LawBreakers by Marisa Maichel (cat reading book .txt) 📖

"I should have been watching." he berated himself.

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault." the cop said. She walked away muttering "If I wasn't married with kids...."

He said on my bed and rubbed my head.

"Hey beautiful." he said.

"What happened?" I asked him. He sighed.

"I should have been watching. It was all my fault. I saw Rachel slip a lethal toxin in your drink. I wanted to tell you but we were in a crowded place and we were dancing. Someone could have heard." he said. He sighed again.

"She's truly dangerous. She's not really my girlfriend, I wanted you to think that so I could protect you. She's been after me since first grade, literally. It started out as an innocent boy-girl crush, but I eventually lost interest and asked another girl to be my girlfriend. Rachel didn't like that. She pulled the girl's hair and put a spider in her lunchbox. Rachel became more evil over the years, she threatened and hurt nearly every one of my girlfriends. Nicole, I don't want the same thing happening to you. She hospitalized my last girlfriend, shot her in the leg. She's done it again. I just know she'll eventually kill someone." sw

"Why don't you file a restraint order?" I asked.

"Oh, I already have. She's harassed my girls online too. She stalks me using the Internet."

"Oh. Well, don't worry. I'll help you figure something out."

"Nicole, I can't let you do that."

"She can't, but I can." We jumped at the voice. Beau was standing right there.

"Do you eavesdrop on purpose?" David said, standing up.

"Luckily for you, no. For her, maybe."

"Why her?" David asked. Beau blushed at this question.

Instead of answering, he moved to the window. He had big brown eyes, longish black hair, and pale skin. He was a quarterback on the Varsity football team.

He took David and walked out of the room. I grabbed a mirror to check me out. My hair was sweaty and tangled from dancing and the hospital bed. I had a zit on my nose. I was makeup-free and my skin looked tired and worn. I reached for my bag and started to unwrap a Biore zit-zapping nose thingy, then thought better of it. I combed my hair and put foundation and powder on, then dark grey eyeshadow and black eyeliner.

I finished my eyes with a couple coats of mascara. I grabbed some red lipgloss and swiped that on. "I liked you makeup-free too," said a familiar voice. David was standing against the doorframe, looking in. "Uh..." That was all I could manage. Ugh. David narrowed his eyebrows. "Pure gut instinct tells me something's bothering you, sweetheart. I want to know what it is." "It's nothing." "Tell me!" he said. His eyes were pleading and he had one hand over his stomach.

"If Rachel poisoned me, where did she go?" His eyes softened. "To a dark corner to watch you die, I'm sure." "Why would she want me dead?" "Because you have a crush on me and I love you and we screwed each other. Oh man, I could get arrested for minority rape!" I hadn't thought of that.

"Nicole, we have to keep this a secret. I do love you, but I'm not going to risk your life or get you in trouble." "What about you?" To my surprise, he took off his watch. There were red and pink marks all over his wrist and the bottom of his forearm. "I want to die. I'd rather be arrested or be killed than risk your life." Mom had given me a therapy card plus a yellow ribbon card if I ever needed help but didn't have the words or courage to tell her. (Thanks, Mom. See why she's the best mother ever?)

I handed him a therapy card, but he shook his head and gave it back. "Too risky." "I insist. You don't have to mention us." "True, but...listen. I'll just handle this myself. All right. Nicole, I'll let you date me. But only casual ones. This city's big enough no one will know, but we may run into someone we know." You never know what can happen in New York City.

He agreed to see a therapist, and we decided to give this love a shot. But no one could know. It was like Ezra and Aria on Pretty Little Liars. Except there was no murder and no popular girl dead. I wondered if Rachel would kill Lisah if she thought she was a problem. Much as I hated Lisah, I didn't want her dead.

I told David my fears. He shook his head and said Rachel would think nothing of Lisah unless she flirted with him. Which we both knew she probably would. He said he'd tell all the girls that if anything ever happened, he'd tell them he could go to them. "I ask Melissa if she'll make an assembly about safety, especially after last night. I'll ask her to include suicide talk. I'll go up on stage and show everyone my arm. My stomach and legs have some marks too, but I doubt anyone except you will want to see them."

Mom drove me home. She mentioned something about not letting me go out again unless I'm with somebody. She knew I liked clubs and that the incident was pure envy. I'm sure that David told her everything.

Beau approached me on Monday. "I've been wanting to tell you this for a while. I love you Nicole. But I know you like that one guy. I'll help you in anyway I can." He said 'that one guy' because Rebecca the school gossip was behind him and she has ears like a fox.

I'd known Beau liked me. But I'd never really liked him the same way. I'd tried, even thought about giving him a chance, but it wouldn't work out and I didn't want to lose his friendship. He was a great guy and a good friend. My ex-best friend, Tracy, had stopped talking to me since last year because she hated John. Beau hated John too, but he accepted the fact that we were together and let it go.

Tracy wasn't the most popular. She stole girls boyfriends if she liked him or just didn't like her. She always wore see-through shirts. She had reasons for dating losers.

When I walked into the math room, David greeted me with a smile. "You okay?" he asked as he walked past my desk. "Yeah." When the bell rang, he announced that there would be an assembly in a few minutes.

"I know you've heard these lectures a million times, but this one will be about safety and suicide." We walked into the auditorium. Being the first class there, we took the front seats.

Principal Burns explained that we would even have a teacher, a new one, talk about how he felt about himself. To everyone's surprise, David Drake walked on stage. "I have a secret." he said. Then he took his jacket off, rolled up his sleeve, took his watch off, and held up his arm. He said he also had scratches on his legs and stomach. I'm sure a million girls wanted to see his middle.

Of course he wouldn't have shown them it. "What's up?" I asked him later that day after school. He looked surprised to see me. "I already told you all I want to for now." He cocked his head. "Baby, can you do a favor for me?" "Anything." He grinned. "Try not to look beautiful tomorrow." he said. I smirked.

Of course I wanted to look sexy. I chose a pair of light-wash skinny jeans, pink tank top, white cardigan, and silver wedges. I curled my hair neatly and applied grey eyeshadow and pink lipstick from Victoria's Secret.

Beau whistled when I approached his locker. "How do I look?" I asked, spinning around. "Nicole, you look...amazing. Beautiful." "She's a vision! A dream!" said my friend Diane. "Every guy who walks past is going to want you. Every girl will envy you. They will try too hard to look as good as you." she said, putting her arm around my shoulder.

David whistled when I walked through. He pulled me aside. "I asked you not to look sexy." "I'm a rebel." I said, flipping my hair. Have you ever heard the song 'Silver Moon Woods' by Llewellyn? That's exactly what was playing through my head and how I felt. I wanted David, needed him.

He pulled me over after class. "Nicole, why are you torturing me?" "Because I love you." "Nicole, we can't do this. I wish we could more than anything. It's not just because I'm a teacher and you're my student. Nicole, it's Rachel. She'll kill you. Literally, kill you. Of course I'll do everything in my power to prevent that from happening, but I can't stop her completely. I've filed another restraint order against her. Sit down." I sat down in front of him.

"Nicole, I love you more than anything in the world" He looked up just as some girl walked in. "I'll call you later." he whispered.

I droned through my classes. English. Science. Lisah almost hit me in the stomach on purpose in gym. I got her right back. We were playing volleyball, and she really did kick me in the stomach when she hit the ball. I was ready to kill the bitch. "Nicole, you okay?" Diane asked when she and Keisha helped me up. "Yeah." "I'd bet a million bucks Lisah did that on purpose." Keisha said, tossing her long hair.

"Ya think?" Diane said. Keisha shrugged. "Bee is crazy. She knows Beau likes Nicole and she thinks they are dating."
"She is a seriously overpossessive crazy girl. I wonder however she got to the top in ninth grade."
"Totally. I say we find her worst boyfriend and bring him back." "Great idea, Keish. Whaddya say, Nic? Ya in?"

I thought about Lisah for a second. "I'm in." I said. My girls cheered. Granny Liz took us through all her moves from her water aerobics class.

David Drake approached me at my locker. "See me after school." he said, trying to sound authoritive. He failed miserably. He sounded more like he was in love. With me. I got a few 'You're so lucky' looks from other girls and a couple boys.

"What's up?" I asked him. He closed the door. "I've been thinking. I love you, Nicole. I'm willing to date you, but you can't tell anyone. Not even Keisha or Diane. Beau knows, but he swore not to tell. Nicole, baby?" "Yes?" He leaned forward, paused, and kissed me. His lips were soft, pink, moist.

"Hmm." he moaned. He carefully pulled away from me. "I wanted to kiss you longer, but we can't be kissing very long unless we're at my house." "Let's go to your house." "I wish I could drive you there. But I can't. Make up an excuse. Say your at a friend's house or in the library studying."

It wasn't a bad idea. I called Mom to tell her I'd be at the local library, climbed into my car, and followed him. He didn't live far from my house, just a couple blocks. Was that a sign?

The second we were in his bedroom, we kissed like Romeo and Juliet. "Give me love or give me death!" he cried. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet!" I told him. "Love me, Nicole." he whispered. "Kiss me...love me like the most famous lovers in the world! You've got Juliet's hair