Page 52 of Knox Academy Omnibus
Then he’s gone.
Shit. I pack up my stuff and take off after them both. That would have looked terrible.
Baxter is nowhere in sight, but Kalen is standing with his brothers.
“Kalen, please can we talk?”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Please, just let me explain,” I beg.
“Explain what, sis? That I fucked you all damn night and as soon as I leave you’re fucking Branson in the library.”
“Kalen, I…”
“Just leave,” Onyx snaps. “We all knew you were a whore and you proved it, just leave before you embarrass yourself anymore.”
They don’t let me explain, they all walk away. What the fuck is Baxter's problem?
“Fuck you,” I scream at their retreating bodies. “Fuck off!”
I run back to my room, closing myself off. Fuck them for getting under my skin, fuck Baxter for knowing damn well that Kalen was standing there. Fuck them all.
I wake with puffy eyes when laughter comes from the far end of the field directly behind my dorm.
It’s dark outside, but I can make out that kids are walking into the trees. Great there’s a party and I wasn’t invited. Fuck them, they can hear me out. I dress in some warmer clothes, fuck their rules. I wear my hoodie and a plain pair of yoga pants and follow the light sound of flapper music.
“What are you doing out in the woods all alone, girly?” His voice startles me.
I see Baxter leaning against a nearby tree. He is looking dapper in a 1920’s style outfit. On anyone else I’d question it, but on him it works.
“I saw someone walk out into the woods and figured I would see what was going on,” I’m a little short and snappy with him. Yes, I was wrong to steal from him - although I maintain it was only the once because the bike was returned - but he’s in the doghouse for deliberately fucking around with me when he knew Kalen was watching.
“Do you make a habit of following strangers into dark places?” he asks, blowing a puff of smoke from his mouth. He does it so effortlessly, that the action makes him look badass.
“Monsters don’t always hide in the dark, most look you right in the eyes every day,” I say but he doesn’t respond. “So, what are you doing in the dark alone?”
“Just waiting for my Marty McFly to stop by,” he says, just another random thing he sprouts, he really is weird.
Is this guy serious right now?
“I need you to tell Kalen nothing happened between us,” I insist.
“And why would I do that?” he says, stubbing out his smoke.
“Because it’s the truth.”
“It’s your truth. But maybe it’s not mine. Maybe I’m crazy for you and my truth is that something did happen.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Certifiably. Kalen’s truth is that we fucked. There’s no truth, just perspective.”
“That doesn’t make any sense! It’s not true; we didn’t fuck!”
“But maybe we wanted to.”
“You’re so frustrating! Just tell him that nothing happened. He won’t listen to me!” I’m so exasperated right now and I feel like I’m being sucked into a circular conversation that will go round and round with no end.
