Stay for Me (Hold Me Close Prequel)

Chapter Eighteen: May the Truth be Told

-=Evan=-

I did not want to go to school the next day. I mean, it's not like I really had a choice, but still. I had gone to bed really late the night before, texting Jason for a while and then reading before I realized that I had gotten home really late and that it was now four in the morning.

I trudged into school the next day, already fighting to keep my eyes open. In the lobby I looked around for Hunter and couldn't find him. Naturally I assumed that he had gotten to class early and was actually a little annoyed that he wouldn't wait for me to arrive. But I just stuffed that down and stuck it with my semi-bitchy personality and walked to class.

After my first few periods I decided to call him. Was he sick? I asked myself. The phone rang and rang and there was no pickup. I was just about to call again before I realized I was going to be late for my next class so I scurried off there instead.

When lunch time came around I sat with Jason outside, and tried calling Hunter again, to no avail, so I guess I was just stuck with Jason. Not to sound rude or anything, but he isn't really a talker.

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-=Jason=-

I noticed pretty early on that Hunter wasn't in school today, but didn't think quite much of it. He hasn't really been absent all year so far, but still, it's not uncommon. Evan seemed a little bit displaced and abnormally quiet, but yet again, I wasn't going to let it really bother me.

While we were throwing out our trash near the end of lunch, however, the seemingly boring day in the making took a dramatic twist. A violent twist.

I have no idea why there were no teachers in the cafeteria at the time, just the lunch aides. But the heavy metal double doors at the entrance to the cafeteria burst open and a rusty shape darted through, and it was being chased down by something...someone. It only took me a few seconds to realize that the rusty-colored shape who was running away was actually Sam. And the pursuer, God damn Elliot himself.

I reached over and got Evan's attention, and his eyes widened and he nearly dropped his tray when he saw what was happening.

Evan had told me about how he and Sam kind of became friends again, so going under the typical "friends protect friends" clause, I grabbed Sam as he ran past and hurled him towards the outside door, and Evan ran after him outside.

Seeing as I was the only thing left between Elliot and them, and that Elliot was barging through furs like a maniac, I stood my ground. I braced myself for impact but it never came. Elliot stalled right in front of me and grabbed my shoulder. I was even more confused when he brought his head up alongside mine, so that I couldn't see his face but so that he could whisper something into my ear. This didn't seem right. He partially removed something from his belt loop, and one look at the reflective, shiny steel he showed me and me alone sent chills down my spine.

"You'd better move, birdshit, or I'll slice every last feather off of your body." He whispered menacingly. I was mentally freaking the fuck out, if I continued to stand my ground, I had no doubt I was in for a whole new world of pain. But if I moved, then that left Evan and Sam with barely any head start and no advantage whatsoever.

I was a coward. And I made a decision that in hindsight I will probably never forgive myself for. I stepped aside.

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-=Evan=-

I should have known something was terribly wrong the second I saw Sam running away. Sam never runs. But yet, here we were. Running around the back of the school and towards the one spot where I knew we'd be safe. I heard the back door to the cafeteria bust open behind the corner we just rounded, and I don't know how we did it, but we both seemingly found it in ourselves to run just a little bit faster. Praise adrenaline in a pinch when you really need it.

We barely got to the door in time before Elliot was about to get us. I swung it opened and Sam ran in ahead of me and I followed right behind, slamming the slightly rusted metal door shut behind me. I had been in here close to a million times by this point, and I knew that there was a chain lock at eye level and a bar lock by my feet. I had run through this many times already, so I instinctively managed to lock both of them before Elliot came pounding on the door and ramming into it trying to get it to open. But it wouldn't. He knew it himself, as this wasn't the first time I was in here and he was trying to get through that door. But he never did

He probably, kept up his barrage for a good ten minutes before we could hear him stomp away in anger. But I knew he hadn't really left, and that he was right on the other side of the wall waiting for us to move.

I knew that we would be in here for at least another hour or two before he actually got bored and his fury diminished, I flicked on the light to the band supply closet. Both Sam and I were panting heavily, and I sat down against the concrete wall and put my hand over my eyes, confused and exerted. I wasn't built for this shit.

I quickly told Sam that we weren't able to leave for a while because he was still there, and by now his gang was with him. A few minutes later that thought was confirmed when I could hear them whispering as quietly as they could through a concealed vent in the side of the wall.

We weren't going to be able to talk out loud because of them eavesdropping, so I pulled out my phone and silently mouthed to ask him if he had his. Understanding what I was saying he pulled out his phone as well and we quietly shared contact details with each other so we could text.

What the fuck happened? I asked.

I don't really know how to explain it well. He replied.

Well seeing how I just saved your ass you might as well give it a shot. I said, looking at him in the eyes for emphasis.

Where to start...I was in the boys locker room, putting my baseball stuff in my locker for later, and I got a phone call from an old friend at another school. Him and I were talking and eventually the conversation turned to us shit talking Elliot and those fucking mindless numbskulls out there with him, and I had the phone on speaker because no one else was supposed to be there for at least another four periods. But I guess him and a couple others were skipping class and I didn't see them when I walked in. And then he stopped the live texting for a second before continuing again. And then my friend said something that shouldn't be said out loud, and they heard. By then they were already going to beat the shit out of me when I stepped back into the light, but then that was the icing on the cake. He texted.

What could you possibly say that would be worse than shit talking them? I asked. He slowly typed his response and looked back up to meet my gaze, and in the lower light I still managed to see the tear drop from his face. I looked down at my phone screen and realized the true magnitude of what he just said.

I want to be a girl.