Our Secrets

Chapter 5: Stop Running

I place the cigarette to my lips and flick the lighter but let my finger slide off before I light it. I take the cigarette from my mouth holding it in my hand. I cross my ankles scooting back on the ledge. I looked out over the campus before placing the cigarette back in my mouth lighting it. "Since when did you smoke?" I hear Sasha laugh as she sits next to me. I huff. "Since my life went to shit." We both share a laugh and I pass the cigarette to here. She puffs it and blows out the smoke. "That was quite a crazy scene back there. What got into you?" I take the cigarette from her. "Callan said no one knew."

My voice cracks a bit and I take another puff to mask it. "About the sex?" I nod crushing the cigarette out on the pavement. She frowns. "I'm gonna whoop his ass." I shake my head. "There's no need for you to get in trouble too." I stand dusting myself off. "I think I might head down to the library. Might as well study before they suspend me." She laughs some. "That's such a you thing to say." I slightly smiling turning to head back into the dorms from the balcony.

*

I let my bag fall off my shoulders before sitting in an open seat at the library. I grab my laptop pulling it out. Seemed a bit too quiet today. None of the normal chirping coming from the whispers of the students around me. I pressed the power button hearing the computer whistle as it started up. I slouch over placing my face on my hands in front of my computer. I hear someone clear there throat feeling the table shift some. I open my eyes lifting my head to peak over the laptop just a bit. I frowned lowering it once more when I saw his face. "Hello to you too." He says softly and I ignore him.

When my computer boots up I sit up trying to enter my password when the screen is pushed slightly down. I look up at him. "What?" I say a bit harsh. He huffs. "I didn't come here to study." I shrug. "I don't care why you came." I say opening my laptop back up to finish typing in my password. "I didn't tell him." I scuff. "Yeah okay." He huffs. "I told them it was me." I peek up from my computer. "Huh?" He swallows. "I told them I beat Blake up." I sit back closing my laptop.

"But you didn't and everyone knows that." He looks down. "I tried to take the blame...." I look down at my hands as well. "I got so mad that I broke a trophy case with my hand and got detention for the next week." He lifts his hand that's wrapped. "After everything that's happened. It's my fault and I couldn't even take the blame. I'm sorry Sarah and I guess coming here was to tell myself I had to let you go. I don't think I'll be able to do that but for your sake I have to try." He looks at me with teary eyes.

I swallow. "You expect me to feel sorry for you Callan but I got in trouble for doing something you should have done a long time ago if you even gave a crap about me." He huffs. "I...." I shake my head. "I get it Callan. You wanted so bad to fit in that you're dragging innocent people through the mud. That's not caring that's being selfish." I see the door open to the library and a security guard scans the room. I shove my laptop in my bag huffing as I stand. "Maybe it's time for you to stop running Callan." I step past him following the security guard out of the library and down the hall to the Dean's office.

*

"Detention?!" I say learning forward at the Dean. He hums. "Yes and considering that Callan boy stood up for you I wouldn't say it's much of a punishment." I huff. "Trust me it is." I whisper. "What was that?" I shake my head. "Nothing. Thank you sir." He hums nodding. "You're dismissed." I get up heading out of the office into the hallway. I scan the people and my eyes land on Sasha. She runs over when she sees me. "So?" I huff. "Detention." She raises an eyebrow. "Isn't that a good thing?" I roll my eyes walking side by side with her out of the building.

"Not when Callan got tossed in with me." She scuffs. "You're kidding me?" I shake my head pushing the door open. "I wish I was." She huffs. "How did that even happen?" I roll my eyes. "Some sob story about how he tried to take the blame and punched a trophy display when the Dean wouldn't let him is all I got." She opens her mouth as I step down the small set of steps but was interrupted by some yelling. "You're freaking kidding me?!" I look over to see Blake and his crew in the courtyard not far. I can't see who he's screaming at but I can't say I cared too much.

"After everything I did for you?!" I hear a small chuckle. "You've done nothing for me Blake." I glance over once more recognizing that calm rough voice as Callan's. Blake scuffed. "Oh really?" There were so many people huddled around I couldn't quite see everything happening. "You ruined my life. You screwed everything up. You manipulate people into being your puppets and doing your bidding regardless of who they hurt. I wanted to fit in so bad I thought this was the only way to do it. I wanted to belong Blake and all you did was ruin everything."

"Not just me either. For all of us. Susie was supposed to be in the school band but you told her that wasn't cool enough. Reggie wanted to study home economics and you told him that nobody would want to see a grown man cooking because that was a women's thing. You tear people apart. Strip them of what they want to be so they can do and be what you want them to do and be. It's pathetic quite frankly." He steps closer to Callan. "If you want to play house with that lowlife then fine but don't blame your mistakes on me. I gave you a place to be a part of and I treated you well."

Callan gives a small smirk and I swallow lightly cause I know what's coming next. "You already got your ass whooped once by said quote unquote lowlife so maybe you should step back before I put you in your place." Blake slightly laughs and I hear Sasha yelling for me. "I've got better things to do and you've got to call your daddy and tell him his son let him down. Better move his medical machines to a different room so you can have yours back."

Somehow I managed to wedge myself in between them in just enough time I place my hand on his chest. "Stop." I whisper and he doesn't look at me. He leans over me as if I didn't even exist. "Don't you ever talk about him like that again or I swear he'll out live you." He says sternly turning to push through the crowd and eventually it disappeared entirely and I was standing there lost and confused with Sasha's comforting hand on my shoulder.