Chapter 24:

-

Delilah timidly slid her books from her locker into her bag. Several whispers of girls passing by filled her ears, and she could only imagine they were talking about her, since giggles would always soon be followed by snide looks. And since Joe had so abruptly abandoned her in the time she needed him most, there was no one to stop their presecution. Boys she didn't even know would approach her with job offers, and girls would treat her as if she didn't deserve to be breathing their air. All in all, it was turning out to be the worst week of her life.

"So," another random boy leaned against the locker to the left of her, letting his buddies surround her. "My brother's having this bachelor party, and--"

"Beat it, hoodlum. I'm not a stripper."

"You're close enough, from what I hear."

"Then maybe someone had better rip your ears off," said a voice behind them. The brunette boy turned to see Joe standing behind them, his arms crossed in confrontation and his face daring them to say another word.

Taking the hint quickly, the boy tapped his friends, lowered his eyes and left.

"I'd say thanks," Delilah said, going beck to gathering her locker's contents. "But my curiousness is getting the better of me—So first, I'm going to ask what you're doing here."

"I'm sorry about what I said," Joe said very seriously, looking around to make sure no one was witnessing him speaking with his former girlfriend. "I'm just trying to protect you."

Delilah closed her locker, to reveal the word 'slut' spray painted in black across the front. Joe frowned at this, but said nothing.

"Uh huh, sure," Delilah said with a sigh. "The whole school finds out your girlfriend is the equivalent of a prostitute, you break up with her two days later and you expect me to believe that you were simply protecting me? You'll have to do better than that, Joe."

"Would you let me explain?" Joe asked in desperation.

She nodded understandingly, and let him say his peace.

"My father has banned you out of my life," Joe confessed. "By penalty of death, Ly. I'm not even allowed to be speaking with you at this very moment, and I have to marry Meredith in three weeks. I know what you're going through, because I feel it too."

Delilah sighed again.

"Then why are you talking to me now? You should go before you're caught."

"I had to make sure you knew why I'm doing this. I didn't want what I said the other day to be our last words to each other."

Delilah smiled at him as if he had said something very sweet, and looked upon him dotingly, and let her fingers graze his hair.

"Your blonde roots are starting to show."

"I've decided to stop dying it black. Someone said they'd like me better being true to my natural self."

"Maybe you should do that in all areas of your life…"

"I wish I could," Joe said, grabbing her by the cheeks. "It's killing me, being apart from you. But by being with you, I'm killing you."

Delilah's eyes suddenly filled with extreme sadness, to the point of near tears.

"Do you understand me?" Joe said exasperatedly.

She nodded, and Joe embraced her.

"My moving to New York didn't come at a more convenient time."

Joe looked at her as if making sure she was serious. He then realized that she had just been gathering all her books when he had arrived. She was cleaning out her locker.

"I can't stand to be here in this Godforsaken town anymore," she explained. "And without you, it'll be Hell."

She stroked his face fondly, then kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome to send for me anytime you like. I'll be back when you're ready to have me… faster than you can say Mrs. Joseph Garwin."

Joe hung his head in grief, loving the sound of those words too much.

"This is for the best," he said, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself more than her.

"No, it isn't," she countered. "But we'll get through it anyway."

-

"MARRIED?" Rosalind's father huffed as her brothers held him back from attacking Glenn.

"Oh!" Rosalind's mother, Abigail, exclaimed as if offended, looking at Glenn in a whole new light. All was silent as she stepped up to Glenn, staring him over. Glenn gulped again, wondering if the older woman was going to slap him.

"Boy," she said seriously. "How old are you?"

"I'll be eighteen this year," Glenn answered quickly as if under an interrogator's spotlight.

"And your parents signed you permission for this marriage?"

"Yes."

"And how do you plan on supporting my daughter?"

"I'm an heir to a great fortune."

"And you love her?"

"Very much."

Suddenly Abigail smiled and held her arms open wide for him.

"Welcome to the family!" she cried, then embraced him. Rosalind's brothers slapped his back each in turn as well.

"Abigail!" Rosalind's father, Abraham, shouted in anger. "Don't approve of this madness! We are going to city hall to get this annulled right now!"

"I won't!" Rosalind piped up. "Glenn is my husband now, and you're just going to have to accept it! Just give him a day, an hour! That's all it'll take for you to fall in love with him… as much as I have."

Rosalind looked upon Glenn with a sweet expression after she finished. Glenn returned it full force, his heart lurching at her beautiful bravery.

"Gag me," one brother spoke up, pointing a finger at his open mouth.

"Whatever," her father snorted. "Just get the pale-faced nerd into the car."

-

Wayne sat on the front stairs to the school, concentrating on a yellow flower he had grabbed off the nearest bush. A pile of stems and detached flower petals laid several feet below him on the grassy ground.

Then the cause of all his pain stepped out the front door, noticing him right away and hurrying to get past him. About halfway down the quad's winding path, Beatrice stopped, turned, and looked back at Wayne… who had not moved a muscle.

She took several more steps away from him, and looked back again. Still he concentrated on his dumb flower.

Fed-up with his odd behavior, she stormed back up to him and shoved him on the shoulder.

"Why aren't you following me and being obnoxious?"

"I'm too busy drowning in my sorrows," Wayne replied dramatically.

"What's wrong with you?" Beatrice demanded, slapping the flower out of his hand angrily. "Did you not notice I was there?"

"I always know when you're near."

"Then WHAT?" Beatrice huffed, utterly flabbergasted.

"I thought you wanted me to leave you alone?"

"People want a lot of things they will never get. I know this."

Wayne grinned up at Beatrice with a large smile.

"You miss me following you around…!"

"Puh-lease," Beatrice scoffed. "Like I'd miss having lice in my hair."

"You're already bored of Jimmy boy, huh?"

"No!" Beatrice countered. "He is ten times the man that you'll ever be, Wayne Parry!"

"How would you know?" Wayne pointed out. "You've never dated me."

"I don't date outside my species."

Wayne sighed, then grabbed her by the hand and pulled.

"Com'on," he commanded.

"What?! No!" Beatrice said, fighting his lead. "What are you doing?"

Wayne turned back to her with a face ready for negotiation.

"Just one date. One hour."

"No date, no hours—are you kidding? I'm going out with your Cov-brother!"

"Alright, two hours…" Wayne upped the price. "Don't make me go three, cuz I will."

Beatrice sighed, feeling as if she had no choice. She cast him a harsh look.

"One hour, Wayne-trap. And it's not a date--"

But Wayne couldn't hear her, for her was already leaping in the air shouting:

"YES!" He then grasped her by the wrist again and practically dragged her off.

"No!" Beatrice protested. "Wait, you have to hear my terms!"

"Yeah, yeah, terms, whatever. This date gonna blow your pants off! No pun intended!"

"It's not a date!"

"Okay, maybe a little pun was intended."

Beatrice slapped her forehead into her hand as Wayne lead her off, wondering how she got talked into this one.

"This is gonna be the worst hour ever…" she muttered.

As they ventured together across the quad, Beatrice saw off in the distance, a horse-drawn carriage with red velvet seats and an elderly driver who tipped his hat to Wayne.

"Hey, Bill," Wayne said casually, waving to the man as the pair walked up.

"Hello, Mr. Parry," Bill replied. "I was almost worried you two wouldn't show."

Beatrice looked at Wayne with utter disgust.

"You PLANNED THIS!!"

Wayne spoke as if she should have known that already.

"Uh… Yeah."

Speechless, Beatrice shook her head, her mouth gaping at Wayne's audacity. Unfazed, Wayne stepped up to the buggy's step and held out his hand to her as if saying: 'See? I can be a gentlemen too.'

"Your carriage awaits, my lady."

-

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Signed,
--RedRogue