Friends of Course

Chapter 2

Bridgette would normally hang out with me but she would always insist that we go back to the group. When I would ask her why she’d said that, she would always respond by telling me that she would prefer being in a big group. I knew she was lying. Being in a big group scared her the most. Her smiles seemed to be more put on by time as she started to gain little bruises and scraps that she tried to hide with her baggy clothing, but not all were easily concealed. When she received a large cut on her cheek, I didn’t bother to question her, knowing that she would just give me the same answer.

“I tripped again.”

Tripped? How many times can you trip like that before someone calls it too dangerous? She would be her own hazard.

I decided to follow her home after school one day; it was most likely when she got these bashes. I started to realize that we weren’t heading for her home but to an alley way. I was careful not to be seen as I watched her walk down the dark pathway. All of a sudden she was approached by two persons. Their conversation went sort of like this;

“Well? You obvious didn’t tell her did you?” I heard a female voice ask.

“B-But I did. But she said…”

“Liar!” one of the girls, I later learned, slapped Bridgette.

I held myself back, as much as I hated to see Bridgette being picked on, I needed to know why.

“If you told her, she’d be hanging out with us! It’s your fault! She’s our friend and you stole her from us!”

‘That voice!’ my head was screaming at me and then I heard another slap.

“P-please stop, I did what I could!” Bridgette pleaded with them.

“Shut up! You just want to keep her all to your self!”

She raised her hand again…

“If that hand makes contact with skin, it’ll be your ass on the ground,” I uncovered myself from the shadows.

“A-Abby!” I heard her voice stutter.

I saw the other step back with her hand over her mouth.

“Why are you doing this Hailey? You’re the one who brought her into this. This is your fault!” talking like the “Master B” I was, I let the two girls have it.

“B-but Abby! She’s trying…She’s trying to..!”

I stopped myself from slapping Hailey and settled for grabbing the collar of her shirt.

“She’s trying to what Hailey?” I demanded the answer as I made my way inches from her face.

“Uh, I gotta go!” the other girl went to take off.

“No you don’t!” I snatched her with my other hand as she gasped.

“No one’s going anywhere until I know why you’re doing this,” I looked at the other girl, knowing she was too afraid to defy me.

“H-Hailey thought that i-if we threatened B-Bridgette that m-maybe you’d come back.”

“Izzat so?” I glared at Hailey, “As far as I’m familiar with, threatening doesn’t involve physical contact,” I growled at Hailey.

“What ever means necessary, Abby.”

I threw Hailey to the ground, “Were you going to kill her? How far would you go? Hmm Hailey?! Really!” I know this would sound lame on my account but I had to make Hailey understand, “If you were my real friend you’d respect who I hung out with despite the fact that it’s not you! Jamie accepted that! Now you should!”

I heard Hailey growl and then she got up, pulling out a knife and going after Bridgette.

“Don’t you dare!” I hissed at Hailey.

Hailey smirked and ran the blade deep into Bridgette’s left cheek, running over her nose to her right cheek, leaving a big line from cheek to cheek. I got pissed off and ran to Hailey, my fist plowing her in the face. The only things that could be heard in the alley way was my voice and a loud snap as I broke Hailey’s nose.

“Oh my god!” Hailey went into tears, “Abby how could you! You broke my nose! You’re supposed to be my friend!”

“Hey! What’s going on down there?!” We all heard the voice and realized that we were probably causing a disturbance. The male started to approach us but we decided to take off. The other girl grabbed Hailey and they ran off and I seized Bridgette, not caring if she was back on earth or not.

When we were out of sight, I slowed down and looked down at Bridgette and realized that she was clutched to me. I stopped, panting heavily. I wasn’t ready to ask her if she was okay so I just took her to my place. My parents had gone to work and wouldn’t be back until midnight so taking Bridgette there wouldn’t be a problem. I didn’t know her parents or if they even worked.

I hoped that we didn’t run into anyone on the way there, and was thankful when we didn’t. I pulled out my keys and went to shove them into the lock when Bridgette gripped my hand, fearful of something.

I looked down at her, “Its okay.”

She nodded to me and I unlocked the door. We went inside and I locked the door behind me, assuring Bridgette that she’d be safe here. I dragged her upstairs to the bathroom and set her on the toilet seat. I rummaged through the cabinet and found our first aid kit. I pulled out the gauze and went to get a washcloth. When I came back, I realized that Bridgette never moved a muscle; but she would once I put the disinfectant on her. I wetted the cloth with it and handed it to Bridgette. She took it and held it.

I stared at her, “Uh, I need you to put that on your nose.”

She did what she was told, her daze still taking over her, until the cloth touched the open wound. She gasped and jumped off the toilet seat and into my arms. I had been standing right in front of her so it was only expected for her to do that.

“Hurts don’t it?”

She looked up at me confused, blinking a couple times. I felt like I had said something rude so I talked again.

“Sit back down. I know it stings but it will help it heal.”

Bridgette nodded and put the cloth back to get wound. I crouched down and came level with her knees. I saw a tear in the material of her pant leg and blood outline it. I grimaced at her little cut and got a Band-Aid from the kit. I wiped the cut clean and blew on it. I saw Bridgette shiver and I looked up at her. She looked down at me sadly. I tried not to give her the same expression but I did anyways. She looked away from me.

I sighed, “Bridgette, this isn’t your fault. It’s mine,” she looked back at me, “If only you could’ve…”

“No!” I almost fell backwards, “What?” I asked, not knowing if she really understood what I was about to say, “I couldn’t have told you. They said if I did, that you’d hate me and think that I would only be trying to keep you for myself,” I heard her sniffle.

“What do you think? Do you think I’d really think that about you? I do realize that I know how Hailey and the gang are, and I know how some of them are bastards. I guess I should’ve known Hailey was behind it.”

“Y-you mean you knew?” Bridgette looked at me.

“You can act the same but I can see right through your fake smiles.”

Bridgette looked at me defeated and she dropped her hand from her nose. I put my hand on hers and pushed it back. I was now on my knees, kneeling into Bridgette.

“I don’t care about Hailey. Jamie was the only reason I stayed with them. If she left, I would have too. You just gave me a real excuse to punch Hailey in the face,” I smiled and laughed a little. Bridgette smiled too, which was nice to see from her previous false ones.

“Don’t worry about them now. I’ll have to talk to Jamie about Hailey. She’ll be dealt with, so don’t worry.”

I finished putting on the band-aid and got up to get out of the bathroom.

“No! Don’t call Jamie!”

“Huh? Wha-what do you mean?” I looked down at Bridgette, who was clinging to my arm so I wouldn’t go anywhere, “Well, don’t let them kill Hailey!!! Don’t tell her please!”

I felt the urge to laugh, so I did. Bridgette didn’t think it was too funny, she looked at me scared, “No one’s going to kill anyone one Bridge,” I was the only one she was comfortable with to call her that, “What I mean is that she’ll probably receive major threats and will be kicked out of the gang. Nothing dangerous, don’t worry. We’re not like that. Hailey tried to make it look like we’re some dangerous mob gang but we’re just a group of girls who can stand up for themselves.”

I felt Bridgette’s chest deflate as she exhaled, “So…Nothing bad will happen?”

I smiled down at her, “No, nothing bad. Now, keep that cloth on your nose.”

“Oh,” Bridgette forgot about her nose for the time being.

“That’s going to be a major cut for a while so we’ll keep that covered up.”

I walked out of the bathroom in search for my cell phone and yelled out to Bridgette, “You’ll be staying her tonight,” I walked back into the bathroom after finding my phone, “But I’m sure your parents will want to know so…”

“No…”

“Huh?” I blinked a few times.

“My parents aren’t home so it doesn’t matter.”

I saw the sadness in her eyes but knew that now wasn’t the time to ask.

“Alright. You don’t mind staying the night do you? I know you don’t have any clothes with you but I’m sure mine will fit.”

“Uh, sure,” Bridgette smiled at me.

“Hellloooooooo!!!!!!!!” a voice called out downstairs and we both froze.

To be continued...Please Review for me to keep writing!!!!!-.-'