Page 10 of Save Me
“Well, if you call hanging out in the back of the garden while highly sexed teens make their own version of a porn film, followed by sleeping in a cupboard where the dead dog’s bed still lurks, as well as having someone shove their dick in my face just so their bitchy girlfriend, aka, your new gal pal’s daughter, takes a photo of it, fun? Then sure, it was fun!”
She bites back a smirk and just like I did with Annie, we both end up laughing over the ridiculousness of my evening.
“Christ, I don’t even know where to start with all of that!” she chuckles wickedly.
“What?!” Dad shouts. “Did you just say someone shoved a dick in your face and photographed it?!”
Now you may think this is him being an overprotective father, almost an endearing moment between a caring dad and his beloved daughter, but I know it’s not me he’s trying to protect at all.
“Don’t worry, Daddy dearest,” I say with an air of contempt that Mum is likely to pick up on, “it’s been deleted. Everything is as it should be.”
“I thought it was a bad idea for her to go!” he mutters as he walks back into the living room where Riley, my younger brother, is watching Saturday morning cartoons.
“Do you want any breakfast?” Mum asks, obviously choosing not to engage in my frosty attitude towards my father. To be fair, I wouldn’t poke the hornet’s nest that is me this morning either. I nod sulkily but go to make it myself. I am parched after my power walk home, even if most of it was fueled by rage-induced adrenaline.
“Mum, I’m going to see Bodhi at the beach later,” I whisper, “can you make something up for me? Please?”
“Well, I don’t like lying to your father…”
This statement almost makes me laugh out loud, especially considering all the things he is keeping from her.
“I know, but you did force me to go to a shitty party where I got dick-faced!” I give her my best Bambi eyes, which finally has her relenting as she giggles over my newly found and unfortunate verb.
“Oh, alright,” she replies with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “Sounds like Bodhi is the safer option anyway.”
“You have no idea!” I grin as I offer her a forgiving hug. I then take my cereal upstairs to eat in my room where I proceed to pass out in my own, me-smelling bed.
Chapter 4
Beth
Where the hell did my weekend go? Granted, I’ve had the last seven months off from school, but now it seems to have been thrust upon me. I mentally berate myself for not fully appreciating all the time I had away from institutions, such as the one standing right before me. I feel sick to my stomach as I approach the doors leading into my new school, so try to remember the peace I had felt on Saturday night with Bodhi and Annie. It was so easy hanging out with them, and I got to laugh until my stomach hurt over the whole ‘dick-face’ incident. Admittedly, I got a little high but only to forget all about the shit I have to deal with on a daily basis. It was bliss.
Now though? Now, I am far from that bliss. I know the enemy lurking within those hallways, so I hope to God I can remain as invisible as I can. After Casey’s party, I don’t want anyone seeing me, and truth be known, I don’t want to see any of them either. That includes the guy with a veiny penis and the Captain America lookalike who had called me a filthy thief.
A deep breath in and I close my eyes to open the door, where I walk in as discretely as I can. It’s busy with students bustling about their lockers, gossiping with friends, guys winding one another up and other solitary types like me trying to go about their business undetected. The odd teacher wanders in and out of their classroom, looking both flustered and irritated by people standing in their way. I begin to shuffle as close to the walls as I can, like a mouse trying to get from point A to point B without being attacked by the venomous cats who are all waiting for their opportunity to attack. I may have no idea where I’m going, but wherever it is, needs to be hidden from view and preferably devoid of any other people.
Jeez, I can’t help taking in all of these girls’ designer backpacks and high-heeled shoes, all the while I meander through the crowd in plain, black, ballet pumps and an old diving bag which I stole from Dad years ago. My hair is pulled back into a simple braid, but most of the other girls my age are all coiffed with straightened locks or elaborate, sexy styles. The type you find on Pinterest and try to replicate without any sort of success other than making it look like a bird’s nest.
I even recognize some of them from the party, only now they have their clothes on, and aren’t being felt up by their boyfriends for all to see. Some of them eyeball me curiously, while some of the guys whisper something to their friends. Neither of which do anything to ease my discomfort.
“Need some help?” a friendly voice asks from behind me. “You’re new, aren’t you?”
A guy with short black hair, mocha skin and a beautiful smile is looking at me while I gawk in his direction. I automatically look behind me, just to make sure it is me that he’s trying to talk to.
“Yeah?” I half answer, half ask him. What I’m actually wondering is if he’s being sincere or not. His wide smile turns into a soft giggle, making him look genuine, so I smile back, now feeling a little embarrassed for doubting his intentions.
“You’re thinking, is this guy for real or is he a jerk like the rest of the clientele in here?” he asks like he’s just read my mind.
“Mmm hmm,” I cringe over my obvious doubting of his integrity. “Sorry, but I went to a party on Friday night and the people I met were less than human.”
“Shit! You didn’t go to one of Casey Fenton’s parties, did you?” He looks positively horrified over the idea. “Girl, you need to keep away from her, she’s the devil!”
“Believe me, it wasn’t my idea to go,” I reply with a smile, feeling relieved to have found someone who may be worth hanging out with in here. “I’m Beth,” I tell him and sort of half- wave in his direction, not knowing if I should shake his hand or not. Not that it matters for I still end up looking like some kind of idiot.
“Kaiden,” he answers and takes my hand to shake anyway. “l fucking love your accent by the way. Won’t go down well with the women folk though, they’ll eat you alive!”
“Gee, that’s so reassuring,” I reply with a sigh as we both begin to walk somewhere I’m assuming he knows. He looks over at my timetable and smiles, telling me we have homeroom and a few other classes together. Thank God!