She spoke through her pain. “Yes. I wasn’t at your party.”
His eyes grew wide with surprise and then shame. “I-I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry. I was sure—” He went to Kitty and offered her his hand. She was hesitant but took it. He pulled her to her feet.
She moaned under her breath. “The B’s are very clever, Trent. I’m sure whatever they did they made sure you thought it was me who was responsible.”
“Well, I’ll get to the bottom of this somehow—and they’ll pay for this.”
The bell rang and he reluctantly turned and left her there. The others had already begun to disperse. Several teachers had rushed to the scene as the bell rang and the crowd cleared. Not finding anything to be concerned about, they followed the students into the building.
“Kitty, are you all right?” I asked, taking hold of her arm.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She said the words but her pained expression, and her slow movement, told me otherwise. “Why did you say that? You know, about us being together during the party?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. It just came out. You know, if you’re hurt you should go to the nurse’s station and get an excuse to go home.”
“Thanks, Reed, but I’ll be fine.”
I stared down at her for a moment, not sure what to do next. “Okay. Well, see ya.”
“Yeah, okay.” She turned and walked bravely away.
I didn’t know what to do. She was clearly in pain, but she wouldn’t listen. It’s like she had this death wish or something.
“Wow, that was intense,” Haley said, coming up behind me. “You charged in there like a knight in rescue mode. All you needed was a white horse.”
I didn’t miss the sarcasm. “Shut up! Let’s get some lunch.”
Chapter Seven
Kitty
Every step I took was painful. When Trent threw me down I landed hard on my backpack, jabbing me in the back of the ribs. With every movement I felt pain, but I couldn’t let it weaken me. I knew it was just the beginning. I had to stay strong for all that lay ahead. If I had any doubts about trying to regain my position in the B’s, it was quenched. I had tasted a small amount of the pain I had caused so many for so long. There was no going back for me, and I would never be the same again. And I was glad for it. Suddenly my thoughts went to Reed, and I smiled. He was there again, stepping out of the blue and into my life like a safety net. He was angry about the way Trent was treating me, even lying to protect me. His anger made him even more handsome to me, if that were possible. My smile grew wider as I thought of the way he responded to Trent. I’d heard he was shy.
“What are you smiling about?” I heard a familiar voice say, breaking my thoughts.
I glanced up and into the amused eyes of Bunnie, the others surrounding her.
“I see you’ve made it through the day—so far. Haven’t given up, or run home crying yet, but that will all change real soon.”
“Listen, Bunnie, about the other day—”
“Don’t even think about apologizing to me!” she snapped. “You of all people should know I never accept apologies—especially coming from someone who was supposed to be my friend. You can keep your apology, but I have to warn you that life won’t be very easy for you now. You see, not only do we have it in for you, but it also seems that now that you’re on your own, everyone you’ve ever been mean to wants a piece of you. If I were you I’d just change schools. Maybe transfer to East Windrake High. Oh yeah, because of the rivalry, you can’t transfer over there either. Sorry, but it looks like you might have to move.” She smirked.
The others burst into laughter as they walked away and left me standing there alone.
I wanted to be angry but she was right—everyone was after me now. If I were smart I would’ve just left, but I couldn’t. I’ve been many things over the years, but I’ve never been a quitter, and I deserved everything coming to me—and worse. I’ve been a bad person for the last several years—hurt many people. I’ve bullied, started rumors, stolen boyfriends, threatened, and cheated on class assignments. I even burst into a bathroom stall when Marcia was using the bathroom and took her picture, and then posted it on the Internet. Okay, actually it was Heidi that did that, but I was there. You name it and I’ve done it, or at least participated in some way. How could I run away after all that I’ve done? I deserved to pay the consequences for everything. It’s the only way I could live with myself. I just couldn’t believe I had allowed myself to become that—that monster. I’ll never fully understand how I let that happen. But never again will I allow myself to do such things—no matter what someone says or does to me.
My next class was Gym. We’d been playing volleyball for the last two weeks. I wasn’t very good, but I’d been slowly improving. Usually I was picked for teams early on, but on this day I was dead last.
My team was losing when the ball flew toward me. I jumped up and hit it, sending it sailing over the net. For that brief moment I was happy, but in the next moment the ball came crashing into me like a meteor, knocking me to the ground. Everyone laughed. Although I was hurting, I got slowly up and shook it off. The game got going again, and again I was hit—and again. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they were doing it on purpose. By the fourth hit the coach took notice and came to break it up.
She pulled me to the side. “Kitty, I don’t know what’s going on, but do you want to sit out the rest of the game?”
“No, Coach. I’m fine.” I knew the abuse would stop now that the coach was taking notice.
“Are you sure? You look pale.”
“I’m sure, Coach.”
“Well—okay, if you’re sure. Get back in there.”
“Thanks, Coach.”
By the time class was over, I felt like I’d been in a football game, tackled over and over again. For a brief moment, however, I was sort of proud of how I’d handled it. I couldn’t let them break me down—not on the first day.
Finally my last class for the day had ended and I was relieved the torture was over. I had just closed my locker and was making my way down the hall when two girls, Katy and Marcia, of all people, slammed into me, sending me sprawling to the floor. Before I could get up, another girl’s backpack swung and hit me in the face. Everyone was having a real good laugh at my expense, pointing and saying cruel things.
“Why doesn’t she just die already?” someone said through their laughter.
I was horrified at the remark. Had I ever been that cruel? I didn’t think so. The tears watered my eyes, threatening to spill over, but I couldn’t let them see me cry. I just couldn’t—so I used all my restraint and held them back.
I got up slowly, picked up my things, and made my way to my car, keeping my eyes fixed on the ground in front of me. When I pulled the door shut I almost lost it right there, but there were people still around to see, so I started the car and held my tears until I left the parking lot. Then I cried all the way home.
Chapter Eight
Kitty
Arriving home was like finding a cold pool of water after endless days in the hot desert. I almost purred when I stopped the car at the end of the driveway. If only I could’ve stayed there—in the safety of my childhood home, forever.
I practically limped into the kitchen to take some ibuprofen before heading upstairs to take a hot bath. I stripped my clothes off and reluctantly peered into the mirror, afraid of what I might find. I gasped. It was worse than I had anticipated. Bruises had already formed on my back, side, and hip. Tears welled again as I studied them. They were so striking against my pale skin that they almost didn’t look real. I tried not to feel sorry for myself as I stepped slowly into the tub, but as I sank deeper, I couldn’t help but feel weak and helpless—like a total loser.
Afterwards, I made myself comfortable on my bed while I worked on my homework.
Two hours later, I heard Mom come in with groceries in hand. “Kitty, honey, would you help me with the groceries?” she called up to me.
I grimaced. I couldn’t let my mom know what had happened. It would break her heart to know the whole school hated me. She always thought I was so popular. I knew I had to keep my injuries from her and Dad.
I was careful as I unloaded the groceries from the van. I didn’t let her see the painful faces I made as I carried the bags in and shoved them on the counter.
“Mom, if it’s okay I’m gonna go back up and finish my homework.”
“Oh, sure honey. Do you want me to make some more grape Kool-Aid and bring you up some?”
I smiled. My mom knew how much I loved that stuff. “That’d be great. Thanks.” I turned and started my way to the stairs.
“Kitty, are you all right? You’re walking funny.”
“Am I? Yeah, I’m fine.” I sucked it up and hurried back upstairs before she could drill me further. I hated keeping things from her, but somehow telling her that everyone hated me seemed far worse.
When bedtime arrived, I groaned as I slipped slowly into my bed. I let my body relax, staring up at the ceiling as the tears flowed. I knew the decision to help Phoebe was the right one, and I was relieved to be free of the B’s, but I was also afraid. I was afraid of what pains each day would hold for me—afraid of the persecution that was inevitable. The whole thing could be summed up as this: I set myself up as superior above others, and now I was being humbled. I could either take it, be strong, and come out on the other side a better person, or I could buckle under the weight of it and die. I knew what I had to do, but could I do it? I would try to be strong and get through it, but what if I got seriously hurt or worse? I was so exhausted that I fell asleep before I finished that thought and slept soundly. When my alarm clock blared at six a.m., I wanted to cry—actually, truth be told, I did cry a little.
My mom brought me a Pop Tart and a glass of orange juice, and I ate while I got dressed. On this day, I took less time in the mirror since it made little difference anyway. I felt like crap. I took three ibuprofen tablets before heading out the door—then went back inside, grabbed the entire bottle, and stuck it in my backpack.
At school everyone seemed more verbal about their hating me than even the day before. I heard nasty comments as I walked down the hall, most of which I was able to ignore. Some threw spitballs at me in class, and one girl purposely knocked my books off my table in passing. It didn’t go unnoticed by the teachers however. Two of my teachers kept me after class, asking if everything was all right. I assured them I was fine, but they didn’t buy it.
When I got to my locker, people were gathered around whispering and laughing. I opened the door to find a pile of notes that had been shoved through the vent holes. I knew the comments were bad, but I couldn’t help but read one as I shoved them to the floor. It simply said ‘You’re gonna die!’ with a smiley face drawn on it. I gathered what I needed then closed the locker door. I thought about leaving the papers there on the floor, but something compelled me to lean down and pick them up. I was thankful the trash can was only a few feet away.
In Gym we played volleyball again, but the coach gave strict warnings to anyone who played hardball. That did little to ease my comfort.
Finally we were winning when the ball came rushing at me. As I jumped up to meet it, a girl’s elbow came down to meet my face. That was the last thing I remembered.
When I came to, I was sprawled out in the nurse’s office with a cold compress on my face. I moaned, trying to sit up.
“Oh, just lie still, dear,” I heard a woman’s voice say.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice still groggy.
“You got hit during a game of volleyball. It was an accident, of course. I’m afraid you’ve got a nasty bruise on your cheek, dear.”
I instinctively reached up to touch it and winced.
After a minute, I sat up and handed the compress to the nurse. “I think I’m ready to go back to class now.”
“Well, you don’t have to go back to class, dear. I can excuse you to go home, if you’d like.”
“No ma’am. I think I’ll go to class, besides, I need to change.”
She looked me over for a few minutes, probably wondering if I hit my head too hard. “Well, if you’re sure.”
“Yes ma’am.”
The rest of the day wasn’t much better. The bruise on my face was impossible to hide, and that fact alone seemed to amuse the entire student body.
I ran into Reed in the hallway. His eyes grew wide as he took in my appearance. “Kitty, what happened to you?!” he asked, stopping me as I tried to pass him.
“It’s nothing, Reed. You’d better keep going.” I tried to go around him but he cut me off.
“Tell me what happened to you.”
“If I tell you will you leave?”
“Maybe.” He started to reach up and touch my bruise but stopped himself.
I sighed. “Fine. I had a run-in with a girl’s elbow during a volleyball game. There—I told you, now go.”
“Did you go to the nurse’s station?”
“Yes. I woke in the nurse’s office.”
“What do you mean you woke there?”
I huffed. “Reed, this isn’t important. You really shouldn’t be seen with me.”
He took my arm, gently but unyielding, and walked me outside where we were instantly alone.
“There, no one can see us, now explain.”
I sighed again. “Okay. I was knocked unconscious and woke in the nurse’s office. That’s all.”
“Well, why didn’t you go home?”
“I didn’t want to.”
“Kitty, do you have a death wish or something? A person can only take so much.”
“I know how much I can take,” I snapped.
He seemed to be getting frustrated. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why do you care?” I knew I was being harsh, but he needed to stay away from me. If being mean to him meant keeping him safe then so be it.
“Because you’re letting yourself be abused, that’s why.”
“Honestly, Reed, it’s none of your business. I need you to leave me alone, okay? Just stay away from me.” With that, I left him standing there alone.
Chapter Nine
Reed
I stood there in disbelief as she walked away from me. What was going on with her? I’d been hearing the rumors circling the campus. She’d been taking nonstop beatings for two straight days, and it wasn’t likely to stop any time soon. I felt helpless. She looked like a shell of a person, like her soul was wasting away. And seeing that bruise on her face stirred an anger inside that surprised me. I remembered the night of the dance and the brief moments she was carefree, sticking out of my sunroof, happy because she felt free for the first time in a long time. It was a fleeting moment but one I wouldn’t soon forget. Had it only been a few days since then? So much had changed in that short time—once her reality set in. I felt like I had to do something—but what?
For the rest of the week I continued to hear stories of Kitty’s abuse. It was a source of entertainment among the students at lunch, especially Haley. She loved that Kitty was getting payback, as did most. Kitty was staying away from the cafeteria during lunch. Who knows where she was eating—if she was eating at all. Was I the only one who thought she’d suffered enough? The more days that passed, the angrier I became. She wouldn’t let me help her. Every time I tried to talk to her she walked off, telling me I didn’t need to be seen with her. But when I heard that someone had taken a picture of her bruised body in the locker room and posted it on Facebook, that’s what did it for me. I knew I had to help her even if it killed me. And it just might. I couldn’t sit back any longer and watch this girl be abused. A plan was forming.
After school I was at her car waiting for her.
She looked like she was about to crumble, but once she spotted me she straightened, putting on a brave face. She wasn’t fooling me.
“What do you want, Reed?”
“I need to talk to you.”
> “I don’t have anything to say to you. I already told you how I feel about talking to you.”
“I know, you think it’s not good for me to be seen talking to you, but I don’t care what people think.”
“Go away, Reed. Okay? Just go away.”
I could hear the pain in her voice. She was on the verge of tears. She unlocked her car and got in—and so did I.
“Reed, please go. I can’t do this right now.” And with that, she began to cry. She rested her head against the steering wheel and cried hard, her small body convulsing with each breath.
I hesitated before resting my hand on her shoulder. It was breaking my heart seeing her cry. I resisted the urge to pull her small frame into my arms and comfort her. “Let me help you, Kitty.”
She was hiccupping through her tears as she spoke. “You can’t help me. Nobody can.”
“I can, and I won’t take no for an answer. I have a plan. I’m gonna act as your boyfriend starting Monday morning. Of course it’ll just be an act, so don’t worry. I’ll meet you in the parking lot first thing, and I’ll walk you to every one of your classes, you’ll eat lunch with me, and then I’ll see you safely to your car at the end of the day.”
She peered up at me then, her face red and stained with tears. It melted my heart instantly.
“I can’t ask you to do that for me.”
“First of all, you didn’t ask me. And second, I’m not doing it for you. If I have to keep looking at that pitiful face day after day I’m gonna hurt someone, starting with myself. Besides, I want to do this.”
She looked genuinely puzzled by my comment. “But why?”
“Because I believe you’ve suffered enough, and I like the idea of playing the hero.” I smiled then.
Suddenly—she smiled back, her face brightening. “That might just work.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. It was settled then. Starting Monday I’d become her pretend boyfriend/bodyguard. And I couldn’t wait.
Chapter Ten
Exposing Kitty Langley Page 3
