Chapter 46: 'He's trouble'-2

I'm left standing outside in confusion for a couple of minutes. What did Mason say to him? Is that why he's mad, because Mason said things to him that were obviously stupid bullshit? Or is it because I used him? Or both? Mr. Kennedy emerges from the class, "Where's Zeke?" "He went to the bathroom," I say, not wanting to tell Mr. K. that Zeke angrily stormed off. "Would you please go get him? I trust you won't do anything silly." I nod and start walking away. "Marnie," Kennedy says, bringing me to a halt. "He's trouble. Don't get involved with the trouble." I search the corridors for Zeke with Mr. Kennedy's words in my head. I'm not in any trouble, it was just an argument; a one time thing. Well, maybe not. We argue a lot, and yeah he has made me start swearing and going to parties and jumping off of cliffs and thinking very very non-innocent thoughts of him, but that's nothing. Everything's fine. It's same old me. Shit, maybe I am in trouble. I go to the guys bathroom and call Zeke's name. Excitement fills me as I hear someone coming out, but instead it's a guy with classes and a bowl cut, looking at me weird. "Is Zeke Blakely in there?" I ask him. He shakes his head and shuffles off. Where could he be? I've searched every corridor on this level. Mr. Kennedy thought I was just getting him from the bathroom and i've been searching for him for at least ten minutes. I decide to check the girls bathroom. Maybe he'd be crazy enough to hide in there, thinking no one would look for him there. My suspicions are answered when I walk in and find him standing there. Not just him though; Aubrey is kneeling on the ground in front of him, unzipping his pants. Thank the lord I didn't come in at any later point. Whatever's left of my innocence would fly out the window. Aubrey smiles when she sees me and I feel sick. She doesn't move but Zeke steps back and fixes himself. I feel a horrible pain in my stomach from seeing him here, with Aubrey of all people. He said they weren't sleeping together anymore, yet they've been texting and now I see them here about to do... that. "Uhh... Mr. Kennedy wants you to come back," my face feels hot and I can barely get the words out. Right now, all I want to do is slam Aubrey's head against the wall and tell Zeke he's an asshole. It sucks, this feeling. I don't understand why it's hurting so much. I almost feel betrayed that he'd do this with Aubrey when he knows I don't get on with her. But I can't say that, because I dated Mason when I knew Zeke didn't like him. I understand how much it sucks now. He nods once, looking at the ground, and I walk out of the bathroom, ignoring Aubrey's amused face. +++ This is not good. Mr. K. gave Zeke and I detention, so now I need to go to detention for my first ever time and sit in an awkward silence with Zeke, whom I haven't spoken to all day. There are only 4 other people in the room: a guy with tattoos, piercings and white messy hair, a senior I recognise, and two other people sitting in the back row making out. I sit in the front row, feeling uncomfortable and out of place. "What did you do?" The tattooed boy asks from two seats along. "Disrupted the class," I say, shyly. That's what Mr. Kennedy said, anyway. He snorts. "Badass." The pain in the pit of my stomach still hasn't passed since I saw Zeke and Aubrey, and when he walks into the room, it feels one hundred times worse. He signs in, and when he looks up, our eyes lock. I look down at my hands, feeling tension between us. I feel him walk past my desk and to the back of the class. I'm surprised he didn't say anything to me – our arguments aren't usually dragged on. Or maybe he's embarrassed about what I saw? He's hard to understand. "What's your name?" The tattooed guy asks. "Marnie," "I'm Brandon," he gets up from his desk and sits in the one next to me, and holds his hand out for me to shake. I stare at it warily; no one does that, and he definitely doesn't seem like the kind of guy to. He laughs and pulls his hand back. "You one of those germ freaks or something?" "Not really." "You scared Blakely will see and beat the shit outa me?" He smirks. What? Where did that come from? "No," I grimace at him. "He's not my body guard." "I saw him beating up the Mason kid. People said he did it for you. True or false?" "False." "You guys have fucked. True or false?" "These aren't the kind of questions you'd expect from a stranger." He leans his elbow on the desk and rests his head on his palm. "You didn't answer my question." "False. He's just my friend." "Hmm, guess I shouldn't tell you 'bout the other rumours then." I don't think I want to know. "Are you a senior?" I ask, changing the subject. "Yep." "Cool." "Yep." There is silence between us for a couple of minutes. "Why does he not care that people are talking and there's a couple making babies in the back?" I ask, nodding towards Mr. Gimbers, sitting at the desk on the computer. "Too busy watchin' lesbian porn." "Really?" My eyes widen. He nods. "I caught him once when I came in late. There was some hot shit goin' on." "Gross," I whisper. For the rest of detention, Brandon and I talk and laugh at Mr. Gimber's facial expressions as he watches his screen, until finally detention is over. I pick up my bag and throw it over my shoulder, when I feel someone touch my arm. I know exactly who it is from the sweet tingling feeling I get. "Hello," Zeke smiles, awkwardly. I look into his eyes and freeze my movements. I didn't expect him to talk to me. We've been here for an hour and he didn't say anything, but now here he is acting like i'm an old friend he saw in the street for the first time in twenty years. He breaks the eye contact and clears his throat. "I was wondering if you needed a ride home?" I was going to walk home, and a car ride with Zeke and his insane driving doesn't sound too great right now. "No thanks." "Why not?" He furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "I'm driving her home," Brandon cuts in. Zeke's jaw tenses as he looks at him. Brandon's face turns into a smirk. "No you are not." "I am. Ain't that right, babe?" Brandon winks at me. Zekes hands shove into Brandon's chest and he falls onto his seat, yet he doesn't seem affected by this. In fact, he's laughing. It sort of annoys me that he's getting amusement out of making Zeke mad. "Do not fucking call her that," Zeke spits. "You should leave the girl alone, dude. She isn't interested." "Do you want my fist in your fucking face?" Brandon stands up and gets close to Zeke. He's just as tall as him. "Do it, do it. I dare yah," he looks excited. "Don't," I put my arm in between the two boys. "Why are you never on my side?" Zeke asks me in an angry tone, completely different to the one he was just speaking to me in. I am on his side though. I don't want him getting into fights that will land him in trouble. Of course he only sees it as me defending the other person though. "Aw, you want her to give you a hug?" Brandon pouts, mockingly, earning him another push. He lands in his seat again, laughing. "Zeke, stop it," I pull his arm, "You can drive me home." He's like a little kid who throws a tantrum every time he doesn't get what he wants. He looks at me with eyes I don't recognise. "Offers off the table," he says before walking away. +++