I was shoved against the lockers the next day at school.
I was walking to my first class late, reluctant to even be at school. I already felt like hell after my day yesterday with Dimitri. I even considered ditching school but finishing school is my only way out of this town and far away from these people.
Jesse spotted me first, raising a dimpled grin as I looked around to find that I was completely alone in the halls and there was nowhere for me to run. There were classrooms on either side but this was one of the mornings we had assembly in the auditorium an entire two buildings away from here.
I panicked.
Jesse wrapped a tight arm around my shoulders and hugged me to his body before shoving me into the lockers.
Charlie and Ralph stood on either side of him, smirking just as creepily.
"Charlie here tells us you're taking self-defense," he chuckles placing both of his hands on either side of me. "What are you defending yourself from Rosie? Hasn't the worst already happened?"
"Maybe she's afraid we'll invite her out to play with us again." Ralph leaned in closer tugging on a strand of my hair.
"I want to play with Rose," Charlie smiled. "Especially since I wasn't invited out the last time."
"A lot of the guys didn't get to have as much fun as we did," Jesse agreed. "We should have another 'get together' real soon."
He pressed his body against mine using one of his legs to spread mine open but I stood firm, trying to fight the aching feeling in my back and shoulders from being shoved into the cool metal.
"She's getting tougher. Trying to be a fighter, Rosie?" Jesse prodded, pushing himself harder against me.
"Sure didn't put up much of a fight the first time," Ralph added tugging harder on my hair.
I wondered how far they would have gotten in the empty hall if the bell hadn't of rang just then signaling the end of assembly. They looked pretty eager and willing to test the waters. I trembled as Jesse used the lockers to leverage himself away from me.
"We'll talk more later," he winked as the three strode away and people started to fill the hall.
It was time for first period but I was less than up for going to class. Any resolve I had about school being important was gone now. I took a moment to catch my breath, grabbed my bag off the floor, and made a run for it.
I didn't stop running until the ache in my lungs and ankle made me stop and when I stopped I was in front of Dimitri's gym. I couldn't figure out why I kept bring myself here. Maybe it was because it was where I felt safest, having someone else around. I wasn't sure he wanted to see me after I ran off on him yesterday though so I sat crouched outside the building on top of my backpack hoping none of the cops would see me and give me a ticket for truancy.
I sat there for an entire hour, spacing out and feeling every ache in my body from running so far, before the door to the gym opened and Dimitri stood leaning against it holding it open.
"I've been waiting for you to come inside for over an hour now," he greeted.
I looked up at him in surprise that he'd even noticed I was here.
"I wasn't sure...that you'd want to see me after yesterday."
"The only reason I shouldn't want to see you now is because you should be in school. I'm guessing you have a good reason for ditching?" he asked, holding down a hand to help me up.
I took it gratefully without a moment's hesitation and lead the way inside the building where the cool air smelt like rubber, leather, plastic, and sweat. I caught the lingering scent of Dimitri's aftershave though as he walked beside me.
I nod, answering his question.
He gave a sort of nervous laugh. "I'm not the reason you ditched, am I?" he asked worriedly.
I gave a sort of laugh despite my mood and shook my head. "No...my day just didn't start well and it didn't seem like it was going to get any better."
He set up to foldable chairs and sat in the one across from me, offering me a water bottle from the table beside him.
"Did you run here?" he asked when I finished the bottle in one guzzle.
I nodded, tossing it into recycling.
"Something bad must've happened," he noted. His eyes landed on my shoulder where I was running my hand over the sore spot. "I hate this," he said shaking his head, staring down a his suddenly clenched fists. "I hate that bad things are happening and I can't do anything about it."
"You can't protect everyone," I told him gently.
"It's the former cop in me. I wanted to protect everyone. Had a bit of trouble holding my anger back sometimes which is why, after my accident, I decided to teach self-defense. I thought it might help release some of my pent up anger."
I opened my mouth to ask him a question I'd been wondering for a while now but lost my courage and closed my mouth. Dimitri noticed though.
"What?" he asked gently.
"I...can I ask how you got hurt? You don't have to answer me," I rushed on not wanting to pry. "I was just...curious I guess."
He gave another nervous laugh that rang through my ears, gentle. "You told me about your worst nightmare. I think I can share the worst day of my life. I became a cop two years into college. College just wasn't something I was really into. I wanted to help people but I wanted to do it right away, not wait four years for a degree and then figure out how I wanted to help people. My first few years as a cop was great until there was a call about a domestic disturbance. I heard the address on the scanner and I realized it was my house."
I could feel my eyes widen in surprise.
"I grew up in a house with an amazing mother and too many sisters but I had one of the worst fathers in the world. After watching what he did to my mother and sisters after so many years, he was the reason I wanted to help people. I kicked him out of the house when I was twelve but a while ago he was drunk, came back to the house while I was on duty and he was trying to hurt my mother and sisters again so my grandmother called the police. I was the first to respond, me and my best friend Ivan. We got there and all hell broke loose. He had a gun aimed at my mother and when I dived to push her out-of-the-way he shot me in the leg and then turned the gun on Ivan before turning it on himself."
I shuttered.
I'd always heard that saying that there's always someone in the world with a worse story than yours. This was it. At least it sounded like it.
Suddenly I felt lucky to have a father that simply walked out on me.
"Ivan was pronounced dead at the scene and I was told that my leg was too much of a liability to continue as a cop," he finished.
He stared down at his clasped hands resting on his knees, wearing that same empty look I wore when I remembered the bad things. I didn't like that look on him. It hurt knowing someone else was hurting. I slowly reached my hand out and rested it over both of his.
I didn't bother giving condolences or saying I was sorry to hear that because it never helped. Those words never made anyone feel better.
He looked up, his brown eyes brightening and smiled to me gratefully.
We sat in comfortable silence until my stomach growled and Dimitri chuckled.
"If I was a good role model, I'd take you back to school but since I know we'd only feel terrible if I did that, how about we go for something to eat. I think we have a few things to talk about," he offered, standing up.
It was just then that I realized he was dressed in dark jeans, a loose fitting cotton shirt with only three buttons at the top, and a pair of Converse. Business here was probably slow during the day and he must've had free time to himself.
I liked the idea of having a day away from school, figuring I'd be better enough by tomorrow to go back.
I stood along with him and followed him out to his car. "What if a cop see's me and gives me a ticket for truancy?" I asked worriedly, climbing in.
"We'll go someplace a little way out-of-town then if that's okay with you. I have the perfect place."
Being alone with Dimitri wasn't even a worry on my radar anymore. It was the furthest thought in my mind that he might hurt me.
If anything I only felt comfortable with him.
I smiled and settled into my seat. "It's fine with me. Let's go."