Chapter 14- Thank You Dr. McSteamy

One week. One entire week since I had uttered a single word to Thomas and as much as I hated to admit it, it was the worst and longest week of my life. I had played the “I don’t care” game with him the whole time and unfortunately he seemed to believe it. I guess my performance must have been more convincing than I thought.

I wanted to reach out and talk to him after he returned from his suspension on Wednesday, but I couldn’t allow myself to do it. Everything I had done to avoid him and get him out of my life would have been flushed down the drain if I gave in.

He had been spiraling down…more than usual. Day after day, since I saw him at the dance, he would sink further into withdrawal. I don’t know what had happened that night, but it was clear something changed. He hadn’t been the same since that night.

I eventually got over his scene that angered me so much after seeing him in his new state. Every day was becoming a new struggle to stay away from him. It was only through the distraction of my friends that I kept away.

He hadn’t even been to our last counseling session nor did I expect him to in the future. I even lied for him once, telling our counselor that he was sick and couldn’t make it. I knew that same lie wouldn’t be believable a second time so I could no longer help him.

Sometimes I just wish I didn’t care anymore. He wasn’t my business or my problem and the sooner I accepted that the better.

It was another Monday and at Madison High. Including the recent fight breaking out just outside the school entrance this morning.

Grace, Megan and I had carpooled with Farrah this morning in her blue Mini Cooper. I wanted really wanted to confide in them about Thomas, but due to Farrah’s new and surprising confession about taking the big step in her relationship with Blake, I didn’t feel like it was the time. I was too shocked over my best friend’s plans to think anything about Thomas.

I frowned at the sight before me when we all reached the school building and saw Thomas and his friends in a fight with some other guys from the football team. It wasn’t even eight-thirty in the morning and he was already setting himself up for another suspension. Why am I not surprised?

Don’t talk to him, Olivia. He’s beyond help. I coaxed myself.

I followed Farrah and Grace to first period without mentioning a word to them about Thomas and my disappointment of him. I think mine and his relationship, however dysfunctional it is, was better on the wraps for now. The less my friends new the better.

I sat quietly in my seat with Farrah and Olivia while waiting for the rest of the class to fill the room. After a few minutes of waiting I pulled out my copy of Jane Eyre and started on our next assigned chapter and blocked out the rest of the world.

My concentration only temporarily broke when the bantering between my best friend and Thomas’s friend Brody began. I was too far away to make out any of their conversation, but it seemed heated. This puzzled me.

Did Farrah know him?

I furrowed my eyebrows up at them and made a mental note to ask her about it later. He was bad news…almost as bad as Thomas. She’d be better off keeping her distance from him and any of his friends.

Take a page from my book, Farrah. I mentally messaged her knowing full well she’d never get the message. Telepathy would really come in handy in times like these. Too bad I wasn’t that gifted.

When class ended I immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her down the long hallway filled with students. I had to warn her about Brody’s type as fast as I could. When we reached a secluded part of the school I came to a stop and faced her.

“Are you crazy?” I asked her.

“What?” she asked innocently and totally oblivious to my wrath.

"You are talking to the enemy. He's trouble, Farrah,” I warned.

I knew his type all too well and they weren’t ideal role models.

"I'm sorry. He just drives me crazy,” she defended.

I placed my hand on top of my head in frustration. “Ok we need to fix this. You have to avoid him for the rest of the day. Take a different route to classes, skip lunch and um..."

I continued to ramble until she stopped me. "Relax, okay? I'll probably never speak to him again anyway."

"For your sake I hope not," I said, feeling a little more at ease. "Guys like him are not good and should be avoided at all cost."

I had experience with his type and I wouldn’t let my innocent friend get involved with someone like him. Sure most, or I guess all, of my experience was gained from socializing with Brody’s friend Thomas, but I’m sure they were not very different. They were both bad.

"Got it,” she smiled pushing off the subject "Now let's get to class before we're late."

I nodded and followed after her to the lockers silently hoping she would take my warning seriously. After a brief trip to our lockers and meet-up with Grace we were on our way to another long and boring class together that I could only pray would pass by with a blur.

“Do you think Farrah’s okay?” Grace asked me as soon as we left Mr. Pine’s classroom.

“Is Farrah ever okay?” I joked. “She did have a paper cut. In her mind the world has probably just come to an end.”

Grace giggled at that. “True.”

“Plus, her safety was in the hands of a menace so we can’t be too sure of her condition,” I added.

“Yeah,” Grace agreed. “He is a menace…but a hot menace.”

I scrunched up my nose at her displaying my upmost disgust. Was she kidding? Those thoughts are dangerous.

“Ew. Don’t be that girl,” I told her.

“What?” she said innocently. “All of “The Four” are hot.”

“Hot is in the eye of the beholder,” I argued. “Looks aren’t everything. They’re jerks.”

“Hot jerks,” she giggled again.

I smiled at her schoolgirl crush and shook my head. Grace could be quite amusing at times. “You’re incorrigible.”

“It’s the best way to be,” she smiled as we made our way to art.

Jonah sat at our usual table and greeted us with a lazy smile when we took our seats across from him. I leaned across the table and ruffled his hair playfully just to annoy him.

He pulled away from me and straightened out his hair before I could do much damage and scowled at me. I knew he was only teasing though. He’s never been mad at me.

“It took me an hour to get my hair like this and you manage to mess it up in less than thirty seconds,” he complained.

“Uh oh. Someone is mad I messed up their Bieber look,” I giggled.

“It’s not Bieber,” he argued. “How many times to I have to tell you that?”

Grace laughed at him. “Justin is hot. You should be honored at such a high compliment.”

Jonah blushed at her words. I wonder if Grace realized she inadvertently called him hot. I shot her a surprised look. It only took her a few short seconds to realize what she had done.

In my head I mentally started to sing, Grace and Jonah sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g.

What? I never said I was mature.

“Uh…I mean…” Grace fumbled for the right words, but came up empty. It only furthered her embarrassment. Her relief was obvious when Mrs. Edwards walked in the room and began class.

Poor Grace. She’ll be talking about her embarrassment for the rest of the week. She doesn’t forget things easily.

Tuesday came and something about today felt different. I couldn’t point out what made this day unlike the rest, but it just seemed that way.

Farrah and Megan split off from Grace and I as soon as we arrived at school and I couldn’t help but notice some very visible tension in the car on the way. Since Grace didn’t notice it though, I chalked it up to my vivid imagination and let it go.

Perhaps I just imagined it.

“Did you finish your chapters of Jane Eyre last night?” Grace asked me on our way to English.

“I read them yesterday in class. Did you read them?”

I stopped at my locker to pick up my books while Grace told me about her excuse for not reading the assigned chapters. Me being the awesome friend I was took pity on her for having the parents she was born with and gave her a quick summery of the pages. She thanked me immensely for the help and engulfed me in a tight hug.

“Oh!” she said pulling back from me and letting me go. “I forgot. I have something for you.”

She reached into her blue over the shoulder bad and began digging for something while I waited for her to find it. I was puzzled as to what it was she might have for me but was curious to find out.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed someone walking in our direction while Grace continued her search for the lost item, but I paid them no attention until they stopped next to us and spoke.

“Hey.”

His scruffy, rough voice not only gained my attention, but also Grace’s. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw who approached us. She had obviously not expected Thomas Cavanaugh’s company and it seemed to alarm her. She knew his reputation, but she didn’t know my relationship with him, so her surprise was understood.

“Hey,” I said impassively.

His eyes flashed between me and Grace, before they finally settled completely on me. I waited impatiently for him to explain what he wanted before I changed my mind and walked away. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.

Grace was still staring at him like he was some kind of galactic creature and didn’t dare speak to him. It was quite funny to watch. No doubt Grace would bombard with questions about him the second we were alone.

“I need to talk to you,” he said watching me, only pausing briefly before finishing his sentence. “Alone.”

I stared into his deep blue demanding eyes, contemplating whether to tell him to get lost or not. I still hadn’t made up my mind if I was going to give him a chance to speak. Did he really deserve it?

“Sure,” Grace said hurriedly as if he had silently warned her to leave. He did have that kind of power. “Oh and here’s your earring,” she added. “Deacon found it in his bed last week and I forgot to give it to you.”

She reached her hand out and placed it in mine while I visibly cringed at her word choice. She only replied with a confused look of her own before turning away from Thomas and I while muttering, “I’ll see you in English.”

Please let me be the only one who thought that sounded worse than it really was. I silently prayed.

I could feel Thomas’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my face as I watched Grace scurry away. I nearly had to force myself to face him. I tension between us was palpable as his pools of blue stared into mine.

“It seems you’ve been busy,” he remarked an accusing voice.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him and crossed my arms over my chest in effort to look unbothered by his hidden accusation toward me. “What do you want Thomas?”

“If I said you, would you believe me?” he asked, not quite in the teasing tone I expected with a confession like that.

My mouth dropped slightly. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not and I didn’t know if I really wanted to find out. When he didn’t crack a smile I grew nervous allowing myself to feel those stupid flutters in my stomach I had once felt for him before.

Ignore them, Olivia! I ordered myself.

“N-no,” I answered shakily. “Why are you really here?”

I tried to keep as much distaste for him in my tone as I could. It quickly wavered though when he finally flashed me his million dollar smile.

So does that mean he was joking? I asked myself.

I didn’t allow myself to smile back at him. I was still to mad about the dance to forgive him so easily.

“You’re really mad at me aren’t you?” he guessed.

I forced out a scoff. “Why would I care enough to be mad at you?”

He smirked and took a closer step toward me, forcing my back against the lockers. His warm hands trailed up my arms until they rested on my shoulders and gave them a tight squeeze. His face was only mere inches from mine. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to seduce me or intimidate me. Either one sent so many sparks of emotion through my body I didn’t know what to do with them.

“Really? See, I think you do care. You care more than you want to admit. That’s why you hate me so much, isn’t it?”

His smile grew into a prominent smirk at his words and I grew more annoyed. Though, I didn’t know if it was because he was right or because he was assuming things that weren’t true. When I gained enough control I pushed his hands off of me and side stepped him as fast as I could. I didn’t want to be within his reach. It made me questionably nervous.

“I think you’ve grown delusional, Mr. Cavanaugh. Have you been drinking again? I thought after last weekend you’d stay away from the hard stuff. Didn’t that land you a suspension this week?”

He laughed hard at me taking me by surprise. I stared at him in confusion. “Was there something funny about that?”

“So that’s the reason you’re mad. I knew it. You’re mad because I didn’t stay and help you clean up the after party.” Then he suddenly paused and seemed to think of something else that made an evil grin spread across his face. “Or was it something else? Maybe a certain blonde.”

The images of both of him and the mystery girl from that night sent a wave of unforgettable jealousy and repulsion through me just like it had several nights ago. I shuttered in disgust. My current emotions were wavering between anger and annoyance.

I gritted my teeth to keep from saying something I would regret, but his next words ripped away all the restraint I had and I couldn’t hold back.

“Don’t worry. She wasn’t that great.”

Before I knew what was happening I bawled up my fist and sent it flying towards his chest cavity without a second thought. I was taken aback when I was a wave of pain course through my wrist and hand and I winced.

I scowled at him. Should he be the one in pain right now instead of me?

I tried to shake off the pain like I seen in the movies, but it did nothing for me at all. He grabbed my hand in his after watching my actions and held it gently in his.

I stared at his gray t-shirt and wondered what he packing underneath it. Bricks maybe?

“What’s wrong? Did something I say upset you?” he teased. His thumb traced over the already swollen part of my wrist. “If I recall, didn’t I hear something about a wild weekend of your own with someone named Deacon?”

“It wasn’t like that,” I said watching his assessment of my injury carefully. “I was sick and he lent me his room for the night. That’s all that happened.”

He remained emotionless to my words and he was just as hard to read as ever. Was he trying to decide if he believed me or not?

I mean, not that I cared. I couldn’t care less what he thought about me.

Except that I did.

Ugh. I needed some serious help. Even I hear how dysfunctional I sound. What the hell is wrong with me?

“You’ll need to put some Ice on that, but it doesn’t look to serious.”

Thank you Dr. McSteamy.

He gently released my hand letting it drop to my side as his eyes met mine again. I winced at the movement and lightly rubbed my sore wrist.

“I didn’t realize you had a medical background,” I remarked in heavy sarcasm.

He shrugged seeming unbothered by my words and spoke. “I’ve had enough of those injuries from dealing with much bigger guys to know how it works. There’s no fracture or break. You’ll be fine.”

“Bigger guys?” I questioned with a slight accelerated heart.

Why was he fighting bigger guys and why did that scare me so much?

“Long story and not important,” he answered blankly looking back at my wrist. “Come on. I’ll steal you some ice from the cafeteria.”

His tone made it clear he didn’t want to go into much detail about his life and I was in no position to ask. After all, he’d just say it was none of my business. I couldn’t argue with the truth even if I was concerned about him. That’s was a girlfriend’s job. Something I clearly was not.

I allowed Thomas to doctor my hand, and as much as I hated to admit it, it was already feeling much better. The ice really helped. I’d never admit that to him though. He didn’t deserve the satisfaction of knowing he’d actually helped me. I was to prideful to let him know.

He’d stuck around long enough to make sure I was alright then made some lame excuse why he had to leave and disappeared for the remainder of the day. He didn’t even bother to explain what he wanted to talk to me about to begin with. Maybe it wasn’t as important as he made it seem.

As soon as Grace noticed my injury after first period she insisted on caring for me until we had to part ways. Even James and Jonah offered to carry my books to class. Even though I knew I didn’t need their help I graciously accepted. It’s not every day you had people offering to help you to class. Why not take advantage of perfectly acceptable situation? After all, it was within my right. Right?

By the time the next day rolled around I was feeling completely and one hundred percent fine and as much as it bothered me, I had to admit Dr. McSteamy was right. I was free of any serious or life threatening damage just as he’d predicted.

However, little did I know that today my wrist would be the least of my worries. Much bigger problems were lurking on my horizon which I witnessed as soon as I arrived at school this morning.

Farrah and Megan seemed more distant than normal and this time it was so obvious I couldn’t chalk it up to my imagination anymore. That’d just be a lie. Something was going on and serious tension was brewing beneath the surface with those two

It was only when lunch rolled around and Farrah ditched Grace and I that I knew something was definitely wrong and we set out to find our lost best friend.

“Well, she wasn’t in the lunchroom or with Blake. Maybe she had to stay after class for something?”

I quickly pulled out my phone and texted her before deciding to call off the search party.

Me: Where are you?

I was surprised with her quick reply.

Farrah: Just taking care of some things. Be there soon.

“See, she’s just busy. Nothing to be concerned about.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I admitted. We stood in the middle of the empty hallway giving up our search of Farrah. “I guess we can go eat now.”

Grace nodded. “Yeah, but since we’re already here I guess we can exchange our books for next period.”

“Good idea.”

After I agreed we gathered our things and made our way back to the lunchroom only stopping when we noticed a small crowed gathering partly blocking our path to continue. There were hushed whispers and someone with a familiar voice shouting angered words at someone.

Grace being the nervous person she was didn’t bother to stick around to see the fight, but I was more curious than her and opted to stay. Once I pushed myself to the front of the crowed my jaw dropped in shock at the scene before me.

Farrah was in Thomas’s best friend Brody’s arms with very visible swelled lips. It was very clear what they had been doing. Across from them stood a very angered and livid Blake. I had never seen him so mad before. But I guess he had good reason this time.