Teachers Pet

35: A Real Hero

•{Jill POV}•

       "Nolan!" I ran past random strangers, not caring if I tripped or bumped into someone. Nolan stood up and turned to me. His left eye was purple and he had blood smeared across his cupid's bow. This was the aftermath of something horrible.

       "Jill, what are you doing here?"

       "I brought her." Mr. Pierce stepped around me to examine Nolan. There was a tension that I couldn't quite explain. Blair had said that the two of them didn't exactly get along. This should be an exception I think. Nolan would need family right now just like Blair needed her family. That was me and Tanya. I know my mom would be here too, but working in the city meant heavy traffic. We wouldn't see her until later tonight probably.

       "The school let you leave?" Nolan asked me. I glanced over to Mr. Pierce who appeared to want me to answer that question myself.

       "Not exactly. I sort of just left class and jumped into Mr. Pierce's car." Once Mr. Pierce had gotten a call from the police, he stepped out of class. I was nosy and nearest to the door. Overhearing the conversation and hearing Blair's name, I left and refused to get out of his car until we were at the hospital. Mr. Pierce scolded me repeatedly. I was just happy he didn't pull over and kick me out.

       "Uh... Okay then." Nolan shook his head as if trying to not think too much on that.

       "Why don't we sit down," Mr. Pierce suggested. I was the first to sit. My legs were shaky from nerves. I wanted to hear the full story of what happened. Mr. Pierce didn't even fully know what happened.

      "What exactly happened?" I asked Nolan. He made a face as he leaned back into the chair. His face looked terrible. Mr. Pierce pulled his chair to sit closer to me and Nolan. Sitting across from us, it was hard to see him as my teacher. He looked younger in this setting.

         "Someone said they saw Blair leave early... I called her to check up on her. I thought she wasn't feeling well, but when she answered... " He shook his head with anger. His hands were balled into fist on the armrest of the chair. "That guy from before... The one that yelled at her. He was yelling at her again through the phone, telling her to hang up the phone."

       And you just drove there?" Mr. Pierce asked. He was upset, but not for the right reasons I think. Nolan threw his hands up with confusion.

       "No shit. She was yelling for help. I could hear her mother screaming in the background. So yeah, I left." Mr. Pierce inched out of his seat a bit.

       "You attacked Marcus without thinking of the repercussions. You could've gotten seriously hurt, Nole. You never think before you do." Nolan laughed at his brother as he leaned forward with amusement playing on his lips.

        "And you never think before you speak."

        "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

        "How did you know his name?" I stared at Mr. Pierce wondering the same thing. Had he slipped up about something? It made me wonder if Blair had told him the truth. Did she trust him that much with something so dangerous?

       "She told you? About him abusing her mom?" They turned to look at me suddenly.

       "No. She never said anything. But you don't seem so surprised yourself." I could hear the implications in his voice. Wasn't it obvious that I knew? I was her best friend. I remember the first time she told me. We were only in kindergarten when she mentioned a bad man that would hit her mom. Her dad had left her and her mom that year. He never told them goodbye or came back once. Never reached out and never looked back. This was all her fathers' fault. We've carried around this secret for so long. Always too afraid for her mom.