Count on Me (23 page)

Isabelle changed all of that, whether she realizes it or not. That’s why this comeback I’m making today is for her, just as much as it is for me. It’s my chance to come back and change the way I’ve been. Start over fresh. It’s time for me to be the good boy
my mom knew I could be. It’s time for me to prove just what kind of person Kayden Walker really is and this time, make it stick.

The first step in doing that is reaching out to the person that made me realize it. Who despite seeing the darkest parts of me, the things I’ve done and said about her, still acted like the little life preserver she is, reaching ou
t in a way that only she can do and saving me.

Before school started, I made sure to get permission from all my teachers to leave early in an effort
to catch her reactions to the stunt I’m pulling. I’m pretty sure a lot of them thought I lost my mind, but they gave me what I needed. I was able to stand outside her classroom, far enough away so she couldn’t catch me and see her reaction to the first song as it played right after the announcements.

I also caught her reaction to the secon
d one, though seeing how close she’s standing with Eric as it happens, bothers me more then I want to admit. Even if she doesn’t want me back in her life the way I so desperately want to be, at the very least I want her friendship again. It doesn’t mean I have to like seeing her interact with other guys though.

Ducking out of the hall before she can catch me, I head back to the office and the minute I slide through the doors, Ms. Owens is smiling at me.

“You want this next one going outside, right?”

I nod and smile and she motions me over. I look out the window and I’m shocked with ho
w close her favorite tree is to the office. I’ve spent time out there with her before, but never realized just how visible we would have been to everyone on the other side.

“What you’re doing, Kayden, it’s a good thing.”

“I sure hope so. I really don’t want to screw this up again.”

“Isabelle’s a lucky girl.”

See, that’s something I don’t agree with. I’m doing all of this because I’m the lucky one. I got to spend my entire childhood with the most beautiful girl in the world. I am by far the luckier one and I won’t let anyone believe otherwise.

“I’m the lucky one, Ms. Owens.”

She smiles at me before pointing to the machine in front of us. “When you’re ready, just push that red button and the song will play. I’ve already set it to the outside speakers.”

I nod, thank her and take a seat on the windowsill. I’m going to sit here and wait until she comes out.

It’s when I finally see her making her way toward the tree a few minutes later, Eric right on her heels that I know it’s time. The minute she sits down, her back completely up against the trunk of the tree, I push the red button just the way Ms. Owens told me to.

Let the games begin.

Belle

Okay, now I
know something’s up.

No sooner do I sit down at the tree then the music filters out through the loud speakers and with the way Eric’s looking at me now, I’m pretty sure he’s realizing the same thing. The first time could be looked at as a fluke, maybe even the second time too, but this time, it’s different. I know this is geared at me, there’s no way it can’t be.

It fills me with a horrible feeling inside. There is only one person that knows anything about what this song means to me and I haven’t seen him all day, even though he’s supposedly back.

Is the security I
felt coming back just a dream? Is this another sick plan by Dillon to get to me and break me the way they did at the dance? Does Kayden even realize what’s going on or is he as big a part of it as the other stuff that’s been done to me?

I’ve been doing so well the last few days. In the times when the anxiety is too much to handle, I make sure that I take myself away from everyone and do what’s needed. I haven’t had an accident or cri
ed. In fact, nothing bad has happened at all. I’ve been perfectly fine.

This music thing though, if I focus on it too much, will break me. I know it.

“Don’t think about it, Belle. Sure, it’s
‘the’
song, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

As thankful as I
am that Eric’s here with me, he’s not helping. Telling me not to focus on it is only going to make me do the opposite.

“There’s only one person besides you t
hat knows about that song, Eric and I only told you about it like two days ago. There’s no way it isn’t meant for me.”

The song in question is “Kiss Me Slowly” by Parachute, the go-to band for whoever’s doing this stuff today and it’s pretty obvious why it’s getting to me. The only reason Kayden even knows about it is because it came up in one of our text conversations, which just makes me wanna scroll through my phone and find it.

“Isabelle, don’t do it. You’re gonna make yourself crazy.”

“Can’t get any crazier then I alr
eady am.” I answer, before sliding my finger across the screen and going into the messaging app. Running my finger up the screen, I pause the minute I see the familiar words.

K: What are u doing right now?

Me: Not telling you that. It’s embarrassing.

K: I swear I won’t tell or laugh at u.

Me: No Kayden.

K: Wanna know what I’m doing then?

Me: If you want to tell me.

K: Trying to find the perfect song.

Me: For what?

K: U

Me: I told you what my favorite song is.

K: I know that. Not what I meant.

Me: What do you mean?

K: It’s stupid. Forget it.

Me: “Kiss Me Slowly” by Parachute

K: Is that a song for u?

Me: No, it’s a song for you.

K: Ty.

K: I wanted a song that I could listen to when we’re not together so I wouldn’t miss you so much, okay?

K: That song is perfect.

I never did answer him back that night. I’m not sure why I even told him the song to begin with, but I can see now that when they stole my texts, they got that one too. There’s no other reason for this song to be playing now. It’s the only thing that makes sense.

“Eric, I need to get out of here.”

Not waiting around for him to try and talk me out of it, I get up and make a mad dash for the inside of the school, praying that when I finally do get inside, the music will have stopped. I want to escape it and the memories it brings up, once and for all.

I feel like I’ve gone back in time as I make my way into the school and down the familiar hallway that’s going to lead me to my destination. I’ve taken this exact route three times in as many weeks. Despite everything I’ve been through since, how much stronger I’ve gotten; here I am doing it again.

Before I reach the safety of the bathroom, I’m cut off. Four people appear in front of me and as I raise my head to meet their eyes, my whole body turns cold. Nothing’s really changed at all. I’ve been living in a dream world.

Amy, Charlotte, Tim and Dillon
are all standing in my way and none of them looks all that pleased to see me.

“Isabelle,” Dillon says first, taking a step forward. “I think it’s time we had a little chat.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kayden

There’s one aspect of coming back that I definitely wasn’t looking forward to and seeing what I am in the hallway now, I’m reminded of why I dreaded it so much.

I haven’t heard from or seen Dillon and the others since Homecoming. I didn’t want to see them, but considering
the way things used to be, I expected to run into more than one of them the minute I got to school.

I’d been lucky though because until now, I avoided them all. It looks like I’m not going to b
e able to do that anymore. They’re blocking Isabelle from being able to enter the bathroom and just like every other time they get within two feet of her, I want to rush to her side.

Backing as close as I can against the lockers, I keep myself out of their view, b
ut not completely hidden so I can’t see what’s happening. I can make out Isabelle, feeling the tension in her body from here. I know she’s been dreading this moment as much as I have and I’d give anything right now to sweep in and get her out of there.

Unfortunately I can’t do
it because if I do, she’s going to assume I’m here to finish what they’re starting, even though it’s the farthest thing from the truth. She believes that I’m the one that put together that shit at the dance and there’s no way I can make her see differently, at least not yet.

The way Dillon is sneering at her makes me sick. I should have finished what I started at the dance that night, even if doing it wou
ld have made everything worse. The hold over the school he’s had for the last four years has to end and if I have to be the person to do it, then so be it.

Things need
to change.

“You haven’t seen Kayden around, have you?”

I watch her shake her head and I sigh. Of course he’s doing it this way. He’s going to bring me into it right away, so when it’s over, he’s not the one that gets the blame, I am. He’s purposely doing everything he can to ruin everything I set up this morning and I’ve never wanted to kill him more.

“Yeah that’s right, he’s been avoi
ding you. With the smell coming off you right now, I can’t imagine he’s been able to escape you entirely.”

“D, did you see that? She just rolled her eyes at you man!” Tim yells before laughing. “Retard grew a set.”

“Is that what you’re doing, Isabelle? Trying to show us how tough you are?” Dillon asks, his voice so viciously sweet, I can feel myself getting a toothache from here.

“Maybe I need to take her into the bathroom and show her how tough she really is.” Amy joins in and it takes everything in me not to move forward. There is no way in hell I’m letting them do that to her.

“I’m thinking you might have to.”

“Listen retard,” Charlotte cuts in. “Whatever silly little ideas you’ve got in your head about Kayden and you, forget them. He’s back now and he wants nothing to do with your sorry ass. The game’s over. He’s with me now.”

Despite wanting to let her handle this, I’ve heard more than enough. Before I can come out from my spot, I’m pulled backward and a hand comes across my mouth. It’s a weak attempt to keep me silent, which means it can only be one person.

Eric.

“I know you want to stop it, but if you do, you’ll push her away.” He whispers and I can’t help but agree with him. With everything I’ve been doing today in an effort to soften her, the last thing I wanna do is set it right back to the start again.

“Then you stop it.” I hiss back. “She won’t hate you.”

“Like I can stop those guys!”

“Where’s your backbone man?”

“Wasn’t born with one.” He answers back, his face deadpan.

“Funny.”

“I try. That stuff on the P.A, that’s you right?”

I nod and he smiles, which with what comes out of his mouth next, confuses the hell out of me.

“Are you doing it to hurt her?”

“No. The opposite
actually.”

“Thought so.”

“So why even ask?”

“Because even though it doesn’t seem like it, I’m her friend.”

“You got a funny way of showing it. Where the hell have you been for the last month?”

“Staying clear of Hurricane Kayden.”

Well shit. I wish I’d known that before. If I had any clue that the reason he completely bailed on Isabelle had to do with me, I would have fixed it. With my track record though, I probably would have made it worse.

“Look, as fun as this little chat is, you see what’s happening as well as I do. I need to stop it.”

“Give it a couple more minutes.”

Now he’s got my attention. What does he know that I don’t? What could Isabelle possibly do in the next two minutes to stop what Dillon and the others have planned for her?

It’s only when I turn back to check on them that I see what he’s getting at.

Isabelle doesn’t need me at all.

She’s got this.

Belle

I’m smiling and despite the fact that there’s nothing about this situation that’s funny, I can’t stop.

The minute Amy mentioned taking me in th
e bathroom, there was a second where I felt my heart speed up and I worried about what would happen next. When Dillon agreed with her, it got a little worse. It’s only when Charlotte opened her mouth that everything changed.

It’s no secret that she likes Kayden; even to someone like me, it’s
completely obvious and kind of sad. Even if everything that happened between us was a game, I think I know him well enough to know that the last person in the world he wants is Charlotte. She’s needy, pushy and way over the top. As popular as Kayden is, he’s content staying under the radar. She’s the complete opposite, which means they would never work out.

It’s because of this that I know what to do and despite being afraid, I’m not going to let it stop me.

“If he’s yours, where is he now?”

Tim breaks first, laughing
and Charlotte shoots him a look of death before Dillon joins in.

“Holy shit, the retard can actually speak.”

“Thanks, Tim.”

His face scrunches up at my words and I know I’ve confused him. That’s the thing about these guys that until lately, I never knew. They might be intimidating and downright scary, but if you look hard enough, you can find a failing in them. It makes them just like everyone else.

“Thanks for what?”

“For proving
that Neanderthals still exist.”

“What the
—”

The smile from earlier quickly turns into a laugh as I realize, he didn’t understand any of what I just said. He’s definitely not the bright one of the group.

“What confused you? The word I used or the fact that you are one?”

“Amy, I think you need to take this mouthy bitch into the bathroom and show her what happens to people that talk back to us.”

“Yeah Amy, do it. You see how well it worked out for you the last time.”

This is the most I’ve
spoken since I started here almost four years ago and despite knowing that, I can’t stop. I’ve been waiting years to stand up to these people, the ones that spent their entire high school existence making my life a living hell. Now that I can do it, there’s no way I’m stopping, no matter what they threaten me with.

“You take one step in her direction and getting suspended will be the least of your worries.”

Spinning around at the sound of the voice, I see him and he’s not alone. Eric’s walking right beside him.

“There you are baby! I knew you’d show up!” Charlotte calls out and the hall is filled with laughter, as Eric starts and Kayden quickly follows it up with one of his own.

“Yeah, I bet you were banking on it. That is why you’re doing all of this, right? You figured I’d come running?”

Turning back and seeing al
l their faces, I realize he’s right. They cornered me because they wanted face time with the very person walking up behind me now. The thing is, by the time I finally fought back, they’d lost hope of him ever appearing.

“You want me, you got me.”

“Kayden…”

I don’t want him doing this. He just got back, the last thing he needs to do is get in
to a fight, especially over me. Everything that happened with Dean should have been the end of it.

“Isabelle, I can’t believe I’m gonna say this because it’s weird, but please, shut up.”

I want to be hurt by his words, but with the smile he’s wearing, coupled with the softness in his green eyes as they’re directed solely at me, I can’t be. He’s not trying to be mean this time. He’s just being Kayden.

He turns back toward Dillon and the others and his expression quickly changes. Gone is the softness in h
is eyes. Now he just looks annoyed. Almost as if this is the last thing he wants to be doing on his first day back.

“You know, I’ve been trying to figure it out and it just never made sense to me. There’s always been this unwritten code with us. We pick people, throw them around,
talk shit about them, making them feel like shit under our shoes, but we always steer clear of the Special Ed kids.”

Dillon’s eyes go wide, like his secrets are being exposed and I’m confused by it. It doesn
’t seem like such a big secret. Honestly, it’s something I was thankful for until they chose me to target. So what’s with the look now?

“At least that’s how it was until you chose to single her out. I didn’t get it at first, but I do now.”

“Well don’t keep us in suspense man; we’re dying to know what your retard loving ass thinks.”

“Tim, say that word again. I dare you.”

Tim’s mouth instantly shuts and Eric laughs, probably as amazed as I am at how right I was with my earlier statement. He does seem to follow commands easily, almost like a dog obeying its master.

“You chose Belle
to get to me. I still don’t understand why, but it’s obvious that it’s what you wanted. That’s why you gave me the choice a few weeks ago isn’t it, Dillon? Choose another victim or you’d continue to harass her? You planned on continuing anyway, you just wanted her to hate me at the same time.”

I can tell
by the look in Dillon’s eyes that he’s been caught. Whatever plan he put into motion weeks ago is being pulled apart at the seams and he can’t talk his way out of it. I had no idea that’s why Eric was chosen, but now that I do, everything’s clear. I really was a game all along, but not to Kayden.

I was a game to Dillon.

“Every frigging step you made was to try and bring me down. I thought it was her, hell
, I think she thought it was her, but it was never about her was it? It was always me.”

Dillon nods and I feel sick. There are so many things I blamed Kayden for; even knowing deep down, he had no part in. All the while it was him they were after. They really wanted to hurt their friend.

“It ends now.”

Dillon takes a step forward and there’s a moment as he moves in on Kayden that I think they’re going to end up fighting again, but just as soon as I think it, I watch Kayden take a step back, closer to me and he makes his position clear.

“I said it ends now and I mean it. We all know I can easily take you down, but that isn’t going to solve shit. I’m done.”

He turns his back, his eyes again leveled in my direction and he smiles, but only the one side of his mouth lifts. There’s an uncertainty in his eyes, like he’s unsure what he’s supposed to say or do next and as much as I want to guide him. I can’t.

“This is never gonna be done, K. I told you. When you least expect it, I will end you.”

“I’m on the edge of my seat Dillon, really I am. You want me, I’m not that hard to find. What I’m talking about is the torture, not
only to Eric, but Isabelle too. It’s over. If I hear or see any of you near these two, or any other kids the way you were with them, suspension or expulsion from this hellhole will be the least of your worries.”

“Is that supposed to scare us?”

“I don’t really give a shit what it does, but try me and find out.”

Turning his body, this time moving until he’s positioned directly in front of both me and Eric, he points down the hall.

“Let’s get out of here. It’s over.”

We both turn and start moving away from Dillon and th
e others even though we can still hear them arguing with each other. It’s only when we’ve made it far enough away that they’ll be unable to hear us that Kayden speaks again.

“Eric, can I talk to you for a sec?”

Kayden

He wasn’t supposed to be a part of my plan, but with the way he seems to care about her and the way he smiled at me when he heard it was me riggi
ng the P.A system, he’s the only person that can help me with what comes next.

I have no doubt that the mess with Dillon is nowhere near over. I also know that despite my threat to him about leaving Eric and Belle alone, he’ll st
ill find ways to get around it. I’m banking on him doing that. I meant what I said about backing away from the fighting. I’m done with it, but it doesn’t mean I can’t get him back in other, smarter ways.