Previously on 'Casey'
"I think I'm gonna like it here"
"really?"
"Yep, only 'cause you're here an' all, to keep me company…the only sane kid here."
'What the hell...' tell myself, andmy hand finds his.
I look down at our hands and then up at him. I stare for a few seconds waiting for his reaction. The butterflies in my stomach begin to flap their wings rapidly.
"I never felt welcome here anyway" Casey says, his eyes locked on mine.
Chapter 4: Defending each other.
Well, my first science lesson went real well; I ended up sitting on my own at some dumb isolated table, doing some kind of scientific experiment. If they make me dissect a frog I will be forced to take action. The poor lil' frogs! How can they do that? Then English; which can be such a bore, I usually like English depending on the circumstances, but in this circumstance, a definite bore...
They don't do dissection in British high schools. At least they dint at my old school. Here school is like a real big social thing. Back in Manchester school was just something you were forced to live through everyday. To some people high school seems to be their life. One more month and I would have been free of high school forever. Course we moved here, to Ohio and now you have to go to school until you're like 18. Only I'll probably be 17, because I'm one of the youngest in the year. I would have finished high school at 15, if I'd stayed in England... but anyway I have to find Casey.
We said we'd meet outside, under that tree at break. It's break but there's no Casey around. I guess I'll have to go look for him. I'm worried now. Who can I ask about where he is? He has no friends.
I just stop someone walking by.
"Hi, excuse me."
I stop some girl probably about a year older than me, wearing skater like clothes, a pair of All star shoes, and a piercing in her left eyebrow.
"Yeah, what's up?" she says.
"Do you know someone called Casey?"
"Yeah I know a few, what's his last name"
Shit. I can't remember. Did he even tell me?
"I, well, I haven't known him long, maybe if I tell you what he looks like?", I raise my eyebrows at her, in a kind of pleading way.
"Go on then" she replies.
I have to ask everyone everything. I don't know anyone. I don't know anywhere. Really, right now, I don't know much.
"He's kinda small, brown hair, blue eyes, quite young looking, but good lookin' I guess...a bit of a loner, not many friends..."
That's all I know really.
"Casey Conner" she states abruptly.
"Yeah, that's probably him" I say.
That sounds right.
"Do you know where I can find him?" I question further.
"Well, if he's getting beaten on, like usual, they probably took him round the school building, there's this kind of dead end. I dunno if he'll be there...too bad if he is, I wouldn't go over there if I were you."
She point over to this passageway and says, "It's right behind there"
Then she begins to walk away.
"See ya around new girl"
"Yer" I gulp, "See ya"
'Be brave' I tell myself, be brave for Casey.
I head in the direction the girl pointed to. As I head down the thin passageway, I pass older, shabby kinda lookin' guys smoking weed. I don't mind the fact they're smoking it really, I just hate the smell of it.
The air is all smoky. I head on the passageway until I hear the faint whimpers of someone. I hear the sound of fists hitting someone...
Casey.
I begin to run, and then I'm at the dead end. There's a bunch of guys beating on what is most likely Casey.
"HEY!" I hear myself shout.
I'd say 'pick on someone your own size', but that would sound kind of dumb coming from me. They stop beating Casey up and drop him to the ground…only it's not Casey. It's some other kid. The kid stands. He's kinda tall, but skinny, there's a small cut above his right cheek. My eyes fall on a pair of crumpled glasses on the ground. The kid looks quite young, maybe a year younger than me even. The Jerks...Even if it isn't Casey...it's still another poor kid being beaten up.
"Let him go you bastards" I say, trying to act brave. I'm really not that brave. "Ya know, it's a bit sad, when guys can only get their kicks out of beating up younger guys, obviously cause' they couldn't handle a one on one fight with someone at least their age" I'm kind of chatting crap, to keep their mind off this kid, who's just kind of standing there, unsure of what to do.
"You, quick, go" I say, each word in one swift tone of voice.
He runs off, and I'm thankful they don't grab him and drag him back. I don't know what I'd do …but then, I realise I've been left here alone. I'm glad that kid got away though, and if I remember correctly guys of 17, 18 don't beat up 15-year-old girls. Of course…my life experience is England. This is America. I still don't know where Casey is, and I need to get out of here.
"Well, well, well what do we have here?" comes a familiar voice from behind me.
I feel my heart stop for a few seconds. Gabe. The guy Casey was so afraid of. I can see why. He told me a little about him. About how he loved to beat on him…it seemed like there was more he wanted to tell me, but I think he changed the subject.
I turn around.
"Gabe" I state.
I bet that fuckin' moron is behind every kid beating around here.
"Oh, have we been introduced" he says coolly.
"Fortunately for me no and I'd like it to stay that way" I walk towards the exit, opposite from the dead end.
Gabe puts his arm out. What have I got myself into?
"Leaving so soon"
And then I stop and I stare at him. I move my face closer to his and whisper:
"You make me sick, ya know that...you must, you must make a lot of people sick…" I pause and take a glance towards my exit. "…Don't ever touch Casey again...you perverted little sicko" That's as mean as I get, and its not mean, 'cause he deserves many kicks up the arse, not just words. I don't swear at people a lot though.
I go to push his arm away from my exit, but his arms swings back and pushes me. I fall to the ground. 'Okay, kicking someone in the balls aint that hard. Just do it and run.' I tell myself. Only when I try to get back up to do so, all these guys are on me, and holding me down. This was a bad idea, but for Casey's sake, I'd do it again. Oh, this is so...fair, five older guys on one girl...
Right. Time to scream for help.
"Help, somebody help! Rapists, trying to RAPE ME!" I don't know if they are trying to rape me or not, or just beat me up, either I don't like the sound of that, and hopefully I'll grab someone's attention.
"Shut the hell up, bitch" Gabe screams, edging closer to me.
"RAPE!"
This school is a bit psychotic. No one cares if you get raped?
"HELLO, RAPE HERE, ANYONE..."
Typical.
Two guys have got my arms pinned down and two guys got my legs pinned down. Holy crap, what the fk am I gonna do? Gabe slaps me to shut me up. It takes me by surprise, and shocks me a little, but like that'll shut me up, but...
"Let her go..."
Case. It's Casey.
"Casey" I almost whisper.
"Oh Casey, so delighted you could join us"
That was Marcs voice. I hadn't noticed him. Smoking near the back.
"Casey, I'm sorry," I say.
This whole mess is my fault. On another note, I don't think I've ever heard someone's name being used so many time in just a few lines. Weird huh? I'm a little distracted right now, seeing as I'm still pinned to the ground. I'm telling you, this is some scary st.
"Don't be sorry, it's these perverted idiots who should be sorry"
They all drop my arms and legs and begin to walk over to him.
Casey stands fearless as they step closer towards him. I didn't think he had it in him. I think deep down I knew he did, I just didn't expect it now.
"Casey, no" I say, scared for him.
I scramble to my feet and run towards him, pushing the boys out of the way as hard as I can. So much so that one of them falls to the ground. And before you think that's impossible, because of my size, take into consideration I am the height of Casey, and this guy is only an inch taller. He's a skinny bed as well. A moment later I find myself standing in front of Casey.
"We should run," I say
But he isn't listening.
"C'mon then, if you're so high and mighty!" he almost screams at them.
They look a little shocked.
"C'mon" he repeats. "Gimme one right here," he says gesturing to the side of his face with a finger. He's almost smiling, but in a 'I give up' kind of way.
Gabe begins to snigger in this evil kind of manner...
"C'mon guys...we'll get this punk when he's not got his little girlfriend to root him on" he says.
They all begin to walk off.
Casey still stands fearless as they pass by him. Taking in their glares. Mark is the last one to leave. He begins to walk past Casey and just as he does, he moves his right arm up.
"CASEY, LOOK OUT!" I almost scream at him.
Only it's too late. Marks already laid one smack in the middle of Casey's face.
"You'll always be mine" Mark states walking off down the passageway, he turns his head back and looks directly at me, motioning a kiss. Disgusting.
"REMEMBER THAT!" he shouts back.
Casey collapses to the floor and just sits there.
"I'm so sorry Case"
I don't know if he even heard me. That, or he's just ignoring me.
He stares at the wall in front of him for a while, I move towards him and sit beside him.
"You know, I never should have gotten used to it" he spits out blood onto the ground and sniffs.
"Gotten used to what?"
Casey looks up at me.
"This...being used, being what I am now, pathetic loser who lets all the other kids beat on him, if I'd just" he pauses, his voice shaking a little.
"If I'd just..." he can't find the words to say what he wants to say, so he just closes his mouth and looks into my eyes, searching for some kind of answer.
Only I don't have an answer. I don't have an answer to anything. I wish I did. I wish I had all the answers. I really do. I guess you gotta live life as it goes, because you never know what's coming next, whether it's bad...or good. We have our good moments. We have our bad. Casey seems to have too many bad ones.
"Yeah, you're right, if you'd just done something different, your whole life would be so much better, it's all your fault Casey...everything."
He looks up at me, hurt and confused and I feel bad. You think I'm being evil, just wait. I'm not finished yet.
"...And ya know, I should have waited a little longer, ya know, if I'd gotten raped, it would have been my fault, only mine, because I didn't wait for you, it's my fault too"
"That's different," he says, now understanding why I said what I said.
"How?"
"It can't be your fault to be raped, that's why they call it rape...you didn't get raped anyway."
"Then how is it your fault if you're beaten up...or raped yourself."
I can see he wants to cry again. Who wouldn't? These past two days have been some of the most emotional fking days of my life, most likely his too. Heck, I wanna cry too.
"I guess your right" he gives in.
"I know I am, right now I do anyway" I pause to think.
I move closer towards him. It's another one of those 'he really needs a hug' moments again.
"I shouldn't have blamed myself for them bastards, and you more than anyone shouldn't be blaming yourself for them." I sigh as I close my mouth.
I reach over and pull him into a hug. Not too tightly considering his wounds from yesterday and now today, and what ever other wounds he may have. He hugs me back. I forgot to mention the way he walks, still wonky. Don't know how long he'll have to walk like that for.
I'm not letting him out of my sight. The teachers; the pupils; what ever; they can get to me first, but I'll always be there. I smile, as I hold on to him. And now I know, he'll be there too.
"Case?" I say
"Yup?"
"You know, you can tell me about anything, I know I've only known you like two days, which kind of makes this all feel a bit weird, but I feel like I kind of already know you, ya know what I mean?"
"Yeah, ditto." He smiles.
I laugh.
"No one else uses that phrase but me" I say.
"They do now" he replies.
Well, was in the mood and dint think when I was next gonna get on here, so what do you think, review, review review...another chappie!
Review!
Luv cesca, x
p.s. I know there's probably a lot of grammar mistakes as I can not be bothered going over them, it being 1 in the morning an' all!