Freaks Have More Fun

Chapter Nineteen

 

Chapter Nineteen~

 

 

 

The first few weeks were strange. Paige was careful, she didn't really trust Charles, she knew he was manipulative and cruel and she didn't really believe what he had said. Sure, he seemed genuine but Paige wasn't naïve enough to think anyone could change that much. Well, not over a few weeks. Besides, she wasn't anything special really.

 

As they passed their one month anniversary, the doubts that filled Paige's mind drifted away. Sure, Charles was still flirty, pushy, and dark, but he didn't hurt her. He was never deliberately unkind, never going too far before remembering and apologizing. He never hit her., swore he never would. In many ways he was the perfect boyfriend.

 

Haven had been beyond angry at first. Paige told her everything Charles had said to her, word for word. After a few days spent sulking, the purple-haired girl admitted that Charles was her half-brother. She also admitted that he seemed much happier, like he actually cared about Paige. She was one of the first people to tell Paige she didn't have a problem with it. “After all,” Haven had laughed, “you're happy and he's happy and everything is going good. I have no right to argue with that.”

 

Dean had been harder to persuade. He maintained the belief that Charles was no good for her, citing several instances. He tried very hard to convince Paige to break up with Charles despite her protests. He continued to walk home with her and convinced her that she shouldn't get rides from him. After several awkward weeks, he accepted Haven's word that Charles seemed to be better and grudgingly agreed that if Paige was happy that was good enough for him.

 

Zevi, who had hooked up with Dean and seemed really happy, was slightly upset at first. He remembered all the times the dark-haired boy had hurt Paige. Eventually he too accepted Paige's judgment, telling her she was a smart girl and he trusted her. If she thought Charles had changed, he'd accept it too. Besides, Charles was his friend.

 

Ivy had been ecstatic to find out what had happened. She was insufferable for several weeks, proclaiming how she knew they were going to get together. Elegy on the other hand had been melancholy, sad when she found out. Two weeks after New Year's she swallowed a bottle of pills and ended up in the hospital. Her parents arranged for her to go to a treatment center. A diary filled with bloody pages revealed that she had been planning her suicide for several months. Paige still blamed herself.

 

The only person who was visibly angry was Ellie, who informed Paige she was an idiot who was going to get hurt. Shortly after saying that, she disappeared. Every now and then Dean would mention her but she had floated away like a ghost. There were rumors that she had met some boy, a friend of an ex, and she was happy.

 

At school, things got worse and worse. Cheerleaders would hiss cruel words as Paige walked down the halls, tripping her and pushing her and laughing. She was mocked, cruel comments were posted on her Facebook wall. The football team took things to the next level, pushing her into the lockers and cornering her after school with threats and mockery.

 

As the torment continued, Paige found herself relying on Haven, Dean and Charles more and more. Charles, especially, offered comfort. She told him her secrets, her fears, and he didn't judge her. He cared about her and showed it every day. They never had sex but several nights she could be found curled up in his arms, tears on her face.

 

And then everything went downhill. It started on a Friday afternoon. Charles was out sick so she was going to walk home alone, as Haven had a job after school. Spring Break had already passed and March was ending, bringing the warmth of spring and the end of the six months were fast approaching. Paige wasn't sure what she was going to do, she was afraid Haven and Dean would hate her when they found out everything. And she was scared the torment would get worse if she didn't go back to them.

 

She was packing her bag up at the end of third period when her teacher asked her to hang back. Apparently she had received the highest score on a test and her teacher wanted permission to use her essay response as an example of what he was looking for. Shocked, Paige agreed. Her teacher had smiled, thanked her, and wished her a happy weekend.

 

She was taking the shortcut across the football field when they found her. Several members of the football team and a few cheerleaders, including Jenny Teagarden. Paige was surprised to recognize Derek, Jordan and Kingsley were there, along with two boys she didn't know. They pushed her onto the grass, smirking at the terrified look on her face.

 

“Oh god you're pathetic. Honestly I should be the popular one, not you. You're just pathetic, hanging out with those loser. Rumor has t you're even dating one of those losers from that weird club. Charles, is it? Well, no matter. We're going to teach you a lesson. We don't like freaks.” Jenny's voice was syrup sweet and razor-edged, dangerous.

 

After she finished speaking the football players grabbed her arms and held her in place. Jenny was the first to stroke, slapping Paige across the face cruelly. The other cheerleaders and the football players took turns kicking, punching and slapping her. Between blows they spit insults at her, bringing up secrets she had told Sadie, Holly and Ashlee.

 

“You know what's really pathetic?” Jenny asked wen they were done abusing her. Paige didn't move, she had curled into a ball on the ground. Not waiting for a reply, the girl smirked and continued. “You think you're so much better than us. But in reality you're just a broken little girl who doesn't know what love is, doesn't want to fall in love because you're afraid you'll end up like your parents. Your parents, who barely care. How's dear old daddy? He's never around is he, always too busy with other people to see you're not okay? How does that make you feel, you pretentious whore?”

 

Paige gasped when she heard those words. She had never told her friends about her family problems, never mentioned how invisible she was, how she feared love. There was only one person who knew that about her.

 

Sensing her victory, Jenny waved her posse away. They left Paige bleeding and hurting on the ground, replaying their words in her head. She felt so betrayed, the one person she trusted with that information had told other people.

 

She needed to talk to Charles. He had a lot to explain.

 

Mainly how Jenny Teagarden had found out about something she only told him.