Please Understand

Chapter 23: Luke

"Mason, you really shouldn't be here," Dakota growled as he followed me down the hallway. As soon as I got out of my car, he had been on my heels, and he refused to let me make my own decisions. He should've known this would be my reaction.

There was a smirk plastered on my face as my eyes scanned the familiar faces gaping back at me. Everyone was surprised to see me back so soon, but I ignored their stares. "So Natalie sent you the video? Did she tell you why?" I asked as I continued on my mission without a moment's hesitation. I would not losing focus, not in this game.

He loudly sighed, surely he already guessed my next move. I should be pretty easy to read at this point. "Dude, I told you that I asked her to send it to me. I wanted to see if anyone spotted Amelia at the party," he replied in a low voice, so no one could hear our slight disagreement. "You should go home. You need another day away from here. You seriously aren't in the right frame of mind."

I turned to look at him, like he was the crazy one. "Thank you for sending me the video, okay? Now, leave me alone," I ordered with a laugh. This time, when I walked away, he didn't follow. The fake smile didn't leave even when I saw Luke leaning against the wall with Freshman girls and a self-righteous aura around him.

He nodded at me with a smile, like I should be impressed by his latest conquests. Even though I normally would've been happy for him, after the latest revelation, I could barely look at him. The girls moved, awkwardly stalking away, and I stopped right in front of him. "What?" he asked with confidence through the roof as he stared at the girls walking away.

I started the video, and held the phone in front of his face, amused by the way his smile fell and his eyebrows raised. "I know the truth," I stated with a smile and puffed up chest because I finally had the upper hand. "Give me one good reason not to tell Carlie."

He knitted his eyebrows together, and leaned away from me. "Fine. Whatever. I slept with her. She thought I was you. We both know that if this stupid video gets out, then we are all busted," he shot back as he crossed his arms and a gloating grin appeared out of nowhere. "We will all be kicked off the team before Homecoming, everyone is going to hate you, and the police will know you lied to them. Tell me what you really want because it's not Carlie, and you won't risk everything just to tell her."

My confidence shattered into a million pieces by his nonchalant demeanor, and his logic. "Did you really even see Amelia that night?" I asked as I took in a deep breath in my attempt to not lose my temper and motivation.

"Yeah, I didn't lie about everything. I just didn't want to tell Carlie it was me. You know our breakup was bad, and she's been super into you this year. I really thought she knew it was me, so honest mistake," he grumbled as he looked away from me. "Amelia was being weird, Carlie yelled at her, and I told her to get out. Obviously, you didn't want here there, or you would've invited her. I didn't know she would disappear."

My blood boiled, and I looked down the mostly empty hallway as my jaw tightened. Don't lose your temper; you can't get into another fight. I looked back at his blank face. "Did you sleep with Amelia?" I hissed as my temples pounded and my vision blurred.

He gritted his teeth, and shrugged his shoulders.

Everything happened in a rush, I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and pushed him hard against the wall with shaking hands and a false sense of confidence. "Tell me right now," I growled as I pressed harder with my fists digging into his collarbones.

"Okay! No, I didn't sleep with her," he spat out and then he sucked in a deep breath.

I loosened my hold on him as my heart swelled, but then I remembered everything my so called best friend did. People stared at us, but I ignored them in my blinding rage. "Why did you lie to me?" I asked as I tried to force myself to have a strong voice.

He easily brushed me off of him, but he didn't walk away. He leaned back on the wall. "I knew it would mess with you, and throw off your game, which it did. I wanted you to be out for the rest of the season, so I could have a better shot at scholarships," he admitted with a casual shrug. "I could be the new quarterback. I should've been."

I stepped away with wide eyes. "This was all about scholarships? I don't even understand," I murmured as I shook my head, and rapidly ran my fingers through my hair to ease the relentless pounding.

Luke was supposed to have my back. If he hated me this much, then why would he be my friend all of these years? I know he couldn't have planned this; he wouldn't. "I needed this, and you were already spiraling out of control. Come on, Mase, you got into a fight with Dakota. You have no control over your life. Either way you were going to go crazy without that stupid girl here," he replied, but he wouldn't look me in the eyes. He has to be lying.

She was there, leaning against the wall next to Luke with tears streaming down her face. Dirt and blood caked every inch of her, and she started sliding down the wall to sit on the floor with her head tucked between her knees. Shrill screams filled the hallway as she wailed, and cried out for help, exactly what I wanted to do. Maybe I was. She reached her bright red fingers towards me, and then I realized layers of her skin were burned.

Just like the girl they found. 

My breathing hitched, and I tried to gain composure, so I could yell at him for calling Amelia stupid, but it never came. The air was thick, and somehow I couldn't get enough of it as I breathed in and in and in. I kept stepping away from him until I was pressed against the wall on the other side of the hall, and the room spun around. I needed to be away from both of them, but I couldn't escape. There were too many pairs of eyes on me, so many stares, but no one would console her. No one would force her to stop screaming! No one reached out to help me.

She kept reaching for me to help her, but I  needed help.

"I told you so," Luke continued with a snicker, but his feet were glued to the tile. "You can't even handle one hour here." He wasn't going to help his friend.

Control? Have I really lost all control?

Lust.

So much blood.

Maybe someday I could have loved him.

Maybe he could've loved me.

Happily ever afters should stay in fairy tales.

My legs shook as I tried to focus on her dark hair; her screams grew louder. I sank to the floor the way she had, and suddenly my heavy breathing drowned her out. I squeezed my eyes shut as I flattened my hands against the cold black and white tiles. I missed my chance to be there for her, to protect her. No one can help us now.

Maybe I should've seen a counselor.