Margo's Lullaby

by Groves, B.

  Gabby shook her head and turned towards the stage.

  Gabby’s emotions were on a rollercoaster ride but rolled her eyes when Michael McConnell stepped up on stage.

  You got what you wanted, Gabby thought with revulsion slicing through her gut. You are on top of the world because of my sister.

  If Michael’s ego became any bigger as he addressed the crowd, Gabby thought his head might blow up and splatter the crowd with his arrogance.

  How he turned the conversation about himself, she’d never know.

  Gabby shook her head and blocked out Michael from there.

  “I remember bringing those girls to safety…” Michael said.

  Pam burst out laughing and then covered her mouth in embarrassment. Her face turned red when Tony shot her a look to shut up.

  “He’s such a jackass,” Lisa said through gritted teeth.

  He was in the library that day, she was sure of it.

  What was he doing there? Teachers came in and out all the time, but Michael wasn’t one of those teachers.

  Her thoughts turned to that time. She looked away and down trying to place the missing puzzle pieces together.

  Gabby lifted her head. Maybe she was overreacting or trying to find answers where there weren’t any.

  Yet, that nagging feeling continued to scratch at one side of her brain seeing Michael up on the stage.

  She put those aside for now.

  The band played and Gabby could feel the emotions rising in her throat.

  Tears threatened to fall once more while she thought of how her sweet little sister who loved to dance and write silly things in her diary turned into a vicious killer.

  How?

  Gabby was handed another tissue by Pam and wiped her eyes.

  It was the next speeches that made her have to stand up and walk away from the crowd for some air.

  The first was her old principal—Mrs. Kinsey.

  Mrs. Kinsey’s speech was uplifting and hopeful.

  Then family members came to the stage.

  It was Jennifer Smith’s mother that made Gabby lose her composure.

  Jennifer was bullied so badly, she had to hide in places during off times just to make the comments about her weight or looks stop.

  Gabby despised bullies. Not a victim herself until Margo’s crimes, Gabby hadn’t known what it was like, but one day she found Jennifer crying in the bathroom when a boy stuffed wet toilet paper down her pants and many other kids were laughing at her.

  Gabby was already late to class, but she didn’t care. This girl didn’t deserve that kind of treatment.

  She helped clean Jennifer up and walked with her to class. Gabby had gotten a detention for being late, but it was worth it when Jennifer thanked her for helping her.

  After that, Gabby always tried to go out of her way to help Jennifer come out of her cocoon. She recruited her to help her paint the float for homecoming, and when Jennifer didn’t have to care for her sick mother, Gabby would ask her to help her out with setting up the yearbook.

  Gabby was far from perfect at the time. She pushed a girl down some stairs. The girl had been flirting with Scott, and it pissed her off.

  Gabby felt horrible after doing that and swore she would never hurt anyone again.

  Gabby found she was outright sobbing now, and Lisa squeezed her hand.

  “I have to stand,” Gabby said. “I need to be alone for a moment.”

  “Gabby, no,” Pam said. “You shouldn’t be by yourself.”

  Gabby didn’t listen. She stood up and walked away from the rest of the mourners.

  She needed air. She thought she was drowning. She paced back and forth not caring about those who stared at her.

  She turned to focus on the stage again. She was stunned when she realized that time had passed and Michelle Ramsay was now speaking. Margo hit Michelle in the ankle if Gabby remembered correctly.

  Gabby watched as Michelle finished her speech. It was Dean’s turn.

  Despite her emotions in an uproar, she thought he looked so handsome up there.

  It was his speech that Gabby would never forget.

  Chapter 16

  The first part of his speech was about Jake. How they met in kindergarten and were inseparable from that moment. He recounted all of his and Jake’s hijinks making Gabby laugh along with the rest of the crowd.

  Dean ended the first part of his speech abruptly. Gabby heard the murmurs from the crowd and she found herself as confused as everyone else.

  He placed his written speech in his pocket. His hands grabbed the sides of the podium.

  Gabby’s heart pounded, and she thought she would lose her breakfast again. It was a mixture of anticipation and dread.

  “Recently, I was given a gift,” Dean started. “The gift of forgiveness.”

  Gabby looked down on the ground and back up again. The memorial service with every mourner faded into a silent background.

  Her bottom lip trembled and more tears sprang from her eyes.

  Dean Walker was no longer speaking to those in attendance; he was only speaking to her.

  “Forgiveness is a difficult emotion,” Dean said. “Some can feel it right away. For others, it may take years, and sometimes it never comes to pass within one's self.”

  Dean’s gaze set on Gabby as the beautiful words came pouring from his mouth.

  Gabby was so moved by his speech, she thought she’d stopped breathing.

  “I decided to set my life on a positive path because I feel that’s what Jake would want from me,” Dean continued. “I made so many mistakes over the last ten years. I assumed I knew what I knew, and that was it. I discovered a hard truth. I hope that all of you out there will find it in your hearts to feel the way I do now. That’s how we move on, and that’s how we overcome such heartbreak.”

  Gabby hadn’t realized she’d taken quite a few steps towards the stage mesmerized by Dean’s speech.

  He then spoke of each victim and lectured the mourners not to let anger and revenge consume their lives. It was a time of forgiveness, and a time for strength for everyone in attendance today. There was no way Gabby could have written anything more perfect if she was up there in Dean’s place.

  Dean finished and turned to sit down in his seat. The applause turned from low to thunderous in a matter of seconds.

  Gabby turned to the crowd, and joined them in the applause, although her body was numb.

  She only snapped out of it when she saw the retired police chief stand up to speak.

  Gabby wiped away the tears straining her face. It was time. It was finally time for them to talk. She heard the message loud and clear.

  Gabby had been so caught up in her own thoughts she hadn’t realized that she’d let her guard down. Her body became tense realizing she was not observing her surroundings like she should have been.

  It was too late.

  Gabby felt a tap on her shoulder. Just as she turned to see who it was, she heard a cry in the distance, and an immense pain shot through her right cheek.

  Stars formed in front of her eyes. She staggered back and fell back. She reached to grab anything to stop the fall, but it was too late. She landed straight on her back and grunted from the pain.

  “Bitch!” Someone screamed above her.

  Gabby could only stare at the clear blue sky above her. She heard someone call her a name, but she wasn’t sure who it was.

  She heard yelling in the distance. She blinked several times groaning as the pain around her cheek spread through her head, neck, and she thought someone was driving an ice pick through her eye.

  Footsteps ran around her. The yelling was so loud she thought of telling them to shut up.

  “Gabby? Gabby!” Pam appeared above her.

  Gabby’s hand flew to her cheek. Her cheek felt awfully hot. What happened?

  Gabby was helped into a sitting position by hands on her shoulders.

  Her vision cleared, and she was staring at Dean who had Randy White
by the collar. Her hearing cleared and she could hear the threats he was giving him.

  “Touch her again. Come near her again. I’ll kill you. I’ll fucking kill you,” Dean threatened.

  “Gabby, are you okay?” Pam asked.

  Gabby’s eyes shot around to see Tony holding back Melanie. Someone was calling for the people to let him or her in.

  Gabby was still in a daze, and she wondered how Dean ran over to her so fast.

  Gabby turned to Pam in confusion. “What happened?”

  Dean turned around for a second and nodded to Pam.

  “You can’t stop me!” Randy yelled trying to struggle out of Dean’s grasp.

  Dean was stronger than he looked, Gabby thought. Her mind was all over the place from the hit. She placed a hand at her temple trying to get her brain to come back into the present.

  “I’ll knock your ass to the ground, that’s what I’ll do,” Dean answered.

  “You would choose this whore over my son,” Randy said to Dean.

  Dean laughed in a caustic manner. “Why don’t you tell these people about Jake’s black eye when he was thirteen? Or the cigarette burns he hid under his sleeves? Or how about the time Jake forgot to leave the toilet seat down, and Melanie put him in a closet for twelve hours with only water?”

  The surrounding people gasped in shock.

  Randy's eyes widened. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out, then he slumped in defeat.

  “Do you deny it, Randy?” Dean asked.

  “No, but I loved my son! This whore’s sister killed him!”

  The crowd gasped again, and Melanie stopped struggling against Tony and sobbed.

  Gabby could hear the contempt in Dean’s voice.

  Randy didn't react anymore, and Gabby noticed Jason approach him and put him in handcuffs reading him his rights.

  He glared at Gabby as he was led away from the field.

  “Gabby? Answer me.”

  Gabby turned to Pam and said, “I’m okay.”

  Gabby tried to get up but a wave of dizziness caused her to sit back down on the ground while bile shot up into her throat.

  “Would someone call an ambulance?” Pam asked.

  “No. No, no. I can get up,” Gabby said. “I don’t need an ambulance.”

  Gabby was determined to stand. She put her hands down on the ground, but someone else hoisted her off the ground and set her on her feet.

  She was wrapped in strong arms, and her gaze settled on hazel eyes.

  A jacket was placed on her shoulders, and she was pulled closer to a strong body.

  “Dean, would you please talk some sense into her?” Pam asked.

  “Your face is swelling up. You need to go to the hospital,” Dean said to Gabby.

  Gabby heard Jason walk up to Dean. They exchanged a few words, but Gabby wasn’t sure what they were saying until she heard the ambulance.

  “I don’t need one,” she pleaded. “Please, I just want to leave.”

  “I’m going to take her,” Dean said.

  Pam mumbled something about stubbornness and agreed to let Gabby go with Dean.

  The surrounding mourners had quieted around them. Lisa came up and gave Gabby a hug.

  Gabby thought she saw Jennifer Smith’s mother come through the crowd. She stared down Gabby for a moment, and Gabby bristled into Dean’s shirt expecting a tongue lashing or worse.

  “She was the only person who ever befriended my Jennifer,” the woman said. “Randy can go to hell.”

  With a strong arm wrapped around her, the people cleared a path, and Gabby was being escorted off the field.

  She was returning to her senses but didn’t want to focus on the faces.

  “I’m sorry,” she muttered as they walked past.

  “It’s okay,” Dean whispered.

  The vulture news people were waiting for them at the end of the fence waiting for their prey to fall. Their prey was her, and she thought she saw them practically jumping over each other to put a camera in her face.

  Dean pulled Gabby even closer almost tripping her in the process.

  He snarled when he told them no comment and get the hell out of their way.

  They walked down the street, and Gabby stumbled a few times, but Dean held onto her.

  Without a word, Dean opened the door to his truck and helped Gabby sit inside.

  “You’re going to the hospital,” Pam said when he moved out of the way.

  “I don’t need a hospital,” Gabby argued, even though her head was pulsating from the pain.

  Gabby’s handbag was set in her lap. Pam and Dean talked and then Pam asked, “Did you want me to come to the hospital with you?”

  Gabby shook her head, and that made the pain worse. She winced as another ice pick stabbed her eye.

  “No, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you later,” Gabby answered.

  Dean sat in the driver’s seat after Pam shut the door and waved.

  Gabby looked over at him and said, “I’m sorry. I ruined everything.”

  Dean turned and cocked his head at her. She saw an emotion flash through his eyes but wasn’t sure what.

  “We’ll talk about it later, but right now, yes, you are going to the hospital,” Dean said.

  This time Gabby didn’t argue.

  ***

  The icepack helped while Gabby waited on the x-rays to come back. She shifted on the bed trying not to pull at her IV. She didn’t know the painkiller they gave her, but it helped for now, but it made her lower her guard. She didn’t like that one bit.

  Dean sat quietly next to her. They hadn’t said much to each other the whole time she was in the emergency room.

  He played on his phone a few times and asked her if she wanted anything.

  “Are you angry with me?” Gabby asked after the nurse came in and checked on her.

  Gabby’s face was hot to the touch, and she pulled her hand back when she tried to touch her cheek, but found she could only graze it with her fingers.

  Her eye wasn’t swollen shut, but it was close.

  Randy clobbered her hard.

  Dean turned to face her. She couldn’t tell if he furious or something else.

  “I tried to tell you,” he said.

  Gabby turned away. “I know.”

  “I wish you had stayed away. I knew he would do something. I wasn’t sure what.”

  “Randy White wouldn’t have kept me away,” Gabby answered.

  Dean shook his head, but a smile played at his lips. “Are you always this stubborn?”

  “Always.”

  They stared at each other for a few moments. Gabby softened her expression.

  A strong male hand reached over and took hers with a slight squeeze.

  “There’s so much that needs to be said.”

  “We can now,” Gabby answered.

  Gabby waited as Dean struggled to find the words.

  “You said it so beautifully today,” Gabby said as Dean rubbed his face with his free hand.

  “I can’t find them now.” He let out a short, embarrassed laugh. “I feel like we’re back in seventh grade.”

  Gabby chuckled when a knock on the door came.

  “Come in,” Gabby said and Dean let go of her hand. She found she was missing it now.

  She noticed Dean stiffen beside her.

  “How are you feeling?” Jason asked and nodded at Dean.

  “Sore. I’m sure the worst is yet to come, but the doctor doesn’t think anything’s broken,” Gabby answered.

  “That’s good. We want to press charges against Randy for assault, battery, and public intoxication. Would you be willing to make a statement?”

  Gabby thought about it. Part of her wanted to retreat into the shadows and forget the incident, but part of her wanted to press charges. If what Dean said was true about Jake being abused all of his life, then any punishment was good punishment.

  No matter what Margo did at one time, Gabby didn’t deserve physical violence.


  She glanced over at Dean, and she could see by his facial expressions he wanted her to do it.

  “Even if you don’t, Gabby, we’re going to file charges,” Jason said.

  “I’ll do it,” Gabby said.

  “Good. I think it would be a good idea to file an order of protection against them too,” Jason suggested.

  “I don’t think I need to go that far,” Gabby said.

  “I’ll leave it up to you, but when you get feeling better come down to the station as soon as possible. Do you remember where it’s at?”

  “Yeah, off Hand Boulevard.

  “Good. I’ll text you this week if I don’t see you there,” Jason said.

  Jason left after saying goodbye to Dean.

  Gabby turned to see Dean clenching his jaw.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” Dean answered, but didn’t elaborate.

  Gabby would’ve pressed him further, but the doctor walked in and said there were no broken bones in Gabby’s face.

  She was relieved by the news, and the doctor would release her with ice packs and painkillers.

  “Is there anything else you need, Miss Ryan?”

  “No, thank you.”

  The doctor looked over at her sympathetically. One thing Gabby hated was pity, but sympathy she could handle.

  “I saw what happened on television. I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve that,” the doctor commented.

  “Thank you, doctor. I appreciate it.”

  The nurse came in not too long after and removed Gabby’s IV and sent her and Dean on their way with instructions.

  Dean and Gabby walked to Dean’s truck, and he helped Gabby inside.

  She sent a text to Pam while she waited for Dean telling her she was released and no broken bones in her face.

  She’d been in the ER for about four hours and tried to keep her stomach from growling.

  “Are you hungry?” Dean asked when he started the truck.

  Gabby turned and smiled at him even though it hurt.

  “I am.”

  “Good, because when we get back to your house, we’ll order a pizza or whatever you want.”

  Gabby was about to agree with him when his words sunk in.

  “Wait. Are we going back to my house? As in… you’re coming in?”