But you're being ambiguous. What exactly are you blaming him for, April?" I wet my lips nervously as the three stared at me, expectantly. I didn't have my diary with me so I beckoned them to follow me up to my room. Under my pillow, I pulled out the pink diary, clutching it to my chest at first. I did not want to show them my inner thoughts, never mind that I never remembered them. I never read through the book either except for the last entry. I hadn't wanted to read it anyway after seeing what I had written there. Opening it to the condemning page, I dropped it on my bed in front of them. Mom picked it up, casting me a glance that asked for permission. I nodded and she read it. Kenny climbed on the bed to read it as well, while Am peered from beside mom. I knew what they were reading
"DEAR DIARY,
BRANDON IS AT IT AGAIN. STALKING ME, THREATENING ME JUST LIKE HE USUALLY DOES. TODAY HE TOOK A STEP FURTHER, HE ABUSED ME. HE HIT ME ACROSS THE FACE AND THREATENED THAT HE WOULD KILL ME ONE DAY. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF I END UP IN HOSPITAL. AND IF HE HAS THE NERVE TO SHOW HIS FACE TO ME EVER AGAIN, I'M NEVER GOING TO SPEAK TO HIM AGAIN. I'LL TAKE HIM TO THE POLICE IF HE SO MUCH AS THREATENS ME. TODAY I WILL PROMISE MYSELF NEVER TO SPEAK OR LOOK AT BRANDON STATES AGAIN. I HAVE TO GO NOW. TOODLES!"
Mom looked up from reading with an expression that told April, her mind hadn't changed.
"You never had any bruises, honey. You were never alone with him either-"
"All thanks to me," Kenny put in. "I always kept close by. I think I would have noticed something." 
My mouth dropped open.
"And you always looked brighter then a sunny day when you were with him," Am put in. "Except there was the time you broke your fingers...but it couldn't be Brandon."
"Are you SERIOUS!" I shouted. "You wont take my word for it..ME?? Family and friend?? You'll take Brandon's side, RIGHT?"
"Technically, this isn't your word," Am muttered. "It's your writing."
"Its my DIARY writing!" I objected. Mom shook her head and flipped back to earlier pages. "MOM!" Her eyes skimmed the pages, a frown on her face.
"There's a huge difference in the dates from the second last entry and the last entry," she commented suspiciously. "You're not known for your inconsistency, hun." I took the book from her and read through the untidy scrawl. These were the entries from the beginning of the school term. When I first started at Graham High. There were many mentions of some girl named Kira. The most were about Brandon. These two names kept appearing. Am and Mariah's names only appeared once or maybe twice. The first few pages, I described Brandon as a someone who would never notice me. Popular kid. Got along with everyone. Stalked by a nutcase Blondie called Kira. Coming towards the second last entry, my resentment grew for the unknown "Kira". The last words in that entry was successful in forming doubts in my head about my accusations at Brandon.
"Falling for Brandon states could be very easy for any girl. With him, it was like walking in a field with hidden booby traps, pits covered up by grass and leaves for any unsuspecting stranger to fall in. I guess I have to be cautious, and put my leg forward to feel around for any hidden pits. If I do fall, I can never get out and I'll be buried alive. Hmmm...I'm feeling metaphoric today. Mom gave us literature homework, so seeing as I'm in the mood, I'll go finish it up..." 

"Of course it can fit you! It was made for you!" my mind snapped back to the present just as Mariah threw the pair of jeans into my arms. "I'm glad Am and I came. We have to fix your wardrobe again."
"Is it broken?" I asked eying my closet. Nothing seemed out of place.
"Not literally," Mariah replied. "Where are all the clothes Am and I bought for you?"
"I uh....don't...remember," I answered and the two girls smiled sheepishly.
"Right," Am nodded and moved to the vanity drawers. "Oh here. She folded them so neatly."
"Oie," Mariah smacked her forehead and joined Am in trying to find a shirt to match the jeans.
"What's wrong with my normal clothes?" I asked. Am gave me a look I didn't want to decipher. 
"You're the same April we know," she muttered smiling. "What do you wear to the beach? One piece swimming togs with shorts over it and some kind of ratty t-shirt. No wait, you don't wear swimming togs right? Maybe a long pair of pants and jacket to drown you. Or if you do wear togs, it'd be the long sleeved kind with an extra t-shirt for precaution."
"What's wrong with that?" I asked and regretted it instantly when they both gave me a sharp look.
"This is cute!" Am held up a pink camisole and another flowery blouse.
"Erm..."I squeaked. "Nooo waay."
"COME ON..PLEASE!" I looked at the lacy camisole and then at the sheer blouse. It looked almost transparent. There was no way they could get me into that.
...........................
"Girl, look at you!" Mariah squealed! Amanda laughed.
"I'm a genius," she said eying me up and down. "Now let's get to school!!" I tugged at the stupid blouse with a frown and glared at the girls. I can't believe they got me to wear this.
"You'll knock Brandon's socks right off his feet, shoes and all," Am giggled. I hesitated at his name, my mind returning to the diary.
"I can't cast of the last entry I wrote," I told them. "Even if you guys can." Mariah gave an exasperated sigh. She pulled the diary from beneath my pillow and flipped to the last page.
"Am told me about the diary. Now I want to see what's all this Brandon-hater fuss all about." She read it through, her expression forming into a disturbed one. After a few moments, she looked at me.
"I think I know why your mom didn't react," she muttered. "I remembered when we first joined the cheer leading team. You got in, you had to fill in those forms remember?..Sorry, you don't. Anyway, I was the one that took it to the captain and I read some bits of it too...sorry," she apologized sheepishly before turning serious again. She picked up a pen from the desk beside the vanity and gave it to me. I took it from her quizzically. "Write your name at the top of the page," she instructed. I wrote my name and stared at it. My handwriting wasn't necessarily as untidy as I thought it was but it looked so scrawly and more slant then the last entry writing. Then it hit me suddenly. The handwriting did not match. I flipped to the earlier pages to see the same scrawly handwriting but the last entry was in straight block letters. I did not write this. My mind returned to the hospital, when the clear eyed blond had handed me the book. She had said I dropped it in school. Could she have lied? Was it stolen from me?
"I didn't write this," I guessed. Mariah nodded. 
"Your mom must have noticed that too. She knows that someone tried to frame Brandon. Meaning...someone in our school. Someone who wanted you to hate Brandon." I could hear it in her tone.
"You know who it is," I whispered almost accusingly.
"It's only a suspicion," she replied. I knew before she could tell me.
"You think it's Kira," I said aloud. Am gasped.
"Of course. She's number one suspect," Am muttered with an agreeing nod.
"Which was why mom wanted me to return to school," I muttered aloud to myself. "The villain has to be from school. She needed me to be in a familiar environment...for my memories to return. So I could remember... And to keep an eye on me."
"And Brandon's there too. He'd be around to watch for you even if you don't like him at the moment. You're safest in school with all of us to keep an eye on you. If you were to go to another school, your memories might never return and if it did, whoever hurt you will come back to finish the job. And no one would suspect anyone from our school." I let out a shaky sigh. Poor Brandon. Was he really innocent?
Mom dropped us off at school commenting on how lovely I looked. Kenny just laughed himself silly when he saw me. Pfft. Brothers! A lot of heads turned as we made our way down the halls. A lot of wolf-whistling, cat-calling and what not. I kept glancing at the two girls fearfully but all they did was beam back at me. The girls gave me a tour of the school including showing me my locker. Than my favorite part, they were going to show me the library. A young dark haired guy beamed at me from his locker and waved. I think his name was David. I gave a small wave in return and he nodded to the two girls beside me before striding off with his books. 
"I thought your mom taught at this school," said Amanda. Hearing her breathless tone, I looked at her questioningly. Her face was tinged red.
"She does,"I replied. "I don't know where she went....are you alright? You look flushed."
"I'm fine," she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Your mom probably dropped your brother off. Then she'll return to school." I nodded. I glanced at Mariah, wondering if she knew about Am's behavior but she just smiled. 
"I think so," I said. The sound of giggling from behind us made me stop suddenly. Mariah and Amanda glanced at me. "Kira," they mouthed. We quickened out strides until we reached the library. Kira was the main suspect for beating me to the pulp. Even though we had no proof, I had no doubt that it was really Kira. Just recently finding that out and having to absorb that was hard enough. I did not want to meet her yet.
"I have to get to my locker," I told them. "She might not recognize me, I look different don't I?"
"Like a supermodel," Mariah replied grinning. I rolled my eyes.
"I'll be fine. You two be careful. She knows whose side you're on," I told them before swiftly leaving for my locker. I opened my locker and stuffed my books inside neatly before taking out the ones I needed. Spanish class was first. Shutting my locker, I froze when I saw Brandon and Kira at a locker that I assumed belonged to Brandon. He was fishing some books out of it. Kira was obviously throwing herself at him while Brandon, who looked slightly uncomfortable just smiled and didn't react. He raised his head suddenly in my direction and quickly I turned away. Shutting my locker I hurried to my class. I hope he didn't recognize me.
(Brandon's version)
I watched the blond girl hurry away to only she knows where. Even with the odd get-up I knew it was April. April the timid, pretty girl had changed into April the timid, hot girl. I almost drooled when I caught sight of her. Mariah was right. I was eating my words. I might appreciate her looks even when she dressed strangely but dressed like that, rendered my brains useless.
"Baby you okay?" Kira's voice brought me back to hell..Um..I mean earth.
"Yea sure," I said. I still loved her...April I mean! The bell rang and Kira let out a groan before telling me she had to go, then off she went. THANK YOU GOD!! I hurried to April's locker, wrote the words "WE NEED TO TALK" on a blank paper and shoved it under the locker lid into the locker. So what if love hurts, I'm willing to take a chance.