It Happened Last Year

Chapter 25

It is hard to get over someone when they have the keys to your car. It is even more difficult when that same person seems to care for you, then doesn't, then does, then doesn't, then takes said keys. It sucks, even more, when the only way to get those keys before the end of the day is to face your tormentors.

He just had to take them. Daniel just had the care today.

Putting in my brave face, I walk over to the table, but not close enough to where they can talk to me, yet close enough to were Jordan can notice me. Once he does, I motion for him to come over. As I expected, everyone including Harrison sees this, but it is better than being talked to.

Harrison watches me closely, making my palms clammy. I want to yell at him to stop, shouting in front of everyone like I am out of control. I feel out of control. Daniel is causing this. He took away my only way out.

"What's up?" Jordan asks.

"I was just wondering if you know where Daniel is. He has the keys to my car."

Jordan gives me a look, but I am not sure what it means. "He might be out by the track. Sometimes he goes during lunch."

I thank Jordan and take my lead, heading out to the track behind the school. I haven't been out there since the only football game I attended before fall break, and I haven't planned on going back. It reminds me too much of Sophomore year, when Daphne and I were best friends, and before the incident with Harrison.

Daphne always wanted to go to every football game, hoping to catch Harrison's attention. She knew if she was friends—or more—with Harrison, that she'd be immediately popular, and it would surely secure her a spot on the Dance Team. Harrison had that much power.

She would try and talk to him after every game. It is weird to see her sitting next to him now, such good friends. I wonder what she did to earn it.

I notice Daniel on the track, casually jogging. My eyes scan the area until they come upon his track bag. The keys must be in there. He notices me as I walk through the chain-linked gate, turning around and heading my way.

"I'm getting my keys," I call to him.

Daniel meets me halfway, reaching the bag before I do. "If I remember correctly, I said after school."

"If I remember correctly, they're my keys." I move the move towards his bag, but he steps in front of me. "This is ridiculous. I'm fine now, see?"

Daniel glances at me up and down, I cross my arms, then he says, "Why do you want to leave?"

"I don't feel well."

He nods, peering off to the side, "You can do better than that, Hailey." His eyes find me again and I frown.

"What? Do you want me to throw up on your shoes or something?"

Daniel shrugs. "If that's what it takes."

"This isn't a game." I attempt to slip past him, but again, he gets in the way. Feeling extremely frustrated, I glare at him. Why does he have to be so pretty? "Please, just please give me my keys. I can't be here any longer. I want to go home."

"To do what? Lock your bedroom door and cry?"

I bite the inside of my cheek, hard enough to where it stops me from tearing up. Usually, it works. Sometimes it draws blood. Is this tough love? "Yeah. I'm going to lock the door and cry my stupid little eyes out. Now give me my damn keys."

Daniel bends down, grabs my keys from the bag, then places them in my hand without saying a word. I leave without saying anything also.

The drive home is quiet. I don't play music, no talking to myself, no phone call from Jana, just silence.

I do not know what Daniel and I have become. Friends? Maybe. He knows something about me that Jana doesn't even know, and I'm sure he doesn't go around telling people that he's beat people up for some 'bad guy.' It is weird, I have never felt like this before, not even before Harrison.

Our conversations are not normal, ever. I have feelings for him that I would like to extinguish, and for some odd reason he feels the need to protect me like a younger sister. On top of that, Harrison's talk has me all messed up in the head.

Will I ever tell Daniel what Harrison did to me? He obviously wants to know. Though, he does believe I was in an abusive relationship like his sister. Maybe I should just let him believe that. Maybe he'll move on then, no longer curious. It would be much easier to get over my crush if he has no interest in me whatsoever. I mean, he already knows about Mr. Russ. I've given him enough.

Once inside, I find my mother in the kitchen. "What are you doing home?" I ask. It's Monday.

She is standing in front of the coffeemaker in her robe, wrapped up like a grandmother. Her dark hair is a mess, they are dark bags under her green eyes, and she overall looks exhausted. "I've got a cold," she tells me. "What are you doing home? There are still two more hours of school."

I improvise, "I wasn't feeling well. The nurse told me I could leave."

My mother sighs. "I must have given you my cold. Go on. Get some sleep. There are meds in the cabinet if you need it."

I nod and make my way upstairs before she questions me more. I couldn't have gotten the cold from her as I never see her anymore, but I keep that to myself.

As Daniel said, I lock my door and lay on my bed, yet I do not cry. After a while of lying here, I find myself drifting off. Just as I slip into my much-wanted abyss of sleep, my phone buzzes beside me like a crying baby, making me extremely annoyed. My hand shoots out and grips onto it as if I have the strength to crush the small device. Jana's contact lights up the screen.

I swipe to answer, bringing it to my ear. "Yes, Jana?" I ask, clearly bothered.

"Tell me," she starts as if she is about to scold me, "why am I hearing that Daniel has beaten the shit out of Harrison?"