Page 102 of More Than Chemical
I sulked out of class and into the hall, and standing there, waiting for me, was Dallas. His brown eyes searched mine, his backpack slung over one shoulder.
I was in no shape to talk to him. Especially now, after realizing that I was partially to blame for our dysfunctional relationship. I only had enough kinetic energy to keep on walking. To put distance between us. So that was what I did. I kept moving.
Dallas stepped in front of me. “Hey.”
“Ade,” Jay said from behind me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
I walked around Dallas.
Jay had taken me seriously about beating Dallas up.No need to worry, my friend. I wasn’t going to do anything. Not now.
“Ade, please.” Dallas’s voice sounded louder. “I need you to listen to me for just a second.”
His familiar voice made my insides hurt, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
“Not cool, dude,” Jay said. “Not cool.”
“Ade.” Dallas’s voice echoed in the hall. “Have you talked to your brother?”
My heart sped up to double time, but I kept going forward, moving away from him. What was he even talking about?
I glanced behind me and saw Jay holding on to Dallas’s arm. “You need to give her space. Wait until the trial is over.”
Once outside, I fled straight for the station to catch the train to the courthouse downtown. When I got to the platform, I stood under a heat lamp, gasping for air. My head hurt. My stomach ached. Like someone had kicked me in the gut. My hands were shaking. So much was wrong with me, I didn’t know whether to attribute it to the five-hour energy shots or everything else.
“Are you okay?” asked a female voice from next to me under the heater.
I glanced up. My gaze met a girl’s, and at the same time, our eyes widened. It was her. It was the EDM juror with the black makeup.
“Oh shit,” she choked out. “I’m not supposed to talk to you.”
“You’re not?”
“The judge told us that we couldn’t talk to any lawyer, party, or witness in the case.”
“I’m not any of those.”
“But you’re…you’re David Bianchini’s daughter, aren’t you?”
I paused, letting her words soak in. Steep a bit. And I was fine. No panic. No nothing.
“I’ll go stand over there.” I pointed down the platform. “By the other heater, and make sure we get on different cars.”
“Wait,” she said. “Do you go to school here?”
This strange sensation crawled up my spine. Normally, I would have lied to her. Denied my enrollment. But not now.
I nodded. “I do.”
Her features softened. Even with the dark makeup on. “Has it been awful for you? People knowing who you are?” Her eyebrows drew into a frown. “Actually, don’t answer that. You shouldn’t answer that. I shouldn’t be talking to you.”
I glanced away and then back to her. “I had been keeping my identity a secret.”
Her eyes widened again. “I won’t say anything to anyone. I promise.”
“You don’t have to promise. It’s a secret I no longer want to keep.”
Right then, the train came to a flying stop. The brakes squealed so loud that even if she said something more, I wouldn’t have heard it. The doors opened, and she got into the last car. I turned, jogged to the front, and jumped in.
