Breaking Dawn by Donna Shelton Read Free Book Online

bloodshot. ‘Not yet.’
    I heave a sigh and sit back, reclining into the sofa. I won’t say anything to my parents until he wants me to. I don’t want to give him another reason to be mad at me by opening my mouth when he’s asked me not to. He reclines back into the soft cushions ofthe sofa too, and somehow our heads roll in together until they’re touching.
    ‘How about if I just hang out with you today?’ I say as I feel his hair mingling with mine.
    ‘Yeah. I like that idea.’
    We won’t be going to school.
    On Valentine’s Day, Brian and I are having lunch together at school and at some point during our conversation, Brian tells me that Perry has been ditching gym class all week. I think that this is odd because Perry has never mentioned it when we’ve been together. Come to think of it, he doesn’t talk to me about much either at school or on the bus. Normally he would make comments about gym class or the boys in the shower or how Brian now showers with a towel wrapped around his waist. That’s always amused him, especially as the other boys tease Brian about his insecurity.
    On the way home I ask Perry how gym is going and he suddenly goes quiet.
    ‘Brian told you, didn’t he?’
    ‘He said you haven’t been there all week.’
    I wait patiently for him to respond. He is hesitant, and maybe a bit irritated, staring out of the window, but not really seeing what is out there. After a few minutes I realise that he isn’t going to answer me. ‘Why can’t you talk to me?’
    Suddenly he swings his head around. His face is flushed and his eyes flash with rage.
    ‘Back off Dawn!’ He screams for the whole bus to hear. ‘You haven’t given a shit about me since you’ve been seeing Brian. You blow me out and ignore me just to be with your new friends. You have no idea what’s been going on with me, so just back off.’
    I jump back in shock. Where has this come from? This isn’t like Perry. I’m shockedand before I’ve thought about what I’m saying, I’m shooting right back at him.
    ‘I’m tired of you getting at my friends. You don’t want anything to do with them. I can’t even talk about them around you. Are you just jealous, is that it?’
    ‘Don’t flatter yourself, it isn’t jealousy.’ His eyes are lined with tears of frustration. ‘Do you think those people would have given you the time of day if you weren’t involved with Brian?’
    ‘Don’t even pretend you hate Brian,’ I say through grinding teeth, ‘when we both know you’re ticked off because Brian’s doing me and not you.’
    The entire bus falls silent. Perry’s face goes pale. Even through my anger, I know that I’ve screwed up; I shouldn’t have said that. Not here, not with Brian just three seats behind us, not on a bus full of kids that we have to see everyday.
    Then, out of the silence, Gary stands upand pointing to Perry, he shouts, ‘I knew it! You
were
checking out his ass!’
    Brian grabs Gary and pulls him back down into his seat as the whispers and giggles and comments start to rise. At the next stop, Perry grabs his bag and climbs over me to make a run for the door. I sit back trying to absorb all that is happening, hearing ‘gross’ and ‘fag’ comments from the other kids; some of them are supposed to be my friends – from Brian’s crowd. I look back at Brian, who shoots me a dirty look before turning back to Gary. I can’t hear what he is saying, but I think that Gary is teasing Brian about the time he caught Perry checking out Brian’s ass.
    God, what have I done?
    Brian has got off the bus at his stop, and he hasn’t spoken a word to me. It feels like the bus driver is taking an age getting to my house. When we do get there, I just can’t seem to get off the bus fast enough and as I step down onto the pavement, my foot hits a thin sheet of ice. Next thing Iknow, I’m flying forward, my bag leaving my hand, and I hit the ground with a thud. From behind me I hear a roar of laughter as