Days of Darkness

Chapter 72

Teegan

"Damn," Gene said when he entered the room. I was trying desperately to lean Caleb toward the bed and not let him collapse on the floor. There was so much blood on his face. He must have been hit before he entered the room. He moved so quickly; Mason never touched him.

"Help me," I cried. Gene moved quickly and took most of Caleb's weight. We laid him on the bed and Gene blanched at the blood.

"Mason do that?" Gene asked.

"He never touched him, " I replied. Gene looked at Mason on the floor. Mason's face looked like it was hit by a truck. He looked back at me with confusion in his eyes.

"Mason was hurting you?" Gene asked. I nodded as I tried to wipe the blood off Caleb's face with the sleeve of my shirt. It was coming from his nose. "How did he know? I mean he just took off like Jackie Chan. I didn't even know he knew how to fight."

"I think he broke his hand," I said. Gene followed my eyes to Caleb's right hand. It was beginning to swell up around the knuckles. My tears began again, this time for what I had done to Caleb. I lifted his bruised hand gently in mine and touched it to my cheek. God, I loved him.

"Shitttt," a voice at the door strung out the word. I looked up to see Traci, her IPhone held before her filming the room.

"We have to get him out of here," I whispered to Gene. He nodded and helped me raise Caleb to his feet. It was comforting to hear Caleb breathing, almost as if he was asleep. "My Dad's on the way," I added without thinking. I could see Gene processing what I just said and letting it go. There were going to be questions. Gene was a good enough friend to wait for a better time.

"Must have been an epic fight," Traci said as we wrapped Caleb's arms round our shoulders and began to carry him. "He tore through the others like they were nothing," she added with awe. More people poked their heads in the room, and a surprised murmur began to flow down the hall.

"Coming through," Gene announced as we maneuvered through the door. People were standing in shock as we descended the stairs. Some were tending to Mason's friends who looked better off than Mason. They were all staring at unconscious Caleb and whispering could be heard as we passed. So much for keeping this private. It would be all over the school on Monday. The world on Tuesday.

Samantha met us at the bottom of the stairs with wide eyes. Gene gave her a silent command to let it go for now. Thankfully, she did and led the way by opening the front door for us.

"You...you can't just leave," Billy Henderson said as we maneuvered onto the porch. "He beat up three guys and someone called the police."

"Like anyone is going to believe that Caleb started it," I said as innocently as possible. "Mason knocked him flat," I lied. "We need to get him to the hospital. You want an ambulance here as well?"

"No, I guess not," Billy said. "But what am I supposed to tell the police? What am I going to tell my parents?"

"Tell them that Mason and his friends got into a fight," Gene said. "They won't admit that Caleb had anything to do with it. You should have never invited them anyway."

"I didn't," Billy said, his eyes on the ground. "I'm screwed."

"Not as much as Caleb," Gene said, lifting Caleb's head so Billy could see the blood.

"Okay," Billy said, "get him out of here. I'll think of something. If my parents don't kill me, Caleb owes me." I smiled and nodded. I felt sorry for Billy. One unauthorized party and now he's up the creek. Gene and I continued down the steps of the porch.

I felt my Dad before I saw the car pull up. He knew it was over, but his anxiety was still flowing into me. Mom was beside herself as she exited the car before Dad even got his seatbelt undone. I waved the best I could while holding half of Caleb up.

"I was terrified," Mom said as she approached. I could see her hands were still shaking. I rolled my eyes toward Gene, hoping she'd remember that others were present. "Oh my, is that Caleb?"

"He saved Teegan," Gene said proudly, thinking he was doing Caleb a favor.

"Mason was getting grabby," I said, trying to fill things in quickly, "and Caleb didn't like it. I'm not sure how bad Mason is hurt."

"Or the two guys he went through to get to Mason," Gene added. "Never seen anyone move so fast."

"I knew I liked this boy," Dad said, relieving me of my half of the burden. "Let's get him into the car," he added, using his chin to point the way. Mom instantly folded me into her arms. I could feel her shaking and sensed she was barely holding in tears.

"I'm okay," I whispered. I could feel her smile on my cheek. She still wasn't going to let me go. "You're going to embarrass me," I informed her. She let go but held me in front of her. Her eyes looked me up and down, making sure all my parts were present. She lifted up my arm and examined the blood on my sleeve with concern. "Caleb's," I said. She nodded, and we followed everyone to Dad's car.

"I don't think that's necessary," Dad said crossly. I looked over to see Traci still documenting the event.

"If it was you," I asked, "would you want it filmed?"

"No," Traci replied, dropping her arm. "Sorry," she added and turned back to the house. A lot of the kids were leaving. I guess word of the police was spreading.

Gene and Dad laid Caleb in the back seat, and I climbed in on the other side, placing his head in my lap. He looked so calm. If it weren't for the blood drying under his nose, I would swear he was only sleeping. I pushed his unruly hair away from his face and caressed his cheek. He was going to kill Mason. I felt it in him. The only reason he stopped was that I asked him too. Even with the blood, his face was lovely.

"Gene and Samantha are going to meet us at our house," Dad said as he climbed into the car. "There are expecting some answers and I don't blame them."

"We have to trust sometimes," Mom said, turning in her seat to look at me. "It might as well be friends." Her expression changed; concern filled her eyes. "I thought you were okay." My tears had returned.

"Look what I did to him," I stammered. One night with me and I wrecked him. His poor hand probably wouldn't even hold his violin bow.

"It wasn't your fault," Mom said.

"He'll be fine," Dad added. "It's like an exhausting hangover. A little sleep and he'll be as good as new." He pulled the car into the road. "I thought you said you hadn't bonded with him."

"I didn't, not before this," I said. "I panicked and was trying to find you, and he got in the way." I stroked Caleb's face. It was so calm and warm. "I've ruined him."

"You've done no such thing," Mom insisted.

"You don't know," I cried. "He was going to kill Mason. I felt it grow in him, and I couldn't stop it."

"Why didn't he?" Mom asked. I looked up and fumbled my answer, mumbling something about me asking him to stop. "I see," she said. "So you did stop it." My eyes refused to stop flowing.

"I'm not good for him."

"Maybe," Dad said, "or maybe he's not good enough for you."

"He's perfect," I said too loudly. He was. At least his music was. Or was it the feelings he flooded me with. Or maybe it was his desire to stop Mason. Dad and Mom exchanged a look that seemed to contain volumes of information not meant for me. "I mean, I'm not good enough for him."

"I don't think that Caleb would agree with you," Mom said softly.