Page 92 of Distortion
He offers his hand, but I shy away from it, already having had enough touching from Blake upstairs. At least that’s what tell myself. I’m actually a little afraid my weird body will love his hands on me, too.
He doesn’t touch me when I move, just follows me to the door that Blake has opened and I go into the lab.
As soon as I’m inside the quiet, enclosed space, I relax a little. The air smells clean and sanitized. I focus on the continuous whirring of the temperature control system as I follow Blake to another door I haven’t been through before. Behind it is a small room with a couch and a kitchenette with a coffee machine on the counter.
No kettle.
I’m led to the couch and I sit down, making sure my back is straight, my shoulders back, my hands in my lap.
I suppose a part of me wants to show them that I’m sticking to the rules, that I can stilllooknormal. Their eyes meet and a look passes between them. I hang my head, shame coursing through me now as well as humiliation.
A minute later, a cup of cool water is put in my hand. I give Mav a small smile and sip it.
‘How long do I have?’ I croak out when I’m calm enough.
They look at each other again.
‘What do you mean?’ Blake asks again.
‘You said you were going ...’ I swallow hard and take another sip of water, ‘to Applegate. How long before John knows everything?’
Blake sinks down to the sofa next to me.
‘Daisy,’ he shuffles closer. ‘I’m not going to Applegate about you. I’m going to speak to him about McKinsey.’
I glance up at him and then away. I can’t even do the five seconds of eye contact required. God, I’m pathetic.
‘I don’t understand,’ I whisper.
‘She lets Casey and Bennet get away with everything!’ he bursts out, making me quickly move to the other side of the couch away from him.
‘Fuck, Blake. Calm down. You’re scaring her. Tulip, he just means that those two are her star pupils. She lets them do whatever they want. You’re not the only one who’s run out of class because of those two assholes.’
Blake jumps out of the chair and paces. ‘They need a lesson, Mav. We’ve left them alone because they don’t bother us, but you weren’t there, Dude. They made fun of Daisy in front of everyone. They spoke to her like she was a piece of shit. She cried.’
My shoulders curl in. Even if the guys don’t tell John, it’s getting harder and harder to exist here.
This was a pipe dream. I put my head in my hands, wondering if I should just go to the library now to search for nearby cities where I can become a barista and John won’t be able to find me ... if he’s even prepared to put in that kind of effort when I disappear. No, he’ll definitely track me down just to show me that he can. He won’t let me stay out here. He’ll send me back to live out the rest of my years in The Heath.
I realize they’re talking to each other, and I try to zone in and listen.
‘No, I’m telling Applegate. I’m lodging a complaint about themandMcKinsey.’
Mav is shaking his head. ‘That’ll just put Daisy in their cross-hairs even more, and she needs that class to graduate.’
‘You’re not ... going to tell John?’
‘Tell him what exactly?’
I look at Blake. ‘What happened in the hall.’
He stares blankly. ‘What happened in the hall, sweetheart?’
‘I fought you. I was upset. I?—’
‘I don’t understand. Of course you were upset.’
‘That’s right. Youdon’tunderstand.’ Fresh tears come to my eyes. ‘I can’t do that stuff. It’s not allowed,’ I whisper. ‘John won’t ... It’sunacceptable behavior.’
