The Whisper Seekers

Punishment

I don't even bother going to French, I know I won't be able to concentrate. Instead, I take a seat on the stiff wooden bench outside the office, the kind that makes your back ache if you sit too long. My knees bounce restlessly and my sweaty palms grip the edge of the bench. My book bag and phone are still in English, but I didn't want to interrupt class to grab them.

I sit there in silence, the hallway humming faintly with muffled voices and distant footsteps. Time drags. Then the office door creaks open, and out walks Derek.

He has a tissue jammed into one nostril and his left eye is already purpling around the edges. But what gets me is the grin—the smug, cocky grin that spreads across his bruised face the second he sees me.

"Hey, nice of you to check on me." He strides over, but I don't move from the bench. He must have gotten hit pretty hard if he thinks I'm here to check on him.

"Um, I'm not. Do you have any idea why Liam just went all Fight Club on you?" I ask, but Derek looks clueless. I have no idea what was discussed in Mr. Anderson's office. 

"Wait? This is because of you?" Derek asks as it dawns on him. "This isn't a joke, Ellie. This could fuck up my Stanford scholarship."

"Good! Maybe next time you'll think twice before forcing a girl's clothes off." He looks at me gobsmacked. Liam comes out of the office and spots me with Derek. He hesitates, but I stride over to him. I slide my hand down his arm and hear Derek behind me, "Are you kidding me?"

I turn to face him while holding onto Liam's hand. 

"You two? After you told me I had no reason to worry?" Derek asks, enraged, while looking at us. 

"Turns out, I lied. You should have been worried since the day Liam started school here."

Derek shakes his head and as he turns to head down the hall, he mutters, "Fine, have at it, man. She's drama and she doesn't put out." 

"You just got your ass beat Derek, do you want to go for round two?" I call after him, but he disappears around the corner. 

"You really think he got his ass beat?" He jokingly asks. We both let out a light laugh and I can tell it hurts his split lip when he quickly winces.

"I want to thank you, but I hate that you're in trouble now. What happened in there?" I nervously ask and he leads me back over to the bench. He sits down next to me, but there are still a few inches between us.

"Derek had no idea why I attacked him, well, I guess until two seconds ago," Liam mutters, his voice low. "And I didn't know how much you wanted Mr. Anderson to know." 

"I don't know, those allegations could have opened up a big 'ol thing," I admit. 

"Well, I owned up to starting the whole thing," he continues, "but Mr. Anderson punished both of us because Derek didn't try to stop anything."

"What's the punishment?" I ask with a wince.

"Derek is suspended until Monday. And I... I'm, uh... suspended for the rest of the week."

"Seriously?" I gasp out.

"He also said I'm not allowed to go to the homecoming game or the dance, but really that's a blessing and not a punishment."

I immediately panic.

"You have to be at school next week. All week! I can't figure out what Ian and his demented posse are going to do and prevent all this myself!" I snap.

"Shhh..." He looks around and notices no one lingering in the hallways. He scoots in closer to me and puts his head closer to mine.

"I know, I know and I will be. I just have to figure a few things out first," he says calmly and it reminds me that I haven't told him what I heard in French class.