Brady Remington Landed Me in Jail

"Okay." She attempted a smile, but it came out looking painful. "I'll get that ready for you."

When she closed the door, I stood. I needed to start somewhere. My body ached so I focused on one thing at a time. Everything else buzzed around in my head. I didn't know what I chose to wear that day. I didn't care, but I must've passed the "you don't look crazy" test when Viola didn't blink an eye as she handed my coffee over. My grandfather didn't comment either. In fact, he didn't comment about anything until we got to school. "Have a good day. If you want to…go out or something, that'd be alright with your grandmother and me."

I looked at him in surprise.

"I mean it's your last day, Rayna. You should have some fun today. Forget everything else and make some memories today. That's what your grandmother always said, still says. She likes to make memories. Says they're good to tell around a night of family."

"What family?" I couldn't help asking.

"Rayna."

"Sorry." With my coffee in hand, I bid farewell before heading inside with an empty bag to my chest and the determination to ignore all the peering eyes. What did they care? Did they know? It was like they knew my secret. Brady didn't even know.

As I shouldered around a group of giggling freshmen, I swallowed painfully. I didn't know if I wanted him to know or not. How would he react? Probably with violence, but I wasn't sure beyond that.

Then I looked up as I neared my locker and my throat closed off. Brady was lounging against my locker. I froze in the hallway. I didn't care that students grumbled as they bumped into me. When I didn't move, they flowed around me. I couldn't look away. Brady was at my locker, just a few feet away from me, but he was talking to Matt Krone and Clarissa. All three of them were laughing, looking like the gods and goddess that could've reigned over us all.

Dressed in faded blue jeans and a white shirt, Brady looked confident and dangerous. His blonde hair was gelled slightly and the tribal tattoo peaked out from underneath his sleeve. Clarissa was his twin with her own simple white tank top and a blue jean miniskirt. Her hair had been pulled back into a high French braid that as she laughed, she twisted around and the braid smacked Matt Krone in the face. The golden giant grimaced and caught the hair. Clarissa laughed harder and leaned into him. Her hand fell on his chest for balance.

Brady watched it looking somber. And I watched him. Instead of jealousy or even annoyance, I was surprised to see a slight flash of regret. But what did he regret? Choosing me over her? Was he rethinking all of it? Is that what he wanted to tell me when he came over?

Then I realized how crazy I was becoming. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered because at that moment, I didn't even know if I could handle being his friend. I caught my breath when Brady started to turn his head. His eyes started to sweep the hallway and it was a matter of seconds before he saw me. I couldn't talk to him so I took the coward's way out and ducked behind the group of giggling freshmen to sneak away.

The library was within reach. But when I reached for the door handle, Brady spoke behind me, "Hi, Rayna."

Everything stopped in that moment. My heart. My breath. My mind. It all stopped until he added, "Can you turn around? It's humiliating enough to have to come to my old school to talk to my best friend because I know she'll avoid me if I don't."

I looked down. "We shouldn't talk here."

"You threw me out last night. I…listen, I know you think that I was taking back things, but it wasn't the case. I was just—"

I couldn't hear how he felt about me, not when he didn't know. It wasn't fair to him or to me. "Stop! Please. Please stop."

"Look at me," Brady demanded.

I did, but I looked past his shoulder. Clarissa stood in the hallway beside her locker now. She stood still as she watched us. When she saw I was looking at her, she tried to smile at me, but I couldn't take it. Who was she to give me sympathy? She wanted Brady until yesterday. People don't change, not really. She wasn't really my friend.

I knew what I had to do. So I closed my eyes and braced myself. "You should be with Clarissa. You should be with someone who can be there for you."