Twenty-Four hours ago...
There was something in the air. It was building like static before a storm. Since the day that Avery and I fought that divide between Roxie's misfits and the Vanderville posse had splintered further. To the point that I was certain there was no hope for reconciliation. It was impossible for them to pass each other in the hallways without sneers and glares. This was all my fault even as unintentional as my actions had been.
I opened my locker and began to empty my book bag. Around me the mill of voices and bodies was stifling. It was hard not to be paranoid with all that was going on. There was always that creeping thought that someone might try to get payback for what I had done. The only thing that helped was that since my return no one had gone out of there way to talk to me, let alone come near me. It made sense, though. Many of them had witnessed my fight with Avery. Before I may have come across as a bit eccentric. But now they saw me as a threat to their comfortable and secure lives. Better that they not even acknowledge my existence than possibly incur my wrath.
The only person that I couldn't seem to escape was Roxie. I mean I was sharing a room with her at the moment, but still I wish she would let me be. She was too much to bear on good days, and I had not seen many of those recently. As if I summoned her, she suddenly stood beside me.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Archer and Tommy are in the principal's office. They got busted with drugs."
"And?"
"And they were clearly planted." She leaned closer to me. "I thought you talked to loverboy the other night."
Closing my locker I looked to her with a flat expression. "I did."
"Then why are those assholes starting stuff with us?"
"How should I know? Why don't you ask them?" I turned and started walking away. I was late to an appointment with the school counselor. Of course, that was no problem for me considering I was planning on ditching it anyway. I didn't need to discuss my problems with a stranger. But if I got held up too long she might catch me.
Roxie grabbed a hold of my arm and I bit back the urge to snarl at her. She closed the distance between our faces and said in a low voice, "I'm all for the ass whoopin' you gave Avery. But you started this, which means you're going to fix it."
"Are you threatening me?"
She let go of me with a relaxed smile. "Of course not. We're friends, all of us. I Just thought you should know what was up."
I didn't know what she thought that I could do about this. Alec made it clear that he wasn't going to help me. And after I told him to stay out of my way I didn't think my pride could take the blow of turning to him and hoping something was different.
A loud commotion erupted at the other side of the hallway. I turned my face to see that Mae was cornered by a couple of the Vanderville posse. She looked so small pressed up against the lockers, though her eyes were full of a silent rage.
"Like I said," Roxie muttered, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She was just like Avery but a bit more unpredictable. Which made me more wary about crossing her.
"I'm on it."
"Better put some hustle in that step."
Zach broke through the growing crowd and snatched one of the boys by the back collar of his t-shirt and pulled him away from Mae. He had always come across as the silent, peaceful type but at the moment his eyes were burning a familiar golden hue. And they were trained on his prey in a cold, murderous stare. This was the power of the beast that lived inside of us. It made us forget our humanity--our moral compass.
I could clearly remember the moment that my own beast had taken control of my body. The fire that burned in my veins as I clashed with Avery. There was a hunger, an uncontainable rage that simmered inside the wolf. The poor creatures lived in a world of instinct. In the end everything was divided into two distinct classes, either you were the predator or you were the prey.
Alec was there a second before us, pushing through the crowd and stepping between the two of them. "Both of you need to relax."
"Tell your boy to walk away, Vanderville," Zach said never looking away from his prey.
The boy in question, one I hadn't cared to know, sneered over Alec's shoulder. "Or what? I'm not afraid of you."
"You should be!" Zach pressed forward.
"Both of you need to walk away," Alec replied, making sure to look to both of them.
"Alec is right." I stepped forward, meeting his ocean eyes for a moment before looking away. "This isn't the time and this definitely isn't the place."
The boy spit on the ground near my feet. Clearly, meant to be an insult but I didn't even get a chance to respond to it. Alec grabbed hold of his collar and yanked him closer, lips pulled back from his teeth in a violent sneer of his own. "You're going to walk away or so help me, Clint..."
It was a shock for everyone to see that kind of reaction, that the whole crowd seemed to grow still and silent.
"Is there a problem here?" The question came from Miss Mercer, the school counselor and the person I had wanted to avoid seeing.
The two groups put more space between each other, though they had been caught red handed. The crowd began to disperse as if sensing that nothing interesting was going to happen after all. Miss Mercer stepped into the center. She had a mousy look to her, dark hair and small stature. Big brown eyes hidden behind glasses.
"Don't you have classes to get to?"
Zach stared a moment longer before turning to Mae, grabbing her hand and walking away. Roxie gave me a small nudge with her elbow, following quietly behind her friends. That left me alone with Alec and his friends. And they seemed to notice that about the same time that I did. The tension ramped back up, all of them eyed me up like a slab of fresh meat.
"Alec please make sure your friends find their way to class."
"Gladly," he said, not sparing a glance in my direction even as I silently begged him too. He had stepped in when he didn't have to, when he had told me wouldn't. I watched as they walked away, doing my best to ignore the way their hungry eyes raked over me.
"Thanks," I whispered as Alec passed by.
He paused for a beat, but didn't say anything. Only followed behind his friends like nothing had happened at all. I know I had told myself that I didn't care about him. That I wouldn't care.
But I did care. It burned in my veins and pounded in my chest.
"Why is it that you always find yourself in trouble, Miss Cartwright?"
I met Miss Mercers gaze and shrugged a shoulder, ignoring the ache in my heart. "Just lucky I guess."
She shook her head and looked down at the watch on her wrist. "I believe we have an appointment."
With a heavy sigh, I fixed the strap of my bag and started walking toward her office, leaving her to trail behind.
#
The office was small. There was only one window in the room, which sat behind a desk that was covered with tiny knickknacks. It was a rather uniform space. I plopped down in the uncomfortable chair set in front of the desk, slouching a bit.
"How do you think you're adjusting to Twin Peaks?"
"That's a joke, right?"
"It's my job to ask these questions. Humor me."
I scoffed and looked away to the framed diploma hanging in a neat frame. "Have you lived here your entire life?"
"Mostly. I went away for college. I needed some time away from after my sister died." Her voice was even despite the information she had just shared. It put some ice on my irritation.
"Why did you come back?" I asked, looking back to her.
She met my gaze, something in her undivided attention made me nervous. Like she somehow saw through me. "Because, despite all its flaws, this place has always been my home."
"I'm not sure I really know what it means to have a home anymore."
Miss Mercer leaned back in her chair, breaking my gaze for a moment. "I think it can be hard for people like us--who have lost more than most. But you do have people who care about you. Your sister, Roxanne, Alec, Callum..."
"I guess," I replied.
"Mary-Beth, I'm going to be frank with you." Her sudden candor took me by surprise. "You need to be more careful going forward. Fighting, ditching classes, getting suspended...you're headed down a dangerous road. You're a smart girl. You can go places. But you need to keep your head in the books and keep out of town drama."
I blinked at her words. "I don't know what you mean."
She didn't seem convinced, just held my gaze with a detached expression. "It's my job to know what goes on around here. People said you were asking questions about Maggie Redford's death before the fight between you and Avery broke out."
"So what if I was?"
Miss Mercer shifted forward in her chair, and my hackles raised at the motion for some reason. There was something threatening in her relaxed movements, almost like they were forced. "I think it safer that you leave that sort of thing up to the authorities. Small towns are different than big cities. It easy to offend people sensibilities."
I tucked my tongue into my cheek. "Did you know Maggie?"
"Of course," she replied with an easy tone. "It's my job. Maggie was exceptionally bright student with an exceptionally bright future ahead of her. Much like yourself. Honestly, It's a tragedy what happened to her."
"Yeah..." I didn't know what to say. Only that something in my gut told me there was something that Miss Mercer knew that might shed some light on things.
She cleared her throat. "Well, I think that should be it. Unless you have anything else you would like to discuss."
"No, I think we understand each other."
She smiled, big and wide. "Wonderful. Stay out of Trouble."
--------------
So let me just say that this is supposed to be happening while Lucinda and Cal are talking with Alastair.
Hopefully, I've got the wheels in your head turning now. Because all of the breadcrumbs are coming together now.
;-)