Collide

by J. C. Hannigan

  "Shouldn't you two be in class?" Iain's voice started me. He was a couple feet away, standing in the hallway frowning deeply.

  "Sorry, Mr. B, on our way now," Jake shrugged, giving him a careless grin. Jake gave me another pointed look that said "We'll talk more later", and continued walking down the hall toward the men's bathroom. I was suddenly aware that the hallway was now completely empty, and Iain was only a few steps away from me. I think he was aware of it too. He took a deep breath and sighed. I felt him reach out and gently touch my arm as I passed him. I shot him a surprised look, then quickly checked that nobody had caught it.

  "See you after?" he mouthed. I nodded and kept walking as the bell rang, signalling the end of second period.

  I sat through the rest of the day with an icy feeling in the pit of my stomach that felt heavier than the feeling I'd woken up with.

  * * * *

  I had to work after school, but I texted Iain that I would see him after my shift ended. I walked quickly to work, hugging my arms to my chest…and not just because the early November air bit against my exposed skin. The icy feeling in the pit of my stomach hadn't lessened as the day wore on, it grew even more so. I tried to choke back the panic that now came with simply walking to work, alone. I kept glancing around, obsessively checking for a blue truck or anyone following me.

  I rushed into the diner and quickly changed into my uniform, grateful for the warmth. Danielle was already working, greeting people with a large grin on her face. I wonder if she had heard about Ryan yet. When she turned away from her customer, the look on her face told me that yes, she had heard. Her pretty, easy smile was replaced with a look of gnawing worry as she approached me. She put a gentle, tiny hand on my arm and examined me with her green eyes.

  "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft so as to not draw attention to us. I nodded, trying to find my brave face and put it on. All I could find was images from Friday night, and the fresh memory of the panic I'd felt, the panic I still feel.

  "Ryan is—"

  "Doing better," Danielle assured me. "Once I heard…I visited him at the hospital. He's supposed to be released today, he'll be off work for a week."

  "Oh," I said, surprised. I hadn't expected Danielle would know more than me. I looked at her, curious. "You visited him?"

  She blushed, her cheeks glowing pink under her pretty freckles, and laughed uneasily. "Yeah, I did…I needed to see him…make sure he was okay."

  I nodded, accepting her answer as it was, and headed to the back to change into my uniform.

  I tried to loosen up, to not let that icy feeling completely turn me into a rigid robot. It was hard to slip into my diner girl role, and it took some time…but I did so about an hour after my shift started.

  It was fairly busy for a Monday night, but I still had plenty of time to do some side work alongside Danielle while she chatted animatedly about her Saturday night, and taking Liam trick-or-treating for the first time.

  As Danielle was finishing up the tale about how Liam had started bawling his eyes out after a scary wolf gave him Halloween candy, the diner door chimed as it was pushed open. A gust of cold wind rustled my hair, and I distractedly turned to see who'd come in.

  It was Andrew Cooper, and an older man that looked remarkably like him, dressed in his police uniform with his Chief of Police badge proudly displaced. I froze, petrified, as they made their way over to my section. Danielle had fallen silent, and stiff, beside me as she watched my reaction.

  "What's wrong?" Danielle asked, her voice full of concern. She tenderly touched my arm and looked at me with her wide green eyes. I realized that she had no idea that one of the people who had jumped Ryan was Andrew.

  "It's…nothing," I muttered, swallowing hard. I wanted to tell her, but I wanted to avoid a scene at the diner, too. Other customers were eating. I grabbed some menus and headed over to their table, forcing myself to appear calm and composed as my stomach rolled with nerves and disgust.

  "Good evening," I said, too formally to be friendly. "What can I get you to start?" I gave myself major kudos for my voice not shaking or wavering. I sounded self-assured and polite.

  "We'll both get coffees to start," the man, Carl Cooper, said as he eyed me with keen interest.

  I nodded, walking off to get the coffee, my head spinning with Jake's warnings. I brought them their coffees with a forced smile on my face, much to Andrew's delight. I met both their stares with one of my own, not breaking eye contact until they did first. I wanted to appear unafraid and determined, not like a scared little mouse that would bend at their will…because I wouldn't.

  "I'll be back soon to take your orders," I told them, heading off to the kitchen window to grab plates for some of my other tables. I forced myself to be professional, even though I had wanted more than anything to leap across the table and claw Andrew's eyes out. That would knock the sly smile and cocky expression of his face. But I knew I couldn't do that.

  When I came back to take their orders, they were ready.

  "I'll have the steak and potatoes," Carl said, closing the menu and setting it down.

  "I'll have the double burger with fries," Andrew grinned, eyeing me with a disgusting glint in his eyes as he shoved his menu out of the way. I took wrote down their orders, took their menus and headed back to the counter where Danielle was watching me with a very concerned look on her face.

  "What's going on?" she whispered, frowning deeply.

  I took a steadying breath and reached inside my bag, leaning down behind the counter to quickly text Iain. I had to let him know that I would be late getting to him. There was no way I wanted to chance walking to his house after this encounter. I clicked send with shaky hands, peering up at Danielle. She was still watching me with an overly concerned look on her face, and sadness too.

  "It's…nothing," I said again. I wanted to tell her, I did. "I just don't feel very well. I'll be fine."

  "It's him, isn't it?" Danielle whispered, crouching down so she was level with me. I nodded, looking at her for a reaction. "I was afraid so. My friend had an…encounter with him a few months ago."

  I stood up quickly, making sure I brought up more napkins from under the cash cubby. Danielle followed suit, and we began folding napkins in relative silence until the kitchen bell dinged, alerting us an order was up.

  I walked over to the order window, grabbing the two plates that waited for me, and walked back to the last table on earth I wanted to serve.

  "Enjoy," I said, my forced smile now gone.

  "Oh, I'm sure we will." Andrew's voice was full of unspoken innuendo. I met his leering gaze with a challenging one of my own, my chin held high. I couldn't think of a single thing to say, but I was hoping the look of ice I sent him would say all that I couldn't in that moment. I turned around and headed back to the cash counter.

  Danielle was serving a few of her customers their orders, so I was alone at the counter folding napkins for a few minutes. I kept glancing in the Coopers' direction, catching Andrew staring at me with open intent. I inwardly shivered.

  The diner bell chimed again, and another customer walked in. I looked over, quickly schooling the shock on my face as Iain made his way to my section, to a table in the back corner where he could easily see the cash counter and the Coopers' table. He didn't spare me a glance, and had his briefcase with him. He sat down, organizing some papers out of his briefcase. He looked at me then, well out of the Coopers' line of sight.

  I grabbed a menu for him, knowing full well that Carl and Andrew were still watching. I walked over to Iain's table and handed him the menu. "What can I get for you this evening?" I asked, my voice softer. I was grateful he was there, but a fear welled up in the bottom of my stomach. I sent him a look that clearly said What are you doing here?

  "I'd just like some coffee today, please," Iain said, giving me a look that said As if I would leave you alone with these two. It was bittersweet how easily we could read each other's secret looks.

  I nodded, he
ading over to grab him a coffee, still chewing over Jake's warning, and the fact that Andrew didn't seem to be scared or worried about the fact that I'd seen him last night, and named him as one of the people who had jumped Ryan and me.

  I didn't know what their intentions were by coming into the diner, and staring at me the whole time while they ate, but the feeling in my gut told me it wasn't a good thing.

  The Coopers stayed entirely too long for my liking, eating their meals and their desserts painfully slow. Iain kept his eyes on them the entire time, and me as well. He noted every look Andrew gave me, every leer and unspoken innuendo, with his jaw set as he drank his coffee.

  Finally, Andrew and Carl paid for their bill and left. They tipped me nearly twenty dollars, which I immediately wanted to give to Danielle.

  "Keep it," she told me, shivering.

  "You said something earlier…about your friend?" I asked, finally able to now that they'd gone.

  "Yeah." Danielle sighed. "Rachel. She went to a party with a couple of our mutual friends—I didn't go, of course. But she went. He was there. She had just one drink and ended up alone with him."

  "I can imagine the rest," I frowned, feeling sick. She nodded sadly.

  "Yeah, it was vile. She…she was really hurt during it. Bleeding and…" Danielle took in a deep breath.

  "Would Rachel want to press charges?" I asked hopefully. Maybe if I got more of Andrew's victims to speak up, it would be an open-and-shut thing.

  "Rachel can't," Danielle said sadly. "She's dead. She killed herself."

  "Oh my god." My jaw dropped. "I'm so sorry, Danielle. I had no idea!"

  "It's not your fault," Danielle assured me, her green eyes full of sadness as she glanced toward the door. The look behind her expression was obvious who's fault it had been. My lips froze around telling her that Andrew had also jumped Ryan, the look on her face melting my words.

  * * * *

  Iain waited until my shift was almost over to leave, and sent me a text saying he'd be in the parking lot waiting to drive me home. I knew he didn't want me walking anywhere alone.

  Danielle was in a quiet, sad, reserved mood that I'd never seen her in before. She was so distracted with her thoughts that she didn't even noticed Iain's presence, nor did she comment on his good looks and the way he looked at me. I felt sick, knowing the cause of her sadness. I knew the pain of losing a friend all too well.

  Finally, after the diner was locked up and the fill-in dish boy was sent off, I went to the parking lot to where Iain was waiting in his car. I climbed into the passenger side, closing it quickly behind me. Iain reached across the seat and gently grabbed my hand.

  "I think it's safe to say that I'm really looking forward to getting away next weekend," he said dryly. I bit my lip.

  "Do you think we should still go?" I asked, looking out the window. Iain hadn't started the car yet, and it was a little chilly.

  "Of course," Iain said. "Unless you don't want to?"

  "You know I want to," I gave him a look. "I'm just…I don't know. Worried."

  "Don't be. I'll protect you," Iain squeezed my hand before letting go to start the car.

  "Do you mind just taking me home?" I whispered, glancing out the window again. "I don't want to have to walk back later."

  "I could drive you later, if you want," Iain offered. "But if you want to go home, I'll take you."

  I thought about it for a nanosecond. Home to my cold bedroom and my overly in my face mother, and possibly the overly friendly Larry, or back to Iain's warm and comfortable place?

  "Only if you promise to make hot chocolate the real way," I gave him a half smile. "I'm still waiting to try that."

  He laughed richly, then turned serious. "Of course…but we also need to talk. About tonight, and earlier."

  I nodded as he gently put the car into drive and headed out of the diner. The drive to Iain's house was ridiculous short, almost pointless if it hadn't been for the whole "avoiding the public when together" thing. He pulled into his driveway and I pulled my hoodie up over my head. I always felt so exposed walking up to his house, and usually made sure my hair and face was blocked from anyone that would happen to drive by. Kind of pointless, since I always wore the same leather jacket and shit kicker boots, but regardless…it made me feel a tiny bit better, like I was protecting Iain a little.

  Iain shook his head, smiling at me as he unlocked his front door. He stepped aside so I could walk in first.

  "You're cute," he said, watching me pull my hood down. I rolled my eyes.

  "You still owe me hot chocolate…don't weasel your way out of it again."

  "I won't," he smiled, heading into the kitchen. I walked in as he was bending over to grab a pot from the lower cupboard. I admired the way his jeans fit snug to his body.

  "Do you like the view?" Iain joked, wiggling a bit. I laughed, rolling my eyes again.

  "Someone's egotistic," I remarked.

  "Someone's staring," he pointed out, straightening up and crossing over to the refrigerator to grab some cream. He filled the pot up halfway with it, then added the hot chocolate mix and stirred it before putting it on the burner. "It takes a little longer this way," he added.

  "That's okay." I sat down at the table, stretching a little to try to work the tension out of my back and shoulders. Iain watched me, quiet and thoughtful.

  "So…what were you and Jake doing in the halls?" he asked, leaning against the counter to keep a close eye on the hot chocolate.

  "Nothing. I was late for class and on my way, I literally ran into Jake and he told me some interesting stuff."

  "What kind of stuff?" Iain frowned.

  "Just the apparent town motto about the Coopers and how they aren't to be crossed. That they ran the girl who tried to press charges out of town. Tonight, when they came into the diner, all I could think about was Jake's warning. Then Danielle told me about her friend Rachel. She was also raped by Andrew, and she ended up killing herself."

  "Rachel McGuire?" Iain asked, frowning. "I heard about her suicide. I didn't know her, or even that the two incidents were related."

  "Well, they are. She killed herself because of Andrew and what he did to her." I sighed.

  Iain opened his mouth to speak, but I pointed at the stove. The hot chocolate was almost bubbling over. "Shit."

  Iain quickly turned down the temperature and stirred it. Deeming it hot enough, he carefully poured it into two mugs and placed one in front of me. He sat down beside me and angled his chair toward me. He had a thoughtful look on his face.

  "Okay, so 'Don't cross the Coopers' is an actual saying in this town?" Iain shook his head, glaring down at his mug. "And nobody does anything about it?"

  "I don't know," I said. "Doesn't make any sense. I'm not from around here."

  "Me either." Iain ran a hand through his hair, musing it. "I'm originally from the Ottawa area."

  "So…what does this mean?" I frowned. "We haven't even brought the evidence to light, nor have any victims come forward to press charges, and I'm already getting visits at work." I tried ignore the disgusting feeling in my stomach as I thought about Friday night's 'visit'. Attack would be more suitable.

  "It's probably a scare tactic…" Iain said. "From Carl anyway," he added, remembering Friday night's attack just as vividly as I did. "Andrew seems to be a loose cannon."

  "What's the worst they can do? Try to run me out of town?" I asked, laughing without humor. "Oh no! Run me out of the town I plan on leaving as soon as I graduate!"

  Iain smiled wryly at me. "You're not planning on staying?"

  "Hell no," I quickly said. "I mean…I want to stay for certain reasons," I gave him a pointed look. "But we couldn't suddenly become public when I graduate."

  "That's true." Iain sighed.

  "Let's not worry about all that right now," I said quickly, wanting to ease the mood. I was tired of feeling anxious and wound up. "In fact, let's just wait and see what Jenna says. If she doesn't want to press charges, there is
n't much more we can do, other than keep the evidence I compiled until another girl comes forward."

  Iain nodded, sighing again. "I guess that's all we can do…but Harlow? I really don't want you to become 'another' girl."

  "I know," I said softly, my voice wavering slightly. I didn't want that either.

  Chapter Eight

  The next week passed by without any more weird incidents at the diner. I didn't see Andrew or Carl Cooper around town, and there also weren't any crazy parties going on. It was…quiet. Jenna continued to hang out with Tara and Callie during the day (although she often remarked about how she was tired of their antics), while I stuck to hanging out with Jake, Cory and Troy…or keeping to myself. After school, I'd either be working or with Iain.