Everything Fragile✔

Chapter Ten - Games That Lie Between Us

   Here's the thing about Kingston. It is a pawn; a piece of a puzzle in a game with multiple players. However, most people don't even know that they're playing.

   Like me for instance. Back when I was dating Carter, I used to sneak into his dad's office while he was in the shower because nothing is more addicting than doing something that could get you caught. Well, no one saw me enter his office which is a surprise considering he's the mayor with a lot of information. It's his fault for not keeping things locked up. I found tax stamps, notes, and letters from titled persons all over the tri-state. Tax evasion; fraud, and the mayor was letting them get away with it for an upper hand in the next election. I never told a soul, ready to use that information when I needed to and let's be honest, a girl like me was never going to need to. Until now I suppose. Though, I'm not really sure if the man I'm ready to leak all of this to is entirely trustworthy. Still, it's not like I can ignore any of this. Afterall, when players start to become aware of the game happening above their heads, it's really hard to look anywhere else but up.

   I jump out of my head when I bump into something; the water fountain. I look around the hall, embarrassed. A few students linger nearby, but none of them are paying attention to me. Except for one person that is. Willow Margaret. Jennifer Haste is with her too, but she's irrelevant. Always has been and always will be. They both approach me, smiling amongst themselves as if they know something that they're dying to spill.

   When Willow finally reaches me, she circles me like a hawk circling its prey. "Jenny and I heard a little secret about you, Quin."

   I roll my eyes, already tired of her voice. "Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?"

   "Word on the street is you and Mateo are hooking up as a means for repayment for saving his precious cousin."

   I recoil at her words. "Well, whoever you heard that from is completely wrong."

   "Then tell us what's going on between the two of you." Jennifer says, squeezing down onto my arm.

   I snatch my wrist out of her hold, glaring down at the two snakes before me. "Back off. There's nothing to tell because Mateo and I are just friends."

   "With your track record, that's kind of hard to believe."

   Carter's voice makes me tense. He parks himself right in front of the three of us; eyes glistening with unspoken words.

   "What do you mean with my track record?" I'm just about ready to snap.

   "Oh, don't play dumb with us. We were all there that night, Quince. Willow and I found you going at it with Alex. He was so drunk that he must've forgotten his sexuality."

   "You know that's not what happened."

   "Well, I'm not surprised that you don't remember like we do." Willow speaks up. "That's what happens when you drink too much."

   "Hmm. Poor thing even blamed her own best friend for a murder that was her fault--"

   I punch him.

   Let's get this straight, I'm not a violent person and I get it. You may think that because of what has happened this far, but I promise you that I never lift a finger until I need to. And maybe right now I don't really need to. Especially since there's a high chance I could get expelled, but it damn sure does feel good.

   I mean, he doesn't even expect it. I think the force of my punch is so strong that he bites down on his tongue. It happens in slow motion: his head snapping back, the way his legs kick up from beneath him, the way my knuckles ignite in flames as if his jaw were made out of stone. Damn him! Then, he falls. Hard. So much so that the floor shakes beneath my feet and it takes him a long time to find his bearings.

   "You have no idea who you're messing with!" Willow screams, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and rage. "You think that Gonzales fucker will save you? He's nothing but a crook and a phoney. If you think he can help you against us then you're delusional!"

   Carter spits out a mouthful of blood before turning his icy gaze to me. "Get ready for hell, Delco. You'll be hearing from my lawyers."

   "You're lucky that we're nice enough to not tell the police about that little incident with your mother." Jennifer says as she helps lift Carter up to his feet.

   It's only then, as the trio walk away, that I notice a crowd has materialized around us. Cell phones and eyes are all on me and I don't know what to do. I'm frozen as if this is a stage and I've just made a fool of myself in front of thousands. Then, someone grips onto my arm, shaking me out of my moment of paralysis. Mateo comes into view and I almost break down right then and there. He notices this because he leads/carries me through the crowd, and down the hall into an empty classroom.

   He closes the door before turning a concerned gaze towards me. "What just happened back there, Quince?"

   I fall into a desk and cup my head; trying to process the hell that I've unleashed upon myself. Mateo takes my hand and I wince in pain, snatching it out of his grip.

   "Did you punch someone?"

   "No. I mean yes. I mean…" I trail off because I don't know what to say that could make this go away.

   He slowly sits on the desk beside me, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, which is it, Delco? Did you punch someone or not?"

   I don't know why I feel embarrassed. Maybe it's because I lost my cool and I haven't done that in years. Not even when mom died. Yeah, maybe I broke down crying, but I didn't hurt anyone. They hurt me. They made me seem like the bad one. Even now as they twist up the truth. But I won't let them. Not anymore. "They were lying and yeah, I lie too, but not about that. Not about what they did."

   "What who did, Quince?"

   "Willow." I gulp. "Willow, Carter, Jennifer, and Alex."

   He leans in closer towards me, trying to catch my eyes but I can't force myself to look at him just yet. "What did they do?"

   I open my mouth, ready to spill everything when it dawns on me: this is just a game. To him, to his uncle, to every person who has a part. Information is fuel that feeds a fire that is always hungry. So, I shut my mouth and turn away from Mateo. I don't want to be part of this game. Not if it means shining a light on a very dark moment in my life.

   "I know you don't trust me." He says all of a sudden. "I don't blame you. No hard feelings, really. I just hope that you can trust my uncle. Whatever crap you've done, he can help. We can help you, Quince--"

   "No one can help me."

   "I doubt that." Mateo takes my chin between his fingers and turns my head until our eyes are locked. "My uncle told me that you're family now, so I'll teach you the first thing he taught me when I just started as his apprentice years ago: never let your enemies see you bleed."

   I lift a brow. "Really? You're quoting James Bond at a time like this?"

   "Who?"

   "James Bond? The World Is Not Enough, 1999?" He still looks as clueless as ever. "Oh God. You poor, uncultured child."

   "Whatever. Just know that this uncultured fool is going to save your ass."

   My smile is gone now as I lean out of his touch. "Why? You barely even know me."

   "Because," he sighs, "I trust my uncle and he trusts you."

   As  Mateo stares into my eyes, I can't help but get this sense that he has his own motives for helping me. Afterall, he is terrified of his uncle. There's no way in hell he actually trusts him, better yet me. Again, there's something that he's not telling me. I'll just add it onto the list of a hundred thousand other things. Still, I'm going to need his trust. Afterall, it is the key to information. And for a girl like me, information is everything.

   "Okay. Where do we start?"

   "First thing first," he says as he lifts my wrist, showing off my bloody knuckles, "let's get you cleaned up."