Beneath The Surface

Chapter 27

Adrien

Oh my god.

I just pushed Jamie.

No... no, no, no...

I was trying to help... I...

I suck in a breath as I watch him fall to the floor in slow motion. His hands shield his head and face from the falling books.

Jamie, god, what have I done?

I rush over and brush the books off of him, tears welling up in my eyes.

"What happened!?" Jaydon yells, storming into the room.

Jeffrey stands behind him, eyes wide. He takes in a bloody Jim and mangled Jamie.

"Adrien, what did you do?" Mason asks, desperately.

"I- I don't... Jim, h- he attacked Jamie... I... God, Jamie... I'm so sorry," tears slip down my face.

I promised I'd never hurt him.

I promised.

I pull him to his feet and bury my face in his neck, ashamed, guilty, and filled with nothing but self hatred.

"Adrien. Ian, its okay. It was an accident... I'm n- not... mad," He whispers, hugging me back.

I hear a quiet, "911, what's you're emergency?"

I hold Jamie tightly, feeling my conscience weighing heavily with guilt.

☼

A big red and white ambulance along with a cop car sit parked in front of my house within an hour.

Several paramedics load Jamie's dad into the back of the ambulance while I sit on top of the trunk of Mason's black convertible, answering the relentless questions from some cop lady.

"What exactly happened?"

"Jim attacked my friend. I fought back- "

Not how I thought my first interview would go.

After a few more questions, the lady leaves, as do the paramedics, and they all drive away to the hospital.

Jamie sits beside me.

"Stop blaming yourself," he says, a bandage covering the bridge of his nose.

"You were just angry, I understand. I would've done the same. Thank you, by the way."

"For throwing you into a bookcase?" I reply, bitterly.

"No," he stares at his hands. "Thank you for defending me."

I look down at him.

I can see a glint of his blue eyes between the strands of hair falling over his face.

He really does look like a scared kid.

His face is still round and cute and his eyes are wide and vibrant. His hair is so long that it covers most of one eye and hangs over his face, messily.

His skin is pale, almost white, smooth and soft, and turns pink while he's in the sun.

He hates when his fingernails are cut to the skin and he loves the rain, despite being deathly afraid of thunder.

He has round, full lips that are extraordinarily soft and when he smiles, small dimples appear at the corners of his mouth instead of the middle of his cheeks.

His eyes are the most beautiful ice blue, the perfect, almost iridescent hue, and when he talks, his mouth shapes his words in the most appealing way.