Chapter One 541

Chapter One

“So, you thought the proper response to this situation was violence, Calder?” The principal arches a single brow, tilts his head, and looks at my cousin over the rim of the glasses perched precariously at the end of his nose. I wonder how long the man practiced this look in the mirror before he made it a part of his principal repertoire – his bag of tricks looks like more of a change purse. He may scare the other students, but he’s ill-prepared for my Calder.

“The proper response to someone sexually assaulting Alara in the lunch line? Fuck yeah, I did,” he spits. I reach for his armrest and place my hand over his. I give him three quick soft squeezes, saying what I can’t out loud.

We’re safe. I love you. I’m sorry.

“Actually, I was just-”

“Slander and lies!” Dr. Murphy cuts Aaron off, jumping to his feet, and accusing in a voice much louder than the situation calls for. It’s a broom closet of an office, for fuck's sake. “Now listen here, boy. You shouldn’t be throwing around words you obviously don’t understand. Yes, admittedly, Aaron should have found a better way to show his interest, but boys will be boys. It was a compliment, really. If you weren’t being so sensitive about it, you could see that. ”

“Is that how you taught him to compliment women, Doctor?” Calder sneers. “Now, is it just your office policy to shake tits instead of hands, or does that extend to your patients too? You’ve raised a fine young man who knows he can get away with anything. Him and his friends are total fucking cunt bubbles and a threat to every female they see. I bet you love having your very own mindless mob of pricks, don’t you? You should be–”

“If you all would just listen for a second –” Aaron tries to speak, but he’s cut short again . Am I the only one here who can hear him? I mean I don’t feel bad for him right now, but I would kinda like to know the actual reason he introduced himself to my right tit in the lunch line today.

“Enough!” Principal Willemsen shouts, slamming his fist against his desk. Taking a calming breath, he continues looking back at Aaron and his father. “Aaron, go get your things, and take the rest of the day. You’re excused.”

“You’re suspending him, Richard?” his father asks, taken aback.

“No, Kyle. I’m giving him the afternoon off while I clean up this… mess.” He gestures to us. Figures. “I need all of them to level out before mingling with the other students, so none of them are going back to class today. And when you get back on those idiot boxes this evening, tell your friends th e same thing. It’s over. If I see this fight plastered all over social media, all of you will be punished.”

Aaron and his father turn to leave the room, but right as the door opens, Aaron looks back and nods in our direction, still holding an icepack to his face. “And those two? What are you going to do with her? His temper is –”

“You know I can’t share that with you.” Principal Willemsen sighs, waving him off. Seems they listen to him less than they do me. Damn. “But I promise their actions will not go without punishment.” I take that back. Fucker.

“We’ll still be seeing you and Hannah at dinner tonight?” Aaron’s father winks.

“Of course.” He grins. “We’ve been looking forward to it all week. Now get on out of here, and take your son to cool down. Tomorrow is a new day for Aaron. A chance to do better.”

“Thanks, Richard.” Aaron’s father nods and pushes his son out of the small office, closing the door behind him. He’s a person too, dick.

The room is silent, uncomfortable, and I shift in my seat, shrinking under the weight of it .

“Calder, this is your third offense this year, and we’re only ninety days in. That means –” He breaks the silence and turns in his chair, retrieves a large folder, and hums while thumbing through the pages.

“I’m free to go home early. New days and brighter tomorrows. Inspire young minds and souls.” Calder stands and heaves my backpack onto his shoulder. “Lesson learned, sir. Wonderful talk.”

“Sit back down, son.”

“Fuck.” I exhale, rhythmically tapping my right index finger against my left collarbone.

“Indeed.” Calder drops back into the chair beside me and nods, adding, “Stop doing that. You’ll bruise again.”

“I was saying…” He places the folder on his desk and points to a piece of paper. “I know your home life isn’t…” He hesitates. I’m sure trying to find the most politically correct way of saying we’re messed up in a seriously permanent way. “– ideal. You’ve lacked the guidance and stability needed to learn proper emotional regulation. For that, I’m sorry. Truly. But you’re both technically adults now. It’s up to you to overcome whatever this is. You can’t just lash out and hit every problem that comes your way. ”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Calder snorts. “It’s worked pretty well for us thus far.”

“No, not this time. Not today.” He looks back down at the paper and up at us, dragging his fingers roughly through his hair. “I can’t let you off easy this time. I understand why you did what you did, and I hope you can understand why I have to suspend you for a week. Both of you. Alara, your body is yours. It’s not public property, and he had no right to put his hands on any part of you. Period. Had you come to me, I would have handled Aaron, but Calder’s outburst changed things.”

“My outburst?! He had it coming.” He sneers at Principal Willemsen. There’s that temper again. Choose better moments, Cal. It’s funny how we’re constantly told to ask for help, but the only ones who can help can’t hear our voices over their own shouted opinions. Yet, when our pleas go unanswered- and we’ve finally had enough – we’re punished for pushing back. Seems our designated heroes are always a step behind justice.

“Yes, your outburst, Calder. When you attacked Aaron, you didn’t just get him away from Alara. You hurt five of your other classmates and took out a salad bar and the lunch line computer. That’s five other sets of parents I have to answer to and money I have to take out of the budget to make the repairs. So, yes, you’re both suspended for a week.”

“Her? Why the hell are you punishing her?”

“Because we both know she threw the first punch,” he deadpans, and I snort.

“Self-defense.”

“And the following blows?” Mr. Willemsen asks with a smirk.

“Aftershocks.” I shrug.

“Nice try.” He chuckles. “I tried to call your – erm – father earlier. No answer. Since you're both eighteen now, I trust you can manage to get yourselves home? Gather your things, and get out of here before the end of the fourth-period bell. Don’t talk to any students you see in the hallway, especially the guys Aaron calls friends. When you return next week, we’re going to move past this, and you two are going to graduate.” He leans closer behind his desk like we’re all in on a shared secret. We’re not.

“Then you two can get out of here and start your own lives. Away from this place filled with lingering lies and rumors about your family, you can both find happiness.” He seems genuine but highly delusional. What the fuck does that file even say? Mom goes missing in the mental hospital, but Dad stays semi-sane until he loses track of the second of three triplet wives? Wouldn’t surprise me.

“So the message here is that our future is bright as long as we get out of the house that you are sending us to as a punishment for standing up to Aaron and his dumbass friends?” Calder laughs, once again stands, lifts our bags, and helps me to my feet. He takes a deep breath, opening the door, and we walk out of the office, but not before he adds, “Understood. But it will happen again. We’re not gonna let this town make victims out of us. We get back up and fight, sir. It’s what our family does. We get back up.”

***

“Well, that went well.” I snatch the sunglasses off Calder’s head and slide them on, following him into the parking lot.

“Yeah. It was a fucking blast.” He fumes, storming down the sidewalk, only stopping to light a joint.

“We get back up…” I tease. “What the fuck was all that? Are you a poet now?”

“A poet?” he snaps. “Fuck off with that shit, Alara. ”

“You don’t have to be an ass about it.” I stop following him and stomp off in the other direction. Let him chase me.

“God damn it, Alara. Will you stop?” I hear a groan behind me, followed by his heavy footfalls. “Look –” his arms slide under mine and lift me off the ground. I dangle there, looking like a fucking fool… walking in the air.

“What?” I cross my arms. “Put me down before people start talking.”

“ Start talking, Alara? Seriously? You say that as if they aren’t already. They were talking before we could talk at all. So…” he lowers me softly to my feet, looking like a lost little boy. A drastic change from the feral man who lashed out in the cafeteria. “What happened in there?”

“Don’t do this.” I shake my head, turn back around, and start walking home. “It’s not important.”

“It is.” He walks alongside me, every so often brushing his hand against mine. “I love you, Alara.”

“Calder?” I smile softly, knowing how deep that love goes, and ask him the same question I’ve asked every day since my eighteenth birthday. “Leave with me.”

“Alara…” he shakes his head slowly .

“It’s okay, Calder. I know.” I weave my fingers through his, knowing his list of reasons is a mile long. He’s scared, but not for himself. He fears what could happen to me. I both love and hate him for that, but the love always wins out. Love is why I want us to leave. “We should get home.”