The Bad Boy with a Heart of Gold

✖ Chapter 34 ✖

Sawyer was nowhere to be found.

I blew up his phone that day with texts and calls that he didn't answer. As the entire school ran their mouths off about what had just happened, I tucked myself under the bleachers in his favorite smoking spot, trying to reach him. My head was spinning, and although logic told me that it was possible, I refused to believe it. Something that ran deeper than logic told me he was innocent. I had to prove it.

I sat in a haze during Yearbook activities, but as soon as that was done and papa picked me up at school, I asked him if he knew whether Sawyer had shown up at the shop that day.

Papa gave me a side glance. "Strange."

"What?" I asked, breathless as if I'd ran a marathon.

"You, asking about him."

I snapped my jaw shut and faced forward. Yes, it was strange. I'd made it a point for years to pretend indifference about Sawyer.

That didn't matter anymore.

"It's important, papa," I said. "Something bad happened at school today that affects him."

While we were stopped at a red light he asked me about it, and I spilled the beans. Not all of them, though. Nothing about the true relationship between Sawyer and I, but everything about the incident at school. Including the fact that the Principal had expelled Sawyer with no chance of him defending himself.

I was blabbing now. "I mean, I get it. The trophy's important, it has a lot of sentimental value to the school. But isn't a student just as important as the symbol that honors another one? Am I crazy to think so?"

"No, I don't think that makes you crazy." He paused for a while as he continued driving but finished up with, "I think it makes you compassionate."

I froze.

The sight of the streets around us blurred as my eyes filled with unexpected tears.

"Tell you what, I'll drop you off at home and go to the shop to check it out."

"Okay," was all I was able to say while I struggled against the desire to dissolve into an ugly mess. I was wrung out by the emotions of the past couple of days, but the fact that papa just gave me a free compliment, one I wasn't even sure I deserved, was the cherry on top.

Mama was on the phone in the living room when I arrived, which bought me the freedom to run upstairs undeterred. I locked my door and pulled out my cellphone for one more try. The screeching beep of a disconnected line greeted me and I fretted about what that could possibly mean. Papa was on his way to the shop to check, but it occurred to me that even if Sawyer wasn't there, maybe his best friend knew where he might be. I sent Manny a text message, because I knew he wouldn't have his phone on him while he was working.

I paced back and forth until he texted back with, haven't seen him today. something wrong?

That was what I was hoping he'd tell me.

After a couple more of back and forth texts Manny promised me he'd call him, too. I was going to be pissed if he succeeded where I had failed, but the most important thing at that point wasn't my ego.

I didn't sleep well that night, which meant the next day I was less of a human than I'd even been on the day of the disaster. I was a lot crisper with my words than I normally would try to be, and I couldn't even turn off that switch while I stepped into my favorite teacher's office.

"How could you let that happen?"

Mr. Davies reeled back at my question. "I'm sorry?"

"Yesterday." I stood across his desk while he sat, like I was the teacher scolding an unruly student. "You stood there like an idiot and didn't say anything while Sawyer's reputation was getting torn to shreds in front of everybody."