Silenced by the Night

Why did you do that?!?

The day was getting stranger and stranger. Nathan wasn’t in school, Paige wasn’t waiting for Alice by her locker; most of all the whispers weren’t there anymore. Jacque approached me while I was walking down the hall, her friends standing behind her making funny faces or grotesque about Nathan not being here. She was always the first one to find a way to make fun of me. I saw Caylah standing behind her, her hair was tied in a side part braid.

“Well, where’s Nathan? Did he break up with you?”

“Just shut up and leave me alone!”

I walked to my first class. Paige approached me and pulled my hand to the restroom.

“OK, did you see Alice in that group?”

“What group? Jacque’s group, she’s in Jacque’s group?”

She nodded and looked down the hall where Jacque and her friends were walking in. I saw Alice her hair was curled and she was wearing soft makeup.

“Even Caylah joined her”

“Yes, she’s been there for months didn’t you know”

“She’s a backstabber”

Words wouldn’t have made this problem better. Nathan wasn’t talking to me for days. I would bump into him at school but he would just say ‘Hi’ and then leave. Did I do anything wrong? Was there a deal he did with my step-mother or did his mother talk to him about me? What did I do so he can do this to me? There was a problem between him and me. But what was it?

I went down to the living room and saw Caroline sitting on the same loveseat as she always do.

“Oh hello Ellie, did your friend came by this morning?”

My thoughts were cars running a hundred miles an hour.

“What did you tell him? What did you do to him?”

“Alright, I’ll tell you just promise me you won’t be mad. While he was going down the stairs five days ago, I talked to him”

“About what, what did you tell him?”

“OK, easy now, easy; All I’m telling you are that, he promised he’ll never talk to you again”

“Why did you do that to him?”

I stormed outside and walked to Nathan’s house. The gate was closed, it was unlike before. Nathan went outside the house, head down and hood up. This is the moment of truth.

“Nathan, hey, can we just talk?”

He turned around and continued walking. Alright, this deal has gone so wrong. It is really wrong. Of course, he promised he’ll never talk to me again. This is a bit disturbing.

“Nate, can you stop for a minute?”

Still no response, this might not end well. We’ve only been friends for a month and a half and Caroline is ending it. She can’t do this to me again, not with him.

My breath was becoming warm; I felt sick while I was in class. The temperature around me was becoming colder. It wasn’t that sick feeling that meant like yearning, bored, distress, disgusted or impaired but somehow really ill. My head was feeling heavy like it was about to fall down any minute. My throat was dry and my head was aching. Was there something wrong? My arms were wan. The whole class looked at me with concern in their eyes.

“Are you OK, Ms. Collins? You look a bit ill”

“Probably feeling depress from their breakup”

“Jacque. Ellie, I think you need to go home; you really look sick”

“No I’m fine, I can do this”

She handed me a hall pass and went back to her desk. I went to the bathroom and washed my face. Nathan’s face kept on coming back in my head. It’s only been a short period of time since I didn’t talk to him but why was I sick.

I was sent home after going to the bathroom over and over again. They really think I’m sick, well I think I’m sick. Someone opened my door slowly; I faced the other direction and threw my covers over my head.

“Ellie”

The familiar voice rang in my room. He didn’t wanna talk to me before but now he’s here. I missed him so much. I pulled my covers back slowly still not looking at him; my eyes were forming tears. He walked to the direction I was facing and looked at me. His eyes were burning through mine. His face was so hypnotizing; its like one look it can change anything.

“Look, I’m sorry for not talking to you before; I know you won’t forgive me but Caroline made a deal with me. If I even talk to you again, you’ll be living with someone else. I want to be with you, I don’t want you to be far away from me. That was her deal, if I talk to you again or be with you, she’ll send you to a different family. Do you want that to happen?”

This was his greatest fear? Me? Being sent away to another family? Caroline blackmailed him. She didn’t have the will to do that, my father might not have left a will but she doesn’t have the right to give me away. He tightened his grip on my hand before standing up and leaving the room. I saw on my nightstand a piece of paper folded neatly and my name written on the front. I opened it and saw a note saying…

‘Ellie, I hope you forgive me’

It was a small message but he wanted my forgiveness. I raced after him in the stairs and grabbed his hand.

“I forgive you”

He walked towards me and smiled before sitting me down on the stairs and doing it himself. Maybe Caroline had broken the deal or something. A sad smile formed on his lips.

“Caroline hadn’t broken the deal yet; I’m not aloud to see you when she’s around or else that would be the last time I’ll see you”

Guess I was wrong. This Caroline wasn’t the woman my father married. When my father met her she was oh-so-kind. She’s a backstabber. The grip on my hand became tighter as we lasted long on the staircase.

“Ellie, are you home?!?”

“Was that Hanna?”

I rushed downstairs and saw her sitting on Caroline’s loveseat.

“Hi Nate”

He gave her a wave and looked back at me.

“Oh, so the rumors are true. You two are dating”

“Who said we were?”

“By the looks of it, you are. Holding hands”

“Shut up”

I let go of his hand and the front door opened revealing Paige.

“Nate, you need to go through my window. My mother’s going in this door in twenty-five seconds go”

He ran to Paige’s room and slammed the door behind him. Paige gave me a smile before crossing her arms in front of me. See, she’s being mean when her mother’s around.

Did Caylah told Caroline about them being kind to me behind her back?