Following the Rules

Chapter 34

It was obvious the moment we stepped onto the dance floor, that we didn't belong there together. Toni had told me on one of our dates that she enjoyed dancing and going to the club once in a while. Apparently her idea of dancing was keeping a minimum of ten inches between us. Maybe hold hands, and I can't stress enough the maybe. I couldn't use any of my moves, I couldn't even try to learn new stuff on the fly. She had me at a total loss.

We couldn't move together, it was awkward and stiff. To top it all off, I couldn't stop looking at them. Cooper had his hands all over her. The way her body moved.. she danced like no one was watching. Her body swayed to the beat of the music in a way that captured my full attention.

Suddenly they stopped dancing. I tore my eyes away from her to look at Cooper. His face was turning red and his eyes were glaring back at her. They were talking, or arguing more like.

"Something's wrong." I said to Toni as I halted my horrible attempt at dancing with her.

"What the fuck ever!" Cooper screamed.

A worried look flashed in Toni's eyes before she quickly made her way through the people between us and them. I followed after her, swearing to myself I wouldn't get in the middle of their fight, even when I knew I was bullshitting myself.

"What's going on?" Toni asked gently. She placed her hand on Kaylee's shoulder, tugging her around to face her.

"Nothing." Kaylee said quickly.

"Why don't you run off and hide in a dark classroom, you're good at that." Cooper said. He waved his hand at me, sneering down his nose.

My jaw twitched, temper rising. "Why don't you go fuck yourself?"

A self satisfied, shit eating grin spread across his slimey face. "I've got Kaylee for that."

Kaylee's eyes darkened unlike I'd ever seen before. Her voice came out sharp and threatening when she said his name. "Liam."

He just ignored her. "It never made sense to me. Why did everyone just fall at your feet? The kid that drank away his problems and hid away in dark classrooms. The kid that would stare blankly at the wall and ignore anyone that tried to talk to him. And still, everyone adored you. You were cool."

I flinched, trying and failing to put the mask up in time. They were memories I was all too familiar with. The reason I hated him so much was because he would throw these things in my face. Things I didn't want anyone to know.

"Stop it Liam, you're making a scene." Toni said. She was wringing her hands, eyeing all of the people around us.

He let out a bitter laugh. "The fuck if I care. But little miss perfect couldn't possibly get kicked out of a club. Oh, the horror!"

"Hey," Kaylee warned, setting a comforting hand on Toni's arm. "Don't talk to her like that."

"She's a fucking prude! She's always hated me and she can't stand that we're together. Why are you even friends with her?" He asked. He threw his arms out, seemingly beyond confused. "You're nothing like her."

"Liam, that's enough."

He waved an accusatory finger in my direction. "Have you fucked him yet?"

My gut twisted when I saw the pained look in her eyes.

"Liam! That's my boyfriend and best friend." Toni hissed. "Whatever jealousy problems you're going through, leave the three of us out of it."

"I'm sorry Toni, did I offend you? Are you going to cry now?" He asked expectantly. "Well I hate to break it to you, but this so called relationship isn't going to last. He's never going to fall in love with you like those crappy teen romances with bad boys that you love so much. And your best friend is going to find someone else to replace you someday, when she finally realizes that you have nothing in common."

There were tears gathering in Toni's eyes. I wanted to comfort her, but the hard look Kaylee looked at Cooper with stopped me short.

"We're done. Over. Never again." She said firmly. With conviction and confidence. "Don't ever fucking call me, look for me, or at me. And if you ever breath a word to my best friend again, I'll fucking ruin you and everything you love."

He took a step back, like he was just realizing his mistake. The apology in his eyes was forming on his lips when Kaylee grabbed Toni's hand and started pulling her towards the exit.

"Kay-kay, I'm sorry!"

"I don't want to hear it!"

"Babe please, I didn't mean it. You're everything to me, I--"

And I got in the middle of it, just like I told myself I wasn't going to do. Toni and Kaylee turned back around when everyone gasped, but by that time it was too late. Liam Cooper was already sprawled across the dance floor, cupping his bloodied, broken nose. I rubbed my knuckles, refusing to acknowledge how good that felt, and joined the women staring wide-eyed at me.

"Let's get out of here." I suggested.

Toni insisted on sitting in the back with Kaylee on the way home. She held her hand and shot her worried glances every few minutes, like she expected Kaylee to break down at any moment. I would have expected the same, or something, if not for the cold look in her eyes. She didn't look like she was going to cry, she looked like she was ready to commit murder.

She wore that blank expression throughout the whole drive back home, then she muttered a quick good night and shuffled down the hallway to the guest room.

"This isn't good.." Toni said nervously. Her fingers fumbled over each other, twisting and turning. "She's never been that.. serious before, when they've broken up."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, she just needs time." I said, trying to offer some comfort. Little did I know, Kaylee needed it more.

She fell asleep crying that night, I know because when Toni didn't come to bed, I went to check on them. She had her arms wrapped around Kaylee and she was whispering the same thing over and over again. "Everything's going to be alright." Kaylee didn't say anything in return, she just sobbed and made this heart wrenching sound when she tried to breath and it came out as a gasp for breath.

I should have known better than anyone what an expressionless mask could hide. I don't know why I thought Kaylee wasn't capable of feeling the same kind of pain I felt. I didn't know her story, I just saw her strength and assumed she didn't have demons of her own. At least not like the ones I had. But I was wrong. You don't perfect a mask like that unless you're hiding some serious pain. Pain you've been feeling for a long time.