Broken Promises

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Everyone was staring at me.

I had just walked through the front door of my school, and people were already pointing at me and whispering. This had never happened to me before, until now. Which meant they knew. They knew my brother was on drugs, and they knew he had to be in rehab. But who could have told them?

This didn't feel good at all, and the inside of my stomached turned into knots. But I was stronger than what I was feeling, and I kept my head held high as I made my way around the corridor and to my locker. When I opened the door, I put all my things inside except for my books and homework for my first couple of classes.

"Hey, babe."

I jumped at the sound of my boyfriend's voice, and then turned in his direction. People were still burning holes into me, but I chose to ignore them. Brody playfully grins and leaned down to kiss me, yet I didn't kiss him back. I didn't have time to talk and be lovey-dovey with him. I had to find Oliver and ask him questions about yesterday.

Brody tilted his head into confusion, and I sighed. "Hey, I'm sorry but I have to go." I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist. "What, Brody?"

"Is everything okay?" he asked, but for some reason unknown to me, he didn't seem to actually care if I was. In fact, something didn't feel right. Was he the one who told everybody? He had to of, because Melissa wouldn't do something like that. Neither would Oliver. And they were the only three people besides me and my parents and who knew about my brother going to rehab. "Sierra." His tone hardened a little.

"Everything is fine," I lied. "But I really need to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Standing on my tippy toes, I placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I love you."

Before he had time to protest, I was already halfway down the hall and in the direction of the senior hallway to find Oliver.

Surprisingly enough, he was at his locker surrounded by his friends. He had a football in his hand, throwing it in the air and catching it, laughing at something his friend said. His normally tousled hair was gelled back, keeping it from falling in his eyes. Oliver's eyes flicked to me, and then he said something to his friends. They gave me a quick glance but they all dissipated, all the while still staring and whispering.

This was going to be a popular thing today, and probably for the remainder of the school year. And the sad part? I still wasn't sure if it had to do with my brother because I hadn't heard what they were whispering about. But I was pretty damn certain.

We stood in front of one another. I didn't say anything, unsure of how to ask him about yesterday. He was no longer tossing the football in the air, instead he had it under his arm, and he leaned against the locker. Oliver was waiting for me to say something, anything, before he sighed.

"I didn't say anything, if that's what you're wondering."

I shook my head. "No, actually. It has to do with yesterday. What were you doing in my brother's car?"

Oliver shifted a little, and I could tell he was uncomfortable. "Nothing, Sierra." I knew he was lying, and I went to push my luck, but he cut me off before I could even say anything. "Sierra, don't. It was nothing." He leaned forward; his lips close to my ear. His breath was warm on my neck, and it made my hairs stand on end. "Trust me when I say you don't need to know." And with that, he was gone.

~~~

"Her brother is in rehab."

"It's about time."

"How embarrassing it must be for her and her family. I would have disowned my brother a long ass time ago if he did drugs."

"She doesn't have anyone to protect her anymore."