Souls in Peril (46 page)

“Goodbye.”

Max let out a long, hard breath and
stepped
out the door. “Em—”

“Say hello to Izzy for me. I
’
m sure she won
’
t bore you with stupid conversation
s
about Max.” She slammed the door shut in his face.

“Brilliant, Max. Just brilliant.” He rode hard back to JD
’
s, hoping to burn off the frustration churning inside him. Gabe should never have sent him to help JD. He
’d
made
a mess of everything.

The next morning as he got dressed for school, he finally remembered about the pen. He quickly slipped on his shoes, and grabbing the pen, headed out into the livi
ng room to give it to the slime
ball. Only
he
wasn
’
t there. Mel
sat
at the kitchen table, her head down, drinking her favorite
herbal
tea, raspberry with lemon.

“Where
’
s Tim? I have his pen.”

“He left us,” she said, her face still buried in the cup of tea. Max fought the urge to jump up and punch the air in victory. Instead he told himself to try and understand what Mel must be feeling. He settled in the chair next to her.

Then he exploded.

“He hit you! That lowlife scumbag hit you.” Max jumped up and circled around. Mel had a large bruise on her face next to her mouth, along with a cut on her lip. “I
’
m going to kill him. I
’
ll spend the rest of my life behind bars, but it will be worth it.”

“JD, calm down.”

“Seriously? The creep punches my mother in the face and you want me to calm down?” Max yelled incredulously.

“JD, he didn
’
t punch me. We had an argument
,
and I accused him of cheating. He got angry and slapped me.”

Max
star
ed at Mel as if she had lost her mind. “Oh, he slapped you. Okay. That
’
s so much better.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “And for the record, he
is
cheating on you. Some blond bimbo comes by almost every day to pick him up.”

“Sweetie, remember? Tim has a suspended license. He
’
s not allowed to drive.
Merissa
’
s his friend. She
’
s been kind enough to take him places until he gets his license back in six months.” She stood and set her half-finished cup of tea in the sink.

“Is that what he told you? It
’
s a lie. I
’
ve seen them together. He
’
s cheating on you.” Mel folded her arms, but said nothing.

“Mom, you deserve so much better than him. He
’
s a freakin
’
creep
.
” Max hop
ed
to get through to her.

“JD, you don
’
t know what it
’
s like to be alone. Your father and I were so happy together. I want that again. I
’
m not one of those women who can be happy alone.” She blinked back her tears.

“But he hit you. I
’
ll bet not for the first time. How can that make you happy?” She stared at him soberly. Max continued. “Mom, he hits me, all the time.”

“Tim thinks I spoil you. He only wants you to be a stand-up guy
,
and not a big old momma
’
s boy is all.”

“He beats me with the extension cord, regularly.” He pointed to the cord laying in the corner behind a chair in the living room.

“He does?” Her brows pinched together. Clearly she didn
’
t know about the beatings. She
gathered the cord and
placed
it on the top shelf of the coat closet. “Why didn
’
t you tell me this?”

“Because I w
as afraid Tim would beat you up too, like some of the others have
.” Max went out
on
a limb a little what that remark since he didn
’
t know any details other than
she
’
d been
beat
en
.

“JD, no one has the right to beat you. I can take care of myself.” She slammed the closet door shut.

“Mom, look at your face. Imagine what he would have done if I did tell you about it.” Max
stepp
ed over next to her. “You
deserve
so much more than losers like Tim. You
deserve
to be treated with respect. And you
deserve
someone who
’
s not out
cheating
on you
.”

“But I love him, JD. I really do.” She held back the tears, but Max could tell an internal battle waged in her heart.

“You can do better, Mom. We don
’
t need a loser like that in our lives.” Izzy pulled up in front and honked her horn. “I
’
ll see you l
ater. Think about what I said.” He gave Mel a kiss on the cheek.

“He hit her.” Max got in the car and slammed the door shut. “She has a bruise on her face and a cut lip.” He slammed his head back against the headrest. “She said it was a slap, not a punch, as if that
’
s any better.”

“This one hits her too? I thought after the last guy put her in the hospital she
’
d gotten a little smarter.”

“Put her…the last guy! You
’
re kidding me?” Max yelled.

“You don
’
t remember
Calvin
?” she scowled. “Dude, you need to have the doctors scan your brain and check for a tumor. Your memory is really bad. I don
’
t care if you were in an accident.” Max noted how soft her voice was as she spoke. He forced himself to calm down.

“Are you okay?” he asked,
after
taking a deep breath.

“I
’
m as good as I
’
ll ever be.” Izzy kept her eyes on the road.

“It will be okay, Izzy. You
’
ll see.” She remained silent. He changed the subject, hoping to put her at ease. “Did you enjoy the movie last night?”

“Nope,” she snapped.

Max decided to keep his mouth shut instead. When they arrived at school, Izzy got out of the car slowly, keeping her right arm tight against her body. She had on a loose-fitting blouse. Max walked next to her over to the lockers.

“You can
’
t tell, Izzy. You don
’
t need to worry,” he said as she stuffed her extra books in her locker. She turned toward his locker. “I don
’
t need anything until fifth period. I
’
ve been carrying my books around to build up my muscles. Want to feel my bulging biceps?” he teased, flexing dramatically.

She finally smiled. “No
,
thanks.
Seeing y
our bulging head is enough for me.
Talk to
you at lunch.”

During PE, Max worried about not only Izzy, but also Em. She was so angry with him yesterday
,
and he had no clue how to make it right between them again.

“What am I worried about? Em doesn
’
t hold a grudge,” he mumbled to himself on the way to journalism class forty minutes later.

He was wrong. Em ignored him completely. She didn
’
t speak to him. She didn
’
t even look at him. Max made several attempts to talk to her, but she just walked away. He finally gave up and decided to give her space. For now.

Since Em didn
’
t want to be around him, Max decided to sit on the opposite side of the cafeteria at lunch. He ran into Izzy between second and third period and convinced her to meet him there instead of hiding in one of the
empty
classrooms. Max watched as Em peered around for him. When she spotted him, she turned her back and sat down at the usual table.

“JD, aren
’
t you going to sit with us today?” Jeff asked, draining a chocolate milk carton and tossing it into
a nearby
garbage can.

“I
’
m meeting someone
,
actually.”

“Meeting someone as in a
girl
?”

“Maybe.” Okay, so Izzy wasn
’
t that kind of a girl to him, but Max played along, wanting to keep Izzy
’
s secret.

“Alright!” Jeff high-fived him. “Catch you later.”

The tables around him were almost full before Izzy
stroll
ed in carrying a shoebox size present with three smiley face balloons tied to it.

“Izzy, you shouldn
’
t have,” he teased. “Who
’
s it from?”

She set the box on the table, all smiles. “I have no idea. I found it outside my gym locker. I almost didn
’
t see it. I have a doctor
’
s note excusing me from gym for the rest of the year
,
so after class I
didn
’
t need to
go in
to
the locker room. But a couple of girls told me someone had tied balloons to my locker. When I went in, I found this.”

“What does the note say?” Max asked. A note
reading
Welcome Back
was taped to the top of the wrapped box.

“I don
’
t know. Let
’
s see.” Izzy
’
s hands shook with excitement
as she tugged it open
. It made Max smile.

“
Izzy, welcome back. We hope you enjoy your lunch today, and don
’
t forget…”
she read aloud to him. She turned it over, but that was all it said. “I wonder what
’
s inside.” She fingered the pink wrapping paper.

“I told you things are getting better, didn
’
t I?” She playfully stuck out her tongue at him. “Are you going to open it?” Max asked, excited to see what was inside.

She picked the box up and shook it. The contents shifted around. She set the box back down on the table.
Eagerly slipping
her finger along the edge
,
she carefully
ripped the paper off the box. Izzy placed her hands on the l
id of the shoebox. “I
’
m nervous.
”
S
he grinned.

“Izzy, you
’
re driving me crazy. I want to know what you are not supposed to forget,” he said, referencing the last line of the note.

She lifted the lid. A second note lay across the opening. “
Your doggie bag.
What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, reaching for the paper.

A couple of girls at the table next to them giggled into their hands. A third girl elbowed them and they stopped.

Max
’
s stomach dropped. He reached for the box. But instead of grabbing it, he tipped it over. Baggies and baggies filled with what
had
to be poop rolled out and across the table onto Izzy
’
s lap. She jumped up in horror, screaming. The girls at the table burst out laughing.
Others
glanced around, clueless. Izzy bolted out of the cafeteria. Max ran after her.

“Izzy, wait,” he puffed. He had no idea she could run so fast.

She wheeled around. “
Things are getting better,
you said.
We
’
re making new friends
.” Tears rained down her face. “Wrong again, JD.” She turned to the lockers and punched one
with the side of her fist.

“Why did I listen to you? Why didn
’
t I trust my instincts? Why? Why? Why?” She sagged against the lockers, bending over and resting her hands on her knees. “
Emma
’
s our friend
, you promised.” She shook her head as tears splashed on the ground. “You promised,” she repeated, almost in a whisper. “I
’
m so stupid.”