Hell Mary

Chapter Twenty

Ashley concentrated intensively on the New School Physics textbook opened in her front of her, which revealed the dried gum that bound the pages together. The class was unusually quiet as each person tried to out read the other, while they awaited the next person the detective would send for and prepared for their last exam.

Peering into her notebook, Thelma seemed distracted. She avoided her seat for days and sought comfort on Stella's wooden chair beside Mary's. She did this because she feared Ashley would unravel her fears. Ashley was too smart, it was impossible not to crack open her heart with those hooded eyes of hers.

Occasionally, Ashley caught sharp glances at Thelma but of course chose to keep her thoughts to herself. Her thoughts about Thelma's sudden change of attitude, were basically rooted on an ill she might have unconsciously committed. Perhaps it was the night of the party when she threw herself around Kelvin unabashed and unapologetically instead of being around her heartbroken friend.

Whenever the night of the party crossed Ashley's murky mind, she knew her being around Kelvin was basically because she wanted to make Martins jealous. It was working. His eyes were furiously hurtling from Ashley to Kelvin and observing the little things like the exchange of a familiar expression from the far ends of the class that usually led to snickering. Ashley never snickered, she barely smiled even and here Kelvin made her laugh. It enraged Martins and when he appeared at the front of her desk, she knew for sure it had to be about Kelvin.

"Can we talk?" He asked and her face lit up but he didn't notice. His fingers formed a slight fist and the middle finger knocked lightly on her desk.

"About what?" She asked back, but he slowly retreated and stepped outside. She feigned a weary reluctance as she shut her book and followed after him.
He didn't stop walking and she saw herself clamouring to meet up with his long shadow that poured on the hot sun. He stopped finally, a swift halt that almost made her bump into him. With hands locked into his pocket and a resolute unflinching demeanor, he stared into the tall grasses that made the convent behind it seem shady and ancient.

"I'm sorry," he said, after letting his lips apart for too long. There were many reasons to be sorry and she didn't care to know for which exactly he meant.
They walked at the same pace even though it seemed Martins walked a bit slower so as to align his feet with hers. He walked towards the school's front and she glued herself to his side. He needed to talk she could tell, but the words weren't forming.

"Do you believe I did it?" He asked, scared of what her response would be.

"Did what?" She asked back, when in all actuality she knew what he meant. Everyone knew and that was why they avoided Martins like a plague. It was on everyone's lips Martins raped Mary. The memory card had not yet been found and there were many chances of Martins ending up in jail. But in all, it appeared Ashley's response was all that mattered.

"You know, raped Mary as everyone says. Some even said I killed her. Do you believe them?" He asked again, his eyes fighting back the urge to cry.

Ashley said nothing but stared deeply into his eyes that now glistened under the warm orange sun. She held him by his bicep and gently led him to sit by a stair that led to the smaller hall at the school's front. On Assembly days, Ashley would mount the stair top and read out the news for the week holding skillfully the microphone and speaking soundly. She could still recall how she read out Mary's disappearance that Monday with all elegance and a quivering lip. Now she was at the stair to comfort her weak friend.

She patted his back, feeling his singlet through his checked shirt and soon her fingers combed his curly hair when he leaned on his arm that rested on his legs. He felt comfortable crying in her front because she never expressed shock as to why a boy cried so bitterly or expect him to man up like his friends would have with laced up dignity and a false pretentious strength.

"You're exhausting in every possible way. You treat me unfairly and hit me when you're uncomfortable or angry about something or someone, but I still love you. I might not know for sure what love really is, but I know that it draws me to you and makes me instantly absolve you from all your wrongs. I believe you not because I love you, but because I know you. You loathe sexual impurity and you still see me as disgusting after the event at Dayo's house and so I know you wouldn't rape anyone. You wouldn't have killed her either especially because... I know you loved Mary," she said. Her hands stopped combing briefly, but continued shoveling almost immediately then stopped again.

"You think I loved Mary?" He asked. His eyes were stuck on the pole of the school's flag with the blue and white material flapping to the tunes of the gentle wind.

"Didn't you?" Ashley asked. Her eyes were bright with possibilities.

"Actually, I didn't. This is not some fairy tale where the rich prince falls in love with the poor girl. I thought maybe I would as I paraded with her that night but I couldn't."

Ashley wanted to say something but feared she might ruin what seemed to be blossoming. She was happy his heart still had some space left for her that considered her special, but she didn't like that he effortlessly referred to Mary as poor. It seemed disrespectful even to the dead.

"About hurting you, I'm trying to be better believe me. There is something I need to tell you." His eyes had been dried of tears but he kept looking forward and so she only imagined it. She nudged closer until their arms touched. He sent warmth and chills into her at the same time and it was refreshing. "I took my traits from my father and I'm not proud of it. The man at the altar, is a lot different from the man at home who slices my mother's skin with any nearby object. I and Sola grew up watching my father rule like this and so I thought that was the way of life. It definitely was how men were supposed to treat women, I thought. I'm really sorry for ever hurting you. You're my best friend and I don't want to ever hurt you."

"Best friend," she repeated, disappointed. She moved back to resting her aching back on the wall while Martins remained as he was, burying his interest on the poles. "I didn't know your father was like that," she said later.

"You wouldn't. He put up a good show," he replied, cursing under his breath. The bell for the end of prep was rung and soon everyone would file out from their classes to the basketball court to chant the rosary.

"We should go," She said, dusting her pink gown  and attempting to lift him up. Even though he hid it, a part of him actually missed Mary. She knew this because he sometimes referred to Ashley as Mary. It wrenched her but she was sure it would wear off in time. "Let me go and get my handky and rosary from class," she said and appeared smaller and smaller in his eyes as she disappeared into the block.

She took the stairs that was prohibited by students during the day. The stairs led one directly into the Principal's office and one could intercept from there to the Library and Dean's office at the first floor, or climb up another flight of stairs to get to the senior block.

When she neared class, she was surprised to still hear people conversing in loud audible voices instead of whispering or better still, rushing towards the court like every other student did. Then she heard her name and so leaned on the cold wall to hear what was being said about her. She didn't need to strain so much because she heard Stella loud and clear.

"Ashley will find out. You can't keep acting this way around her unless she would know."

Detaching her taut self from the wall, she walked in on Thelma and Stella and the flustered duo stared at her at the same time.

"If you want to talk about me, at least have some decency of whispering. What should I know?" She asked and they remained mute.

Author's note: Thanks for reading. If you've loved it thus far, please consider giving it a vote. To vote, please click on the star button below. I look forward to seeing your wonderful comments. Thank you!

Today's chapter is dedicated to nanyapixie6. I'll definitely check out the movie you referred to me. In the meantime, enjoy! 💕