"If some one else had talked to you before you got to me, would we be here like we are now?" I blurted.
"Mil-"
"Humor me."
He sighed and glanced down in thought for at most a minute before responding, "I don't know."
It was not an answer I was looking for. I was hoping for a yes and hoping not to hear a no… But that I don't know really chilled me.
I was unsatisfied with the answer, and he knew it, "Millie… I couldn't say. I honestly hadn't tried talking with other people that year… You were the first person I tried to communicate with."
My breath caught and I didn't know what to say.
"Why me?" I finally asked.
He smirked at the question, "You didn't sneer at me in the hallways. You didn't seem to be friends with any one… And I was curious as to where you went for lunch… When I saw you, I took the chance and sat down with you." he admitted, eyes darting between my own.
He was being honest, a great trait that he could share with me due to his meds.
I smiled, "That's why you came outside that day? To see where I went?" a rough laugh escaped my throat and his hands closed a little tighter around my own.
"This really bothered you?" He asked, his eyes now calculating and amused, like they almost always were.
I nodded, "Yeah. Stupid, right?"
He smirked, "A little."
We both shared a quiet laugh there and eased back into our studying.
Over the years, Gary had grown taller and due to the hour long swimming, his body toned very nicely.
He kept his hair the way he liked it, strange and unusual, and I grew mine to brush my shoulders.
A few minutes passed and I glanced up to find Gary staring at me, "What?"
"Thinking."
"About what?"
He was quiet a moment, "When I followed you to the pool that day…"
I sat straight, giving him my full attention.
"You took that shower…"
He was taking his time, obviously.
"There was a crack between the wall and the curtain and I couldn't help but peak…" He smirked slyly.
I gaped, unable to actually be upset with him, and laughed softly, "Sneaky bastard! What did you see?"
He held up an index finger, "Ah-Ah… The real question you should ask is if I liked what I saw!"
I felt my left brow raise in disbelief, "Well? Why don't you answer both?"
He chuckled, "Fine. I only saw your back, ass, and legs… And of course I liked what I saw! I had troubles looking away!"
I couldn't help but blush profusely. "Hah."
He goofily bit his lower lip and outlined 'Curves' while leaning back in his seat.
I snorted loudly, covering my face with both hands to keep from laughing too loud. Nerds were a little touchy about silence in their library.
Gary smirked, resting his elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers, and resting those fingers over his mouth as he watched me try to control myself.
When I settled down, I could see that twinkle in his eyes that grew brighter every day.
Made my heart flutter because I only saw it when he was looking at me.
But, maybe that's just me being an idiot, or something? Could be me being a love sick fool?
We continued with our work, he walked me to the Girl's Dorm, kissed me good night, and left.
I will always wish he hadn't.
The next morning, he didn't meet me outside like he normally did. And you know that feeling I've been having?
Well, it got at least ten times worse.
And it continued to get worse as I rushed off to the Boy's Dorm and saw a bunch of the boys staring oddly at me.
It wasn't the odd, "What's she doing?" stare… I couldn't tell what the hell it was, but it just made me freak even more.
I stopped at the gate as I saw him lying there… My mouth hung open and it seemed every one stopped and watched.
I slowly walked forwards, glancing down at the blood spatters in the melting snow.
Hot tears fell down my face as I approached his unmoving body, dressed as he was last night, his books making a strange halo around his head.
One hand brushed fingertips to my quivering lips as I stood next to him, then shot out as I fell to my knees and rolled him over.
Oh God…
"Oh, God!" I whispered and placed my head against his chest, thickly sweater-ed. "Gary?" I sat up, face burning, feeling more and more sick.
He inhaled sharply then coughed out blood, splattering along his chin and cheeks.
My hands covered my mouth, tears falling increasingly faster now.
If there was a subject, other than swimming, that I excelled at, it would be medical training, but this school didn't offer that, so I did my own research.
A prefect ran up and gaped, unsure what exactly to do.
With a strength I knew I didn't have, I ripped apart his sweater and began counting ribs, lightly pushing on them until his body flinched on two of them.
When he flinched, I jumped slightly, then pressed my head to his chest and listened very deeply.
When he breathed, it didn't sound all too good and I looked at the Prefect, "He needs a hospital! NOW!!" I found my voice strained and high pitch, cracking too.
I ripped more of his sweater and began dabbing at the bloodied cuts.
His jaw looked a little off and opening his mouth, I found it had gotten broken.
Hearing laughter, I looked up and found Jimmy Hopkins snickering.
Pulling off my shoulder bag and jacket, which I laid over Gary, I found myself seething with utter hate as I suddenly found Jimmy's throat under my hand, my teeth loudly grinding, "What. Have. You. Done?"
He sputtered and beat at my arms, but I didn't feel a damned thing.
"He deserved none of what he has now… And thanks to you, he might die… If he just so happens to die, I will come back." he stared at me confused. "And you will die the EXACT same way… I promise…" I then threw him aside and rushed back to Gary, sliding onto my hip next to him.
His body was now shivering uncontrollably, and if it got any worse, he'd end up killing himself on a broken rib, which was already in one of his lungs."
"Step away, girl!" some one shouted.
I glanced back and did as told, "As far as I know, he's been out here all night, three broken ribs and a punctured lung, not to mention he's lost a lot of blood." I informed the uniformed people quickly.
"We'll take it from here!" they said as Crabblesnitch ran up with Danvers.
"What's going on, here?" He bellowed.
"Sir, Gary's been brutally beaten and if he doesn't get the help he needs, brutally murdered…" I said desperately.
"What's your connection to Gary, Miss Driver?" He asked.
"I'm his only friend and his girlfriend… Have been since Sophomore year, sir…" I explained as they hauled him off.
"We've got room for only one." the medics informed as Danvers, Crabblesnitch, and I chased after them.
"I'll go." I offered.
"No. Miss, Danvers. You call us when something happens. I'll get in touch with his parents. Miss Driver, you will go to class." Crabblesnitch demanded.
"No! No!" I shook my head, "I have to be with him! I have to be there when he wakes up!"
Danvers got in the ambulance as Crabblesnitch held me back from throwing her out.
As it drove away, I broke into hysteric sobs and sagged so much in Crabblesnitch's hands that he let me fall to my knees in absolute awe.
He stared at me for the longest moment, then glanced after the now gone ambulance.
I could feel every one staring at me and the scene I had created.
"I knew something like this would happen! I told him! I told him to be careful!" I sobbed out into my palms.
Crabblesnitch stepped in front of me and crouched, "Come with me." He said stiffly, "You'll catch a cold in this weather… I'll put on some tea and you can sit with me until word comes from Miss Danvers."
I looked up, eyes puffy, red, and blood shot, over flowing with worry, fear, and heart ache. "Alright." I whispered and he helped me to stand and walked me to the office, but not before I stopped by Jimmy and glared hatefully at him.
Crabblesnitch frowned and looked from my face to Jimmy's, whose held fear and guilt.
I continued walking, Crabblesnitch staring down at Jimmy who looked away.
We sat in his office, drinking tea with his parents as I explained what I had discovered what was wrong with Gary…
I barely made it through the greeting and the explanation was murder… No pun intended.
Gary's mother, Ursa, held me to her chest and cried silently with me as Thomas remained stoic with Crabblesnitch.
To ease the pain and tension, he cleared his throat, "What do you plan to do with your life, Millie?"
I sniffled and composed myself, "Olympic Diver or maybe a doctor."
"Really?" he asked again, pushing through the pain of the thought of losing his son and put on a small pained smile.
I nodded, "Yes, sir. Swimming and studying medical books are my favorite pastimes, other than spending time with your son." I glanced down.
"So, you've been with him since Sophomore Year?" Ursa asked, voice cracking a bit as she brushed the hair from my face.
I nodded, "He approached me. He and I were quite outcast by the other students. Him because of previous events and me because I didn't really talk to any one. I thought it was just a ploy or a cry for human attention, but it ended up where we helped one another. I helped him with swimming and he helped me with my horrible grades. He is really bright, Gary is. And over these three years, I've watched him become very compassionate and sweet and charming…" I smiled thoughtfully.
Ursa looked to Thomas softly and he held a soft admiration in his eyes as well.
"So you love my son?" He asked.
I nodded, "I almost told him last night, but I got scared and thought what if he doesn't love me back… I know now that I should have just said it…" my face scrunched in emotional pain, "If I had walked him to the Boy's Dorm, or… We talked in the Library until we got kicked out… Or if I had really pushed the conversation about that nasty gut feeling I had that something bad was going to happen…"
I shook my head and buried it into my palms, "It's my fault! It's my fault… All my fault."
Ursa shushed me and pulled me into her embrace again, rocking me back and forth.
Thomas and Crabblesnitch began to talk about his academics and how he would absolutely graduate with honors. He even mentioned that I would graduate with honors if I kept up my good grades, too.
I didn't care though. I just wanted Gary to comfort me, to kiss me and hold me.
He had his father's features and his mother's colors, other than skin! The skin tone was Thomas.
Hours had passed and I was now explaining about how advanced biology would make me a great surgeon, but my studies with Gary and the studies on my own would make me a great doctor when the phone rang and we all tensed.
Crabblesnitch picked it up, "Hello? He did? She was right? I see. Stay there and keep an eye on the boy until his parents and Miss Driver gets there. Good bye." and he hung up.
He turned to me and I knew I was panting and couldn't settle down.
"Your diagnosis saved them time and Gary Smith's life, Millicent." Crabblesnitch said proudly.
My eyes shut as my breathing stopped and thankful tears rolled down my cheeks.
I felt uplifted that he wasn't dead!
"He will be in the hospital for a few weeks, though… So you will be driven every day to the hospital where you will work on homework with him, so that neither of you fall behind. Understand?"
I nodded quickly, inhaling sharply. I didn't know how much more crying I could take…
Within 20 minutes, we were in Gary's room, his parents over my shoulder as I held his hand.
He was hooked up to a machine that helped him breath, a blood drip, and something to help with the hypothermia he had gotten.
They said he wouldn't be awake for a few days at worst, and a few hours at best.
Danvers and Crabblesnitch were talking to the police just outside the room when Gary slowly blinked open his eyes.
He looked at me, confused slightly, then tried to speak.
"No, no. Don't speak, Gary. You have a tube down your throat helping you breath. You had three broken ribs, a broken jaw, hypothermia, and a punctured lung that was patched up in time and now needs to heal without doing much work… You also bled in and out… You might have a concussion." I explained, then pulled out a pen and paper as the police, Danvers, and Crabblesnitch came in.
I sniffled, "You're going to have to write what you want to say, hun. But first, the police need to know who did this to you… Who exactly." I reached out and stroked the side of his face after placing the pen in his hand, "Ready?"
He nodded just slightly and wrote out two names; Jimmy Hopkins and Russell Northrop.
I handed the paper pad to the cops and they nodded and began to leave, "They won't let you arrest them…"
That stopped them and Gary blinked at me.
"What do you mean?" one cop asked.
"Russell is an idiot, but is also full of a moral compass that is easily swayed, and Jimmy is also an idiot, but not that dumb… He's the brains… He probably already knows you're coming for him… I can probably help you get them. Without a search that would end up with both or worse, Jimmy walking away." I shook my head and Gary's hand grasped mine, he was shaking his head.
I kissed his knuckles, "I need to make sure they can never do this to you ever again… I don't want to live in fear, Gary."
He glanced down and nodded slowly.
I smiled pathetically and began to leave when his hand gripped mine and pulled me back to him. He pointed at his eye, then his heart, and then he pointed at me.
Tears sprung from my eyes and I kissed his forehead, "I love you too." my forehead now against his lightly.
Ursa cried silently, tears of happiness for her son to have finally found love with some one who loved him back, and leaned on Thomas as he nodded approvingly.
An hour later, I was cleaned up, in warmer clothes and in front of the Boy's Dorm, staring at the spot where I had found Gary.
The five policemen and four Prefects waited behind me, watching me curiously.
I glanced up, "Wait here." and I left no room for a rebuttal.
Walking up to the Dorm Doors, I opened one silently and snuck in without a sound.
"He said he din' do nuthin'! So's I hitted him in duh belly." Russell boasted.
I crossed my arms, "And you should be ashamed of yourself, Russell Northrop." My voice was clear and reprimanding.
Every one, which was mostly all the boys in the school, looked at me in shock.
"Three fucking years and you beat him up for what? Because some stupid paranoid piece of shit said so?!" I resisted shouting, my teeth grinding.
"Jimmy said he was up to something' wif you." Russell pointed.
"Yeah. Studying and falling in love. You beat him because he was doing well in school? Is that what you are now? A stupid thug? After Freshman Year, everything became peaceful… So, now you're throwing it away because Jimmy got restless? What the hell is the matter with you, Russell!?!"
He leaned away, "I din' know!"
I took a step closer, "YOU ALMOST KILLED HIM, RUSSEL! HE ALMOST FUCKING DIED AND YOU'RE JOKING ABOUT IT LIKE IT WAS SOME STUPID GAME TO YOU!!!" I was screaming now and couldn't help it.
Russell now looked ashamed, "I din' wan' him t'die…"
I was breathing heavily, a look of pure unadulterated hatred on my face.
"Shame on you, Russell… Shame on you all." I looked over the crowd, "He's been taking his meds and he's left you all alone and you all treat him like shit…" my head shook again, "You all disgust me and I pray you die old, alone, and diseased…"
They all glanced down. They had realized last year that Gary had calmed down considerably and was no longer a threat to them… But they were still ass holes to him.
My attention went back to Russell, "I love him… And he loves me, Russell."
He looked up at me sadly.
"I know that this wasn't your idea… I know. But I also know that this was Jimmy's idea and I need to find Jimmy." I asked softly, pleading that he help me.
Russell shook his head, "I can't do that."
"Jimmy has been a bad boy and needs to be punished… And is it fair that you get punished while he doesn't?" I reasoned.
"Jimmy an' Zoe is pregnant." Russell argued.
I shook my head, "Then he should have thought of that before he slept with her and definitely before he convinced you to be a bad boy, too… Zoe is also a strong and capable woman, I have seen her. Her mother cares for her a lot and will help her raise the baby… So don't you worry about that. Just tell me where Jimmy is."
He frowned, clearly upset with his predicament and every one watched.
With a heavy sigh, he bowed his head in defeat, "He's stayin' in duh Girl's attic."
I stood straight, "Are you absolutely sure that's where Jimmy is?"
"Yeah…"
I smiled, "Good. Thank you, Russell… Now come on… The cops want to talk to you…" and I offered my hand to him, even though I really didn't like him at that exact point in time… But he was like a child! You can't hate a child for wanting a cookie, can you?
I have no idea how exactly that ties in, but it makes sense to me!
Walking out with Russell, the prefects apprehended him and hauled him off to a squad car where a few other cops were waiting.
I took the five cops to the Girl's Dorms and sent three up through the one room while I climbed up the side with the other two.
When I was through, Jimmy was sound asleep!
Th'bastard! He obviously feels no guilt!
I cleared my throat, "Hey, Hopkins? How'd you like to go down for criminal intent?"
He sat bolt upright to see me with a wicked glare and two cops blocking the window.
Jimmy snorted, "You don't have the proof."
"Gary fingered you and Russell as his attackers and Russell is already in custody and has admitted to it." I said nonchalantly, "But if you really want to fight that evidence, go ahead…"
Jimmy stood, "I will fight this! Gary shouldn't have come back to Bullworth anyways! He almost killed us all!"
I grabbed his shirt, "He has a mental disorder, you prick! You don't."
He looked quite unnerved by that and jerked away, bolting for the stairs, the two cops and I following only to see him already cuffed by the other three cops who were waiting.
We all went down the stairs, all the girls watching in awe as Jimmy struggled.
Whispers erupted and we were followed to the squad cars.
I was dropped off back at the hospital and rushed back to Gary's room, where Danvers, Crabblesnitch, and the three Smiths' looked over at me.
"Russell confessed, both he and Jimmy are heading down town to get their paperwork all filled out and to be processed, perhaps for the last time… Jimmy threatened to fight it, big surprise there," I said sarcastically as I walked over to Gary's bed, "And I told him he could, but it wouldn't matter! I swear! I felt like I was on Law & Order!"
I grabbed his hand lovingly, "Russell also wants to apologize… So when you can leave this utterly white room, I want to take you to visit him so he can apologize… He has a childlike disposition, so he won't be like Jimmy…" My voice had turned soft as I smiled down at Gary.
I chuckled, "And I gave all the boys a good yellin' at for how they all treated you… Don't be surprised if everyone ends up looking guilty when you go back."
His hand squeezed mine encouragingly and I couldn't help but smile brightly.
Two weeks had passed and Gary was finally able to breath on his own, great relief there!
I spent just about all of my time, when not in class, with Gary, either doing homework or talking about the events of that day.
School was almost over when Gary was allowed to leave, written off as healed.
I walked him through the main gates and it was as if a spotlight had turned on us! Every one stopped what they were doing and watched us walk towards the Boy's Dorm.
I focused on getting us to the dorm, but Gary glanced around at every one.
Every one glanced down or away, seemingly ashamed.
It must have surprised him greatly, even after I warned him about such things, because he stopped walking.
Glancing back at him, I tilted my head as he was looking at everyone. "Gary?"
We both turned and looked at Petey, who had filled out a little more, looking more like a man than a timid boy from Freshman Year.
"Pete." Gary greeted cautiously.
"Listen… I'm real sorry for holding Freshman year against you and treating you like shit and stuff… I also real sorry about what Jimmy did… It wasn't right of him." Petey said slowly.
Gary cracked a small smile, "I don't blame you or any one else for how they treated me because of what I did. I want to… Really bad, but I know I shouldn't. It would only cause more problems."
I smiled approvingly at Gary, extremely proud that he was resisting his sociopath ways of blaming everything on every one else.
Pete sighed a huge sigh of relief and smiled, "Thanks. You know, you got yourself one hell of a woman, there, Gary."
Gary sauntered up to me, wrapping an arm around my waist, "Don't I know it."
I offered a little giggle before his mouth crashed onto mine.
When Gary finally pulled away, he looked to Petey, "Hey? Due to future events that have yet to be planned and my lack of any friends…"
Petey and I frowned in confusion at Gary.
"… how'd you like to be my best man?"
Yyyyyep! That's the end. ^^ I've been working on this for three or four days, I believe... I couldn't find a good point to stop writing... Until tonight... Er... The end of yesterday. *Glances around*
Any who! I do hope you enjoyed this as much as I do! Tootles... - Scitah