Taming My Bullies novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: Sean Owes

Sean stood in the hallway with his hand still out.

"Mindy," he said. "I can explain."

"Can you?" Rhys said, very quietly.

"Stay out of this."

"I'm in it. I've been in it since I was eleven."

Sean's mouth worked.

His eyes went to the two halves of the penny in my hand, and I watched him do the math.

Two halves of a penny, and I watched the whole thing click into place behind his eyes.

"You were there," he said hoarsely. "That day. You pulled her out."

"Yes."

"I thought... I thought you didn't remember. You never said a word. All these years..."

"You never asked," Rhys said.

The hall was so quiet I could hear the radiator ticking.

I took off the flannel shirt, folded it, and put it into Sean's hands.

"Not tonight," I said. "Not in a hallway with half of Birch Hall listening."

"Mindy..."

"Tomorrow at noon. The Commons steps. You know what I want."

His eyes were wet.

"Okay," he whispered.

He went down the stairs slowly.

Rhys looked at me for one second longer.

"Put the pennies somewhere safe," he said, and left.

The Commons steps were packed again at noon.

Word travels at a school where nothing ever happens, and by now everyone knew the shape of the bet.

Two apologies were in the bank.

Everyone wanted to see the third.

Grayson and Lane stood on the left with their arms folded, scowling at the crowd.

Rhys leaned against the stone lion at the edge of the walk, hands in his pockets, face carefully blank.

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