Mute

Chapter 16

Isabelle awoke feeling better than she had felt all week, and she bounced around her room getting ready.  It felt great to have someone like Liam to hang out with.  Even though she enjoyed his company and trusted him, there was still a small fear deep within Izzy that Liam might turn into the person he said he wasn't.  She was used to people using her and losing her so she had come to expect that of everyone who came into her life.

Isabelle realized when she first went into the bathroom that she was still wearing Liam's hoodie.  She pulled the neckline of the hoodie up to her nose and breathed its smell.  It reminded her of Liam and the smell was comforting.  She decided she should leave it here in case anything happened today.  She didn't want anything happening to it.  After finishing getting ready Isabelle bounded down the stairs.  Heading into the kitchen she paused when she saw her aunt sitting at the kitchen table, glasses in hand, giving Isabelle a peculiar look.

"Someone seems to have woken up on the right side of the bed today." Isabelle's aunt smiled.

Isabelle blushed and opened the pantry to pull out the Cocoa Puffs.

"Is it a boy?" Isabelle's aunt asked.

Isabelle decided to just be honest with her aunt and nodded her head yes.  Before Isabelle realized what was happening, her aunt had embraced her in a tight hug.  Isabelle squirmed to be let free and once her aunt finally let her go she turned around to grab the milk from the refrigerator.

"Sorry honey," her aunt began, "I'm just really happy you have a friend."  Isabelle glared at her aunt.  Once she had finished preparing her cereal and had cleaned everything up, she took a seat next to her aunt.

"So.." Her aunt began, "Can I ask questions about him? Or do I have to hunt him down myself?" She said teasingly.

Isabelle paused for a moment then nodded her head.

"Okay." her aunt said excitedly, "Is he from school? Is that where you met him?" She began

Isabelle shook her head.

"Okay.  So you didn't meet him at school."  Her aunt was quiet for a moment as she thought.  "Is it that boy that saved you when you fell off the pier a few weeks back?" her aunt finally asked.

Isabelle's cheeks turned a little red as she nodded her head.

"I knew it!" She said.  "So, tell me, what is he like? Is he nice?  He better be or else I'll have to have a talk with him." Isabelle's aunt smiled at her.

Isabelle nodded her head as she finished up her cereal.

"Is that where you've been disappearing to lately?" Her aunt asked.  She turned around to look at Isabelle who had taken her bowl to the sink. 

Isabelle's back remained turned to her aunt but she moved her head side to side to suggest that sometimes she's been with him.  She didn't turn around until her cheeks had returned to a normal color.  Isabelle then headed out to the front room to pull her shoes and grab her bag so that she was all ready to meet the bus in a few minutes.

"Isabelle," Her aunt said coming up behind her.

Isabelle turned to face her aunt.

"I'm so glad you have a friend.  I hope he stays for a long time.  Have a good day at school sweetheart!" her aunt said.

Isabelle then turned and headed out into the cold morning air to the school bus.

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The ride to school was uneventful and Isabelle didn't spot or run into Jake all morning.  She thought she was going to have another day without being bothered by Jake, but she soon realized she had gotten her hopes up way too soon.  Halfway through the school day, Isabelle was just leaving the lunchroom when low and behold a strong pair of hands picked her up and shoved her into a locker.  Isabelle was stuck in the locker staring at Jake, his friends, and everyone else in the hallway.  They all laughed, joked, and pointed at her but nobody bothered to stand up for her.  A few people had even bothered to pull out their cell phones and were snapping photos and videoing the entire scene.

"Just putting the Mute Freak away where she belongs!" Jake exclaimed.  Everybody laughed and his friends cheered him on.  "I--" Jake began but was cut off.

"JAKE PETERSON!" Principal Stevens shouted.  The entire hallway went dead silent in a matter of seconds.  "MY OFFICE.  NOW."  Principal Stevens pointed in the direction of the office.  

His face was bright red and his tone sent shivers through Izzy's body.  Jake quietly headed down to the office.  He tried to play it off as the tough guy but Isabelle could see it in his eyes that he was nervous.  

"Everyone else, go to class!" Principal Stevens said in a stern and commanding voice.  Nobody moved.  "NOW!" Principal Stevens said raising his voice.  Everyone quickly then hurried off the class,  Isabelle didn't know whether to be relieved that she had been saved or worried that Jake now would have a greater reason to come back and hurt her.

As Isabelle pulled herself out of the locker, Principal Stevens came over to her.  "I am very sorry about what happened and I want you to know that I will personally deal with Jake for what he has done."  

Isabelle nodded and gave a small smile.  Principal Stevens then turned and headed towards his office to have a one on one with Jake Peterson.  Isabelle quietly and quickly made her way to class as the warning bell rang.  She quietly slipped into the room and sunk down low into the nearest available seat. She knew everyone in the room was staring at her but she did not want to see them staring.  Class soon began and Isabelle felt the feeling slowly fade away as everyone turned to focus on the teacher.  Her mind however was far from the lesson on the board and instead was busy telling her everything wrong about herself, her life, and that it was all her fault.

Last period finally came and went and Isabelle hurried to grab her bag so she could go home.  Rumors had been flying around all morning about what had happened between her, Jake, and Principal Stevens.  A rumor had started after lunch that Jake had been suspended and not too many people were happy with that.  Isabelle didn't bother to stay and focus on what rumors they may be spreading and walked out of the building hoping to see Liam's car in the parking lot.  Saddened by not finding his car there, Isabelle decided she would just walk home today and skip the whispers and stares on the bus.  She needed to try and clear her thoughts anyways and forget about the day at school.