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“Mphmmph.”
Letting out a long, exasperated sigh, he speaks, “Alright, we will try this one more time. If you try and scream, we will not hesitate to punish you.”
Not sure what he means by that last statement, as the possibilities behind it run through my head.
The guy in front of me has been doing most of the speaking. Staying in the shadows, his features are hidden. Occasionally, the others will make comments to each other, disregarding my presence. My head is pounding from being banged against the building; the adrenaline is starting to wane, making me shake. I realize the guy must be waiting for a response since he stares at me. Giving a slight nod of acquiescence, he cautiously removed his hand.
“One more time,” he says.
Taking several deep breaths as all of them watch me; my voice is shaky.
“What do you want from me?”
“I already told you. We want you to pack your shit and go back to Pennsylvania where you belong.” His comment shocks me.
‘Wh…wha…what do you mean, go back to Pennsylvania?”
How can they know who I am?
“We know who you are. What we need to know is why you are here? Why our campus?”
Still not having any names; playing dumb might bring me some answers.
“What are you talking about?”
“Looking at your GPA, you are an intelligent girl. Which of my questions do you have a hard time understanding?” he snarks.
The guy holding my right arm chimes in. His tone holds malice and something else.
“She may need a different type of incentive, Gar.”
I’m not sure what part of that statement was funny, but the whole group chuckles.
Immediately, my mind goes to the worst-case scenario, and my breathing picks up. He starts speaking again, interrupting my mental breakdown. Speaking as if he is talking to a toddler, I am glad his friends are holding me up.
“Let me break this down for you. Your father wrecked our world. We don’t want you in it. So, either you leave first thing in the morning, or we will make your life a living hell. Do you understand me now?”
Taking in his words, my head spins a hundred miles a minute. They know what my father did.
What do they mean my father wrecked their lives?
My mind races to catch up and fill in the blanks of what they aren’t telling me.
“I…I…I can’t leave.” Stuttering out the words, “No other school would take me. Who are you anyway?”
The guy in front of me starts speaking again, still keeping to the shadows.
“Let me enlighten you. I am Gareth Worthington. On your right is Callum Atwater. To the left is Ashton Delroy, and Rodney Carter stands behind me with your bag. Do any of those names ring a bell?” Gareth’s voice gets louder as he speaks. His tone is laced with restrained anger.
My body shakes for a completely different reason now. Nausea roils my stomach, and tears stream down my face as my chest heaves. My father ruined their lives.
“I…I… I am sss-so-sor-sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t bring Morgan Carter back. Sorry doesn’t fix Bentley Delroy’s hands,” Gareth spits at me.
“Pl-ple…please, the accident had nothing to do with me. It’s not my fault they didn’t stay overnight like they were supposed to. I met your fathers for all of twenty minutes.” My pleas fall on deaf ears.
Our breathing mingles with the hoot of an owl and the chirp of crickets as all of us remain silent. Gareth lets the silence hang before finally speaking.
