Disclaimer: I do not own TLM.
Chapter 9
Christine's PoV of the previous chapter:
As I walk into school I sense that something is vaguely wrong. There are whispers filling the corridors and surreptitious glances thrown my way. I avoid everyone until I find my friends.
"Guys," I ask my friends. "What's up?"
They look at each other, and I feel a twinge of annoyance at being kept in the dark. But then Lisa speaks.
"Erm, you know the girl that you were hanging out with?" She begins. I nod slowly.
"Abby. She's new. I'm just looking after her." I say defensively. Somehow I know that whatever's coming isn't going to be good. Hey, a girl's got to protect herself first, right?
"Yeah, whatever." Katrina cuts in. "You've been spending a whole lot more time with her than us."
"She's new." I protest. "And she has no one in the school but Jeremy and me!"
They exchange dark glances.
"You mean she had Jeremy." Lisa says grimly. I remember in a flash that they'd jus broken up.
"Yes, well, they've reached a little bump in the road… they'll mend it." I speak with a lot more confidence than I feel.
"Er … no." Katrina retorts coolly. "Jeremy said that her father threatened him. Her father's nothing but a violent alcoholic." The words are venomous and they aim to sting. I gasp and wheel around.
"Where are you going?" Daria calls after me.
"To find Jeremy!" I yell back.
I find him at his locker in the midst of a crowd of guys.
"Jeremy, we have to talk." I grab his arm and pull him away from them amid loud suggestive calls. He lets me pull him away, even having the cheek to look slightly amused.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
"Abby!" I say fiercely. "Why are you saying this about her father?"
Jeremy sticks his chin out defiantly.
"Because it's true." He replies stiffly.
"But why tell everyone?" I ask helplessly because I can see that he believes it to be true. "You love her, Jer."
"No…" He sighs heavily. "I thought I loved her. But I do not love her more than a sister, or a friend perhaps. And I will not risk my life for someone I do not love. Her father is mad, Chris, mad."
I sigh and step away from him.
"I don't know Jer."
He reaches out and pulls me towards him. I hug him, drawing in his strength. He kisses the top of my head.
"You know, I think it was you I loved all this time." Jeremy says softly
"It was not you I ever looked for." I breathe.
"Neither."
"Yet you came." I look up at him and see the love shining in his eyes. He leans down to kiss me, but I cannot. "I'm sorry, Jer… I can't do this to Abby. I have to find out what she says first."
I run up to Abby as she walks in, her eyes shadowed and puffy. I feel a twinge of pity for her, but I quash that quickly.
"Abby, they're saying the most horrible things about you!" I exclaim. Best to play the part of the concerned friend.
"What… are they saying?" She mutters disinterestedly.
"That your father is a drunk alcoholic and that he's going to beat Jeremy up!" I tell her. "It's not true, is it, Abby?"
She has gone pale. I guess it is true after all.
"Who… did you hear this from?" She asks faintly.
"Jeremy himself!" I reply, feeling a stab of guilt as I watch her face go even whiter. "Abby, are you alright?" I ask, concerned. Abby looks at me for a fleeting moment, then flees. I watch her running down the corridor and can't help wondering what that girl is running from.
I walk with Abby for the rest of the day, just because she thought I was her friend.
Am I?
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The next day, Abby is even more distant and quiet than ever. I walk with her for the first three sessions, then when silence grows too profound for me, I leave her for Jeremy.
He is walking in the corridors with a short blond girl, and I glare at him. He smiles back at me easily.
"Hey 'Tine." Jeremy greets me. "Meet my friend, Janice. She's visiting from my hometown."
The girl looks up at him.
"I'm his girlfriend."
I back away; repulsed at the way she is looking at him. Flicking a cool gaze up to Jeremy, I search his face. He shrugs. Is that a flicker of regret in his eyes? So much for his nice guy reputation, I guess. I turn and leave.
"Nice meeting you, Janice." I call over my shoulder.
And I go in search of my friends, because only they can console me now.
Sorry, Abby.
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A/N:
Thank you to Oneday Someday, embracing, svelte, drugged-on-chocolate, Mirage of Sarabi, SarahE7191 and MoonArisa. I have already written half of chapter 10, so it shouldn't be too long in coming. Meanwhile...keep the reviews coming:P