CHAPTER 11 : Alone in the World
As I watched him, I managed to utter, "Oh right," feeling increasingly annoyed by his disrespectful attitude.
"You know, princess, the way you're speaking to me is ruthless, and I’m in no mood to play games with you right now," Gage stated, striding toward me again.
"You bring that asshole into my apartment, insult me for spending time with Quinn last night after a challenging few weeks, and fail to understand my perspective," I exclaimed, gesturing towards Haze, who remained fixated on the floor. His obliviousness churned a feeling of sickness in my stomach.
“He can’t even look at me,” I laughed, furious about his disregard for me. Standing there silently, all the other boys watched me.
“We all have class. Haze is going to take you to see Brook. We need some answers about your mom,” managed Gage quietly. At the mention of my mom, I felt like I was doused in ice-cold water.
“Fuck no, I’m not going anywhere with him”, I stated seriously.
“Story,” whispered Haze, those green eyes gleaming at me. Pain shone gloriously on his face. Tired bags sat under his beautiful eyes.
“Whatever, but don’t expect a chit-chat the whole fucking time I’m done with you”, I hissed furiously. He nodded quickly, staring at me, making my whole body feel warm and safe.
“Have fun in class. I’ll see you all later”, I mumbled, turning around and heading for my room.
“Princess, do I not get a goodbye kiss?” called out Izack. I smiled to myself.
***
As we sat in the car, an uneasy silence hung between us, neither Haze nor I willing to break it. What could we possibly say to each other at this moment? How's your unborn child doing? No, that I wouldn't do. I couldn't bring myself to engage in casual conversation with him. "So, the weather's been good," he said with a hint of seriousness in his voice.
"It's December," I replied, my gaze fixed ahead. Was he being serious? After everything that had happened between us, he chose to ask me about the weather?
“Yeah, sorry, bad line opener,” he said, not looking at me. He kept his eyes firmly focused on the road ahead. I kind of liked how serious he was when he drove. We’d be at the hospital soon, though.
***
“Brooke,” I managed, eyeing her up with utter disgust. She looked terrible. Her white skin was an ashy grey, and her blue eyes had lost that sparkle. Her brown hair was all knotted behind her, and she studied me.
“Who killed my mom?” I snapped angrily, causing Haze to shoot me a disapproving look. I didn’t care what that asshole thought. He had no right to punish me for my lack of sensitivity to this girl.
Brooke dead-eyed me, almost like she hadn’t heard my words. I quickly looked at Haze, who was also confused. “Brooke,” I murmured again, this time touching her arm softly.
Her blue eyes were glazed over as she stared eerily past me. She refused to look at me. She never uttered a word. Seeing her like this destroyed a part of me. She’d been my friend when I started at Melvore. She wasn’t paid. She was just there.
“Brooke, I’m leaving now. Squeeze my hand if that's okay,” I managed to say, tears gathering in my eyes. She didn’t move an inch. She remained, lying there staring off into space.
Swiftly racing out of the room, I breathed in heavily. Panic scorched my chest as I thought about her. Brooke was now living a life of fear. A life of utter silence. She was a living corpse. “Where are you going?” quizzed Haze as he exited the room.
As I hurried down the corridor, I shouted, "Home back to Melvore, away from you and away from her." I could hear Haze calling after me, but I didn't stop. It was all too overwhelming. I found myself sitting against a crumbling brick wall, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. The hot tears stung my cheeks, and I futilely brushed them away, feeling a surge of anger. I felt utterly isolated, more alone than I had ever felt. Suddenly, a voice spoke up, "You know there are better places to hide." Instantly, I recognized the voice.
“Tyler, what are you doing here? How did you even find me?” I asked, confused, as I quickly wiped my face.
“Well, Gage, you put a tracker on your phone, which I don’t condone, by the way, but it’s not safe out here. Love, come home,” he stated seriously.
Looking at him, I nodded. Unable to say any words, I stood up and faced him.
."Are you here to take me back then?" I inquired, gazing into his piercing grey eyes. He nodded.
"It's the fight tonight. Perhaps we could make a brief detour first," he said, flashing a gentle smile as he reached for my hand.
***
A few moments later, I found myself at a small diner. I sat with Tyler. He looked very out of place here. He was in another suit, this one very handsome. It was black with a white tie. He was so beautiful.
“Why did you come after me? Didn’t Gage want to come himself?” I asked, curious. Tyler smirked, making my heart skip a beat as my fries arrived. They were so nice, and I groaned in happiness.
“Wow, if only I had told the boys the secret to your heart is fries from Maxwell’s Diner,” he smiled.
“It’s top secret, only you have that power” I smiled quickly, and he nodded.
Suddenly, our phones pinged, and I sighed heavily, trying to figure out who it was. It was Fight Club.
‘Our two fighters tonight are Haze Melvore and Tyler Summers. Please place your bets in the underground,’ it read.
I darted my eyes to Tyler and found him watching me. “You don’t seem worried,” I said, managing to feel nerves in my stomach.
“Well, you're a member now, princess. Why would I be nervous when I have my good luck charm?” he said, and that’s when the reality of the situation hit me.