Chapter 4:Her call
969 Words
*Chapter 4
I didn’t touch the Car all morning.
Didn’t trust myself with it.
I left before Stacy woke up. Note on the counter: Gone out. Back late.
Coward’s way out. I know.
--
Tried to lose myself in an alternator. Didn’t work. Kept seeing her in the passenger seat. Biting her lip. The way she said _liar_ like she wanted me to prove her wrong.
David called at 11AM. “She forgot lunch. Again.”
“So?”
“So you’re closer to her school than I am. Take her a damn sandwich before she passes out in third period.”
I should’ve said no.
Instead I asked, “What kind?”
“PB&J. Cut diagonal. Don’t talk to her.”
I hung up. Made the sandwich anyway.
---
*Her school.*
Felt wrong walking those halls. Too clean. Too many eyes. Last time I was in a school, I was getting expelled.
Found her at her locker. Talking to some blonde girl.
Stacy looked like hell. Dark circles. Chewing her thumbnail. Then she saw me and went pale.
“Stacy Carter?”
Stacy dragged me toward the stairwell. “What are you doing here?”
“Lunch.” Held up the bag. “Eli said you’d starve.”
Her fingers brushed mine taking it. Quick. But it burned.
My eyes went to her mouth before I could stop them. Then away. Fast.
“You good?” I kept my voice low. School hallway or not, it came out rough.
“Peachy.”
The blonde cleared her throat. “Hi. I’m Liv. The best friend. And you are?”
“Leaving”,
Walked out. Didn’t look back. Didn’t trust myself to.
---
Sat in the lot for ten minutes. Engine off. Staring at the bus loop.
She’s 16.Still David’s sister. Still living under his roof.
Doesn’t matter what my hands wanted to do when she looked at me like that.
Doesn’t matter that she’s the first person in years who doesn’t look at me like I’m already guilty.
I left .
It was 4PM past her time to be home. I had to call her.
_You made it home okay?_
Stared at it too long. Typed: _Bus._
Stacy walked in five minutes later. Backpack on, face flushed from the bus.
She saw us. Stopped.
David didn’t look at me. Looked at her.
“Principal Reeves called,” he said. Voice empty. “Said a man showed up at your locker. Said you looked scared.”
“I wasn’t scared,” Stacy said fast.
“Doesn’t matter.” David finally turned to me. “You understand why you can’t stay here anymore.”
It wasn’t a question. Wasn’t even angry. Just tired.
I nodded. Knew it was going to get to this.At noon I returned home and found him reading my diary.I was surprised,my secret;my feelings for Stacy were out.He didn’t say anything but just walked away.
“Wait.” David held up a hand. Looked back at Stacy. “No. I’m done deciding for you.”
He faced her fully. “Stacy. You tell me. Does he stay or does he go?”
The air left my lungs.
Stacy’s eyes flicked to me. Wide. Cornered.
This was worse than getting hit. Worse than _Pack your shit._
Because now if she said “stay,” she’d be choosing me over him. Over the brother who raised her.
And if she said “go,” I’d have to watch her say it.
“David,don’t put her in that position” I started.
“Not your call,” he said. Still calm. Still killing me. “Hers.”
Stacy opened her mouth. Closed it. Looked at me like she was drowning.
Then: “He stays.”
Quiet. Barely a whisper. But it detonated the room.
David didn’t flinch. Just nodded. Once. Grabbed his keys. “I’ll be at work if you need me.”
He walked out. Door clicked shut.
Silence.
I couldn’t breathe. “Stacy—”
“Don’t.” She dropped her backpack. “You don’t get to leave because of me.”
I wanted to. God, I wanted to stay. But her choosing me would tear her family in half. And I’d be the knife.
So I picked up my duffel.
“Xavier, stop.”
“I can’t let you do that.” My voice broke. “Pick me. You’ll hate me in a week.”
“I won’t.”
“You will.” I slung the bag over my shoulder. Couldn’t look at her. “When he stops coming home for dinner. When he won’t look at you at Christmas. You’ll remember this moment and wish you’d said go.”
Walked out.
---
Midnight.
Her window.
I wasn’t gonna go in. Just sat on the roof ledge. Same place we used to sit when she was 9.
She slid it open. Eyes red.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “For making you choose.”
“You didn’t make me do anything.”
“I did. The second I showed up at your school.” Set the brown paper bag on the sill. Another PB&J. “You shouldn’t have had to pick, Stace. Not between me and him.”
She grabbed my wrist. “Then stay. We’ll figure it out.”
I pulled back. Because we wouldn’t. Because David’s face when she said “he stays” would live in my head forever.
“I’m not good for you,” I said. “But I’m not gonna be the reason you lose him.”
Dropped off the roof before she could answer.
Walked to the shop. Slept on the cot in the office.
But all I could hear was her voice. _He stays._
Two words that wrecked three people.
And I was the one who made it.
- Writer
