Page 34 of All Saints: Pledge

“Each one has independent controls. I guess most people get hot when they are singing.”

She shrugs, then gets right to the chase. “What is wrong with Dominic?”

My heartbeat picks up speed. I've been avoiding being alone with him for days. Yesterday we'd walked home from classestogether, and we'd sat together in the hall for meals…but I've done my best to keep everything platonic. I can tell it's been confusing for him, but I keep explaining that classes are intense. Everyone has more studying than one day can hold, so it’s a ready excuse. I'm struggling to burn the candle at all ends and the exhaustion isn't feigned. “What about him?” Please don't say I broke his heart. Please don't say he hates me.

Her eyes bug out of her head. “What about him? What about him? Oh okay, let's just start with, I don't know... the broken nose?”

I blink rapidly. “I...what?”

“Or how about the blood I found all over his shirt?”

My hands start to shake. “Oh my God, is he okay?”

“No, Helena, he is not okay. I spent last night in the pharmacy with him picking up extra strength paracetamol and cold packs.”

My mouth flops open and closed. “Jesus, okay, well, what can I do? Can I get him food?”

Her eyes lose the glittering sharpness. "You didn't know?"

“Know... know what? Did he fall? How bad is it? God, was it a bicycle?”

“He didn't fall. Okay, so you didn't know.”

I glance at my watch. “How would I have known? No one called me. I would have helped. If I leave now, I can pick him up some soup on my way?—”

“No.” She reaches out and holds my arm.

I stop and look at her hand before glancing at her face.

“Okay,” I draw out. “No soup.”

My phone timer goes off, and I give Li an exasperated look. “I have to go. I’m volunteering and need to change in my room. Can we swing by and check on him together?”

Her face is stony. “He may not want to see you for a while, as I believe your boyfriend is the one who did this.”

My jaw drops open. "My boyf—Li. You know I don't have a boyfriend. Dominic and I?—"

“I don't mean you and Dominic.” She says some words in her first language that I gather aren't complimentary of my intelligence. “The tall blonde guy who has been pissing circles around you.”

My phone timer goes off again. Blankly, I turn it off. “Kendall? You think Kendall beat up Dominic?” I'll deal with the pissing circles comment later, mostly because she's probably right about how it's come off.

“I know he did. I came here to find out why.”

“You saw it?” I'm aghast, and I sink onto the piano bench.

“No, Dominic didn't see who did it. But, I've been watching what's been going on. As much as you may believe everything is normal, and that your...er, scholarship has nothing to do with Dominic getting hurt? That friend of yours, and whatever he’s involved in, is scary.”

I'm shaken. Kendall attacked Dominic. Probably for holding my hand. “Jesus,” I say. I can't believe she thought I knew about this. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Dominic left the math building late after a study group and someone attacked him in the quad. That’s all he’ll say about it.”

Pure rage takes over. My app dings. I have ten minutes to get to my volunteer shift, and I decide I don't have time to get back to my room to change. The music building is quiet, so I pull my T-shirt over my head and rummage through my bag to grab the black silk button up folded at the bottom. Thank God I planned for contingencies. Server chic is so easy to carry around.

“I'm not into skinny white girls. This won’t work if you’re trying to distract me.” Li is eyeing me with more than a little interest.

“We need to talk about this, but I need to be across campus in ten minutes.” I need to talk to Dominic, but in secret, to protecthim. I’ll need all the information I can gather before I confront Kendall. “Can you help me? Can you pass Dominic a note from me?”

My silk shirt has seen better days, but it will have to do. It's got sheer pinstripes in the fabric that shows my bra—I usually wear a cami with it—so I reach underneath and unhook my undergarment before tossing it into the bag. I'm sure you can see my nipples in the right light, but I'm praying for a dark room or apron. A lot of our serving work has included aprons.

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