Chapter 19;left behind
1728 Words
By Monday morning,
The rumors were already waiting for me at the gate.
Not people.
Words.
Written on the bathroom wall in sharpie.
Staff f***s students.
On lockers in post-its.
HOT XAVIER + MUTE GIRL.
In group chats I wasn’t in but Liv showed me.
*new sports supervisor caught with student at club. thoughts?*
5000 views.
6 seconds.
Me in gray hoodie. Hands in sleeves.
Xavier’s hand on that guy’s wrist.
“Don’t touch her.”
Caption: *this is our new gym guy btw. he’s 40*
I was still sixteen turning 17 by the weekend.
Liv found me by my locker.
She didn’t say anything.
Just took my bag and slung it over her shoulder.
“Walk with me,” she said.
I did.
The halls were smaller today.
Every turn, someone looked.
Then looked away.
Then whispered.
Is he gonna get arrested?
Tasha’s gonna kill her.
*First period. Math.*
I sat in the back.
Hood up.
Teacher took attendance.
“Stacy Carter?”
I raised my hand.
The room went quiet for half a second.
Like they’d never heard my voice before.
I hated it.
Even at Second period I was still trending.
The video was playing on someone’s phone under the desk.
I heard “Don’t touch her.”
I stared at my notebook until the letters blurred.
By lunch Liv dragged me to the library.
“Safer,” she said.
I nodded.
We made it ten minutes.
The door opened.
Tasha.
Alone.
Wearing a mini dress. Hair pulled back tight.
Eyes red-rimmed.
No friends today.
Liv stood.
“Library’s for studying.”
Tasha smiled.
“Good. I’m studying her.”
My hands disappeared into my sleeves.
“Come on,” Tasha said. “Outside.”
“I’m good,” Liv said.
“No,” Tasha said. “She is.”
She looked at me.
I didn’t move.
“Don’t make me drag you,” Tasha said.
Liv stepped in front of me.
“Touch her and—”
“And what?” Tasha laughed. “You gonna fight me, Liv? In the library?”
I stood.
Because if I didn’t, she would.
We walked.
Past the trophy case.
Past the gym doors.
Past the gates.
Last bell had rung.
Buses were gone.
Teachers were gone.
Just students on phones.
Watching.
Tasha stopped by the broken fence.
Soccer field behind us.
Road in front.
Cars passing.
Nobody stopping.
“You thought you were saved, huh?” Tasha said.
I didn’t answer.
Kept walking.
“You’re gonna regret what you did,” Tasha said.
Louder.
People slowed.
I kept my eyes on the cracks in the sidewalk.
“You think he cares about you?” Tasha followed.
“He’s using you. Like everyone does.”
“You’re just a project, Weirdo.”
“A sad story he can fix.”
The words landed.
But I didn’t stop.
Then:
“You’re gonna lose your Japan visa.”
I stopped.
Tasha saw it.
Her smile went sharp.
“Yeah. I know. I called the program yesterday.”
She stepped closer.
“Told them about the video. About him. About you.”
“You’re not even smart enough to get in on your own.”
“You cheated on that essay. We both know it.”
“Now they’re reviewing your file.”
“Now you’re gonna have to stay here.”
“With me.”
The air left my lungs.
Japan was the only thing.
The application. The interview. The scholarship.
Leave this town.
Leave her.
Leave all of it.I hadn’t even told mum or David.Only Liv knew about it.
And she could take it with one email.
Tasha moved in.
No Xavier.
No Liv.
No cameras.
Just me.
And her.
“You’re gonna apologize,” Tasha said.
“To me. In front of everyone tomorrow morning.”
“On your knees.”
“Or I make sure you never leave this shithole.”
I shook my head.
Once.
Small.
Tasha’s smile dropped.
“You think you’re better?”
She shoved me.
Hard.
I stumbled back.
Hit the curb.
Palms scraped on asphalt.Pain shot up both arms.People walked by.But nobody stopped.
Tasha leaned in.
“You’re nothing. You’re a b***h”
Tires screeched.
Cole.
Blue car.
Window down.
The guy from the club.
The one who bragged to his friends about me that night.
He jumped out.
“Hey! Back off!”
Tasha turned.
“Mind your business, Cole.”
“Stacy’s my friend,” he said.
“Is that what you call it?” Tasha laughed.
“Get outta here, Tasha.”
Cole stepped between us.
Not big.
Not a fighter.
But he was there.
Between me and her.
Tasha rolled her eyes.
“Whatever. You’re just like him. Stupid.”
She spat on the ground.
Walked off.
Gone.
The street was quiet again.
Except for my breathing.
Fast.
Broken.
Cole turned to me.
“Hey. You okay?”
I was shaking.
On the ground.
Bruised.
And crying.
I hadn’t cried in front of anyone in months.
Cole crouched.
“Hey. It’s okay.”
He didn’t touch me right away.
“Can I help you up?”
I nodded.
He took my elbow.
Steady.
Warm.
Lifted me up.
Brushed dirt off my hoodie.
Off my knees.
“You’re bleeding,” he said.
Pointed to my palms.
Red.
I looked down.
Didn’t feel it until now.
“I have water,” he said.
Handed me a bottle.
Cap off.
I drank.
My Hands still shaking.
“You want me to call someone?”
I shook my head.
“Your mom?”
I shook my head again.
“Liv?”
I shook my head.
“Okay,” he said.
“I can drive you home. If you want.”
I didn’t answer.
But I walked to his car.
The inside smelled like air freshener and old fries.
He didn’t turn the music on.
Didn’t ask questions.
Just drove.
At stoplights he glanced at me.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nodded.
“You can tell me to shut up,” he said.
I didn’t.
At my house he stopped.
“I’m not gonna come in,” he said.
“Unless you want me to.”
I shook my head.
“Okay,” he said.
He handed me a napkin for my hands.
“Text me if you need anything. Alright?”
I nodded.
Got out.
Inside, Mom was at work.These days she kept visiting frequently.
Note on the fridge: Dinner in microwave. Love you.I didn’t eat.Went to my room.Washed my hands.The scrapes stung.Put bandaids on.
Sat on the bed.
Phone in my lap.
Text from Cole.
You home safe?
I typed: Yeah.
Sent it.
Good,he replied.
You wanna hang sometime?
No pressure. Just coffee or something.
I stared at it.
No static.
No are you okay
Just normal.
I typed: Yeah.sure.
Then another buzz.
Xavier.
You okay?
I heard what happened.
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t know.
Because he was staff.
Because he could lose everything.
Because Cole was here and Xavier wasn’t.
Cole texted again.
Tomorrow?
Café by the mall? 4?
I typed ok before I could think.
Xavier texted again.
“Stacy are you okay”.
I didn’t reply.
The room was quiet.
But my head wasn’t.
*Night.*
I couldn’t sleep.
Sat in the chair.
Pulled my sleeves over my hands.
Thought about the curb.
About Tasha’s face.
About my Japan visa.
Thought about Cole.
Handing me water.
Not asking me to talk.
Thought about Xavier.
At the club.
At school.
With his badge on.
With his job on the line.
My phone lit up.
Xavier.
Please answer.
I didn’t.
Cole texted.
Sleep okay?
I typed: Yeah.
Sent it.
_Good night,Stacy.
I stared at my name.
From him.
Said normal.
I put the phone face down.
The room was dark.
But it didn’t feel empty.
It felt loud.
Like a choice was coming.
And I didn’t know which one would break me less.
Morning.
Lila met me at the gate.
“You okay?”
I nodded.
“Cole drove you home?”
I nodded again.
She frowned.
“Be careful, Stace.”
“I am,” I said.
My voice.
Rough.
The first time I’d used it in school all week.
We both walked silent to class and I kept my head down all through
By 4pm at the cafe I spotted Cole.
Two hot chocolates.
He smiled when he saw me.
“Hey.”
I sat down.
He pushed a cup to me.
“Hands better?”
I nodded.
He talked.
About all kind of things
About his dog.
About his car breaking down.
About how stupid his friends were making him bet over me.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said again.
“I didn’t know it would hurt you so much m.”
I nodded.
The door opened.
Xavier.
Polo shirt.
No badge.
Basketball under his arm.
With two other coaches.
He stopped.
Saw me.
Saw Cole.
Saw the hot chocolate.
His jaw ticked.
One of the coaches said something.
Xavier didn’t answer.
He just looked at me.
I didn’t look away.
Cole noticed.
“Yo, supervisor,” he said.
Xavier didn’t blink.
“Xavier ,” the coach said. “You coming?”
Xavier turned.
“Yeah.”
He ordered.
Sat at a table across the room.
Back to me.
Cole pretended not to see.
“You wanna walk after?”
I nodded.
We left.
Past his table.
I kept my eyes down.
Outside, Cole walked me to the bus.
“Had fun?”
I nodded.
“You’re cool,” he said.
I didn’t know what to say.
The bus came.
I got on.
Phone buzzed.
Xavier.
Why.
I didn’t answer.
Are you okay.
I didn’t answer.
At home, Mom asked about my hands.
“I fell,” I said.
She didn’t believe me.
But she still pretended she did.
That night, Xavier texted.
I quit.
My stomach dropped.
What.
For you,he said.
So they can’t use you against me.
I typed: Don’t.
Too late,he said.
Handed it in today.
The room went cold.
Cole texted.
Tomorrow?
I typed: Yeah.
Xavier didn’t text again.
I lay down.
Stared at the ceiling.
Cole was safe.
Cole was easy.
Cole didn’t lose jobs for me.
Xavier was everything.
And now he had nothing.
Because of me.
The static was back.
Loud.
- Writer
