Fifteen years ago

 

Bethany wished she hadn’t put in her hearing aid before marching to her next class. Her walk of shame across the school grounds to get to the makeshift classroom across from the main building was the staple of many pupils’ ribbing and cruel teasing. Her incessant nightmare.

Why her father insisted she went to Wood Park High was beyond her. There was a lesser known high school closer to where they lived, but her father wanted her to get the best education so she could make a name for herself. Bethany loved her dad and appreciated him wanting this for her but she could always excel somewhere else. If only her parents knew about the bullying until Drake took her home. She was a mess that day and the next day, Joe and Cora Brooke went to the school to complain. The head teacher profusely apologised and said that he’d put measures in place.

Her parents never met the bully.

The head teacher didn’t implement the measures.

The bullying continued.

Her only saving grace?

Drake Rosen.

“Hey bean pole! I’m talking to you! Can’t hear? Deaf as a post even with your fucking hearing aid!”

A roar of laughter came from behind her like Satan’s hell hounds gaining on her.

Bethany continued walking. She looked straight ahead, putting up her imaginary blinkers to blur the faces and pointing fingers of those lining her peripheral vision. Just a few metres left before she entered the safety of the classroom. There no one dared to cross Miss Eunice Smith, the Math teacher.

Drake, I need you.

But Drake was with Coach Miles. He had PE and was in the Wrestling Team. He’d come for her after Math but not before then.

“Deaf bitch! I’m talking to you!”

“Cut it out, Tabler, if you know what’s good for you.”

She heard a thud and the air whooshing out from number one bully, Andrew Tabler.

And the voice of the only friend she had.

Bethany continued walking, but the pointing fingers and faces of malice melted away.

“Bee?”

“Hi,” she said finally reaching the steps to her classroom. She looked at Drake shyly, still relieved he was there when he shouldn’t have been. He wore track bottoms and his track jacket covered his white gym shirt. He smelled sweaty but nice. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

She looked at the boy a foot taller than she was, with wavy brown hair and kind dark brown eyes. Eyes that looked at her with concern even when there was something haunted behind it.

That’s why she liked Drake Rosen. He had his problems and yet he didn’t hesitate to help someone like her. She liked that he was strong for them both. She knew what he was going through because they talked about it often. He was the nicest person in school even if everyone was afraid of him. He was the only person Bethany trusted.

“Miles allowed me to go,” Drake said, searching her face and noticed the unshed tears brimming in her eyes. He swore softly, before scowling at the people behind them. He stormed towards them.

“Drake, no!” Bethany pleaded, looking at her torturers. They all came from Andrew’s group. Alarm shivered down her spine at the hatred she saw in Andrew’s eyes. Beside him was her other torturer, Annalise Bourdon, who looked at Bethany like she was lower than garbage. Annalise, however, stared at Drake with something more intense as if she wanted to do something to him that made Bethany blush.

Bethany lunged forward clinging to Drake’s arm. “Please.”

Drake’s arm tensed and Bethany knew he was ready for a fight. He’d been to detention so many more times than she cared to count, but never expelled. She didn’t want this to be the incident that would make it happen. Despite his tendency to be rough and sullen to others, he scored the highest in any of the subjects he took. That, plus the fact Miles O’Hanlon vouched for him.

She also didn’t want Drake to leave her alone.

“Break it up, all of you.” Miles arrived with a scowl on his face. “Tabler, I don’t give a flying monkey who or where you come from. No fighting or bullying. Mr Mason is waiting for you.”

Andrew huffed his lean chest. “That’s not going to wash. He isn’t going to do anything. Dad knows him.”

“He will when I tell him.”

Everyone looked at Eunice Smith. Her glare was enough to melt the iceberg that sunk the Titanic.

Andrew paled.

Drake relaxed and moved closer to Bethany.

Miles wore a huge grin.

“Miss Brooke get into the classroom,” Eunice said, as her kitten heels clicked down the stairs. Her bouffant hair, her cardigan and A-line dress all in place. “Coach O’Hanlon, come with me. I have a desire to speak to Mr Mason.” Her withering glare pinned Andrew and Annalise. “Do I have to pull you into the building? Don’t test me.”

Everyone dispersed leaving Drake and Bethany alone. Andrew turned back to them.

“You’ll regret this.”

“Let’s go,” Annalise took Andrew’s arm. She gave Bethany a once over. “We don’t want to associate with riff raff.”

Drake kicked up a one sided grin. He slung an arm over Bethany’s shoulder.

“You heard her, Bee. We shouldn’t associate with riff raff like them.”

Bethany looked away, clamping her lips to stop her own grin from giving her away. Annalise’s exasperated sound before flouncing away ahead of Andrew was epic for her.

Leave it to Drake to find a reason to make her smile.

Drake made her face him, peering at her intently. Only he had an unimpeded access to her heart. Bethany closed her eyes when his thumb brushed her cheek. They hadn’t kissed but the rough pad of his thumb felt like one. It brought toasty warmth to the pit of her belly and made her feel so many things she had no name for.

Besides, she didn’t think Drake saw her that way. To him, she was just a friend, a person he could confide his dreams to.

“You okay?” he asked, his gaze another caress on her face. “Don’t mind them.”

“I’m fine, thanks.” She hitched her bag on her shoulder. She shouldn’t have done that. Now she felt the loss of his touch. “You better get back to your class.”

“Okay,” Drake said leaning forward but thought against it. Then as though grappling with something huge, his face became determined. He looked around before he swooped down and planted a soft kiss on her mouth.

A bolt of pleasure struck her and she stared at Drake after he was done. Heat rushed up her cheeks, too dumbfounded to speak.

Drake ran a finger down her cheek again making the butterflies in her belly take flight. His lazy grin made her stomach flip with a kind of excitement she had no word for. He continued walking backwards then winked.

“Later Bee.”