Always

The sun soon started to set and a cold breeze kicked up around them, causing Brooklyn to involuntary shiver.

“Here,” Axel said as he handed her his hoodie, earning a smile from Brooklyn and checking his phone when it chimed.

“Everything okay?” Brooklyn asked, noticing the way his demeanor shifted and a frown appeared on his face.

“My dad needs me back at the house,” Axel informed her, “Come on, I’ll drop you home on the way.”

Despite the urge to push for more information, Brooklyn nodded in agreement and followed him back to his bike. If Axel didn’t tell her everything then there was a good reason, but she was worried and just wanted to help.

With a quick peck to her lips and the promise of a phone call as she removed her helmet a while later, Brooklyn watched with a frown as Axel rode away. She soon made her way inside, getting her homework done and falling asleep with a film playing on her television.

Awoken the next morning by her alarm, Brooklyn got ready for school and left without grabbing breakfast. If she was being completely honest, she really didn’t want to show her face after everything that happened and briefly entertained the idea of skipping.

Despite the urge to run, she pushed forward and put her hood up as she approached her locker. She was fully aware of the looks that were being thrown her way, but she tried her best to ignore them and kept her gaze on the floor as she made her way to her first class.

Sat in the cafeteria a few hours later with her earphones in, Brooklyn listened to her music and worked through the assignment that she’d been given in English. Words didn’t seem to come easily and she threw her pen down in frustration, jumping as Brandon dropped into the seat opposite her.

“Want to hear the latest gossip?” Brandon asked, resting his elbows on the table and watching her expectantly, “Well...”

“Not really, but I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that you’re going to ignore my answer and tell me anyway.”

“Jessica Graham kissed Damon Lovett at a party and she’s currently dating Lewis Clinton from the hockey team,” Brandon told her with mock horror, “Apparently she and Damon had a less than private conversation in the auditorium just before school.”

“Shock, horror.”

“This means that people aren’t fixating on you... not entirely anyway.”

“I don’t care what people are saying about me,” Brooklyn argued, exiting the cafeteria and throwing some books into her locker.

The sound of voices soon caught their attention and they looked down the hallway to see the principal, flanked by two deputies. Locker searches weren’t unusual, but the worried look on Axel’s face as he spotted the three men were and Brooklyn knew that there was something in his locker that shouldn’t be there.

Without a word, she slipped away from the slowly growing crowd of students and disappeared around the corner. Already knowing Axel’s combination, she unlocked it and rifled around until she found what he was hiding.

Quickly closing the door, she ducked into the girl’s toilets and stashed the item in her bag. Everyone had moved when she rejoined them, finding Brandon and nodding when he gave her a questioning look.

“Mr. Garcia,” Principal Harris said as he reached Axel’s locker, motioning for Axel to open it and stepping aside to let the deputies do their search, “Let’s see what hidden wonders your locker holds.”

Everyone watched in silence as the deputies looked through the contents of the locker and declared it clear. The shock was obvious, as was the confusion and disappointment on Principal Harris’ face.

“Sorry to disappoint sir,” Axel added, trying to hide his own confusion and smirking as Harris led the deputies to the next locker with a glare.