Write on me

Chapter 14| Abandoned by him...

“You have been checking your phone like crazy ever since I have hung out with you. Normally you can’t even find it unless someone calls you” My sister spoke while I hadn’t thought she had noticed since she was driving.

“Which is a rare occasion, I get it.” I laughed slightly before I put my phone in my backpack.

I hadn’t heard from Dane since Wednesday because he had ditched the rest of the week and it was now Monday. He wasn’t much of a texter which didn’t affect me because I wasn’t either, he just had me give him my number in case I was ever stranded.

All my messages had one tick on it and I was beginning to think he blocked me or something.

We hadn’t left on bad terms the last time we hung out but I had a bad feeling and that was the first thought that popped into my head. I had never really had a friend that liked me for me, in all my forms, and he had seen most of it so maybe he just didn’t like it any more. I was sure he had been around lots of eccentric and interesting people that made me just seem even more mundane than usual to him.

“I can hear your thoughts from here and the music is playing. What’s wrong?” She whined and I smiled as I missed just being us and not having the awkward tension.

I didn’t want to tell her what I was thinking because I always prided myself on not caring. I knew she admired that about me because she always told me how she wished she didn’t care as much and hadn’t succumbed to society sometimes. Now I felt all of that disappear as my insecurities were flooding my mind because I was sure my only friend had not just ditched school but me as well.

“Nothing serious. Just have an assignment that’s due soon but the only thing Lilly can speak about is what is going on between Dane and I whenever we have to discuss things” I changed the subject and shook away my thoughts of him just shutting me out.

“Oh yes, according to her he has been sent by the local biker gang to infiltrate the school with drugs and whatever” She said in a news broadcaster tone.

“You don’t believe that, do you?”

“No, but I hope you know that the gang he mixes with does deal with shady things so it isn’t that farfetched”

“How do you know that?”

“It's something that is known around town. That’s why people move in the opposite direction because they don’t want to be associated with it or be caught in the crossfire”

I frowned and vaguely remembered exchanges of a brown bag being made between Dane and one of the older men but I was sure they wouldn’t do it in the middle of town. Although, the guy that showed up at school who Dane hadn’t exactly been excited to see either did seem abit shady.

“Yeah but he is a school kid. I am sure they wouldn’t want him involved in that part of things.”

“That’s the exact reason. Don’t you think?” She briefly glanced at me and I was already concerned about him abandoning me, and now she made me wonder if I should have been concerned if he was okay or not.

I did ignore things because maybe I didn’t want answers to them, even though I told myself it was because I didn’t want to push his boundaries.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to entertain that idea right now” I tried to shake away the bruise he had on his face I had covered up and the weapon he carried.

“I know but it is something you just need to keep in the back of your mind. I know you are just friends, but this town hasn’t seen you with anyone other than me, let alone a hot guy who…”

“First he was a freak and now he is hot.” I smirked.

“I mean, we all have eyes!” She playfully rolled her eyes.

I giggled, “Guess it was just blinded by judgement before...”

“Shut up! As I was saying, the town already has ideas about you two that exceed that whether its true or not. You are connected to him, and while your family approves we still want you to be safe”

“It sounds like mom talking through you again”

“Honestly Meredith, even if it wasn’t some mysterious guy we would probably still be so unsure” She added.

“Because its that surprising that someone wants me, there has to be some other possibility. Let’s just believe that Dane is infiltrating the school and chose me as a cover then.”

“No, don’t say that. I just don’t want someone taking advantage of you that’s all and please don’t take that in a bad way. I am not saying that you are vulnerable...”

“Or the prey?” I pointed out as she had distinctly said I was vulnerable and the prey on our birthday, in front of our parents. She was livid at the time but it was how she saw me.

“Why do you remember everything I say?” She groaned as she parked the car and we got out.

“Because you were the one person I actually gave my attention to before Dane” I waved to some of my teammates that had greeted me. “And it's not exactly something I want to be known as.”

“You know I didn’t really mean it and I feel like you are giving your precious attention to a lot more people these days” She frowned as she subtly glanced at my teammates we had just passed.

“They play soccer with me” I clarified as it wasn’t like I had randomly befriended people overnight.

“And that Rubie chick?” She pointed out.

“She basically forced me to come over” I shrugged as she really hadn’t given me much of a choice, not that I regretted going though.

“But she likes you. There’s nothing wrong with caving into the social scene!”

She actually did like me for some odd reason as she had called me the day before just to fangirl over a book we had both read and loved.

“I didn’t say that there was...” I smiled as we went up the steps.

“Yet you seem to be fighting it the more it wants to suck you right in to its welcoming world” She opened her arms wide and hugged herself for dramatic effect.

“You saw how tired I was on Saturday, after interacting with one person, I can’t add more nor do I want to.”

“I didn’t say you had to, I am just saying that its okay” She nudged me as we entered before she frowned as she stared down the hallway.

“What’s wrong?” I searched her face but she looked at me with a small smile.

“Nothing. Just got used to seeing your friend waiting by your locker, that’s all.”

My eyes darted to where my locker was located and confirmed that he wasn’t there waiting for me as I had hoped, “Oh well, he could be in one of the classrooms or maybe he ditched again”

Maybe that was why he was a year or two older than us…

“Do you know why he ditches?”

“I am his friend, not the principal” I shrugged as I never bothered to question him about it.

He would just be gone the one day and be back the next, speaking to me like he hadn’t been missing at all.

“Friends are allowed to be concerned. I would be concerned if my friend ditched a lot; for their academic wellbeing”

“Yes, I do wonder but I don’t want to cross any boundaries” I whispered and stared at my shoes as we reached my locker.

“You’re scared he’ll stop being your friend?” Surprise filled her face while I wondered why she hadn’t gone to join her friends but instead stood with me at my locker.

“No. I just … People are different. You get Rubie that maybe overshares and he just doesn’t like to share at all”

“I guess, but you want your friend to be walking with you on that stage for graduation, right?”

I sighed as I hadn’t even thought that far out but she was right, “I will see about asking him”

“Good. Now enjoy your day, I’ll see you tonight!” She waved before she moved towards her locker, we had passed, where Amber and Stacy were waiting.

“Bye” I rolled my eyes and made my way to my first class, even though I had five minutes to spare I hoped I would find him in my seat.

Spoiler Alert: He wasn’t in there

I entered the classroom anyway and decided to wait it out since I had nowhere else to go. It now made sense to me why my sister always wanted to be earlier because she had friends and a boyfriend to hang out with.

When Dane was with me I liked being earlier too because it meant more time for us to talk or rather playfully argue I guess. To everyone he was so serious and quiet and while he could be serious at times, he could also talk a lot if he wanted to.

“I kind of got used to walking into class and catching you in the act with your guy” I heard Emily as I was busy taking out my books.

“Not my guy” I corrected her because I didn’t want rumours going around that would get back to him when he eventually chose to return.

Emily shrugged but then sat down, “Do you know when he will be back?”

“Uhm I don’t know, when he is in the mood to come to school I suppose” I shrugged and just wanted the bell to go off so class could start and I didn’t have to deal with being questioned even though she wasn’t being pushy about it.

I was just anxious because I hadn’t heard from him yet everyone seemed to think I would know everything.

“Is that how suspension works these days?”

“He wasn’t suspended.” I frowned as I glanced up from my textbook.

“Yes, he was.” She nodded and seemed surprised that I hadn’t known at all.

I knew I blocked out things but I was certain no one had spoken about it and my sister would have definitely mentioned it.

“If he were actually suspended I would have heard about it by now” I voiced, not to imply she was lying but simply because I was confused.

“I guess the principal didn’t feel like making a public example out of the new kid. I only know because I saw it happen and I am not a gossip, as you know, otherwise your classroom escapades would be known by the whole school” She teased but I overlooked it because I needed to know what had happened.

“What happened?”

“I stayed late on Wednesday just to get some extra practice in and I saw him spray paint the back of the school. I didn’t report him, but I am sure they saw him on the security cameras outside.”

“They have security cameras outside?” My eyes widened as the images of Dane and I making out on one of the benches outside, on my birthday, filled my mind.

“I just told you he vandalized the school and you are concerned about cameras? What were you doing on school grounds?”

I shook my head and shifted back in my seat, “Nothing. I just didn’t know, that’s all. What did he write?”

“No clue. But he seemed pissed while doing it and I am sure Mr. Adderson wasn’t impressed by his behavior.” She shrugged while I couldn’t ask any more questions as the bell rang like I had hoped for before.

At least I knew he hadn’t abandoned me, he had just gotten himself suspended.

●●●

I stood in the driveway of what was supposed to be Dane’s house, it was much fancier than I expected, and I wondered what his parents did for a living.

It wasn’t a mansion or anything but it had the white picket fence and seemed to be a well looked after home. It wasn’t on the outskirts of town like he had led me to believe but was in the fancier residential areas.

It made sense how he could afford the necklace he had gifted me on my birthday though.

I had gone to the school secretary during break and had told a white lie about wanting to give him his work and she had seemed skeptical, but I was sure my track record made it seem genuine.

Maybe I shouldn’t have just assumed that he would be at home, he could have been with his biker friends somewhere. My thoughts were soon answered as I walked up their driveway and spotted his bike, so I made my way to the red front door and rang the doorbell and hoped he wouldn’t find it weird.

“Hello, can I help you?” I heard a voice as I had been looking around and turned back to the door to see an older woman who had to be his mother.

For some reason I had expected him to be home alone or something.

“Hi, uhm I’m Meredith.” I awkwardly brought my hand up to do a little wave.

“Susan” She extended her hand before staring at me for the reason I was on her doorstep.

“I am a friend of Dane’s from school. I just wanted to catch him up on all of his homework”

If she asked for it instead of letting me see him I would be caught out and embarrassed. As usual when doing things concerning him, I hadn’t thought things through…

She seemed just as skeptical as the secretary had been and for some reason she looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I had seen her. Maybe there was some resemblance between her and Dane that wasn’t quite obvious that I was recognizing.

“I wasn’t aware that Dane had any friends” She gasped and eyed me up and down.

“Well he has me...” I smiled slightly as I felt awkward due to the judgmental tone in her voice.

“He isn’t really supposed to have any visitors, but I suppose we should be grateful you aren’t wearing a leather jacket. Come on inside” She moved to the side and gestured for me to enter.

I moved in and followed her but briefly took in the beautiful home that made mine pale in comparison. “Just up the staircase, the last door to your right”

“Thank you” I glanced over my shoulder with a small smile.

“Don’t be too long. My husband will be home soon.”

“Okay” I nodded before I made my way upstairs, there were much more steps than we had back home and I vaguely looked over the few pictures that draped the wall, they were definitely quite minimalistic.

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as I saw his mom with the principal of our school, Mr. Adderson.

That’s why no one knew he had been the one to vandalize the school…

The principal was his dad.

But it didn’t make any sense…

I wasn’t sure whether I should stay or go but also didn’t want to have his mom think I was weird or have him think I was weird cause she would tell him I was here and hadn’t actually gone to see him.

I groaned internally as I felt my nerves heighten but took a few deep breaths before I moved towards his room. There was no escape because either way I wouldn’t have won so I just had to deal with him, the principal’s rebel son.

I gently knocked on the door as the music played on the other side, it wasn’t really the type I was into so I wasn’t sure who it was. He had heard the knocking somehow though as his voice soon rose above the music through the closed door.

“Go away!” I was sure he didn’t know it was me yet I was still hesitant to knock again but my hand had a mind of its own. It was either knock until he opened or awkwardly leave having made all the effort for nothing.

“F**k off!” I jumped slightly as the anger radiated through the doors, so I stopped my knocking and stood by and thought about saying something.

Maybe I should have just left and spared myself the embarrassment in person and hope that he wouldn’t remember by the time he made it back to school.

I was still in the process of having an internal battle with myself when his voice was heard again but it wasn’t far, he had moved towards the door I could tell.

“I can see your shadow underneath the door and..”

He opened the door abruptly, ready to shout I was sure, until his grey eyes widened as they stared down at me.

“What are you doing here?”