“Are you for real right now? You got high and robbed a convenience store. You were sentenced to juvie. You had an illicit affair with your teacher. Your dad punched you in the eye. You ran away from home. I think you’ve got some experiences,” Avery said.
“Yeah, but some of that stuff hadn’t happened when Mr. Connelly started pursuing me,” Cadence argued.
“What did you just say?”
“Huh?”
“You said Mr. Connelly.”
Cadence’s eyes went wide. So did Avery’s. The girls stared at one another, silently communicating the gravity of Cadence’s slipup.
“Don’t go backwards,” Avery whispered.
“I’m afraid I already am,” Cadence whispered back. “And I’m scared. I mean nothing to him, Avery. I’m just this girl he can mold to be whatever he wants.”
“That’s not true.”
“It IS true. I’m nothing.”
“Cadence . . .”
“I have class,” Cadence said, checking the time on her cell phone.
“Screw class. You’re staying here. We’re talking about this,” Avery said, grabbing her hand. “He’s a fucking asshole right now, Cadence, but he loves you. He loves you very much. He wouldn’t be with you if he didn’t think you were special and important. He’s not that kind of guy.”
Cadence nodded. She felt she’d been doing a lot of that lately. Nodding. Silent agreement. She didn’t believe any of the words people were telling her lately, but she nodded to make them think she did.
She watched Avery’s lips move. It was as if Avery was force feeding her encouragement, but it tasted sour, and it made her want to vomit. But she kept nodding. She even crinkled her brow at one point to make it look like she was really listening. Absorbing and thinking. She let Avery talk at her all afternoon until she had to leave for work. It was instant relief leaving the table. It was relief when she climbed in her car and drove to Millie’s with the radio blaring. She wasn’t familiar with the song, but it served as a distraction. She’d take what she could get.
***
“You look kind of beat up,” Drew said. She stood in the doorway of Mark’s classroom, arms folded over her chest, head cocked in curiosity.
“Do I?” he replied, erasing his board.
“Yeah. Like you didn’t get much sleep last night. Everything okay?” She walked into the room and sat on one of the student tables.
“Just fine,” he replied.
She said nothing as she watched him pack his bag. He glanced at her and shrugged.
“Wanna try again?” she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
He thought for a moment. If he told her he had a fight with his girlfriend, she’d probably stop coming into his room after work to chat. Could work to his advantage. Although, she may pry further, and there was no way he was revealing the details of their argument. He’d have to lie instead, and he didn’t want to put the effort into it.
“I have a hard time sleeping at night,” he said.
“Do you take medicine?” she asked.
“I try not to. I’m not a medicine person,” he replied. He pulled his bag over his shoulder.
“You really like to get the hell out of here right after your last class, huh?” she asked.
He smiled and nodded.
“And where are you going in such a hurry?”
He almost said, “Home to my girlfriend,” but he knew Cadence wouldn’t be there. She was spending the night with Carrie.
“Home,” he said instead.
“Are you one of those homebodies?” Drew asked.
“Sort of,” he replied.
“Well, then I really need to take you for a drink,” she said.
Mark shook his head. “I don’t drink,” he lied.
Drew narrowed her eyes. “Yes, you do.”
Just tell her you have a girlfriend! his brain cried. But he couldn’t. She’d ask questions he wouldn’t want to answer.
“Is there a woman at home?” Drew asked.
Mark sighed. “Yes.”
“And are you fighting?”
His face shot up. Was it that obvious?
“That answers that question,” Drew said. She looked him over. “Come on. I’ll buy you that drink, and you can tell me all about it.”
No. No no no.
“Completely platonic,” she added. She licked her lips.
Bullshit.
“I’m not one for sharing,” Mark said.
“I can tell,” Drew replied, undeterred. “But you could use the advice of another female, couldn’t you? I’m great at giving advice.”
He swore he heard the translation: “I’m great at giving head.”
“It’s really okay,” Mark said. He walked with her out of the room.
“OMG! I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer! You look like shit. You’re fighting with your woman, and you have someone here who wants to help,” Drew said.
You want to destroy me, Mark thought.
“One drink, Mark. I mean, jeez. Get over yourself. You’re not that cute.”
He eyed her carefully. “One.”
***