Part 9

4.1K 37 2
                                    

I can hear a door being pushed open, Aaron  must be home early. Wait, surely Aaron can't be home already. Shit, I flutter my eyes and realise I'm not in my house but on Jordan Wilson's sofa.
"Jordan!, Jordan wake up someone's here!" Jordan jolts into action but it's to late. A man strolls in, he looks scruffy, it's clear he hasn't washed in days and he's wearing a grubby blue polo shirt.
"Oh- hello there"
"Hi" for a split second we all just stand there staring at each other in shock. Finally Jordan speaks up. "We were just leavin"
"Why aren't you in school?" We both look for an excuse, before Jordan says something that will get him into more trouble, I speak up. "Our class had no teacher for Art and we were told we could go home, I- I didn't have a key to get into my house"
"Right"
Jordan looks from me to his dad and sizes up the situation. "School should be nearly over now, I'll walk you home" We hurry out of the house with Mr. Wilson left standing there. Once we're out the front door and a little down the block we look at each other and smile. "Well that was- oh my God Jordan!"
"What?"
"What's happened your face?" I say reaching up to touch the bruise going from his left eye to his temple. A look of horror spreads across Jordan's face and for a second I think he's going to run away. "Cory and I were just playing around, I hit my head off my wall.
"Jordan, we both know you don't get a bruise like that from hitting you're head!!"
"Jordan...?" He goes quiet.
"It was an accident"
"What do you mean an accident? Who hit you?"
"It's not that big of a deal for gods sake"
"Tell that to your face Jordan!"
"It was my dad.."
"What?"
"My dad.."
"Your dad, your dad did that to you??"  He starts to walk again.
"Where are you going now?"
"Bringing you home"
"Jordan, are you not going to talk about this?"
"There's nothing to talk about, like I said he didn't mean it"
"Was he drunk?"
"Probably"
I can't look at Jordan, his face is completely bruised and when I look at him, when I properly take him in, i realise how broken he looks. I'm filled with anger.
"You can't go back there"
"Oh yeah and where am I gonna go?"
"We could go to Miss Carter surely she could help?"
"You're not serious are ya?"
"Surely you have someone you could go to?"
Jordan looks at me "I don't".
"It hasn't happened before Ali"
"What?"
"Just last night, the first time"
"Jordan! That's not an excuse, what he did was illegal! He fucking beat you up!!"
Jordan shivers and looks away. "Don't say it like that, don't"
"Why not? That's what happened" "I've a right mind to go back there and- and-" I hear a burst of laughter.
"And what would you do tell me that?"
"Excuse me?"
"You- you only come up to my shoulder, I don't think you're gonna go back and do much damage sweetheart"
"Jordan, it's not funny, how can you joke about something so serious?"
"What about Cory did he do it to him too?"
"No" , "I shouted at him, I said it was no wonder he was left alone , he was already mad at me for hanging around Candice and he lost a job interview"
I just stand there. I've wasted all my tears for today and I can't make myself cry again, not when Jordan has more of an excuse to cry before anyone else. I'm angry at myself, what kind of an idiot must he think I am, running out of school because of some teenage bully picking on me in computers. I feel sick. How could I have been so childish when all this time Jordan has been going through this and I didn't even realise. I've spent practically everyday with him. I know Haley told me about on my first day about how his dad beats him but I assumed that was just gossip knowing Haley all too well and when I didn't see any signs of it before now I put it out of my mind.
"Jordan" he looks at me again, his face looking more damaged under the sun.
"Promise me this hasn't happened before"
"I swear"
"You have to tell someone Jordan, you know that don't you?"
"Leave it now will ya?"
I'm about to argue with him when a car comes to a slow halt on the road across from us.
"Jordan?, Jordan? Where have you been?"
It's Cory, he looks pretty shaken up and he engulfs Jordan in a bear hug. I feel in the way or that perhaps I'm missing something. "Why did you just leave the school like that?" Wait, Jordan went to school this morning? Why wasn't he in his uniform? Why didn't I see him?
Mr bell comes jogging over to us and I'm suddenly very aware of this mornings escapades.
"Well looks like I've found two of my runaways" he says sympathetically but I'm not sure if that's more aimed at Jordan or me. "I'm sorry Sir, I didn't mean to leave like that this morning" I don't want to but I think an apology might start to make my punishment less severe. Something tells me Jordan might have done something more serious by the way Cory is acting. I hate having to say my piece infront of Cory but he doesn't seem to even acknowledge I'm there, he's got his arm around Jordan. "Well then I think it's been a long day for us all" "Alison school will be finishing now how about you go home and rest and we'll deal with it all tomorrow?"
"Okay" I'm very embarrassed at this stage clearly Jordan hasn't told me everything about today but his and Corys situation seems much more severe than me getting pissed off at Alya Nawaz. They must all think I'm a spoilt brat.
"Would you like a lift over?"
"No , I'll walk"
"Right then boys how about we go sort this out then?"
I want to say goodbye properly to Jordan and wish him luck. Cory has clearly told Mr. Bell what's happened to Jordan which I'm so happy for. Mr Bell is one of the soundest teachers in Ackley I haven't had him for a proper class just yet but I can see the kindness he treats everyone with. Especially Jordan.
As I set off home, Jordan slightly grasps my hand and squeezes it. I want to stay with him, hold his hand but I know Mr Bell will look after him. I may not know exactly what happened today or yesterday but all I know is that I want Jordan to be happy, I want him to be safe and I want his dad locked up.

Now off to try and explain to the girls my exhausting and complicated day.

Hey I hope your enjoying, this chapter was tough to write because I wanted to get it right I hope you thought I did! I know this isn't exactly what happened in the show I changed some details to suit myself. Thanks for all the continued support it means loads to me
X

I effing love you Where stories live. Discover now