Bullies Love and Lies

by liberty freer

  “You should hang out. I can drop you off on my way home,” Lucy says, smiling.

  Any chance to avoid the monsters. “Cool. Thanks.”

  Ben strolls in a few minutes later, taking a seat on my left and grabbing a muffin. “I love muffins.”

  “Me too, and these are really good,” I say. “I’ve already eaten two.”

  “Eaten?” Robbie laughs. “You inhaled them.”

  He nudges me, and I grin. “I’m about to inhale a third.” I grab another muffin and take a bite.

  Robbie laughs. “Have as many as you want. Knowing my mom, there are several batches in the fridge and even more in the freezer.”

  “Hey, Emma, why’d you join Sudbury during senior year? You were going to the local public school, right?” Ben asks.

  I set my muffin down. This was what I was dreading. I don’t want to lie, but I don’t want to spill my life story either. “I moved here last week. Public school…” I pause. “It wasn’t the right fit.”

  “Gotcha. You’re going to love Sudbury High,” Lucy says.

  “Check this out.” Ben laughs, holding his phone up to Robbie.

  The phone’s behind my back, so I can’t see the screen, but I recognize the upbeat pop song coming from it.

  Robbie laughs. “I saw that. Did you see the other one he made?” Robbie pulls out his phone, swiping across the screen several times before holding it up for us all to see.

  There’s a single file line of teenagers, each one holding a mattress. The boy at the back of the line falls forward, knocking into the person in front of him, creating a domino effect.

  Lucy groans. “Let’s go play basketball or something. I don’t feel like getting sucked into the screen right now. We did that yesterday.”

  “I think it’s supposed to rain,” Robbie says.

  Lucy hops up. “Nah, it’s passing us. The sun was coming back out when I got here. It’s not supposed to rain till later tonight.”

  Smiling, Ben gets up, sliding his phone into his pocket. “We can play two on two, girls against guys.”

  “Works for me,” Lucy says. “You any good at basketball, Emma?”

  I nod. “I used to play with friends back home. I’m decent.”

  We move to the backyard and play ball on the miniature court until the sun begins to slip behind the horizon.

  Lucy drops the ball to the court. “I need to get home for dinner. You ready to go, Em?”

  “Sure,” I say, brushing hair away from my sweaty face.

  “Who gets bragging rights?” Ben asks, grabbing the ball to dribble it between his legs.

  Lucy laughs. “If you don’t know, it probably wasn’t you.”

  “Rematch next week,” Robbie says. “See you Monday, Emma. Have a good weekend.”

  “See you Monday.” I wave to Robbie and Ben as I follow Lucy to her purple jeep.

  I give her the address, and then she drives the one mile to Arden’s house.

  “Thanks for the ride. I didn’t realize it was so close.” I laugh. “I could have walked.”

  “It’s on my way. I’m only a few minutes from here.” She eyes Arden’s house, her brows dipping low. “Wait.” Her gaze slides to me. “You live with Brent? Is he your brother?”

  The air is sucked from my lungs. “You know Brent?” If Brent sees her dropping me off, he could ruin any possibility of me having friends at my new school.

  “I dated him last summer, and I use the term dated loosely.” She wags her brows.

  “Really?” I can’t hide the disgust from my face. “He’s not my brother.”

  With her mouth open and a hint of a smile, she says, “You don’t like him. I thought everyone did. He has that easy-going personality.”

  I want to roll my eyes, but I force a smile. “I just moved in, so maybe.” I shrug.

  I must not be hiding my emotions well, because Lucy narrows her eyes. “Hey, if you ever need to talk about anything, I’m here.” She picks up her phone from the console. “What’s your number?”

  I pull out my phone, turning it on. Guilt claws at me as several texts from Arden pop up. I had my phone off all day, not even thinking Arden might be worried when I didn’t come home right away. Finding the number, I read it off to her. Two seconds later, a text from an unknown number pops up.

  “I just sent you a text, so you can store my number.”

  “Cool. Got it,” I say, opening the door and hopping out. “See you Monday.”

  I wait for her to pull away before walking up the steps to Arden’s house, aka my prison. Preparing for battle, I roll my shoulders and tell myself I’m strong. As soon as I open the door, Arden rushes to my side.

  “Emma, where have you been? The school closed over an hour ago.”

  Ryan steps into the foyer. “See, Dad. She’s fine.” He crosses his arms.

  I roll my eyes like a brat. “I went out with friends.” Eyes focused on the stairs ahead, I move past Arden. “I’ll probably be doing that a lot.”

  “That’s fine, but a phone call or text—”

  “I forgot my phone,” I lie.

  “Can I stop trying to call Sully now?” Brent asks from the living room.

  “Yes, don’t bother him. She’s here,” Arden replies. “Is everything okay, Emma? How was school?”

  I pop my shoulder. “It was fine. I’m tired. Headed to bed.”

  “I was hoping to talk with you before leaving for the airport.” He shakes his head. “I needed to leave ten minutes ago.”

  “I told you not to worry about me,” I tell him, but inside, I’m feeling like complete trash. I brush past Ryan and fly up the stairs to my room, slamming the bedroom door shut. My heart’s beating like crazy. Having to be a cold bitch to the nicest person on Earth is making me nauseous.

  A few minutes later, my door opens with a loud bang, and I’m not surprised to see Ryan and Brent on the other side.

  “Did you and Daddy have a fight?” Ryan asks.

  I back up until my legs hit the edge of the bed. My stomach twists as Brent closes and locks the door.

  “Why is my dad so worried about you?” Ryan grinds out.

  Ryan has some serious issues. “Maybe because I’m an eighteen-year-old female in a new area. Maybe because he’s a decent fucking person. I bet it doesn’t have anything to do with whatever you’re thinking.”

  Ryan steps closer to me, nostrils flaring and lips a thin line. “You better watch that tone.” He tilts his head to the side. “The party’s starting soon. Are you ready?”

  Shit. I mentally kick myself for forgetting about the party. I wanted to find a hardware store to get a new lock for the bedroom door.

  Ryan grins. “This is going to be a fun weekend.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” But Ryan doesn’t answer me as he and Brent leave the room.

  Chapter 14

  Trying to block out the loud music that started two hours ago, I press my pillow harder against my ear. If Arden’s going to be traveling regularly, I could set up a video camera to record what goes on when he’s gone. Then I could anonymously e-mail it to—

  I gasp as I’m yanked from bed by my ankles. I land hard on the floor, my blanket and pillow landing on top of me. A calloused hand wraps around my upper arm, jerking me upright.

  Ryan doesn’t give me a chance to catch my bearings before he’s pulling me out of the room. “Ryan, what the hell? Let me go!” I struggle against his hold, but he tightens his grip until tears spring to my eyes.

  Once we’re safely down the stairs, I drop down, making myself harder to pull. He doesn’t even stumble. I scream and kick at him, the music drowning out my shouting. He locks his jaw, grabbing me around the waist and heaving me over his shoulder.

  Pressing my palms against his back, I push myself up, but Ryan’s not having it. He adjusts me higher, my stomach slipping from his shoulder to his upper back. Completely upside down, I fist the back of Ryan’s shirt, trying to steady myself as he storms through the house.
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  The cool night air hits my legs and the exposed skin on my back from where my shirt has slipped down. Without warning, I’m slung forward, landing hard on my ass. It takes me a second to realize I’m in the backyard.

  “You’re not welcome here,” Ryan growls, towering over me. “You can stay out here until my dad gets back.”

  I get to my feet. “What? You can’t—”

  “Goodnight,” a boy I don’t recognize says, tossing a blanket at my feet. He laughs, fist-bumping Ryan.

  I see Brent standing just outside the French doors with a curvy blonde under his arm. Tears pool in my eyes as Ryan turns his back. I think he might really leave me out here all weekend. A handful of people have gathered in the kitchen to witness my humiliation. As Ryan approaches them, he gets praise and pats on the back.

  The back door closes and the porch light blinks out. I grab the blanket, carrying it to the patio couch. A flash of light lights up the night sky, and the loud growl of thunder follows a few seconds later.

  Fuck.

  ***

  The loss of back support jolts me from sleep.

  “What the fuck?”

  I rub the sleep from my eyes and look up. Sully’s opened the back door that I was leaning against. I checked the doorknob every few minutes until I must have fallen asleep last night. I can’t tell what time it is because the sun’s hidden behind gray clouds.

  Sully’s eyebrows narrow as he takes in the blanket I’m wrapped up in. “What the fuck are… you’ve been out here all night?”

  “Y-yeah,” I say through chattering teeth. It would have been tolerable if it hadn't rained all night. The overhang on the back patio was useless with the wind blowing as hard as it did. I’m soaked.

  I push away the soggy blanket and force my stiff body to stand. Sully doesn’t stop me as I march past him and into the house where people are sleeping. I freeze in my bedroom doorway. A girl and a guy I don’t recognize are asleep in my bed, covered by a thin sheet.

  I stomp over to the dresser, not trying to be quiet as I grab clothes and then march across the hall to the bathroom. I turn the hot water on, letting it steam up the bathroom while I peel off my wet clothes.

  Just as I’m about to step into the shower, the bathroom door flies open. I shriek, snatching a towel from the rack.

  “I didn’t say you could come in,” Ryan growls.

  “Get out!” I shout, struggling to wrap the towel around myself because my hands are shaking so bad. Screaming, I back up as Ryan marches toward me. “Let me get dressed, Ryan!”

  “You should have thought about that when you came inside! The weekend isn’t over.” He grabs my upper arm, yanking me forward.

  Trying to keep a towel wrapped around yourself while being pulled at a dizzying speed is cry-worthy hard. I end up just pressing it to the front of my body, leaving my ass bare for the world to see. And I’m sure they see it, because people are waking up. I can barely see them through the tears that blur my vision.

  As I scramble to cover myself, I’m pushed out the back door. I can’t believe him! Is it going to be like this every time Arden leaves town? I plop down on a patio chair, facing away from the windows and doors so people can’t see my face. The thought of staying out here again, and this time without clothes, has me furious. My leg bounces as I think of what to do.

  Making sure the towel is secure, I get to my feet. I test the back door first, twisting the handle. “Hey, let me in,” I holler through the glass to the girl in the kitchen, but she turns her back. Bitch.

  I slip out the back gate and try the garage and front door, but they’re both locked too. My blood is boiling. I feel like I’m going to explode. I march back to the patio. Giving him a chance to do the right thing, I pound on the back door. “Let me in, Ryan!”

  He doesn’t.

  Fuck this and fuck him.

  I snatch a shovel from the tool shed, and then storm back to the door. Gripping it like a baseball bat, I swing and swing and swing. I might be hysterically laughing while I do it. I think I’m broken. Shattered glass rains down on the patio and inside the kitchen.

  “What the fuck, you crazy bitch!” Ryan yells from the other side of the door.

  Ignoring him and the others who have come to watch the show, I grab seat cushions from the furniture, laying them down to protect my feet. Sticking my hand through the door, I unlock and open it.

  “Don’t you fucking come in this house, Emma,” Ryan growls.

  “I live here too!” The urge to grab the shovel and smack his stupid face is overpowering.

  “Holy shit,” Brent says, stepping next to Ryan, his eyes bouncing between the door and the towel I have wrapped around myself. “Dude, let her in.”

  Ryan doesn’t take his eyes off me. “No.”

  Brent shakes his head and walks away. That’s when I notice all the people in the kitchen. Some look shocked, while others are laughing and whispering to each other.

  I’m too pissed off to care what they think. I’ll fuck them up with the shovel too. Ryan and I stare each other down. He’s not going to move, but what will he do if I try to force myself past him?

  I brace myself as Sully storms toward us with Brent trailing behind. He looks like he’s going to plow past Ryan, but then sees the glass scattered all over the floor. Like Ryan, Sully doesn’t have shoes on, so he’s forced to stop a few feet away from the door or risk cutting his feet.

  “Clear out. Party’s over. Ya gotta go,” Brent says, ushering everyone out.

  “Don’t let the skank back in!” someone shouts.

  “Your sister can come home with me!” someone else shouts, and the party-goers laugh as they leave the room.

  Sully does a double take of my legs. The towel barely covers the tops of my thighs. “Is she…?” His face turns red. “Where the fuck are her clothes, Ryan?”

  “Why the fuck do you care? What the hell are you doing, Sully? Go the fuck back downstairs.”

  Brent rubs the back of his neck. “How we gonna explain this shit?” He gestures toward the broken glass.

  “We say Emma broke it having a bitch fit,” Ryan says, like that’s the obvious answer. He looks between his brothers, seeing that they don’t agree with what he’s doing. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “Ry,” Brent says, but it’s too late, Ryan’s gone.

  Sully turns to me. “Come on.”

  “Your brother’s fucking psycho.”

  “You piss him off. Get inside before I change my mind.”

  I clear my throat. “There’s more glass. I need more cushions so I don’t cut my feet.”

  Brent steps forward. “I have shoes on,” he says to Sully. “I can carry her across.”

  Sully nods once, and my eyes widen. “Just move the—” I don’t have time to protest, because Brent scoops me up. When he sets me down, I don’t look back as I hurry to my room.

  Chapter 15

  The rest of the weekend goes by without incident. I don’t know what they’re planning to tell Arden about the door, but I’m sure it’ll make me look bad. I plan to go along with whatever is said. Getting kicked out would be a relief. I bet Arden could convince the judge to let me finish my probation elsewhere; hell, jail might be better than this place.

  Entering the kitchen to eat breakfast before school, my mouth drops open. I run my hand over the smooth glass. The door’s fixed. It’s like it never happened. I was expecting them to use the door against me.

  My phone vibrates with a message, and I sit down at the bar with a Pop-Tart.

  Robbie: Got your number from Lucy. Want a ride? I’m going in at nine today.

  Me: If you don’t mind?

  Robbie: I can pick you up every day. It’s on the way.

  I smile as I send him a thank-you text.

  Sully walks in. Our eyes lock, and my stomach churns. He let me inside on Saturday, but that doesn't mean he’s on my side; I don’t think he ever will be.

  “I have a friend,” Sully says, gestu
ring to the door. “It didn’t take him long to fix.” He clears his throat. “I wanted to talk to you. You got time before school?”

  “I have time,” I say slowly.

  “Ryan took things too far this weekend.” Sully crosses his arms. “What are you going to tell Arden?”

  I wasn’t expecting that. “Oh… Uh… I hadn’t. I just figured…” I motion toward the door. “The door’s fixed, so it doesn’t matter now.”

  Sully frowns. “But Ryan locked you out the house.” He grinds his teeth. “You’re not going to tell Arden about that?”

  “I wasn’t planning on it. It’s not like he’d believe me.” I scoff. “Ryan’s his kid. I’m just some random girl.” Even if I could convince Arden that Ryan doesn’t want me here, it would only add more stress to Arden. And what, I’m going to make him choose between me and his blood?

  Sully frowns. “You’re not a random girl to him.”

  I eye him curiously. “Do you want me to tell Arden what Ryan did?”

  “No, but I expected you to.” He sighs. “Just avoid Ryan. Try not to do anything to piss him off and—”

  “Everything I do pisses him off,” I say, looking at Sully like he’s an idiot.

  “Don’t you have family or friends you could stay with, even just—”

  “I’m on probation, Sully. I’m stuck here for six months.”

  “Shit, I forgot about that. Maybe pick up some extracurricular activities and avoid the house for a while.”

  “Yeah, I plan on avoiding the house as much as possible.” I roll my eyes. All these boys are ridiculous. “I wish you guys would see that Arden’s only trying to help me. It’s the same thing he did for you and Brent.”

  Sully narrows his eyes. “It’s not the same at all.”

  “I know it’s not exactly the same, but—”

  “Your situation is nothing like Brent’s or mine. We’ve known Brent for years. Nobody knows you. It’s a little suspicious. You could be anyone and we’d never know. Maybe you’re on the run. Did you commit a crime? Where did you come from and why? Does Arden even know your truths? Maybe you targeted him. Ryan’s looking out for his family. He might have taken things too far, but his intentions were good.”