Save Me

"That's great. I'm glad," Ebony sighed, squeezing her tighter. Lacie rested her chin on Ebony's shoulder. They pulled away, Lacie noticed Ebony smiling wide at her. Lacie felt compelled to tell her about what had happened in the hallway.

"I met one of Jacob's friends in the hallway," she blinked innocently. Ebony giggled.

"Who was it?" she glanced at Jacob over Lacie's shoulder with a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Nick," she enlightening softly. Ebony seemed confused, staring at Jacob.

"Nick Hurst. I know you've met him before," Jacob spoke up behind Lacie. Knowledge wedged itself across Ebony's face.

"Yes I have!" Ebony exclaimed, turning her eyes back to Lacie, "he's really nice, isn't he?"

"Actually I was terrified of him at first," Lacie fidgeted, "but Jacob told me it was okay," her voice trailed off at Ebony's knowing grin, "what?" her voice was small. Ebony turned with a slight shake of her head, indicating that she wasn't going to tell her. Lacie gave up the fight, sitting in her desk right next to Ebony's. Jacob sat behind her, the twins in front of and behind Ebony.

***

Ebony was walking next to Lacie, traveling with her to her locker. It was an everyday occurrence, Ebony following next to her and then accompanying her outside. And that’s where they split up for their respectable busses. But tonight was different. Ebony was sleeping over, so she had a bus pass to get on their bus.

“I’m so excited for tonight!” she exclaimed, jumping next to Lacie’s locker. Lacie grabbed her books and turned around, but stopped short. There at the end of the hallway was Macy, she had a defensive stance and was glaring daggers at Lacie. Ebony groaned from behind her, standing protectively before Lacie.

“What are you doing here, Macy?” Ebony demanded of her. Macy sneered at her, walking closer and closer. She spoke slowly, surely.

“She was hanging all over my Jacob,” her voice was light as her high heels made soft clicks on the hallway floor, “she has to be punished.”

“I swear to God, Macy, if you so much as touch her I will make sure Jacob never talks to you again,” Ebony threatened, her hands in fists at her sides. Macy’s face paled and her eyes became defensive.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she growled. Ebony smiled evilly.

“Oh, but I would,” Ebony’s head tilted to the side, “now we have to go, or we’ll miss our bus,” Ebony took Lacie by then hand and they brushed passed the star struck Macy. They had to run to the bus, for it was already started and they couldn’t waste any more time.

“Girls, what took you so long?” yelled Jacob from the back of the bus. Ebony handed the bus pass to Jane. She was smiling when she looked up at the boys. When she heard Jacob’s inquiry, her smile vanished. She held up a finger and gave Lacie a small push, indicating that she should move already. Slowly, she meandered to the back of the bus. A seat was saved in the very back for her and Ebony.

“Oh you guys! You saved us a seat! How thoughtful!” Ebony gushed. Lacie smiled softly at Ebony’s excitement. She took the window seat.

“Yeah, had to tussle with some underclassmen for this seat,” Jacob said a bit too loudly, the he chuckled darkly, “then I stated my position on the food chain and they couldn’t move fast enough out of this seat.”

Ebony laughed and Lacie guessed that the underclassmen that were watching them were the ones that wanted Lacie and Ebony’s seat. Lacie didn’t do anything, she just looked away, but Ebony was on a high, she said something.

“What are you looking at, little freshies? I know I’m hot, take a picture, it lasts longer,” Ebony smiled sweetly as the rest of their company burst out in hysterics. Even Lacie thought it was kind of funny, even though she didn’t laugh. The bus lurched forward and soon enough they were out of the school parking lot and on the road for home.

“So Ebony, what did take you guys so long?” Jacob piped up from Ebony’s left.

Lacie looked at him, but Ebony said what she was thinking, “Macy,” Ebony shook her head, “she said Lacie was hanging all over ‘her’ Jacob,” she pointed to Jacob, “and she needed to be punished. Needless to say, I kept her away by saying that you wouldn’t ever talk to her again if she so much as laid a hand on Lacie.”

“Nice,” Jacob laughed, “I hardly talk to her anyways. You know, Ebony, I’m glad you’re there to watch over her when I’m not around,” Jacob gave Ebony a goofy smile. What was Jacob saying? Lacie’s heart skipped a beat.

“Oh, it’s no problem at all!” Ebony smiled wide in response to Jacob, but there was something about her body language that suggested to Lacie that Ebony knew something. Lacie would ask later, when Jacob wasn’t present. No need to act like a fool in front of him, “so Lacie, what are we gonna do tonight?”

“Whatever you want to do. We could watch a movie if you want. Mom has a lot of movies,” Lacie informed, Jayden and Landon spoke up before Ebony could eagerly ask her question.

“Yeah, she does! And Landon and I have some hidden in our room. Some that Mom doesn’t like to watch,” Jayden started.

“Like horror movies and comedies rated R,” Landon said, “we’ve got a giant stack. We’ll let you pick them out when we get home.”

“Thanks guys! I love horror movies!” man Ebony was getting way too excited. Actually, Lacie was getting excited too, she had never had a friend over before besides Jacob and that was years ago. She only ever has been at Jacob’s house, so maybe one day Ebony would invite Lacie to her house and she’d get to meet her family as well.

Landon laughed, “we’ll be there to comfort you if you get scared,” Landon smirked evilly at her, Ebony made a face at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I don’t get scared,” Ebony leaned heavily against the back of the seat. Lacie was watching the scene in front of her, and the underclassmen were still watching them. The twins stood up.

“Looks like this is our stop,” Cameron muttered, standing up as well. Lacie gathered her things, standing up before Ebony; she was still fishing out her bag from under the seat. She groaned.

“The bus swallowed up my bag!” she finally found it and hoisted it over her lap. She stood up just as the bus stopped. Everyone filed out with Lacie being the last one off. Ebony was visibly skipping down the main street of the development. Although she made it appointed to stay behind Jayden and Landon, Lacie guessed it was so she wouldn’t get lost. They split up with Cameron and entered the house.

“Mom, we’re home!” Landon yelled once he had his shoes off at the doorway. He threw them onto the shoe rack just like his brother. They left Lacie and Ebony in the doorway. Lacie was waiting patiently for Ebony, for she was wearing converse today and everyone knows how hard it is to get converse off, especially the ones that go up to their knees, like Ebony’s.

“Welcome home kids! Is Ebony here?” Nicole dashed around the corner from the kitchen, but stopped short at Ebony on the floor, “my, is she alright?”

Lacie didn’t answer, for Ebony’s head snapped up with a huge smile on her lips, “I’m fine, momma, just taking off my converse,” she was on the last shoe, and almost done with it, “they’re a bugger to get off.”

“I see,” Nicole laughed, turning her gaze to Lacie, “did you have a nice day today, Lacie?”

“I met someone today,” Lacie blinked. Now she was sharing her story with Nicole, maybe she is learning to trust again. Nicole clapped her hands.

“That’s great! Might I ask who it is?” Nicole was watching her intently. Not scarily intent but interest intently. Lacie collected herself after Nicole’s clap. It had scared her.

“Nick Hurst,” she said softly, shyly. Nicole squealed and clapped some more, she then proceeded to laugh.

“He’s such a nice kid!” she exclaimed, her face was all pinched with happiness. Lacie sort of laughed, but it was nervously as well, so maybe it wasn’t so much as a laugh as it was a weird ‘eh heh’ noise. Ebony laughed and looped her arm through Lacie’s.

“Yeah,” Lacie said just as softly as the first time. Ebony was literally bouncing in her place. Nicole giggled at the sight.

“I see Ebony is getting anxious,” she laughed with Ebony. Lacie was still learning how to laugh, so she made a little noise instead, “you girls may go. Supper will be done in a couple hours or so.”

“Thanks momma!” Ebony grabbed Lacie’s arm and pulled her up the steps and to Lacie’s room.

***

“Hey E what was up with you on the bus? When you were smiling at Jacob it looked as if you knew something,” Lacie asked. She was perched on the floor, her back leaning against the side of the bed and Ebony had crawled onto her bed and laid over the side on her back. Her hair brushed Lacie’s shoulder.

“L he likes you,” she giggled, rolling over to see Lacie better. Lacie blinked at her girlfriend, tilting her head to the side. Jacob…like’s…her? “Jacob likes you. Cameron likes you. Ravyn likes you.”

“How could anyone like me?” she asked softly, adverting her eyes from Ebony’s. Lacie’s hair fell over her face, giving her a sense that she was in another room away from Ebony’s probing gaze.

“L you’re beautiful!” Ebony exclaimed horridly, her eyes held fear. As if she was afraid that Lacie didn’t see herself as pretty, much less beautiful. Lacie sighed and teared up a little bit.

“Sis you are beautiful,” said Landon from her bedroom doorway. Lacie jumped, she had no idea he was there.

“Yeah sis,” Jayden piped in afterwards. Lacie looked up at them, they smiled warmly back down at her, “we never tell a lie.”