Chapter 14

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I stared ahead blankly as I drowned out all the word's coming from the stage. We were our weekly school assembly that basically consisted of Arthur – or as the students knew him, Headmaster Nicholson – ranting off about everything the students were doing wrong and then following it up with sports and cultural news which would later just be repeated by the kid's that worked in the broadcasting room and in the news we put up on the school website. Basically, most of this was a waste of time, but no one minded because classes would be shorter for the day because of it.

My eyes kept running over the students but I didn't spot Stan anywhere. I didn't expect to but I wish I had. I wish he was one of those kids that attended class all the time because then I would know if he was skipping because he knew about his mom. Now all I could do was hope he was just sipping because it's what he usually did and he was alright (well, as alright as Stan gets, I guess).

Ben and I hadn't had a chance to talk about how we were going to approach this either. I didn't want to talk to him, I still felt like he was hiding something. The way he had just kept quiet when I asked him made it seem like something big. He knew if he just told me what was up then, I would have let it go – I knew that he knew that because I usually would, but he didn't. So, it=t had to be something big. But what?

Did he kill someone?

It would shock me. I knew he had in the past, but I was certain he wouldn't do it ever again.

Whatever, I was willing to put it aside so we could talk about how to tell Stan. To tell him at all? Couldn't we just say she was hit by a car while he was out or something?

"Jordan."

"What?" I snapped out of my thoughts as someone nudged my side. I was staring at Elena, her class was beside mine.

"We should get to class." She said. I looked by her to see the students exiting the hall, the other teachers beside us having already left, "Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm great." I chuckled.

"I was worried for a second there." She said.

I got up and we walked out of the gym as I listened to her complain about how I had two free periods today while she only had one. I don't know why she was so upset, I would have none tomorrow and she would have one.

I was paying attention until we heard yelling.

"Fight?" I asked raising my brows. This early?

"Really?" She said before we began making our way towards the noise. I stopped as I spotted a group of crowding students, and in the centre, I wasn't surprised to see Aaron. What I was surprised about was how livid he looked, and the blood smear from his lip and the fact that his friends seemed to be holding him back. I followed his glare to... Stanley.

"Stop!" I called out as Aaron tried to pull his arm from Shayne's hand.

Stan wasn't being held back and looked almost amused by Aaron, I knew this was making Aaron angrier and obviously Stan knew that too. I glanced down to Stan's hand and sure enough, there was blood on his knuckles.

"To your classes." I ordered.

Everyone began leaving immediately, except for the two that had fought. Elena left to her class and luckily, this was one of my free periods.

"Follow me." I muttered to them. "What happened?" I asked.

"He was smoking, I told him to stop and he blew it in my face so I grabbed his cigarette and he shoved me, so I pushed him back..."

"And I hit him." I stopped and looked at Stan because of how casually he said that, he really had no regret about any of it.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because he took my cigarette." He tilted his head to look by me, "You have a little..." he motioned to his lip with a smirk and I saw Aaron's fist clench again.

"This is not funny, Stan. You want to be suspended when you basically just got here?"

"I told you I didn't want to come here."

"And I told you if you live with us, you follow our rules –"

"Then I won't live with you." he spat before he turned and began to leave.

"What? Stan!" I called as he walked away from us. I grit my teeth about to follow him but Aaron spoke.

"You should let him be."

"Excuse me?" I looked at the boy in complete disbelief.

"Let him cool off." Aaron shrugged.

"Yeah? Why didn't you just let him be?" I asked.

Smoking wasn't unusual and kids here didn't really care what people that weren't their friends did on school grounds, except for the school president and the rest of the student council because they were required to care.

"'Cause I wanted to ruin his day." Aaron replied with a glare at the ground.

I furrowed my brows at him. He wanted to ruin someone's day? I suddenly got a very strong urge to touch his forehead or call his mother and tell her to have him checked out.

"Right? It's so unlike me." He laughed. "Sorry, Mr Brice..." He mumbled. "He just really ticks me off." He added.

I sighed running a hand through my hair. "Go to the office."

"Me? What about –"

"He'll go when he gets back. Everyone saw the fight; you can't expect me to brush it off, Aaron."

"But coach will make me skip games –" he tried desperately.

"I'm sorry. You're lucky you do well enough here not to have any other repercussions." I said.

He gave an annoyed sigh through his teeth before he walked off towards the staffroom. I looked back down the hall where Stanley had left earlier. Was this about a cigarette? I wanted to find him, but I couldn't just leave school. I decided that I should call him but stopped. I didn't have his number. Why didn't I have his number? Did Ben? I gave a scoff. I would look for Stanley later...

I walked back to where they fought and saw the cigarette on the floor. He was really trying to get himself expelled, wasn't he? He didn't even smoke outside in the yard. I grabbed the butt deciding to get rid of it and hoping Aaron wouldn't tell Arthur that the fight had started indoors.

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Stanley had not come back to school after the fight and when I got home he wasn't there. It was nerve-wracking. I had kept my eyes open, noticed every person in every street and park as I drove home but I had not found him. What if he left? Where would he go? I even stopped by the park Ben and I had found him in that night. I was afraid that he got hurt or lost. It would be my fault. I should have been understanding, but I was so angry about that stupid fight.

I dropped the beer I had been drinking onto the coffee table as the front door opened and turned hoping it was Stanley but Ben walked in instead. I didn't even realise that he was supposed to be home two hours ago, it was almost 8 PM.

"Hey, Babe, you okay? You look horrible." Why did he sound guilty? "What happened?" I glared at him, "I'm sorry?"

"About?" I was just going to let him tell me why he thought this was directed towards him.

"Um – I' mean I'm sorry about whatever you're upset about." I frowned and turned back around. I didn't have the energy to deal with this right now. "Are you drinking?" I used to drink like crazy when I was in varsity, now it wasn't very often. I guess I grew up?

"Stan left school."'

"Him. That's why you look like this? I should have known." He shook his head, "I'll call him."

"You have his number?"

"I got it because you keep nagging about being a better father." He joked but I didn't react. He gave my shoulder a pat as he pulled out his phone and dialled Stan's number.

"He's made, he might not answer." I said.

"I've never called him before so he doesn't have my number." He replied.

"Then won't he just hang up when he realises who you are?"

Ben smirked back at me and I watched curiously.

"Hello, is this Stan?" I tilted my head highly doubting that whatever plan Ben had was going to work, his son wasn't stupid, "We have a Nicole here, she says you're supposed to pick her up? She's currently too drunk to walk..." I frowned. Oh. "Eddy's bar, we're on 48th. You can't miss the sign. Please hurry up, we're supposed to close early today." He hung up.

"What if he really expects her there?"

"We deal with one thin" I yawned. He chuckled nodding.

We drove to the bar and waited.

"What happened?" Ben asked after a while of us waiting in silence.

"He got into a fight." I replied.

"Do I have to come to the school?" Ben asked sounding tired. I don't know if it was because of work or because of the thought of having to go to the school.

"Probably not."

"I will if I have to, Jordan."

"Thanks, but I don't think you'll have to. He'll probably get detention for two weeks, the boy he fought with only has a week because he wasn't smoking."

"Ah, smoking too?" He mumbled, "Babe, can you not worry about him so much?" I looked at Ben and he frowned as he took my hand, "I know you think I'm horrible at him, but I did help find him and I can handle the Nicole thing too. You don't have to do everything. I wouldn't have let him stay out all night, even if you went to bed. So please relax a little before you hurt yourself, I'll take care of him, I promise." I stared at him before I gave a small smile and a nod. "Good. Get some rest –"

"There he is," It had been fifteen minutes before I spotted a hopeful yet concerned looking Stanley walking towards the bar. I bit my lip. He knows she's gone... That's why he looks so hopeful. He hopes that she's here. Other than that, I was relieved to see that he was completely fine.

I got out of the car as he was walking by it, obviously too caught up in his own thoughts to notice that it was Ben's car, and grabbed his arm. He turned to look at me and I gave him a hug, he stood surprised for a few seconds before he shoved me away from him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked before he lifted his hand, "It was you. You called." He said.

"Actually, I did." Ben's voice came from inside the car.

"She's not here." Stanley glanced towards the bar.

"No... she isn't. Stan, your mother –"

"I know. She's gone." He didn't even stutter, his voice didn't change and his eyes didn't move from mine. He didn't look like it mattered to him, but earlier... "What do you want? What do I have to do for you to leave me alone?"

"Come to the house, go to school and we'll pretend you aren't there." Stan's eyes shifted to Ben quickly before he looked back at me waiting for confirmation.

"That's it." I said.

"Fine." He moved by me to get into the car.

I climbed back into the passenger seat and looked at Stanley through the rearview mirror. He was on his phone like always, probably texting someone. Friends from his old town? He looked like he usually did.

But he couldn't possibly be okay right now, could he? Or am I just reading into this too much? Just basing his thoughts and feelings on what I think it would be like if my mother did that to me. Their relationship was different, Ben would be able to understand him slightly more than I would because of his relationship with his parents. Still, I couldn't believe that Stan was alright.

We drove home in silence save for the radio and Staley got out immediately once the car stopped. Ben handed him the keys from his window and he made his way into the o=house while we stayed in the car.

"Do you think he's okay?" I asked.

Ben gave a nod. "Yes."

"Because he didn't like her?"

"Because he has no choice but to be, and because of that and the fact that he didn't like her he'll get over it pretty quickly."

"That sounds... ridiculous..."

"It does. But it's what it is. Come on, you promised you would sleep."

"I didn't promise anything."

"But you agreed."

"I just nodded, that could mean anyth –"

"Jordan, I'm going to kill you if you don't go to bed with me right now." I laughed as he glared at me.

"Fine, but you have to make him dinner before you come to bed."

"If it'll make you get some rest, I will. And don't worry, it'll be good." He said.

I chuckled nodding and I kissed him before we headed inside.

*