Chapter 7
Damn, if only I had more classes with Rae. Thought Anthony as he walked to Math class. He had visited her everyday in the hospital, making sure she was okay. She shouldn't be back in school. She needs to rest! But he tried to push the thought from his head, she seemed okay when he had talked to her before class. And things were getting better every day with her. He was thinking now that it wouldn't be so strange if they were….a couple? He smiled and continued to the math room.
He pushed open the doors, there was Marcus and the other guys, laughing and goofing off. He took a desk next to Vince and put down his backpack.
"Hey Facinelli! Great game the other day!" said Marcus.
"Yeah, we whipped their asses!" Replied Anthony.
"Hey," said a guy with dark hair Anthony didn't recognize, "I heard Rae Voight got another trip to the loony bin last week!"
Anthony felt the rage building up already, how dare they, he thought bitterly.
"Yeah, I thought she was better," chimed in Salkow, "once a nut, always a nut I guess. Too bad too…she was pretty hot."
"Ha-ha! Hey, Facinelli, what do YOU think about Rae the Frayed?"
"I think you guys need a life," he snapped. The others looked around in amazement.
"Ooooh! Anthony's got a crush on the squirrel!"
"Don't talk about her that way, she's okay," he clenched his fists. Stay calm…don't let them get to you…
"She broke down in the cafeteria because she thought somebody was talking about her dead mother or something…she is a fruitcake. I tried to get back together with her, but look, she has another breakdown. Another hospital trip. I give up. She's a freak."
He couldn't help it anymore. He swung his fist and caught Salkow in the nose. He stood there dumbly for a few seconds and then returned the punch.
"Facinelli you loser! Why the hell'd you punch Marcus?" said the guy with dark hair.
"Rae is not a freak, I've spent some time with her and she's okay. I guess I just lost it. There was a guy at my old school who'd call me that cuz I…uh…have a little trouble reading. So I can relate." He gulped, it was too much. But he had stood up for Rae. Hopefully they would take the bait.
"Oh, poor Anthony," said Vince mockingly, but the other guys seemed to get it.
"Yeah, I guess so. We were just joking anyway…still, she can creep me out." Okay, good enough. Anthony thought as Vince said that.
The teacher walked into the room. Marcus mumbled something about tripping and falling onto his desk and was excused to the nurse. Anthony wasn't bruised too badly. Math ended soon enough and he bolted out the door.
Finally, school is over. He thought happily as he walked out the double doors into the sunlight. Rae was standing there. Her red hair at her shoulders, framing her face.
"Rae!" he called. Maybe she needed a ride home? Any time with her at all would be fine, he just wanted to see her. Make sure she was okay. That crash had really scared him. He thought he had lost her.
"Uh, hey." She said, avoiding eye contact completely.
"Do you need a ride home?" he asked. Strange, he thought, she doesn't seem to want to talk to me.
"Uh, no. I need to talk to you," she still would not meet his eyes. Maybe she wants to be your girlfriend! He thought, suddenly feeling kind of fuzzy inside. But that didn't make much sense. Nice thought, not realistic.
"Okay," she said once she didn't think anyone was watching or listening, "I've been meaning to talk to you about this. I am very grateful for what you've done, and for saving my life those couple times. But I think you've taken this the wrong way."
"What?" asked Anthony, he could barely speak, what was she trying to say?
"You showed me I wasn't crazy. I was so happy…I had to repay you. So I got you into Sanderson."
"Wha-" but he didn't have time to finish, Rae continued.
"Then you saved me from the kidnappers at the hotel, so I let you kiss me. I repaid you again."
Oh my god, oh my god. I am such an idiot. What is going on? I am such an idiot…
Rae kept talking, every word was a knife in the heart. He had cared about her, even loved her, but he was an idiot to think she felt the same way.
"And that whole car thing…well, here's how I'm making it up to you. I see the way you look at me, and I am stopping this little fascination right now. I do not see you how you see me, and I'm sorry if I lead you the wrong way. I don't want you to be lead along anymore."
This wasn't Rae. It couldn't be. She was not this cruel. There had been something, and she wouldn't just drop him like this.
"Rae, what has happened to you?" he asked numbly. He felt nothing. Only pain. Not physical pain, just ache. He wanted to drop dead right then and there.
"I'm perfectly fine," now she was looking into his eyes, forcing contact, "We are just too different to be together, at all. It's for your own good. But I guess its like you said, I'm a cardinal. And you're just a little bitty bluebird. I'm sorry."
Damn, if only I had more classes with Rae. Thought Anthony as he walked to Math class. He had visited her everyday in the hospital, making sure she was okay. She shouldn't be back in school. She needs to rest! But he tried to push the thought from his head, she seemed okay when he had talked to her before class. And things were getting better every day with her. He was thinking now that it wouldn't be so strange if they were….a couple? He smiled and continued to the math room.
He pushed open the doors, there was Marcus and the other guys, laughing and goofing off. He took a desk next to Vince and put down his backpack.
"Hey Facinelli! Great game the other day!" said Marcus.
"Yeah, we whipped their asses!" Replied Anthony.
"Hey," said a guy with dark hair Anthony didn't recognize, "I heard Rae Voight got another trip to the loony bin last week!"
Anthony felt the rage building up already, how dare they, he thought bitterly.
"Yeah, I thought she was better," chimed in Salkow, "once a nut, always a nut I guess. Too bad too…she was pretty hot."
"Ha-ha! Hey, Facinelli, what do YOU think about Rae the Frayed?"
"I think you guys need a life," he snapped. The others looked around in amazement.
"Ooooh! Anthony's got a crush on the squirrel!"
"Don't talk about her that way, she's okay," he clenched his fists. Stay calm…don't let them get to you…
"She broke down in the cafeteria because she thought somebody was talking about her dead mother or something…she is a fruitcake. I tried to get back together with her, but look, she has another breakdown. Another hospital trip. I give up. She's a freak."
He couldn't help it anymore. He swung his fist and caught Salkow in the nose. He stood there dumbly for a few seconds and then returned the punch.
"Facinelli you loser! Why the hell'd you punch Marcus?" said the guy with dark hair.
"Rae is not a freak, I've spent some time with her and she's okay. I guess I just lost it. There was a guy at my old school who'd call me that cuz I…uh…have a little trouble reading. So I can relate." He gulped, it was too much. But he had stood up for Rae. Hopefully they would take the bait.
"Oh, poor Anthony," said Vince mockingly, but the other guys seemed to get it.
"Yeah, I guess so. We were just joking anyway…still, she can creep me out." Okay, good enough. Anthony thought as Vince said that.
The teacher walked into the room. Marcus mumbled something about tripping and falling onto his desk and was excused to the nurse. Anthony wasn't bruised too badly. Math ended soon enough and he bolted out the door.
Finally, school is over. He thought happily as he walked out the double doors into the sunlight. Rae was standing there. Her red hair at her shoulders, framing her face.
"Rae!" he called. Maybe she needed a ride home? Any time with her at all would be fine, he just wanted to see her. Make sure she was okay. That crash had really scared him. He thought he had lost her.
"Uh, hey." She said, avoiding eye contact completely.
"Do you need a ride home?" he asked. Strange, he thought, she doesn't seem to want to talk to me.
"Uh, no. I need to talk to you," she still would not meet his eyes. Maybe she wants to be your girlfriend! He thought, suddenly feeling kind of fuzzy inside. But that didn't make much sense. Nice thought, not realistic.
"Okay," she said once she didn't think anyone was watching or listening, "I've been meaning to talk to you about this. I am very grateful for what you've done, and for saving my life those couple times. But I think you've taken this the wrong way."
"What?" asked Anthony, he could barely speak, what was she trying to say?
"You showed me I wasn't crazy. I was so happy…I had to repay you. So I got you into Sanderson."
"Wha-" but he didn't have time to finish, Rae continued.
"Then you saved me from the kidnappers at the hotel, so I let you kiss me. I repaid you again."
Oh my god, oh my god. I am such an idiot. What is going on? I am such an idiot…
Rae kept talking, every word was a knife in the heart. He had cared about her, even loved her, but he was an idiot to think she felt the same way.
"And that whole car thing…well, here's how I'm making it up to you. I see the way you look at me, and I am stopping this little fascination right now. I do not see you how you see me, and I'm sorry if I lead you the wrong way. I don't want you to be lead along anymore."
This wasn't Rae. It couldn't be. She was not this cruel. There had been something, and she wouldn't just drop him like this.
"Rae, what has happened to you?" he asked numbly. He felt nothing. Only pain. Not physical pain, just ache. He wanted to drop dead right then and there.
"I'm perfectly fine," now she was looking into his eyes, forcing contact, "We are just too different to be together, at all. It's for your own good. But I guess its like you said, I'm a cardinal. And you're just a little bitty bluebird. I'm sorry."
