Crash Course

Chapter 15

I was shaky. It's almost as if my body was preparing me for the worst. My fight or flight instinct was in full effect. Each class seemed to last a lifetime until the final bell of the day rang and Nate was sprinting after me to my locker. "Arabella, what is going on?" Nate asked, slightly out of breath.

"Something is wrong." I started. "I can't explain it but the energy is wrong." I shoved my backpack into my locker and tried to pull out my duffle for cheer practice.

"You're freaking me out a little bit." Nate said, studying me as I tugged harder and harder to get the bag out of my locker. Aimee came running up.

"Something is wrong." She said, panicked. I dropped the bag.

"You feel it too?" I asked, she nodded furiously.

"Ever since second period. Something is happening." Nate looked even more freaked out. He bent down and pulled out my duffle bag, handing it to me.

"Go to practice and calm down." He said, giving Aimee and I one last look over before leaving.

"I think he's coming." Aimee said as we began walking to the field, whispering in hushed tones.

"I do too. After last night, Liam turning him down, he won't stay away for long."

"If he comes here it could ruin everything. He could out me to Ethan." Aimee said. My heart rate increased.

"Oh god." I opened the front door to the school in a hurry, rushing down the steps and colliding with a muscular chest. I blinked hard, looking up to meet my brother's worried eyes.

"Something is wrong." He said. I grabbed the two of them and pulled them behind a trailer with me.

"I have practice in 5. Aimee and I feel it too." I said, Andrew was shaking.

"What is it? What are the signs?" He asked.

"I'm just uneasy. About everything." Aimee said, wrapping her arms around herself like she was cold.

"I think it's Matt." I said. "I think he'll be pissed that Liam turned him down. Pissed that Ethan isn't bringing results." I muttered.

"What do we do?" Andrew asked.

"We confront Ethan." Aimee said, ears perked. "Or, I mean, you do." She said, looking at me.

"What?" Andrew and I asked in unison.

"Seem fearful! Maybe it will convince Ethan that he is getting results." Aimee said.

"Or maybe it will convince Matt to come out here!" I snapped back. Andrew hushed us as people walked by.

"A? Practice?" Marissa asked, glaring at Drew. "Come on." She stopped and waited for me.

"We'll talk at home." I said, placing my bag back on my shoulder and hurrying over to Marissa's side. Aimee and Drew both stared as we walked off.

"Is Drew seeing that girl?" Marissa asked, mindlessly looking up from her phone. Perfect, some high school gossip to distract me.

"No, that's our cousin. Annabeth." I said. Marissa looked a little relieved.

"Oh, I saw them at lunch and they just seemed awfully chatty. Guess I got a little jealous." Aims and Andrew had that effect on people, I was pretty sure they had unspoken feelings for each other but I never pushed it. If only Marissa knew what Andrew and Gemma had been getting up to.

"Oh! No girl, don't be threatened by her, that's basically like being threatened by me!" I said with a smile. Marissa nodded and went back to strolling through her phone as we walked. Well, that distraction was quick.

"Bells!" Luke called from across the field, he was setting up cones for practice. I smiled and headed towards him.

"2 minutes A!" Marissa said as she headed into the locker room. I rolled my eyes after turning away from her.

"Little miss pep doesn't seem so peppy today!" Luke said as he wrapped me up in a hug.

"Marissa is really grating against me at the moment." I said, trying to hide my true emotions.

"Eh, state is coming up. She always gets her panties in a twist around this time, just wait until you have to deal with Misty." Luke ran his fingers through my hair. "You doing okay after last night?" I nodded, laying my head against his chest so I didn't have to convince him with my eyes.

"Just exhausted." He massaged the base of my neck sending shivers up my spine.

"I know, you need a break." He muttered. I pulled away from him.

"Would you maybe want to come to Nate's cabin with me this weekend? It's on a lake, and it's the last nice weekend of the year. We are trying to get a group together to go." I was nervous to leave Dayton, but I wasn't safe here, Something in my bones was telling me a weekend away couldn't be a bad thing.

"I'd love to. Who's going?"

"Probably you, me, Drew, Kris, Annabeth, and Nate. Maybe Nate's new boo but no promises." I said.

"Sounds like fun." He kissed my hairline.

"I better go before M&M come out screaming." I said, heading towards the locker room.

"Hey!" Luke called after me. I turned back towards him. "I'm here, whenever you want to talk about what's really bothering you."

***
Aimee and I sat at the kitchen table, heads down. "How did this make any sense in your head Arabella?" Mom screamed. Drew stood in the corner, quiet, while mom stomped back and forth. When I had returned from practice she was already home, and furious. Drew and I tried to explain the plan but she didn't see it the same way we did. "Aimee, I'm taking you home immediately." She snapped.

"Mom! You can't! We already enrolled her and everything. People will start asking questions if she magically disappears." I tried to reason with her. She slumped against the fridge. For the first time since we had up and moved, she looked tired. Worn. "Mom, I'm so sorry I went behind your back, but I need you to trust me, us, this decision! It can work." I pleaded.

"Arabella, I've put up with a lot. Your mood swings, the drinking, the risky behavior. I understand, you were uprooted, we were all uprooted, but we can't put Aimee in harms way to help ourselves."

"Ma'am, I know what you are thinking, but I can help. We can make this work." Aimee tried. "Honestly, I would much rather stay with you guys than my step-monster. That house is... toxic." She said. "I'll get a job and help with rent, I don't expect you to support me, just please don't make me leave. This is a win for everyone." I stared at Aimee. I didn't realize her home was so bad. Mom sighed.

"It's late. Get to bed everyone, we will discuss this in the morning." Andrew and Aimee left, heading upstairs.

"Mom, I-"

"No Arabella, there are no excuses. Do you understand the risks? This was childish."

"I just wanted to help." I sighed.

"To help who? Yourself? So you can stay here scot-free? Arabella, Dylan isn't messing around. He is after us. Now, Aimee is on his hit list." She was clearly exhausted, tired of trying to explain how I had messed up.

"It was stupid." I agreed. "I was only thinking about myself." Mom nodded.

"It's too late now. Aimee will stay with us. But we have to be careful. You need to stay clear of drama, keep your head down." I nodded.

"I can do that." I said.

"Go to bed Bella." She said with a sad smile. I left her alone to her thoughts.