Page 26 of Run
“Ari, who did this to you? Because I swear to God, I don’t care if it was a girl, I will beat the shit out of her—”
“I did it. I cut it.”
“But, why?”
I swallow. “Last night, Axel … he made me, um, uncomfortable, I guess.”
Ethan furrows his brows. “Uncomfortable?”
“He … ” I look away. “He looked at me, like, you know,atme. And then he, like, touched my hair and my, um …” I bring my hand up to my collarbone. Out of the corner of my eye I see understanding cross Ethan’s face, and his Adam’s apple bobs with a hard swallow as he runs his hands through his hair.
I know he’s trying to keep his voice steady and his demeanor calm as he asks, “Ari, did he—”
“No!” I practically shout. “No, he didn’t. He just said something, and he, well, actually he did—”
“He what?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing,” I backtrack.
“It’s not nothing, Ari. Tell me exactly what happened.” Ethan gets up and paces before facing me again, hands on his hips.“Ari.” I keep my gaze fixed on the field. “Red.” I peek over at him. “Tell me.”
I lick my dry lips. “He swatted my ass and said something about prancing around in front of him. Then he, like, twirled my hair in his fingers and trailed it across my chest.”
A line of red creeps up Ethan’s neck and face until it recedes into his hairline, and his jaw clenches tight. “Fuck!” Reaching down to grab his backpack, he hurls it down the bleachers, then spins around and kicks the fence at the top, over and over again.
“Ethan!” I yell. “Stop it! You’re going to hurt yourself!” I spring up and wrap myself around him from behind. My arms snake around his middle, my cheek presses into his back. His lungs expand and his back arches with it. Once, twice, and on the third intake, he spins and wraps his arms around my shoulders, cradling my head in one of his big hands, smushing my face into his chest.
We stand like that for a few moments before he speaks. “You cannot stay there.” I try to pull back, but he won’t let me. “Ari, listen to me. If that’s the direction his behavior is headed, he’s not going to stop. You have to leave.” He must be able to feel me shaking my head before he pulls back and holds me at arm’s length, his hands on my shoulders. “What are you going to do when he does make an advance on you, huh? Are you going to fight him off? He’s a brick shithouse, Ari. You have to get out of there.”
I pull out of his grip, and although it’s completely unreasonable, I’m angry with him. “I don’t want to go.”
Ethan closes his eyes, then sits back down on the top bleacher. Still standing behind him, I tangle my fingers in front of me. “After this year I just have one more year of school and then I can move out.” Ethan doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t move. “I plan to get my driver’s license, and an after-school job to save upmoney for an apartment.” He is quiet and still. “Ethan, are you mad at me?”
There’s a sharp intake of air then, slowly, Ethan stands and turns to look at me. “Why would I possibly be mad at you, Red?”
I grab my hat off the bleacher and put it back on, attempting to hide my hideous new look. “Because I’m always causing you trouble. I mean, look at you now—you’re skipping class to talk to me. You’re going to get into trouble for it.”
“I don’t give a shit about getting into trouble, Ari.” He steps over the top bleacher and comes to stand next to me, resting his elbows on the fence at the top of the stands and looking out. “But I shouldn’t be skipping classes, since I’m trying to get into college, you know? Hopefully I’ll get a baseball scholarship, but still, I have to have the grades too. I applied to SUNY New Paltz, and Albany.”
My eyes bug out of my head and my mouth goes dry. “Those are like, hours away,” I say with a trembling voice.
“Yeah, well, I kind of want to get away from my dad, you know.” I find that odd since his dad has done quite the turnaround over the past few years and Ethan now has a much better relationship with him.
“Oh.”
Ethan gives me the side-eye. “Yeah, so, I would feel bad leaving you here knowing Axel is still, well, himself.”
Silence settles between us, so I turn away and take a few steps. My head spins. Of course he’s going away to college. What did I think was going to happen? He was going to stick around while I finish school and we run off together?
I hear Ethan shuffle. “I mean, nothing is final, yet. It’s just stuff I’m thinking about, you know? I might stick around still. Either way, I need to know you’re safe. And you’re not safe there, Ari.” I nod but don’t turn around. “Shit, Ari, look at me, will you? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring all this stuff up now.”
Gathering myself, I take a breath and turn around to face Ethan. “No, it’s fine. I figured you would be going to college. I mean, obviously. I guess I just didn’t think about where you would be going. But those are great schools. And if you can get a baseball scholarship, that’s great!”
I give a fake smile and reach down for my backpack. “Look, I better head to class. As it is, I’m going to get into trouble for missing two classes today. Or three. I’m not even sure what time it is.”
Ethan takes a step toward me. “Red.”
“I’m fine, Ethan. Really. I was just feeling bad about those stupid girls but I’m used to them by now. Whatever. I’ll be fine.”
