Levi
Stop. See you at lunch, ya heathen.
A smile fills my face, and I can’t help but chuckle. Setting my belongings down on my desk, I take out my schedule to figure out my next class and where it will be. When I unfold it, something catches my eye on the back of the paper.A map? Spencer drew a map on the back of my schedule.The map has numbers one through four on it. Number one is the art room, two is the room I'm in right now, and three and four are mapped out exactly where I need to be. So, this is what he was doing on the bridge. Looking down, I notice writing on the bottom,
Don't get lost. If you do, here is my number.
The math teacher starts his lecture, and I stuff my phone and schedule back into my bag.
My stomach growls as I make my way to the cafeteria. Following the map back down to the first floor, I notice Levi and Spencer standing together right outside the cafeteria doors. The smell of food makes my stomach beg for a taste, only it doesn’t smell as appetizing as my stomach thinks it does. My nose scrunches, and Levi laughs. “It’s supposedly chili.” He laughs, and I shake my head.
“Great, looks like I'm starving.” I tip my head back in defeat.
Spencer nods his head towards the door. “Let's go get some real food.” Spencer starts walking to the same door we came through this morning.
Spencer walks to a black F-150 parked in the front row of the parking lot, with a sticker on the back that says 'NCC Baseball' in black and orange letters.This is a nice truck, not surprisinggiven the house his parents own. Little does he know that we can only afford our house because my mom killed herself.I open the door carefully, not to hit the small sedan parked next to me.
Spencer starts the truck. “What are you guys hungry for?” He looks in the review mirror, and I shrug.
Levi is always the first to suggest where we go because I can never make up my mind, “Take us to your favorite fast-food place.” Spencer nods in agreement and heads down the road.
Pulling into an empty parking lot, we pull next to a random food truck. With the name “The Taco Guy.”What is this?I turn back to Spencer, who is grinning at me in the review mirror. “Uh, where the fuck are we?” He laughs, and Levi looks back at me. “What? If I wanted to get food poisoning, I would have eaten the school's chili. Instead, I will get it from The Taco Guy.”
Spencer laughs, shaking his head. “Trust me, this guy can make some damn good tacos.” He lifts his hand. “I swear, you won't get sick, and if you do, I’ll come kick his ass.” He winks and jumps out of his truck. Levi follows.
Walking to the window, a man in a cook's hat with gloves on smiles. “Hey, man, you want the usual?” My eyes grow wide as Levi looks at me and laughs.
“So, you're a regular?” Levi asks with a mocking tone.
Spencer nods. “Three orders of the regular.” He hands the guy his card, and the gentleman passes six tacos through the window. Spencer thanks the guy and throws Levi two tacos, and me the other two, before grabbing his two. “Thank you, have a good day.” Staring at Spencer with a what the hell look, he smiles cheerfully.
Sitting in the truck, the boys tear into their tacos. Spencer looks back at me, still holding mine, questioning if I'm going tospend the last part of the school day in the bathroom if I eat this. “Trust me, it's the best place. If it isn't, you can kick my ass.” I knew it was going to be good; it smelled amazing. My stomach was growling louder as I scolded it in my head to shut up. I didn’t want Spencer to be right; he’s been nice all day, and it's freaking me out. Grant's voice enters my thoughts.Guys are only nice when they want one thing, and once they get it, they don’t give a fuck anymore. Look at me.I can feel the shift in my posture, the falling of my eyes, and I know Spencer sees it as he looks back. I quickly shift my focus and smile, opening the foil wrapping.
Spencer was right, the tacos were excellent, the best food ever, but one taco had me full. It was huge, filled with steak, cheese, peppers, and onions. It was incredible. I sink into the black leather seats, placing my hand over my now full and satisfied stomach. “I am so full,” I groaned, holding out my other taco between the two beasts who just housed two tacos at the time I ate one. “Who wants it?” Levi gives it to Spencer, and I know he did so only because he paid. Levi can EAT.
Arriving back at school, the rest of the day flies by because I'm feeling at ease here. The teachers have all been caring and friendly, and I haven't had any encounters with the other students, just as I like it—a shadow, unseen, unheard, and unquestioned. It also comforts me to know Levi is here all day, working. I know he is close, if I need him. This town is fresh; there was no one asking about my dead mother, no one asking how she died, no one asking about Grant, or why he got demoted from the police force to a traffic cop. It was a breath of fresh air, a new start. I could be anyone I wanted here, and yet I still chose to be invisible, because that’s what I was taught to do.
Levi stands by the back door, surrounded by school employees laughing and talking.
Spencer is in the group on the other side of the hall; I try my best to beeline past them, basically running out the door. Just before my hands make contact with the door, Spencer yells my name. “Scarlett!” Every single person in both circles turns and looks in my direction. Feeling my face flush red, my hands grew clammy fast, and my throat tightened—shit, shit, shit.I give a small wave, and he waves me over.Seriously, could he not sense my need to flee?Levi walks over to me, throws his arm around my shoulders, and walks me in the direction of Spencer and the team, all huddled together.
“This is Scarlett, my sister. My very OFF-LIMITS sister. Unless you want to be running bases before breakfast every morning, you will keep your distance.” The guys all nod and greet me.This is so embarrassing.He goes back to talking with his new friends, and I slowly slip out of his grasp and make my escape. Levi lets me go with ease, knowing how I feel being surrounded by people.
Stepping outside, I catch my breath; everyone's eyes on me makes my skin burn.I don’t have any bruises right now, and I have nothing to hide. They aren't looking at the bruises; they aren't there.Walking to the car, I repeat the line over and over again—so many voices and people. I'm not on the floor in the bedroom... I'm not being taken away.Getting to the car, I lean over, placing my hands on my knees, attempting to catch my breath. Grant's voice fills my head, my mind stumbles over my mother's words;“Don’t tell, he’ll kill me, please don't tell anyone, I'll make him stop.”She would beg me to keep his secret, to hide what he did, because it was better for me than for her. I can feel my chest tighten, and the constriction grows with each breath I inhale. The heat blasts onto my back, and breathing becomes labored. Just as tears start to swell inmy eyes, there is a palm placed gently on my back. “Scarlett?” Spencer's soft voice registers over my heavy breathing.
Looking up, I try to slow my breathing and form words. “Hey, hey, it’s alright.” He keeps his hand on my mid back, and begins to rub it with the gentlest touch. “It’s alright, breathe slow, nice and steady.” He reaches his hand around, searching for mine. “I’m going to grab your hand if that's okay? Stand up for me.” I straighten my hunched-over body as he takes my hand and places it on his chest, right over his heart. “Breath with me. Slow and easy. Feel me and use my heartbeat to steady yours.” He takes slow, controlled breaths. I focus on the beat of his heart under my palm. I feel each hit and listen to the air leave his mouth as he breathes in through his nose and out through his mouth. Slowly, my breathing becomes less labored and my chest less tight. He removes my hand, setting it down with tenderness. Leaving one hand on my back, his thumb rubs back and forth. “Does that happen a lot?” His eyes hold so much compassion as he looks at me, like he sees me, and that scares me. I nod my head, unable to find words.
Spencer removes his hand, and Levi finally makes his way over to us with a smile. A genuine smile, his eyes wrinkling at the sides, and his bright white teeth glisten in the sun. I haven't seen him smile in ages; not like that, anyway.
“Hey, Letty, you good?” His eyes bounce between me and Spencer.
Spencer pretends to be winded. “We just raced to the truck; loser buys lunch tomorrow. She’s fast.” He wipes his non-existent sweat off his forehead. Glancing over to him, he winks and smiles.
Levi walks around to the driver's side. “So, Letty, tell me what boy did you make out with in the bathroom today?” Blush shootsup my face,seriously. Spencer whips his head from my brother to me, and his eyes grow twice as big.
Spencer’s curiosity displays across his face. “You did what now?” He tilts his head.
Flustered, I opened the passenger door. “It was a joke, you dick, I’m not a slut.” I turn towards Spencer, who looks like someone just kicked his dog. “It was a joke. No kisses over here.” I slouch into the car and shut the door.
