Call Me Crazy (21 page)

“Tally, baby, what happened to you?” My voice is soft, but even I hear the ache in it. Whatever it is that put her in that bathroom on that floor, whatever it is that brought her to this place, it isn’t enough to keep me away. She may not believe me now. She may expect me to just accept what she’s said, but instead she’s going to learn that she has just met her match. And after seeing what was done to her locker, there is no way on earth or hell that she will go through that again.

Cha
pter 16

“I have never wanted to believe somebody more in my life than I did Trey. As he stood before me offering me himself, offering for me to be held in those arms again. I nearly caved. I nearly said fine, I’ll take my chances. But if I let him in any further than he already is and then he decided to jump ship, I’m not sure I would ever get over that. I’m not a stranger to pain and at one time, I welcomed it with open arms.
But it nearly killed me. I won’t do that again.” ~Tally

I hear the knock on my door and as much as I wish I could just tell her to go away, I know I can’t do that to my mom.

“Come in,” I tell her, surprised that she didn’t just walk in.

“Tally?” she says tentatively. “I just wanted to see how your first day back was.”

I close my eyes remembering my locker, then Trey. “It was fine,” I lie.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” She walks farther in and then sits on the edge of my bed where I’m lying on my back, looking at the ceiling.  What am I going to say? No
? My heart is broken; some buttheads vandalized my locker; so please leave me the crap alone?

“Sure,” I tell her.

“I just need you to know that I realize your father and I haven’t handled this in the best way. It’s just really hard to see your child go through something like this, especially when we don’t understand it.”

I know she means well, really I do, but
does she think that I understand it any better than she does? Didn’t she stop to think that regardless of whether or not they understood, I needed them? I needed them to tell me that it didn’t matter what was going on that they loved me no matter what?

“It’s alright, Mom. I know it’s hard.” I try to sound as understanding as I possibly can, but with everything that has happened today, my level of sincerity is about as high as my level of patience, which is to say
, nonexistent.

“It’s really not, but I want you to know that we love you very much, even when we aren’t good at showing it. Parents make mistakes, and when we do, we have no idea how to fix them.” I look up at her face and see sincerity there. I love her. I want to accept her apology and part of me does. But it will take time for me to let go of the hurt they caused.

“Okay.” That’s all I can say. That’s all I have in me right now.

“Alright,” she says after a moment. She stands and walks out, closing the door quietly behind her.

I glance over at my books that are sitting on my desk. Natalie had brought them over just as she said she would. Then she proceeded to drill me about Trey, after she swooned over how good looking he was. “You said he was hot, Tal. You did not say he was not even on the temperature scale because of said hotness.” she had told me. I had to agree, the guy was amazing. But he was off limits, at least to me.

I hear my phone vibrate and Nat’s ring following. I reach over and grab it off my bedside table.

“What’s up?” I ask her.

“You don’t sound devastated. Why don’t you sound devastated?”

I frown at the ceiling, “Did you ever think that maybe I’m tired of being devastated?”

“If you were tired of being devastated you would be on the phone with that big hunk of Native American yumminess and not with me.” She points out helpfully.

“Nat?”

“Yes.”

“What do you want?”

She huffs, “I’m hurt that you would think that I want something. I’m just calling to say hi and see how you are doing. Also to point out that Trey ripped that crap off your locker. I forgot to mention that earlier.”

“WHAT!” With everything that had happened in the parking lot of Mercy, I hadn’t even thought to ask how he’d known where I was.

“I was trying to get it off, but it wouldn’t budge and then Hercules comes in and just rips it off. I thought he was going to kill someone. Seriously, Tal, you should have seen the look on his face.”

“I think I know the look you’re talking about,” I tell her as I remember the look he had given me when he thought I had insulted him and questioned his integrity.

“I just thought you might want a heads up. I can’t believe he didn’t tell you when you saw him today.”

“Things were a little tense when we talked today,” I remind her.

“Right, well, I’m not going to quit telling you that you’re making a mistake and that you will be pissed once one of the other hussies snag
s him up.”

I don’t even want to think about Trey with someone else. It actually makes me ill to even consider it. Thank you, Natalie, for that.

“Okay, Nat, I’m going to bed now.”

“Fine. Ignore me, but you know I’m right.”

As I lay there in my bed I close my eyes, willing myself to sleep, but it wouldn’t come. Instead, all I can think about is what I would do if Trey did move on and started dating someone else. I decide then that I would do what any girl would do in that situation. Slash the girl’s tires, of course.

I grin to myself as I think of Candy’s smiling face, then wonder if it was the best idea to be happy that my decision would please Candy.

~

“Hey,” I say to Nat who is standing next to my car as I climb out.

“Hey back,” she smiles.

“I know that smile, Natalie, what’s going on?” I narrow my eyes at her.

She shrugs. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she says a little too cheerfully.

She grabs my arm and tucks hers into it as we begin walking towards the front doors of the school. She’s chattering on about how she thinks Bobby Reynolds might be into her. Which I already know, but Nat is just so oblivious it takes her a couple years to catch up to what the rest of us have figured out. I listen intently, enjoying some normal conversation that for once doesn’t pertain to me, pscyh wards, or guys beyond my reach. Just as we’re nearing the lockers, we see a crowd.

“Bloody hell, not again,” I groan.

“They’re not doing anything to your locker, Tally,” Nat tells me as she holds me back.

“Then what’s going on?” I ask her as my eyes stay glued to the group of people. I can’t see through them to what so exclusively has their attention, but it’s not a fight because no one is chanting or acting like idiots.

“It’s a warning,” she tells me. Bobby walks up beside us and smiles warmly at me.

“Hey, Tally.” I’ve always liked
Bobby, in a completely platonic sort of way. He’s always been kind to me and though he looks like he would hang with the “haves,", those are the ones that think they are beyond the reach of even the gods, he pretty much is his own crowd. He has friends in just about every social circle and if he doesn’t care for a person’s attitude or actions, he just doesn’t hang out with them, regardless of who it is.

“Hi Bobby. What do you mean, a warning?” I ask quickly after acknowledging him.

“I might have told Trey who was involved in the locker incident because he might have asked.” Nat confesses.

“You did not.” My eyes widen as I stare at my best friend.

“Tally someone needs to scare the crap out of these jerks and who better than your huge boyfriend.”

“He is not my boyfriend,” I snap in a whisper. Why I say it in a whisper I’m not sure, and even if I am, I will not fess up.

Natalie starts walking towards the group and Bobby stays with her, so I quickly move to catch up. She pushes through the crowd ignoring scowls, until we are finally at the front. My mouth drops open as I see Trey holding a very pissed off looking Carter Evans, Amber’s on again off again boyfriend, and unspoken leader of the “haves." Trey’s got him by the throat, pressed against a wall of lockers and to my utter surprise, Carter’s feet are not touching the ground. Trey’s hair is in its usual braid down his back and his gray shirt hugs his body. His forearm and bicep bulge as he holds his prey. He looks relaxed, oddly enough. His long, powerful legs encased in faded jeans that fit a little too nicely, are spread just slightly to brace his body because of the extra weight. He’s magnificent, truly, and though I don’t want to be, I am totally crazy, ignore the pun, for this guy. My attention is drawn back from his body to his face and then to Carter’s.

“If I ever see you near her locker, her car, her house, or her, I’ll…,” Trey leans forward and whispers in Carters ear so softly that no one else can hear. But when all the blood drains from Carter’s face making him now resemble a corpse
more than a living being, I decide that it’s a really good thing that no one heard what Trey said.

Just as Trey is letting Carter go, Amber pushes through the crowd and saunters, yes, literally saunters, up to him. I watch as she raises her hand and lays it on Trey’s chest and leans forward. I don’t have any idea what she was planning on saying because I’m across the space that was between us and standing in front of Trey faster than I knew I could move. I smack her hand away and glare at her.

“Back the hell up,” my voice is surprisingly calm considering the jealousy and anger that is pulsing through me. Amber stares at me with utter disdain and if I could even bring myself to care, I wouldn’t. I feel a strong arm come around me and pull me back against a firm stomach. I feel warm breath on my neck and nearly pass out when I feel lips just behind my ear.

“Good morning.” Trey whispers against it. “Breathe Tally,” he tells me and I realize that if I don’t do as he says, I just might pass out. The crowd clears as they realize the action is over and I’m left standing there alone, in Trey’s arms.

“What are you doing?” I whisper back.

“Saying good morning to my girl,” he responds. I pull away and he lets me go, but steps closer when I try to back away.

“I’m not,” I start to speak, but he stops me.

“Regardless of what you think, Tally, you are mine… and now
they know it as well,” he motions out to the hall where people are milling about, “The quicker you come to terms with that, the easier this will be.”

“We’ve already talked about this,” I grumble at him. He wraps an arm around me and starts to pull me along beside him.

“What’s your first class? I don’t want you to be late.”

“English,” I answer automatically.

He grins down at me, “Me too.”

This is not happening, I think to myself. I am not going to let this happen. I really am trying to tell myself that, but as we walk down the hall together and people turn away instead of stare at me, I have to admit that it is so nice to feel protected and safe. And I know that with Trey I’m safe, physically, that is. But with my heart, that’s a whole different story.

We walk into English and Trey guides us to the desks on the right side of the room all the way to the back. He ushers me into the second to last desk and then takes the one behind me. The bell hasn’t rung yet, so I turn and look at him. His lips twitch as if he is trying to hold back a smile and his eyes smolder into mine. I raise my eye brows at him, “What are you doing?”

“This,” he whispers and motions between us.

“No, we are not doing this.” I tell him for what feels like the hundredth time.

He leans forward in his desk until his face is less than an inch from mine. “I asked you to give this a chance. We were in Candy’s room. You were sitting on her bed. Remember?”

I close my eyes as I see the moment he is talking about. I nod.

“You said, ‘Okay’.
So yes, we are doing this.”

To my com
plete and utter shock he wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me towards him. He closes that half inch between us and presses his lips to mine. It was quick, but it was potent. I’m still staring at him when he lets go of my neck and leans back in his chair. The bell rings. I’m still staring.  Mrs. Potts begins speaking and I am still staring at the smirking guy behind me.

“Baby, turn around,” he whispers and then winks. WINKS! I was saying we weren’t doing this. I know that’s what I was saying and now he has kissed me, is calling me baby and winking at me. What the hell?

I turn around slowly and tell myself that it is NOT because he told me to. I have no idea what is being taught in English. My neck and face, I’m sure, are stained a permanent shade of red as I feel the dark eyes on my back.

After class, I stand
, and before I can grab my bag, Trey has it slung over his shoulder. I look up at him with an attempt at being stern, but based on the smile he flashes me, I don’t succeed.

“Where to next, beautiful?”

Okay, is he trying to make me cry? Does he want me to just melt to the floor? Because if he keeps saying things like that, then that is exactly what is going to happen.

I sigh deciding I will just have to argue with him later. “History,” I tell him and try not to flinch. History class and I don’t have good history together. Ha, I ma
de a joke, lame, but a joke nonetheless.