Banished To Ipswich

Chapter 9

Caleb, Pogue, Reid, and Tyler walk down the hallway, Raid messing with Tyler. It's the day before graduation, and the school is filled excited students.

"Caleb!" A voice cuts through the buzz, hard as steel. An unfamiliar girl breaks out from the mass, and walks with quick steps up to the four boys.

She stops in front of Caleb, and the students around stop in their tracks to get a first seat for the drama that is about to unfold.

Caleb only have the time to notice the black band on the girl's school uniform sleeve before she swings her arm and punches him square in the jaw. Reid quickly holds his hand out to keep the girl from closing in again, while the others ask Caleb if he's alright. He holds his hands to his cheek, and as his eyes glide over the girl's unrecognizable features he connects dots. Her actions.

"You killed him. You sick bastard, you killed him!" Bailey yells at the dark haired boy in front of her. "You killed him!"

No tears roll down her cheeks or water her eyes. Only a fiery burn of passionate hatred. The crowd mumbles wildly around them at the accusation.

Behind the boys Sarah and Kate push their way forward between the intrigued audience of the scene. Sarah cradles Caleb's face in her hand, checking that he's alright, before turning around.

"What's wrong with you?" She yells, a bewildered look on her face as she stares at the girl who attacked her boyfriend. "How could you be friends with such a freak?" She continues accusingly, her words now a jab at Bailey's late friend, rather than Bailey.

Bailey's face split in a smug grin.

"How can you?" She lifts her open hand in front of her, casually motioning to Caleb. He swallows, and the whole group exchanges looks. Does she know? Has he told her about it?

Then the girl turns on her heel and leaves the scene, as if the end of a play, the crowd parting for her like the sea. Both silence and loud murmurs follow in her wake.