Remembering Sunday

Chapter 3
Isabelle.

I stood at the corner of Washington Street and Feild Drive and stared at me humongous school. Yay, six more hours of un needed crap. Curse that place, it's full of weirdos, profectionists, weird profectionists, and me. As I thought of what homework I have yet to do I spotted Rowen Essig walking over to the door. Lately, he was the only friend I have had. I ran, one of the many things that I rarely do. Lately, he was the only friend, that's being a friend. He's nicer to me than my own boyfriend for heavens sake. I almost beat him to the double doors at "Enterence I."
"Hello Rowen!" I said, more cheery than usual.
"Hey..." he said quietly.
With a smile he bowed his head he opened the door for me, "Ladies first."
It was kind of queer, I've never been treated so well. He even spoke like a true gentleman. His accent was all together adorable as well, but for some odd reason his voice calmed me. An unsettleing look of pain was instilled within his posture and expression that traveled on to me. I felt like I was the blame for such anguish. I think i've finally lost it.
"Thanks," I laughed softly. I wasn't used to being treated like a lady.
We made it into the aitrium after a short walk down the enterence hall and I leant against the wall and stared at the ceiling. I slid down by accident and sighed at my stupidity. Does he even want me around, I am pretty weird. Why do I have to have all these stupid problems and yet everyone gets off so easily. I heard his paced footsteps start to walk away. I sighed to myself thinking, well, maybe he doesn't like me.
He stopped dead in his tracks and I choked on my thoughts and found it hard to breathe. He said my name with a harsh done that scared me into looking at him. Had I done something wrong, something to upset him? I waited for my demise to settle in, it was one of the first times he had ever actually scared me. He swallowed hard and let out a breath.
"Would you like to go to my locker with me?" he spoke more calmly than he did before, soothingly. Had he not ment to sound so harsh? I smiled, I was way too excited for my own good but finally, someone who doesn't want to be a 'Grade A' asshole to me.
"Yes!" I said, noticeing the exhilleration in my voice I tried to calm myself down. James would be so ticked off if he found out I was even talking to Rowen.

When we were walking, I glanced over at him. He looksed as if he was going to kill someone. I watched his jaw tighten. My brow furrowed as my flance turned into a full on stare. We had finally made it to his locker and he looked terrible, absolutely horrid. I couldn't tell if it was a mix between pain and anger or pain and confusion. It could have been all three but the point is, something was wrong. Something was upsetting him and I didn't like it.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
He had his eyes shut and it became extremely silent. I called his name softly, scared something was terribly wrong. Ignoreing the constant vibration of my phone in my back pants pocket. Normally, I would answer and talk to him, but Rowen was hurt. I placed my hand at the center of his back, and asked again if he was alright.
"Isabelle," he called.
"Hey James.." I rubbed Rowens back gently, then suddenly, he just froze.
"Who the hell is this?" James demanded.
"My friend Rowen," I trailed off, " I think he's sick James."
He groaned, "who gives a damn?"
"I give a damn," I shook my head. Sometimes, it's like men have no feeling whatsoever.
"He'll be fine Izzy, c'mon," his tone started to get angry and he grabbed my arm. I felt Rowen twitch under my hand.
I stopped him useing my body to stand ground and yanked my hand away from him lightly, his grip still tight around my wrist, " I rather stay with him, Jay."
"He doesn't need any stupid female support from you Izzy," he yanked harder this time.
"James, stop. What's gotten into you lately. You're being such an asshole to everyone around you," I got my arm away, "especially me!"
"It's none of your business Isabelle Marie."
"How is it none of my business, Christopher James?"
He flinched at the use of his actual name. He started to sound angry, but I knew he wouldn't dare hit me. He had that sort of dignity left in him.
"You don't see me asking questions about your goddamn affairs. You never even heard a word from me asking about the guy you've been secretly screwing behind my back!"
I was so shocked that he would even say such a thing I felt tears well up in my eyes. I couldn't fight, I could never fight, It was always hard for me to not cry. I wasn't even sad or scared, just, unhappy.
"Why would you even dare to think I would do such a thing, Jay. I don't even know you anymore!" I gritted my teeth.
"Yeah, well, maybe it's better that way. You're just a fat ass little whore that nobody wants. Maybe you should all just save us the trouble of having you around and kill yourself!" he screamed, strikeing me with a blow that sent me to the ground. He grinned, "you're all used up."
That was it, the most terrible stomach-churning thing that I have ever witnessed. The most stupid and evil thing said, and it was to me. I didn't know how to react, but I didn't have to. In a blink of an eye Rowen was holding James by the neck at least a foot from the ground.
"What the hell gives you the right to talk to her that way!" he threw James at the lockers.
"Rowen," I tried to speak but I couldn't choke it out though my tears. He was a terrible, horrific, mean boy. Then again I used to have strong feelings for him, so he wasn't always this bad. I had to keep pressing my hands to my face. As James told me earlier this week, I look ugly when I cry. I couldn't even see through my tears, let alone my hands.
I shut my eyes tightly and bit my lip. i was scared, not because James was sure to find me and continue to torture me, but I was scared for Rowen as well. If he killed James, he'd go to prision. Then if he doesn't kill James, he'll be killed by James.
"Isabelle, are you hurt? Did he hurt you?" I had recognised the calmness in the girls voice that chimed in.
I opened my eyes warily. Emily Essig was stareing me in the face. She was one of the most adorable girls in the school. She helped me up and brushed my skirt off, setting her hands on my sholdures. I stared into her big blue eyes for a total of 3 seconds before I felt myself being pulled into a big emotional hug with her.
"I'm sorry this happened to you, Isabelle," she spoke with sincerity, "give me all the blame. It's alright, you won't be in trouble."
"Is Rowen okay?" was all I could say. James was sprawled out on the ground, but he was breathing. He was only unconcious. Emily was confused at first, but she had no time to speak.
"What's going on here?" an old man asked. The janitor, Bill, stood before us with a cart of cleaning supplies.
"Well, you see I-" Emily started out, I couldn't let her suffer for me. She didn't even know me.
"She was upstairs and James was too. They were fooling around and he fell," I said with the innocent look that came natural to me, despite the wardrobe I owned.
"I'll get the nurse down here," he spoke with authority. No nurse would be awake so early. The only ones here this early are the janitors, the Essigs, and me.
"Are you okay Isabelle, really?" she questioned a second time.

"Emily, I don't mean to sound.. well- mean.. but why would you care. You haven't said hi to me more than once in, lets see, my life."
She laughed, "oh please, Rowen talks about you so much it's like we're sisters."
I smiled and looked down, I trusted both her and her brother way too much than I probably should. The odd thign was, that I really didn't care. Rowen was my friend and his sister barley knew me and she was already hugging me and giving me advice. The janitor stranded his cart and started to walk toward the office, still trying to reach someone.
"He's in the front of the school, Isabelle. I doubt that he doesn't want to talk to you," she encouraged me.
I found the nearest exit and ran out while I was searching around for him. I thought of last year when James and I were closer. I lost hope, slowly but surely, and got caught blank-minded in a flow of kids, filtering into the school from the bus. When they had all gone in I looked around. Domonic made eye contact with me, sending a chill down my spine.
I shook it off and walked over to them. Domonic walked away, leaving his brother and I alone together. I took a deep breath and fought away the useless tears that stained my flushed cheeks.
"Rowen," I said, my voice cracked. I went on about how James wasn't himself and that he broke up with me. I was mad at the fact that I was so sad, which is an odd thing to feel. Mad because I'm sad about getting in a violent brakeup. It would have been fine for me to be so sad if it wasnt for Rowen. I guess I just didn't want to let him know I was so easily hurt. James was a complete ass, but I had feelings for him. Had would be the key word in the sentence, though. Without conciously knowing it it finally snapped in my head that the world was going on while I thought. Rowen had me pressed against him tightly. I burried my face in his chest, hideing my bloodshot eyes. He was warm, and his skin was soft. He had me feeling better than before. It was ironic, I always thought I was the innocent one. My own boyfriend took advantage of me on my 15th birthday. I never liked fights, and I even cry when I'm mad. Now, here I am, a whore. I feel like one at least. I just got in a brakeup with my stupid ex, and now im draped in the arms of another man. We had just met this year, only knowing eachother since september.
"Forgive me," he uttered, sending a chill down my spine.
He walked away and didn't even look back. Whenever I get close to a guy they end up leaving. Why does everyone I love always leave me? The first bell rang and I went to my first class, catching the doors before the auto-lock system left me tardy.
I sat in my study hall seat as usual in the cafeteria. Ms. Beck, my nineth grade gym teacher came around taking attendence. She stopped infront of my seat and glanced at her chart.
"Who sits next to you miss.. Isabelle?" she questioned.
Usually Rowen comes in and sits by me to talk. The other side, my right, he was an idiot druggie who got expelled for pulling a knife on another idiot druggie. It's hilarious that they didn't find the LSD pills in his pocket. Oh the stupidity of children these days, it ceases to amaze me.
"Ummm.." I trailed off," no one, miss." I answered quietly.
"Alright, Mr. Essig sit next to Ms. Montgomery." she said blandly and walked away.
"Hey Izzy," a guys voice said calmly. My head shot up with hope to see a guy who looked a lot like Rowen, but definately wasnt. Domonic Essig, regular quarterback football jock.
"Sorry, I don't like Izzy," I didn't feel like being reminded of James."
"Belly?"
I sighed, "sure why not."
"Why so down... Belly."
"Why are all of the Essigs finally recongiseing me?"
"Chels has taked to you? Damn, I'm sorry. I guess I did'n-"
"No, Chelsea hasn't talked to me, she must be the only sane one around here!"
"Isabelle, this is a study hall. Do you know what that means? It means you have to st-" Ms. Beck stopped mid-sentence and walked outside. I gawked at the doors as she walked outside mid-sentence.
"Hey Bells, has anyone said anything strange about us?"
"Strange?" Nobdy talks shit about the Essigs. Their like a mob, that or their perfect. Perfect people, in a perfect town. They had perfect lives, they're rich and have nothing wrong with them. They're great at everything and everyone loves them. I bet they sacrafice goats.
"No, nothing strange."
"Nothing at all about," he leaned in closer to me to whisper.
"Dominic." A voice darted in with an angry tone, quieting some nearby talbes to listen in on what everyone assumed to be a big brakeup fight.

His head shot up and he smiled," Baby, Chelsea, what's the news?"
She rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Rowen is leaving with Emily later."
"Hunting? Without me?" he seemed disappointed.

"Why would they want to take you?" she seemed like a real snob.
"I was so exited too," he hit his fist on the table.
"What's in season?" I asked. I didn't know crap about hunting, but it was cold, bears sleep in the cold, right?
"Well actually, noth-"
"Domonic!" chelsea snapped.
He stood up and kissed her on the cheek. I saw him whisper something quietly into her ear. I looked down at my looseleaf sheet of paper and sighed. I needed to write that biology report without Rowen helping me for once.
When I looked up Chelsea was gone. Domonic snatched my sheet of paper and wrote on it. I sighed, that was my last piece of hello kitty paper. He folded it and placed it in the palm of my hand and shut my fingers around it. His hands were just as warm as Rowens.
"Listen to me Bells, and believe me when I say this. Rowen. Absolutely madly in love with you."
"But he-"
"Insanely in love with you, more than Chelsea loves, well herself. Hell, more than I like messing with peoples heads. This may be going out on a limb but even more than Emily loves shopping."
"Geez," what if he was just messing with my head by saying that?
"Come to this adress and type in the code to the gate. If it doesn't work or you need something, call one of the numbers on the paper."
"Uhh-" or not.
"But, only on one condition."
"Okay?" don't you dare say it Domonic.
"Do you love my brother?"

That's when it really had hit me for the first time. Harder than when I confronted him earlier and got that hug. I was just a toy to James, to him I ment nothing. It changed, nothing like it was before. His parents, his friends, and now I know that he does too, they all hate me. The Essigs, well something gave me an odd feelings that they were crazy people and were going to sacrafice me to some weird god. Then again, if it wasn't that, they were nice people who just so happen to overly care for one of their siblings.
To Rowen, it seemed as if I was more than someone. The way Domonic explained it I was everyone and everything. He was soft, charming, polite, sweet, and he, unlike other boys, listened when I talked. He made me carless. Hell, even my grades have gone up. But do I love him?
"Yes." I said, sure of myself.
Domonic had a smug look on his face, "welcome to the family."
And with that, Domonic stood up and walked away. When I satood to go after him, the bell rang and everyone rose so quickly from their seats like there was some sort of emergency. We had 7 minutes of passing time, I never understood the rush. The sea of people surrounded me, and Domonic was out of sight. I grabbed my Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencil and walked away. If I went to a certain class of mine without that exact pencil, the teacher would go on a rant. Pencil fetish, more than likely.
I walked into my French 2 class with a grown. Domonic confused the hell out of me. Stupid football player and his damn irony. Why the hell would someone speak in riddles, but to confuse me. The thing I was confused about is why he wanted me confused. That just made me mad, because it frusterated me that I didn't know what I wanted.
"Dis, Isabelle, ca-va?" my friend Rachelle asked if I was alright.
"Comme-ci comme-ca, pourquoi?" I replied, telling her I was alright.
"You look mad."

"Why are we having a bilgual conversation?" I asked.
She shrugged, sitting at the desk infront of the room. I missed that, now she hangs out with her brother, Sean, and his friends. They hate my guts. The bell rang again, and I sat down.
"Guten tag," I said with a smile, Rachelle laughed. French class, I really didn't pay much attention. Rowen sat next to me, I turned to sit sideways in my desk, his was empty. Still gone.
I became silent up until lunch. I hadn't expected such hospitality when I sat at my lunch table. I expected myself to sit alone. I ate lunch wiht Rowen every day. I hadn't noticed how much time I spent with him until he left. I went into the lunch line and stared at the terribly long line. I didn't want anything big. All I ever got was a PB and J sandwich and a chocoalte milk.
I spoke breifly with my friend Krista when she approached me in line. She was in my gym class and was wondering where Rowen was today. I really didn't know where he was so I shrugged. I didn't notice that she referred to him as my boyfriend until she walked away. The lunch line always had me a bit paranoid. I care what people think about me most of the time. Whenever I hear something remotely similar to my name, I freak. I stared at the ground, moving forward when I saw feet move. When Rowen was around, I never cared what people said. I missed him terribly.
Two arms wrapped around me and I felt an arm on my sholdure. I looked up to find Domonic stareing at me. Emily was clinging to me like a leach. I smiled, today wasn't all that bad. I sat at their table instead of being at my lonely table. Rowen was gone, Emily had to go home. Chelsea was glareing at me so the only one left was Domonic. It was better than sitting alone, I guess.
"So, are you planning on going?" Domonic asked, Chelsea's face randomly turned way too happy. I walked away before I could ask.

"What did you mean by 'welcome to the family'?"
"If you tell me you're going.." he urged on.
"Yeah, fine. I'll go."
"Ignore Rowen on Monday," he demanded.
"What? No, what would I do that?"
Domonic shrugged, "he was an ass. Why not?"
"Yeah, but-"
"But what? Let me guess, it's no big deal? He stood up for you? He-"
"I love him!"
The lunch room quieted a bit and my face reddened. Did I just yell that out? Oh god, are people stareing at me. I can't bare to look. I lowered my head closeing my eyes tightly, trying to pretend it never happened.
Domonic patted my head lightly, "you're a good kid, Belly."
"You're talking like my grandpa." I said bluntly.

"Ouch, I'm not that old," I could tell that he was trying extremely hard to become my friend. He was just being extremely awkward.
"Bells, to be honest- I didn't like you at first. I just thought that you were- I dunno."
"Weird? Because I get that a lot."
He smiled, "I guess, but- you're alright kid," Domonic messed up my hair. I glared at the table, I hated people touching my hair.
"Don't like people touching your hair?"
"How'd you figure that out?"
"Well, it was that or you have something against wood tables. You look like you want to set it on fire. Emily is just like that."
"Hey, Dom, how old is Emily?"
"What?"
"You know, your sister?" was it really all that random?
"No, not that, what did you just call me?"
"Oh, 'Dom', well you called me 'Bells' and 'Belly'. So I figured that I would call you 'Dom'." I explained, really I just wanted him to feel the pain. I felt sinister, I am not innocent at all.
"Ah-ha," there was a pause," I like it."
I looked up with disbeleif. Chelsea was still stareing into nowhere with her eerily happy smile. It wasn't until I had to stare at the table that I noticed they weren't eating.
"What's wrong?" Domonic asked.
"Why haven't you earten your food?"
He looked at Chelsea, "why haven't you eaten?"
"Not hungry," she said in a monotonous tone.

"Eat something Chels, you won't die."
Chelsea picked up a wrap from her tray and started to eat it. Domonic chuckled softly, watching her. I didn't understand the joke but I still smiled politely. The bell rang, causeing the noise level to rise. I got up and threw out my wrapper. Chelsea stood up when I made it to the garbage can and smacked Domonic so hard across his face he fell to the ground.
Kids around him laughed and walked by as he sat on the ground, one hand on his cheek. I walked over to him feeling sorry for him and smiled.
"You okay, Dom?"
"I'm fine, Belly," he mused.
Messing up his hair, like he did to me, I picked up my backpack and walked to my next class.