Dangerous Secrets
Part 2
"Whoa Shawn, you look awful." Cory Mathues said, as Shawn entered their classroom the next morning. Shawn now had a black eye, and looked totally wiped out. His hair looked like it'd hardly been cowmed, and his not black eye was half-open.
"Thanks." He muttered, sinking into his seat.
"What happened?" Cory asked, from the seat behind him (er was it in front…).
"Huh?" Shawn asked.
"How come you're like that…" There was a pause, then Shawn said:
"I can't tell you." Cory looked taken aback.
"But Shawn, we tell each other everything.
Why won't you let me help you?"
"I just can't, I'm sorry." Shawn said, though he wanted to tell someone, he kept hearing his father's voice.
"Tell anyone and you die…"
Shawn didn't realize that he was shaking slightly. But Cory did.
He knew that something seriously was wrong with Shawn. He was shaking, and he'd gone rather pale.
Cory got up and walked around until he was standing next to Shawn's desk. He placed a hand lightly on the older boy's shoulder. In the time the two boys had known each other, Shawn, it seemed was the one always getting in trouble. And he'd always dragged Cory into it, whatever the problem was. But, none of them had been as serious as this. And Shawn was pushing him away.
"Hey, Shawn, man, you're shaking. Please tell me what's wrong." Cory said, almost in a whisper. Shawn's voice came out horse and shaky. In all his life, Cory had never, never seen Shawn Hunter cry.
"F…fine, but… but you can't tell anyone…" Shawn said, regaining control slightly.
"Okay…" Cory said slowly, thinking he would regret making this promise later…
"Okay. You remember Claire?"
"You mean that girl who's father abused her, and she went to live with her aunt?" Cory asked.
Shawn nodded. "Yeah, well…" He broke off, not daring to say the next stench. Cory gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Well," Shawn began again, "my dad's back."
"Your dad's back." Cory repeated. "That's great but what does that have to do with Claire… oh no… he's not… tell me he's not… tell me he didn't give you that black eye Shawn, tell me." Shawn nodded, almost losing control again. "Does Mr. Turner know?" Cory asked, referring to John.
"N…no…" Shawn said, in a very unsteady voice. "He said… he said if I told anybody, he'd… he'd kill me…" Cory suddenly released Shawn's shoulder, and sprinted for the door. "Cory, where are you going?!" Shawn called after him. Luckily, not many kids were in the classroom yet, so not many heard Cory's next setince.
"I'm going to report this." Shawn leaped from his seat. He sprinted across the room, and the next second, he'd grabbed Cory ruffly by his shoulders.
"No… you can't… you can't! You promised!" He said, almost hysterically. His grip was painful, and Cory could feel his hands shaking as they gripped him.
"Shawn, this is a serious matter! You can't keep this from someone! It could get worse!" As Cory tried to get away, Shawn's hands moved up, so they were gripping his neck. The more Cory struggled, the tighter Shawn's hands became. Cory was finding it hard to breathe, let alone talk.
From far away he heard Shawn's voice saying:
"Promise you won't tell anyone… promise me Cory!"
"I… I… I pr…prom…promi… promise… y…you…" Cory managed to gasp.
Instantly, Shawn released him, Cory slid to the ground, gasping for breath.
Shawn stared down at him for a minute, before walking back to his desk.
Slowly, Cory got to his feet as well. His breathing had returned to normal, and he felt relatively the same as he had five minutes ago. But something was different, five minutes ago, he hadn't known that his father was abusing his best friend.
Cory was so involved in his thoughts, he didn't hear Tapping come in.
Tapanga walked into her homeroom. When she walked in, she could immediately tell that something was wrong. For one thing, Cory and Shawn weren't talking, they were just sitting at their desks.
She walked over to Cory.
"Morning Cory." She said pleasantly. To her surprise, he didn't answer, he just continued to stare off into space. "Cory?" She asked again, and again, she got no response.
She looked at Shawn to see if he knew why Cory was acting like this. But, he too was silent. It was then she noticed his black eye.
"Cory, what's wrong?" She asked, turning back to him and tapping him lightly on the shoulder.
Cory jumped, he looked up to see Tapanga standing over him. "Oh, sorry… what'd you say?"
"Cory, what's the matter? I've been trying to talk to you for the past five minutes, and why does Shawn have a black eye?" Cory sighed heavily. He hated keeping things from Tapanga, but he'd promised Shawn…
"I can't tell you." He said, sighing again.
"What? Cory, we tell each other everything." Tapanga said, shocked.
Cory sighed for a third time in a minute. This was so hard for him. But, he'd promised, and he refused to break that promise to his best friend. He felt Tapanga's hand lightly on his shoulder, similar to the way he'd done with Shawn a few minutes before.
"Tapanga, if I could, I'd tell you in a second. But, I promised Shawn… I'm sorry…" Cory looked away, not able to meet his girlfriend's eyes.
"I understand." Tapanga said. She could tell that Cory was being sincere, and she knew that, like he'd said, if he was able to, he would've told her the problem in a second. "Just don't get yourself killed or something." She added, bending down and kissing Cory lightly on his cheek.
Cory's mood brightened just a bit. It always did when Tapanga was around, and knowing she'd understand and wasn't mad at him helped a lot. "Thank you, Tapanga…" He said hoarsely, rising from his seat slightly and kissing her. She smiled at him, before heading to her seat.
Cory turned to look at Shawn, and concern for his friend filled his mind. Now that Tapanga was okay with him not telling her this, he couldn't stop thinking about Shawn. Why wouldn't he tell the police, or at least Mr. Turner? Suddenly, Cory had an idea. Why didn't he tell Mr. Turner. He could talk to him after English class, and he could… Cory's thoughts stopped. What could he do with out letting Shawn know that Cory'd told him. That would just make things worse. Cory needed help, but he couldn't go to anyone. Shawn was already worried enough. Cory sighed and put his head down on his desk.
From across the room, Tapanga watched this with an expression of concern in her eyes. It hurt her to see Cory like this, and her not being able to do anything about it.
Unknown to either of them, Shawn was also watching Cory. He couldn't believe he'd treated Cory like that. It'd been something his father might've done, but not Shawn… Shawn shivered at his next thought. What if he was turning into his father?
…To Be Continued…?
[A/N
Just so you know, I know the correct spelling of Tapanga is actually 'Topanga', but I like it this way better.]
Part 2
"Whoa Shawn, you look awful." Cory Mathues said, as Shawn entered their classroom the next morning. Shawn now had a black eye, and looked totally wiped out. His hair looked like it'd hardly been cowmed, and his not black eye was half-open.
"Thanks." He muttered, sinking into his seat.
"What happened?" Cory asked, from the seat behind him (er was it in front…).
"Huh?" Shawn asked.
"How come you're like that…" There was a pause, then Shawn said:
"I can't tell you." Cory looked taken aback.
"But Shawn, we tell each other everything.
Why won't you let me help you?"
"I just can't, I'm sorry." Shawn said, though he wanted to tell someone, he kept hearing his father's voice.
"Tell anyone and you die…"
Shawn didn't realize that he was shaking slightly. But Cory did.
He knew that something seriously was wrong with Shawn. He was shaking, and he'd gone rather pale.
Cory got up and walked around until he was standing next to Shawn's desk. He placed a hand lightly on the older boy's shoulder. In the time the two boys had known each other, Shawn, it seemed was the one always getting in trouble. And he'd always dragged Cory into it, whatever the problem was. But, none of them had been as serious as this. And Shawn was pushing him away.
"Hey, Shawn, man, you're shaking. Please tell me what's wrong." Cory said, almost in a whisper. Shawn's voice came out horse and shaky. In all his life, Cory had never, never seen Shawn Hunter cry.
"F…fine, but… but you can't tell anyone…" Shawn said, regaining control slightly.
"Okay…" Cory said slowly, thinking he would regret making this promise later…
"Okay. You remember Claire?"
"You mean that girl who's father abused her, and she went to live with her aunt?" Cory asked.
Shawn nodded. "Yeah, well…" He broke off, not daring to say the next stench. Cory gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Well," Shawn began again, "my dad's back."
"Your dad's back." Cory repeated. "That's great but what does that have to do with Claire… oh no… he's not… tell me he's not… tell me he didn't give you that black eye Shawn, tell me." Shawn nodded, almost losing control again. "Does Mr. Turner know?" Cory asked, referring to John.
"N…no…" Shawn said, in a very unsteady voice. "He said… he said if I told anybody, he'd… he'd kill me…" Cory suddenly released Shawn's shoulder, and sprinted for the door. "Cory, where are you going?!" Shawn called after him. Luckily, not many kids were in the classroom yet, so not many heard Cory's next setince.
"I'm going to report this." Shawn leaped from his seat. He sprinted across the room, and the next second, he'd grabbed Cory ruffly by his shoulders.
"No… you can't… you can't! You promised!" He said, almost hysterically. His grip was painful, and Cory could feel his hands shaking as they gripped him.
"Shawn, this is a serious matter! You can't keep this from someone! It could get worse!" As Cory tried to get away, Shawn's hands moved up, so they were gripping his neck. The more Cory struggled, the tighter Shawn's hands became. Cory was finding it hard to breathe, let alone talk.
From far away he heard Shawn's voice saying:
"Promise you won't tell anyone… promise me Cory!"
"I… I… I pr…prom…promi… promise… y…you…" Cory managed to gasp.
Instantly, Shawn released him, Cory slid to the ground, gasping for breath.
Shawn stared down at him for a minute, before walking back to his desk.
Slowly, Cory got to his feet as well. His breathing had returned to normal, and he felt relatively the same as he had five minutes ago. But something was different, five minutes ago, he hadn't known that his father was abusing his best friend.
Cory was so involved in his thoughts, he didn't hear Tapping come in.
Tapanga walked into her homeroom. When she walked in, she could immediately tell that something was wrong. For one thing, Cory and Shawn weren't talking, they were just sitting at their desks.
She walked over to Cory.
"Morning Cory." She said pleasantly. To her surprise, he didn't answer, he just continued to stare off into space. "Cory?" She asked again, and again, she got no response.
She looked at Shawn to see if he knew why Cory was acting like this. But, he too was silent. It was then she noticed his black eye.
"Cory, what's wrong?" She asked, turning back to him and tapping him lightly on the shoulder.
Cory jumped, he looked up to see Tapanga standing over him. "Oh, sorry… what'd you say?"
"Cory, what's the matter? I've been trying to talk to you for the past five minutes, and why does Shawn have a black eye?" Cory sighed heavily. He hated keeping things from Tapanga, but he'd promised Shawn…
"I can't tell you." He said, sighing again.
"What? Cory, we tell each other everything." Tapanga said, shocked.
Cory sighed for a third time in a minute. This was so hard for him. But, he'd promised, and he refused to break that promise to his best friend. He felt Tapanga's hand lightly on his shoulder, similar to the way he'd done with Shawn a few minutes before.
"Tapanga, if I could, I'd tell you in a second. But, I promised Shawn… I'm sorry…" Cory looked away, not able to meet his girlfriend's eyes.
"I understand." Tapanga said. She could tell that Cory was being sincere, and she knew that, like he'd said, if he was able to, he would've told her the problem in a second. "Just don't get yourself killed or something." She added, bending down and kissing Cory lightly on his cheek.
Cory's mood brightened just a bit. It always did when Tapanga was around, and knowing she'd understand and wasn't mad at him helped a lot. "Thank you, Tapanga…" He said hoarsely, rising from his seat slightly and kissing her. She smiled at him, before heading to her seat.
Cory turned to look at Shawn, and concern for his friend filled his mind. Now that Tapanga was okay with him not telling her this, he couldn't stop thinking about Shawn. Why wouldn't he tell the police, or at least Mr. Turner? Suddenly, Cory had an idea. Why didn't he tell Mr. Turner. He could talk to him after English class, and he could… Cory's thoughts stopped. What could he do with out letting Shawn know that Cory'd told him. That would just make things worse. Cory needed help, but he couldn't go to anyone. Shawn was already worried enough. Cory sighed and put his head down on his desk.
From across the room, Tapanga watched this with an expression of concern in her eyes. It hurt her to see Cory like this, and her not being able to do anything about it.
Unknown to either of them, Shawn was also watching Cory. He couldn't believe he'd treated Cory like that. It'd been something his father might've done, but not Shawn… Shawn shivered at his next thought. What if he was turning into his father?
…To Be Continued…?
[A/N
Just so you know, I know the correct spelling of Tapanga is actually 'Topanga', but I like it this way better.]