Broken, Navaura Campbell [top young adult novels txt] 📗

wondered when did he begin taking drugs? He'd always been a jerk but the red eyes was something new. How did you go from a world class jerk to a drug addict in a matter of weeks? Was this how high school supposed to be?

 

Vanessa POV:

Believe it or not but as I was entering the building to the school, I saw Tamarah come out of the library. She had this pissed off look on her face, the kind she got when she was disgusted with someone or something. Her eyes would squint, her hands clutch at the sides and then her mouth would purse like she’d been eating sour grapes. I went up to her and greeted her. “What’s up T?” I watched as the anger she displayed morphed into a wide eyed nervous look. Narrowing my gaze, I asked, “What’s wrong with you?” She glanced at me, her eyes tearing up. I was taken aback by the sadness in them. She mumbled an excuse me and turned toward the bathroom. My heart went out to her. Following her to the restroom, I pushed the door open. When I got inside, she was going into one of the stalls to get some tissue. I stood there leaned against a wall, waiting for her to exit. When she did, she continued to swipe at her eyes. I listened as she wiped her eyes and then washed her hands with soap and water. “Are you alright Tamarah?” She shook her head no. I felt my heart descend into sympathy. “What’s wrong girl?”

“I...I...” Tears welled up in her eyes again and I listened as she struggled with her words. The same feeling I’d awoken to this morning settled into the pit of my stomach. This was it? This was what that feeling was about? My heart began to pound and I didn’t want to be there. My mind immediately went to Tommy and knew instinctively this was connected. I watched her inhale a deep breath as she attempted to gather her composure. “There is something I need to tell you, but you have to promise me you won’t kill me.”

I crossed my hands over my chest. “I think I already know.”She narrowed her brows. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, I do. You’ve been sleeping with Tommy right?” I felt the trembles began and as I sank against the bathroom wall, I tried desperately to hold myself up.

“No. I haven’t been sleeping with him. However, I did once...”

 

I interrupted her. “The party right?”She raised her brows. “How’d you know?”

 

“It’s genetic.” I stated, feeling a sigh of relief. Relief that she’d atleast spoken the truth after all of these weeks.

 

“You’re not mad?” She inquired, quizzing me.

 

I shrugged, “I spent so much time so sure and so mad before that I think I’ve adjusted to the news.” She squinted her eyes confused. “So...you’re not mad?”

 

I shrugged, “I suppose not.” She exhaled. “I guess that means I can tell you what I need to tell you then.”

 

I raised my brow, my heart skipping and beating so loudly, I was sure it would jump out my chest any minute now. “There’s more?” I whispered, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears.

“I’m pregnant.” She stated quietly. Firecrackers, that’s what I heard in my head, explosive, loud, ringing as anger welled up inside me. As it frothed, another voice whispered, “quiet. Stay quiet.” I turned away and walked out of the bathroom, feeling my heart shatter, my blood pumped profusely and surprisingly enough, there were no words coherent enough to utter as my brain processed the news.

~ ~

Clarissa raised a brow. Pregnant? Tamarah was pregnant and get this...by Tommy Whitaker? An evil laugh roused from deep within her throat as she reached on the side of her bag, pulled out her cellphone and started a text.

~ ~

Tommy enetered the guys’ locker room with his bag on his shoulder. A guy came up and patted him on the back, “Way to go man.” Tommy nodded his head, showing him respect.

“I didn’t know you had it like that, man. Damn, two girls on your jock. I’m impressed.”Tommy narrowed his brows, looking up at Marcus Selton. “What the hell are you talking about?”He just laughed and continued on with what he was doing. As he stopped at his locker, twisting the combination lock he pulled it open and pulled his uniform out and threw his back pack in. “I see you been putting in some over time.” Mathew Lier came over to him and tapped on his locker. The thing opened on its own. “What?”

“Bestfriends at that, dayum...” Tommy flickered his eyes at Mathew. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Check it out.” Mathew touched the screen on his phone, clicked the messenger and showed Tommy the message in bright purple ink. TAMARAH GREY IS PREGNANT BY TOMMY WHITAKER.”

Tommy’s eyes went so big, he roared, “What the hell...”“So is it true?”

“Hell to the naw, who sent that?” He inquired.

Just then his phone beeped and he pulled it out of his pocket. Opening the messenger, he read the text: Congrats Daddy to be...” This was from one of his drinking buddies. Just then the anger he felt spout up in him nearly toppled over as he grabbed his bag out of the locker and slammed it shut. Eyes so angry with red, he left the locker room and went in search of the only person who could have spoken a word.

~ ~

Tamarah was in the library third hour, going over the list of movies with Timothy.

“Tamarah, we have to pick something. The project is due in two weeks and we still haven’t agreed on anything.”

 

“Why don’t we just each pick a few and watch them instead of trying to agree because we’ll never get done if we keep up this way. We’ve changed this list fifteen times and still can’t find a common ground.”

 

Timothy exhaled, “True.” His eyes scanned the list. Just then the library door opened and before the scene could be processed, Timothy was caught in astonishment as Tamarah was grabbed up from her seat and slung like a rag doll. Timothy stood up and ran to her, stepping in front of her. “No.” He yelled.

 

“Move boy, this ain’t got nothing to do with you.” The anger in Tommy’s voice was so hard, that Timothy himself almost waivered, but all this did was take him back to the days when he had to step in front of his mother’s boyfriends. “Maybe not, but I’m not going to let you hurt her.” He stated, “You need to go somewhere and cool off.”

 

“I’ll just flatten you too.” As Tommy came at him, Timothy grabbed the nearest object and slung it at him, uppercutting him hard. Tommy felt even more rage enter him, while Tamarah along with the rest of the students who’d been sitting in the front at the tables, moved out of the way as Tommy lunged at Timothy again. This time Timothy moved out the way and watched as he connected with a book shelf, knocking it to the ground and falling with it. He stepped aside as Tommy moaned.

 

Campus Security had come by then and were making their way to where he was. They grabbed Tommy and helped him up. His gaze went directly to Tamarah, “I’ll get you bitch, if it’s the last thing I do.” His gaze landed to Timothy. “You may have saved her today, but not forever.” Timothy exhaled sharply and took a step back.

 

His gaze went to Tamarah, “What the hell did you do to piss him off now?” Tamarah stood there shaking. She exhaled a deep breath and put her hand up to her face. She feared that Vanessa has spoken to him. Just then, she heard a phone go off. Looking over at the table she and Timothy had been sitting at she watched as his phone vibrated. He glanced at her and then back at the phone. Walking to the table. He grabed the phone, swiped it a couple of times and seeing the message displayed before his eyes, he gasped and his entire face drained of color. Not a second later, he felt Tamarah come up next to him and before he could do anything, she covered her hand over her mouth, grabbed her books and ran out of the library.

~ ~

 

 

 

Chapter Eleven:

Vanessa POV:

I sat in third hour, trying hard to concentrate, as I attempted to push what Tamarah had told me out of my mind and figuring out what it was I was going to do. The hardest thing I’d ever faced was what to do with my so called boyfriend, who’d betrayed me with my bestfriend. The constant click of my pin tip as it was pushed up and down, offered a distraction that allowed me to be lost in thought, contemplating on the correct way to dispose of a guy who up until this point, never gave an indication that he was being unfaithful. As my attention Mr. Paris My home ec teacher was talking about baking an angel food cake. I took a deep breath, staring at the ingredients lying before me; Eggs, flour and sugar were just a few of the ingredients needed to make my angel food cake. I inhaled sharply and glanced down at the unfinished list of items I’d yet to grab.

 

Taking the list in hand, I went back to the massive fridge that had been placed in the room and gathered the rest of what I needed. I’d been back at my desk, reading over the ingredients list for the last time, when I heard a vibration. Luckily, not many people were paying attention to me, since they’d already started working on their dishes. In a class of fifteen. I was one of three people incharge of desert for the end of the year lunch we were doing today. This was three of four more classes left. Reaching down into my bag, I opened it and pulled it out.

 

Flickering it open, I stared mouth agaped at the text flashing before my eyes. Every color I had in my face naturally drained from embarrassment and I scrolled down to find the message had been practically sent through the whole school. As I stared, my head began to hurt and anger began to well up in my heart. As it did, I heard a knock sound at the door. Mr. Paris left one of the students he was assisting and opened the door. My eyes locked on Mrs. Devonpeele our principal and it took all the strength I could muster to not fall where I stood. “May I speak with Ms. Williams, please?” I dropped my head to pretend I hadn’t heard her. Mr. Paris glanced over at me. “Vanessa Ms. Devonpeele would like to speak with you.” I stood there frozen, not sure of what to do. I could feel the eyes of the other students on me as they waited for me to go to her. “Vanessa.” Mr. Paris called my name a second time. I exhaled and pushed my phone back into my bag, “Bring your bag too.” I pulled the bag across my shoulder and felt my legs turning to jelly as I made my way toward her.

~ ~

“I really