Whispers

Chapter six

The buzz of other students around me was nearly unbearable. It didn't help that everyone had heard what Sarah said yesterday in history--about Luke wanting me and not her--so, instead of getting the normal questioning looks, I was now getting ones of disgust. Over my own thoughts I could hear some people whisper as I walked by: "Why would he want her? She's not even pretty."

"No one would follow her if she became Luna." 

"She doesn't even care about the pack. I heard she has to be forced to come to meetings." 

A quick look confirms everything I already know: The teachers are watching me, and the students are watching me. Even if I left, my dad would know and I would be in worse shape. Escape was pointless.

I made it through til lunch, and by that point my wrist was starting to feel better. The swelling had gone down, and I was able to move it around easier than I was yesterday. So long as I kept babying it and got some ice for it, I should be fine. I finished off the rest of my lunch and threw away the garbage before setting off towards the exit so I could go to the nurse. 

I stepped out of the cafeteria, and was stopped by Griffin, "Gill, go back into the lunch room please," He said without looking up from his grading. 

"I fell this morning on the way to school and my wrist hurts. I was just to go to the nurse to get some ice," I explained, getting frustrated. 

"Lunch room, now." I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. Before turning around to go back into the cafeteria, I got an idea. I turned back around, and went to Griffin, who was still happily grading papers. 

"Griffin," He sighed and looked up at me, "I know about the deal all you teachers have with my dad. I fell in the driveway this morning, and he told me he would get me a brace tonight, but that I was to put ice on it during the day," 

"I don't believe you, Gillian," I groaned, the underlying frustration growing into anger. 

"Call him. Tell him what I said," I crossed my arms across my chest, being careful not to hit my hurt wrist. Griffin sighed, and pulled out his cell phone. He didn't look at me while he dialed the number--how did he know it?--and then he watched me as he put the phone to his ear. 

Three rings later, and I could hear my dad on the other end of the phone. 

"Ah, yes. Mr. Matthews--No, everything is fine. I just have a question. Your daughter has said that you permitted her to get some ice for her--ah. Mhm. Okay. I was just making sure. Thank you, sir," Griffin hung up the phone with another heavy sigh, and went back to grading without a word.

"So?" I said, getting impatient. 

"Go. Then come right back." I turned from Griffin and went to the nurse, satisfied with my small victory. I get to the nurses office, and she gives me an ice pack for my wrist. I sit in her office, watching her type on her computer and debating whether or not Griffin would call my dad if I didn't go back to the cafeteria. There's a chance he is too preoccupied with his grading to care about if I come back or not, but the fact that he called my dad to make sure I could go to the nurse says otherwise. 

I closed my eyes, my head beginning to pound. He really is keeping tabs on me. My dad actually has the teachers watching my every move, down to every last step I take. I take the ice pack off my wrist and hand it back to the nurse, being sure to thank her before leaving the office. I walked back, slowly, to the cafeteria, and see Griffin still grading papers. 

I walk into the cafeteria, and am largely ignored. I've become used to the stares and whispers from people, so much to the point that I can't even make out what they say anymore. I sit back down at my table, which is still empty, and look at the clock. We have five minutes left of this before we return to class. I close my eyes and try to concentrate too much on how much my life sucks at the moment. 

"Hey," I open my eyes and groan. Luke sits down in front of me and leans in close. 

"Your girlfriend is going to have my ass, Luke. Just go away," I rub my face, the headache that started to develop earlier becoming worse. 

"She isn't going to do anything. I need to talk to you. It's serious," I shake my head and look at Luke. 

His eyes are the lightest color of brown I have ever seen. They reminded me of pools of honey, and when the light hit them--Goddess. 

I ignore the feeling he gave me, just from being this close to him, and also ignore the whimpering that came from my wolf, "What could possibly be so important that you need to talk to the biggest outcast in the whole school?" 

"You're not the biggest outcast--," 

"Luke, I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't have friends. No one comes near me or talks to me. I get stared at and whispered about everywhere I go, and, last time I checked, no one actually liked me or has even taken a chance to get to know me." Luke rubbed his face and sighed. 

"I'm your friend."

"No you're not. You're a rejected mate who won't take a hint. There's a difference," I whispered, allowing some of my anger to seep into my voice. Luke's jaw clenches as he looks away from me towards everyone else in the room. I didn't need to look in the same direction to know that people averted their gaze when he looked their way. 

"I didn't come over here to argue," He said, running a hand through his hair. 

"Then why are you over here?" I look away from him, trying to keep back the scream that threatened to escape me. 

"It's about last night," My heart drops. He wants to talk about the dream, the bruises. He wants answers. I should have known.

"What about last night?" I look at him, not sure how I was going to answer. What am I supposed to say? It is pretty obvious what happened. 

"I want to help you, but I can't do that unless you tell me what happened," 

"What do you think happened, Luke?" I shake my head and laughed slightly.

"Well I know for damn sure that you didn't fall, and if you did fall, it was because you were pushed or thrown," I look at him, but don't say anything. He sighs, "Just tell me the truth." 

The bell rings, and I gather up my stuff, "Gill," I ignore him and walk away from Luke, to my next class. I didn't need his help, I need to get away from here.

I got through the period, and manage to avoid Sarah and Luke for the majority of the afternoon. In sixth period, I asked to go to the bathroom and was about to leave when I heard the clicking of shoes in the bathroom. I felt my heart drop as I sat in the stall. 

"Oh, Gillian," I swallow at the sound of Sarah's voice, "Come out, come out wherever you are," 

I felt my jaw clench at the sound of my wolf growling. In my mind, there is only one option, although I know I have more than one. I could stay in this stall, and hide, until she got bored and left. Or, I could get out and fight her like she has been itching to for the last couple of days. Luke isn't here to 'save' me from Sarah, and I'm not even sure if I wanted him here to save me.

I felt my anger from the last couple of days boiling inside of me, and make a decision. I'm not hiding from Sarah.

I exit the stall, adrenaline pumping through my body and find a smiling Sarah blocking my only exit. Typical. 

"Oh well, there she is!" Sarah says happily. I roll my eyes and brace myself for whats to come. I can't feel any pain in my hurt wrist, but something inside of me didn't care. 

"Aren't you sick of getting your ass handed to you, Sarah," I ask with a sigh. 

"Oh, trust me, Gill. You're not walking out of this bathroom," My heart pounded in my chest as I felt my anger bubbling over. 

"f**k you," 

Sarah was on top of me in a second, pulling my hair and landing a punch to my nose. I felt it crack, but I didn't care. I punch her in the stomach, and the roles reversed. I'm on top of her, and my vision is blurred. I am going to black out, but no one is around to stop me. Somehow she manages to kick me off, and I knocked my head on the side of one of the bathroom stalls. I felt my scalp to make sure I wasn't bleeding, and got back to my feet. 

"You little b***h," Sarah panted, coming for me again. 

My vision goes red. I dodge Sarah's attack, grab her arm, I twist it behind her back and slam her into the stall. I'm not sure what happened after that; all I remember is being pulled off Sarah, who was knocked out on the ground. 

"Stop, Gill! Stop!" I kick the person holding me in the knee, but they held on tighter. Someone picks Sarah up and carries her out of the bathroom as my vision went back to normal. I stop fighting the arms around me, and start panting. My eyes focus and the adrenaline begins to fade. I groan at the pain starting to fill my body, but notice that it starts to fade slightly. I look up at the person who is holding me, and I want to say I am surprised but I'm not. Luke looks into my eyes and immediately drops me to the ground, backing up towards the exit.

I savor the cold tile on my swollen face. I could stay here forever if I were allowed, but I already knew the consequences for my actions. 

I get to my knees and a hold of the sink to look at my face. I just want to assess the damages now, so I could tell the difference between the damage done here and the damage that will be done at home. I lock eyes with the person in the mirror. 

"Gill," I feel tears well up in my eyes as I cover my mouth, hoping that it would stop the distress from coming out of my throat. 

My eyes, they aren't the same. 

"Gill, answer me," I see Luke behind me in the mirror but I can't take away my stare from the person in the mirror that is supposed to be me. This can't be possible. Not even a little bit. The tears I was holding back fell down my cheeks and I watch as bruises blossom across my face and jaw. I am shaking, and I am not sure if it is because of what just happened or if it is because of what I see in the mirror. 

My eyes are purple. 

I uncover my mouth, no longer able to stop the sheer terror from taking over, but the sound that comes out of me isn't what I was expecting. 

I laugh. Hard. 

My ribs protest as I feel the earth beneath me start to quake. I look behind me to see if Luke felt the same thing to find him not there. I look at myself again, the quaking stopped, and turn on the faucet. My nose is broken, but it had stopped bleeding. Blood, at some point made its way to my shirt, but I didn't know if it was my blood or Sarah's. I wash my face, and go to adjust my nose back into place when Luke and several others that I can't immediately identify through the wave of pain coursing through my body. 

"See what I mean?" I look into my eyes. They are still purple, but they're fading back into their normal blue. Regardless, it didn't change anything. 

"Gillian," I look behind me through the mirror. I don't know the teacher standing there, but I know that he is here to escort me to wherever it is I am to go. 

"Yeah, I know," I rub my hand over my sore, but fixed nose, and push off the sink. My balance is off slightly, but other than that, I think I am fine. My ribs hurt, and my wrist is in time with the beat of my heart. The headache that came on after the fight hit me full force, but I am standing. 

I walk out of the bathroom, ready. Students and teachers alike were in the halls, all of them with a look of terror plastered across their face. I don't bother to hide my face, and meet a couple of people's gazes. The ones brave enough to even look me in the eye don't look for too long. The halls remain silent as I walk down them, as the teacher guides me to the principle's office. Luke is right behind me, probably ensuring everyone's safety as we walk. We get to the office, and I silently sit down in front of the office. 

I have f****d up, royally this time. I am sure to be, at least, suspended, if not expelled. I put my head in my hands, trying to endure the headache I have and the shear fear that has overcome me. I will have to face my dad tonight, and he is going to kill me. 

"Gill," I look at the ground as I hear Luke sigh. 

"What?" I look up at him to see him flinch, which makes me roll my eyes. 

"If your dad is abusing you, tell me now." He looks ahead of him and leans back in his seat. 

"How is that going to help?" I mumble, looking at the wall in front of us. 

There's a picture there of the mate choosing ceremony for every pack that goes to this school. Apparently, there are four different ones, but the one I have fixated on is the one of Luke and Sarah. They both look so happy. I look away from it, and focus my gaze on the floor. 

"I can get you out of your dad's house. I can pull some strings with my dad--," 

"Your dad is going to ship me off to a reformatory pack." 

"Would you rather be alive, and in a reformatory pack or dead?" I look up at Luke, and he didn't look away this time. I laugh and lean back into my seat. 

"I"m not even sure anymore." I whisper, the headache getting worse. 

"Well, I can't do anything if you don't specifically say--," 

"Fine," I swallow the lump in my throat, "I've been abused by my dad, on and off, for years. Yes, he smacked me around yesterday, and the day before that. He has even threatened to kill me, and said he wishes he would have killed me sooner. He even said that his actions would be justified because I am a disgrace and a reminder of the worst mistake he has ever made." I look up at Luke, who had a mix of surprise and anger mixing behind his eyes. 

"Happy?" 

Luke goes to open his mouth, but he is stopped by the principle. I lean my head back on the wall behind me, already expecting the worst. Before the principle can talk, Luke stands up and asks to speak with him in the office in private. I don't protest. 

I stare at the ceiling and count tiles until I hear the door open again, about twenty minutes later, "Gillian," The principle's voice is soft, and he holds the door open for me to walk into the office. Inside the office, Luke sat with his elbows on his knees and his head leaning on his fist. I sit down beside him, and wait for the principle to take his place. 

He sits behind his desk and sighs, "How are you feeling, Gill?" I chuckle and shake my head. 

"Like crap," I whispered. 

"Gillian," I look up at the principle and watch as he rubs his face and sighs, "Luke told me what you told him about you being abused by your dad. These are serious allegations, but I want to do you justice and ensure that you are safe, especially if you are being threatened with death," He looks at me again, his eyes showing the conflict that he is in. 

I just got into another fight with Sarah, after I have been warned not to fight anymore by both the pack leader and the principle. 

"What do you want from me?" I asked, feeling helpless. "Do you want me to tell you that my life has been amazing the last 6 years, and that I'm completely whole, and that I love living here and going to school here? Do you want me to beg you not to send me home to my dad, because I am sure he is going to absolutely throttle me when I get home? Do you want me to get on my knees and tell you I am sorry for blacking out and beating Sarah to a pulp when she is the one that has been starting the fights since I got here, even though I haven't done anything but defend myself?" 

The room is silent and the energy is so thick that I can cut it with a knife. The principle watches me, and Luke is fuming beside me. 

"Because it hasn't been amazing and I f*****g hate it here. I hate my dad, but I will not beg you to save me from him. Because even though I am just defending myself, and even though I didn't mean to black out and borderline kill Sarah, I am certainly not going to beg for forgiveness," I look down at the floor, numb. 

"I'm calling your Alpha. We need to get his say on all of this," He picks up his phone and calls Alpha Collins, who is at the school and in the office with us in no less than twenty minutes. He comes in, his face terrified, which turned to annoyance the second he saw me. I shrink down in the seat, trying to make myself smaller, while the principle relays everything Luke and I have told him. Alpha Collins listens, and when the principle is done, the room goes silent. 

His expression is one of contemplation, mixed with fear and anger. Alpha Collins looks at his son, "You're sure of it, Lucas. You're not making up stories?" 

"Why would I make up something like this, dad?" He asks, anger coming out of his throat with his words. 

"Because I'm not entirely sure we should trust someone who doesn't contribute to the pack, and especially not one who continuously fights with other pack members," He crosses his arms, and looks between the two of us. 

"You don't trust her, but I do. The bruises you see now may have been from the fight earlier, but she was already bruised this morning, and her wrist was already bad before the fight. She said she fell, but I didn't believe her because who falls and bruises the side of their face?" Alpha Collins looks at the ground, further contemplating what Luke just said. He takes a deep breath and looks back up at us. I meet his gaze, and fight the urge to further shrink myself away from his look.

"Why do you on her side, Luke? She just beat the living s**t out of your Luna, your mate, and yet you're here? And not on your way to the hospital with Sarah," My stomach jumps to my throat as I try to swallow it down. 

"Because I have already caught Sarah trying to start s**t with Gill. I told Sarah to leave her alone--,"

"And she didn't listen, yeah. Lucas," Alpha Collins rubs his face, "Is Gillian your mate? Have you been lying to the pack this entire time?" 

The air in the room thickens as I wait for Luke to speak. 

"No, I haven't been lying. She isn't my mate," Luke says, breaking the silence. Alpha Collins looks from his son to me and sighs. 

"Let's say I believe you," He says, looking right at me, "what action would you suggest I take?" 

"Alpha, that's not my place--," 

"It's also not your place to may accusations without proof, and its not your place to beat the life out of another person, but here we are," I look away from Alpha Collins and stare in front of me, "Now, answer the question, Gillian. What would you have me do?" 

"Dad--," 

"Luke if you interrupt one more time, you will regret it," Luke goes silent, fuming beside me. 

I am left, in silence, unable to answer. I don't know how to feel; Luke said he could help me, pull some strings and get me away from my house. The only way out of this is to admit that I'm a liar, to tell Alpha Collins that Luke is my mate, but that would expose Luke as well and probably turn his life upside down. 

I shrug, "I don't know Alpha." I whisper and close my eyes. I can't look at him, or Luke, or the principle. 

"If I believed you, which I'm still not sure I do, I would have you move into the pack house, effective immediately. But," He pushes himself off the wall he was leaning against and puts his hands in his pockets, "I don't want to do that, because if Sarah is targeting you, and you really are defending yourself against her, there's nothing to stop her from getting to you. You would live under the same roof," I sigh and push the heels of my hands into my eyes, doing my best to stop the tears of frustration that have started to well up.

"Also, I've already told you the next fight you get into would put you into a reformatory pack, but that wouldn't help you at all, not if you're really being abused by your father," I take my hands off my eyes and look at the Alpha.

"I'm telling the truth," I whisper, desperate. 

"Sure," He says with a nod, "And either way you are going to end up hurt," 

"I would rather end up beat up and not dead," I say to the floor, "Because if I go home tonight, I am going to die." I look up at Alpha Collins, begging him to do something. 

Alpha Collins looks over at the principle, "What's her punishment?" 

He sighs and leans back in his seat, "Well, normally it would be expulsion, but because of the accusations against Sarah and Mr. Matthews, I don't know," The principle looks at me with a soft look, trying to do his best to help me. I couldn't even argue. If I get expelled in this moment, I will be dead, but I deserve to be expelled. I all but killed Sarah.

 "Here's what I think. We pend your expulsion," I whip my head up to look at Alpha Collins, "I want to investigate further into the accusations made, because something about all of this is bugging me. I have known Sarah to be confrontational, and the last couple of times I have seen Mr. Matthews he has been more than normally aggressive," Alpha Collins looks at me, his expression hard to read. 

I breathe a sigh of relief. I wasn't going to die, not yet anyway. 

"During the investigation, you are going to come live at the pack house. I will go prepare a room for you, and Luke will drive you your father's to gather some things," He sighs again, gathering his thoughts, "As for the other thing," I tense. Something in me hoped he wouldn't find out about my eyes, but that's a fools dream. 

"You will meet with the pack doctor, and I have no other choice but to call the Council," I close my eyes and nod. 

"As for your punishment, until the accusations are confirmed or denied, you will be suspended. You are not allowed on school property, and someone else will bring school work to you. If you are found on the property you will be, automatically, expelled," I nod at the principle's words.

No expulsion, yet, and no death. I can finally breathe.

"Are you still going to allow the teachers to report to my dad if I am able to come back?" I ask, jokingly. 

"What?" I look at the principle, who is confused. I look over to Alpha Collin and then Luke, to find that their both confused as well. 

"My teachers have my dad's phone number and keep tabs on me. If I skip class or go anywhere they tell him. Griffin called him at lunch to see if my dad really said I could go get ice for my wrist," I explained to the floor, realizing that I just gave them some evidence that the abuse was happening.

"I guess I will be speaking with the teachers as well," The principle sighs, and rubs his face in frustration. Luke is scoffing beside me, and Alpha Collins looks like he still doesn't buy it. 

"I'll be speaking with them as well," Alpha Collins says, frustrated, "As for now, Luke take her to her house and let her get some clothes and anything else she needs. As soon as she's done, I should have the room ready. You both are dismissed." 

I got up with Luke and left the office. The front lobby was empty, thankfully, as we walked out together.