Fragile Steps: Chapters 12-14
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TRIGGER WARNING: This story includes scenes of cruelty, bullying, and ableism. If these themes are difficult for you, please prioritize your well-being and read with caution.
Chapter 12: Brianna
Brianna was halfway down the street when Dad chased after her, shouting like a lunatic. “Brianna, wait!”
She stopped with a sigh. Whatever he wanted, it better be quick; she was already running late for school.
As he approached, she saw the little dark bottle in his hand. Shit.
“I told you to take two of these each day,” he said, holding the little bottle in her face. “One in the morning and one at night, before bed. Did you remember to take one this morning?”
She shook her head. “Sorry. Slipped my mind.”
“And did you take one last night?”
Brianna bit her lip. Did she? She wasn’t sure. She’d fallen asleep late, dozing in front of the TV in her room. “I… I’m not sure.”
Dad took a big, heavy breath through his nose, the disappointment etched across his stern face. “Brianna, I hope you’re taking your recovery seriously.”
“Of course I am,” she said, indignant.
“Well it doesn’t seem like it. You forgot to do the one thing I asked of you. Here, take two now and another before bed tonight, that’ll put you back on track.”
He pressed two fat pills into her hand and watched as she struggled to swallow them without water, almost gagging them back up. What was the big deal about these pills? She felt fine — were they really that important?
She showed him her tonsils to prove she wasn’t planning on spitting them back out.
“Good,” he said, nodding. “Now, I’ve gotta go to work — but if Noah shows up again, or anything weird happens, you call me. Even if it seems small.”
Brianna frowned. “Like what?” He sounded like he was expecting something “weird” to happen.
Dad shrugged. “Just… you know, anything at all. However insignificant.”
“Okay, Dad. Whatever you say.” She wondered if his behavior counted as a weird thing happening.
Then he leaned in, looking like he was going to kiss her on the cheek, but then hesitated and went for a pat on her arm, but then couldn’t even bring himself to do that.
“Bye.” he muttered, turning and scurrying back to the house, leaving her wondering if she had some sort of contagious disease.
***************
Her thoughts of Dad’s weirdness evaporated when she arrived at school. The main hallway was bustling as usual, but today felt different. There was a nervousness in the air, people speaking in hushed voices with worried looks on their faces. Teachers lined the corridor, quietly informing everyone that first class was cancelled in place of an “Emergency Assembly” in the big gym hall.
As she followed the crowd, she caught snippets of tense whispers:
“He’s lucky to be alive…”
“He could lose his leg…”
“He’ll never play football again…”
Principal Mike Munroe had been absent from his usual position at the front gate this morning. He now stood in front of the crowded bleachers of the gym hall, looking as somber as a professional funeral mourner.
Beside Munroe stood Lieutenant Frank O’Connell, arms folded tightly with a blotchy red face. He glared at the crowd like we were all suspects in a murder investigation. Standing just behind him were a few other police officers.
The football team and coaches were in attendance too. The players stood with their arms around one another, heads bowed low.
Brianna took her place near the door, dreading to think which one of the precious jocks had gotten themselves a boo-boo.
At last, the crowd fell silent and Munroe cleared his throat. “Good morning, students. I’m sure some of you are wondering why I called this emergency assembly.” He paused for a moment, letting the tension simmer a little longer.
“Last night, one of your fellow students, Ryan O’Connell, was the victim of a brutal and unprovoked attack.”
Gasps and murmurs filled the room, and a few girls competed to see who could sob loudest. Munroe raised his hands, silencing the crowd again before continuing. “The good news it that Ryan’s injuries are not life-threatening. Unfortunately though, he will not be available to play football anytime soon, and will most definitely miss the rest of the season.”
More gasps, followed this time by wails and angry shouts. The crowd seemed more concerned about losing their star quarterback than about Ryan’s actual condition.
“Now I know that this is devastating news to all of us,”
Not all of us, Mike. Brianna lowered her gaze so no one noticed her smirk.
“Ryan is a model student and a wonderful ambassador for this school. I know I speak for everyone when I say that Ryan is in our thoughts and prayers, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.”
The crowd broke into a half-hearted applause at this, nodding and sharing sympathetic looks. Brianna folded her arms. Just a few more months, and she’d be out of here, away from these brain-dead idiots for good.
“You’ll have noticed that we are joined by some members of our local law enforcement.” Munroe stepped to the side, gesturing to the police officers. “They’re here today to ask you all some questions to help with their investigation in catching the coward, or cowards, who did this. I would ask that you assist them by providing any useful information you may have. I’ll now hand over to Ryan’s father, Lieutenant O’Connell, who has a few things to say to you.”
Munroe stepped back as O’Connell stepped forward, scanning the faces in the room again before speaking. “Last night, some scumbag attacked my son,” he started, spitting out the word “scumbag”. His voice was angry and cracked, losing some of its usual stiffness. “And in doing so, may have ruined his future.”
O’Connell allowed his words to hang in the air for a while, so the crowd had time to digest the gravity of the situation. He shuffled closer, pacing along the front row, almost nose to nose with the fearful spectators. “If anyone has any information, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, you cannot keep it to yourself. It is your duty, as a student of this school, as a good citizen of this town, to come forward and tell us what you know.”
He waited expectantly, like he was hoping for someone in the crowd to jump up and tell him everything he needed to know. Of course, this didn’t happen, which made his mood all the more precarious. “I know one of you has to know something,” he yelled, pointing a thick finger into the crowd. “Have any of your friends been acting strangely? Perhaps you know someone who has a grudge against my son?”
At that moment, Lieutenant O’Connell’s eyes landed on Brianna. It was only for a second or two, but it happened, And she was almost certain he’d caught the end of her smirk.
She squirmed in her chair as a few others glanced down at her, nudging one another and whispering. How she felt about Ryan was no secret, but surely they don’t suspect her? How could she have attacked him? Unless she had someone do it for her — but who?
“The person, or persons, we are after may well be in this very room as I speak. To you, I say this: do the right thing and come forward now. Because, trust me, it’ll be a hell of a lot worse for you if you don’t.”
Munroe spoke up before O’Connell could decide to lock the doors and keep them all in there till someone confessed. “Thank you, Lieutenant. I’d like to echo the Lieutenant’s words by saying that everyone here has a responsibility to help bring Ryan’s attackers to justice. Now, I’ll briefly hand over to Coach Tucker, who wants to talk about this week’s game. Over to you, Coach.”
Brianna had heard enough. She slipped out while Coach Tucker rallied his troops. Defiant cheers rang in the distance as she made her way down the corridor, killing some time till her next class by thinking about what she’d just heard.
Taking pleasure in the misfortune of others isn’t normally her style, but she could make an exception for Ryan O’Connell. While the rest of the school acted like they were in mourning, she’d have a smile on her face for the rest of the day, and why the hell not? He’d ruined her life, so as far as she was concerned, he deserves to suffer.
Deserves to suffer.
Her stomach clenched, the words repeating in her ears. Noah had said something like that the other day.
“These despicable excuses for human beings deserve to suffer!”
He’d been furious when she’d told her story. One minute he’d been fine, and the next, he’d just flipped, shouting and banging the table. And that look in his eyes… he’d wanted to hurt Ryan and the others, might even enjoy it too.
Deserves to suffer.
A chill crept down her spine. It was a ridiculous thought. Made absolutely no sense whatsoever. She felt silly for even thinking it. But still, she couldn’t help wondering.
Did Noah attack Ryan?
Chapter 13: Brianna
Police interviews interrupted lessons for the rest of the week. Students were continuously being pulled from classrooms for “informal chats”, and everyone was a suspect. Officers patrolled the corridors like the Gestapo, searching bags and lockers for weapons or other clues that would help them crack the case.
Given her reputation as someone who’d happily push Ryan O’Connell down a flight of stairs, Brianna was no exception. Her bag and locker were searched on the first morning, and she was pulled for an interview the following day. A teacher escorted her to an unused classroom at the far end of the main building, where she was greeted by a young, baby-faced officer sitting at a desk.
“Hello, Brianna,” he said, smiling as he thumbed through a mess of files and other paperwork before he found the blank form he was looking for. “How are you today? I’m Officer McCormack. Now, I promise I won’t keep you long. Just a few questions and then you can get back to class.”
Brianna nodded. No doubt Lieutenant O’Connell had already informed Officer McCormack of her history with his son. She was anticipating a grilling, but was determined to say as little as possible. After all — why should she help them?
“So.” McCormack looked down at the sheet of paper in front of him, pen poised to jot down her answers. “I suppose you’ve heard about the assault on Ryan O’Connell the other night?”
“Yeah.”
“And what have you heard exactly?”
“Nothing,” she blurted — a little too quickly, like someone who knew more than that. “I mean, just, you know, what I heard at the assembly yesterday.”
“I see.” His pen was scribbling away — what could he possibly be writing? She’d hardly spoken yet.
“Where were you on Monday evening of this week, around eight o’clock?”
“I was… I was at home all evening.” Why the hell did she pause like that? Her heart fluttered a little, like she’d just lied. She had nothing to hide, but if McCormack was anything like his boss, then he wasn’t to be trusted.
“And someone can vouch for you? Your parents maybe?”
“Sure.” Mom and Dad never took much notice of where she was, but they’d assume she’d been in her room all night. She reminded herself that this was completely true, in spite of how she felt.
“Okay, great. And, I heard you missed school on Monday. Everything okay, I hope?”
“Oh, uhm.” Thinking quickly, she held her stomach. “Girl problems.”
McCormack suddenly seemed flustered. He blinked, clearing his throat. “I see. So… you were at home all day?”
“Yep,” she said, nodding just a little too frantically. It seemed best not to mention her little outing with Noah, but lying made her feel like she had actual “girl problems” right now.
McCormack raised his eyebrows. “You mean you didn’t leave the house at all?”
“That’s right.” She told herself Noah had nothing to do with the attack, so there was no point in bringing him into it. Plus, how would she explain how they knew one another? She wasn’t ready to answer that question.
McCormack’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. Suddenly, the cheerful, mild-mannered officer from mere moments ago seemed more formidable. He had the look of a cynical detective with decades of experience putting scumbags behind bars.
Her mind raced as she picked at her thumb. Could he tell she was lying? Or perhaps he knew she was. Maybe someone had mentioned seeing her with a slightly older male at a diner on Monday morning. She hadn’t seen anyone she knew at the diner, but then again, it had been busy, she may not have noticed. Or perhaps someone saw Noah dropping her home. It was a quiet town, privacy was hard to come by.
McCormack’s face seemed unconvinced by her answer, but he moved on. “Let’s talk about your relationship with Ryan O’Connell. Not exactly friends, are you?”
She stayed silent, not wanting to respond to a question he already knew the answer to.
“Last year, you were the victim of a hit and run, and you accused Ryan of being the driver. Is that correct?”
Again, he knows all this already, so my lips remained firmly shut as he stared me out.
“Brianna, would it be fair to say you have a grudge against Ryan O’Connell?
That’s putting it mildly, she thought. If Ryan was drowning, she’d throw him a boulder. Even thinking of him now, standing over her, appearing distraught, but then leaving her for dead. Whatever had happened to him, he deserved worse.
Fighting to keep her face neutral, she responded through gritted teeth. “I don’t have a grudge against Ryan.”
Her answer wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all Officer McCormack. “Are you sure?” He tapped his pen against his chin. “It’s okay if you do. Heck — if I thought someone had done that to me, I’d certainly hold a grudge. Anyone would.”
She saw what he was trying to do — make her seem like a bitter victim, hell bent on revenge. It wasn’t going to work. “I was confused after the accident… it was dark. Maybe it wasn’t even him.”
McCormack gave her a mocking stare — what was he thinking? He didn’t believe a word she was saying, that much was obvious. She felt stupid for having hoped he might. “Okay, last question,” he said. “Have you seen or heard anything suspicious lately? Anyone talking about Ryan O’Connell, anyone angry with him, saying they were going to do anything to him?”
“Nope.” She shook her head, more calmly this time.
McCormack scribbled at his paper, not looking back up. “That’ll be all for now, Brianna. You may return to class, thanks for your help today.”
Leaving the classroom, something told Brianna this wouldn’t be the last time she’d be speaking to the police.
Chapter 14: Brianna
Friday evening came, which meant one thing, and one thing only: sitting in her room, like every other evening. Gaming controller in hand and salty snacks by her side — a lot more fun than studying, she supposed.
Mom was sipping wine in the living room, gossiping endlessly to her friend on the phone. Dad was working from his little home office upstairs. Although, he had come home in time for dinner, just like he had every night since her procedure — a new record for him.
He’d still been treating her like a baby. She’d had to pause her game when he burst in to check she’d still been remembering to take those stupid pills, even going so far as to pour the remaining ones onto her bed and count them. Then he’d made his excuses and awkwardly shuffled out of her room without so much as a “How was your day?” The man really was losing it.
Apart from Dad’s rude interruption, she was glad for the peace and quiet. She’d worked hard the past few days, getting caught up with studies (and dealing with invasive police officers), and felt like she deserved to relax a little, switch her brain off for a few hours before an early night.
There was just one thing bothering her — she hadn’t heard from Noah.
Mashing the buttons on her controller, she obliterated some poor kid with a swing of her greatsword, his character dying with a sickening sigh. Why hadn’t he got in touch? And what about her rehab — is he not helping with that anymore? Had Dad scared him off? Or maybe it was her, telling her big sob story about what she’d been through — had that been too much for him? Or… was he lying low after attacking Ryan?
She wiped her sweaty hair from her face, shaking that last stupid thought out her head. The first boy who’s shown any interest in her in a year, and she had to go and convince herself that he was a violent psychopath. Suddenly, the video game no longer seemed fun. The controller bounced off the bed and thudded onto the floor.
He said they’d go out again — she hadn’t imagined that, had she? Surely he wouldn’t just ghost her. Either Dad had scared him off, or he’d been hit by a bus. Those were the only two rational explanations.
He’ll be in touch, she thought, sighing. She’d just have to be patient. Really, really patient.
Then a loud hammering at the front door startled her.
The knock came again, louder this time.
Her heart danced.
It had to be him.
“I’ll get it!” She rushed from her bedroom to the front door, but paused as she reached for the handle. If it really was him, which it might not even be, then there was no harm in making him wait a few seconds longer. After all, she’d waited to hear from him all week.
She turned the handle and opened the door.
And there he was, leaning against the porch. A thick strand of glossy hair partially hid his smoky gaze. “Hi.”
Brianna’s eyes almost popped out her head. Had he somehow gotten better looking this week? Maybe, but she certainly wasn’t going to tell him that. “You have a habit of showing up unannounced,” she said, folding her arms.
Noah grinned. “It’s like I just know when you need me.”
He’s so fucking smug. “Well, a call or text would have been—”
“You wanna go see a movie? I’ll pay.”
Brianna sighed, pushing her frustration back down. If there’s one thing she hated, it was being interrupted. “I’m picking the movie.”
***************
The movie theater had received a makeover since the last time she’d been here. An immaculate new foyer led to a kiosk that sizzled with the smell of real food — gourmet burgers, hotdogs with actual meat, nachos with more than a teaspoon of cheese and salsa. She’d heard the screens were bigger now too.
They had arrived early, so Noah treated her to an ice-cream then, with the warm comfort of his hand on her back, led her to a table in the little waiting area. A girl with her boyfriend caught Brianna’s eye and smiled. If this wasn’t a date, it sure felt like one. Probably looked like one too.
“I’ve heard good things about this movie,” said Noah. “Should be fun.”
Brianna forced a smile. As nice as it feels to be doing something “normal” with a boy, a question is eating at her. A question she had to ask him before she could enjoy her night — did he attack Ryan?
She cringed at even thinking it. He’d probably think she was nuts if she dared ask him, but what else was she supposed to do? Not ask him, and then spend the rest of the evening, or even their relationship (if they had one) wondering what he was capable of?
No, she couldn’t bear it any longer. It was either ask the question or spend the night spiraling through worst-case scenarios.” Here goes.
“So… how was work this week?” She bit her lip, scolding herself for being such a coward.
Noah shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Pretty quiet really. How was school?”
This was her chance. “Kinda crazy actually. Remember when we were talking the other day, and I told you about the guy in my year, the one who ran me over?”
“How could I forget. Robbie, right?”
“Ryan.”
“Ryan, that’s it,” he said, nodding. “What about him?”
“Well, someone attacked him.”
Noah sat up a little. “Oh wow, really?”
“Yeah. Beat him up pretty bad, apparently.” She watched for any hint of guilt — an eye twitch, a tightening of his jaw, a clenched fist — but he gave her nothing.
“How did that make you feel?”
That was an easy question to answer. It made her feel fucking ecstatic, but did she really want to admit that? “I’m not sure. I mean, yeah, he probably got what he deserved, but, I don’t know…”
“I think I understand. You’re a nice person, so you wouldn’t wish harm on anyone. But then again, after what he did to you, it’s hard for you to feel sorry for him.”
“Exactly!” She looked at the floor, searching for the courage she needed. “I just… I can’t help but wonder who attacked him.” She studied his face again, and this time, his expression changed, faltered a little, just for a second.
Then, he rubbed his eyes. “Okay, I have a confession to make.”
Oh my god. He was going to admit it — he’d attacked Ryan. Brianna clung to the arms of her chair, breath held for his next words.
Noah looked down, shaking his head. “I told you that your dad said it’d be a good idea if I helped you with your recovery. Well, he never said that.”
“What?” She frowned. This was not the confession she’d expected.
“He never even knew I was going to visit you. He knows I did now, of course. Gave me a full interrogation about it.”
She thought back to Dad’s reaction when she’d told him Noah had visited. He acted like he’d known all about it, but it was so obvious that he hadn’t. “Why did you lie?”
“What can I say? I wanted to see you again. I felt like we had a little connection.” Noah rubbed his brow, giving her a remorseful look. “I know I must seem like a psycho. I’m not so great with girls,” he admitted, glancing away. “Dating and all that.”
Brianna’s heart did another little dance. He’d said “dating” — this was a date! She couldn’t believe it, an actual date for the first time in a year. It wasn’t so long ago that she’d thought her love life was over, but here she was, out on a date with a gorgeous—
“I’m really sorry, Brianna.”
She was so excited that it took her a moment to remember what Noah was apologizing for. She took his hand and smiled. “It’s okay. And you’re not the only one who felt a connection.”
Noah smiled back, but it’s not a smirk or a smug grin this time. It’s real. Genuine. Beautiful.
The film was about to start. Her burning question began to dwindle at the back of her mind. Perhaps it could wait for now.
Author’s Note:
The pressure is starting to mount!
I loved writing the school’s reaction to Ryan’s attack — it’s such a stark contrast to how they handled Brianna’s life-altering accident. Then again, Ryan’s dad is a local cop and best buds with the school principal, so… yeah. Not exactly a level playing field.
Brianna shouldn’t really be a suspect, but Lieutenant O’Connell knows how deep her grudge against his son runs. So, the police are just a tiny bit suspicious of her.
And speaking of suspicions: Brianna’s logic in thinking Noah might’ve been the one who attacked Ryan is a little out there. He got super angry when she told him everything she’d been through, and said Ryan and the others “deserve to suffer” — that was it.
Of course, we know she’s onto something. I had so much fun playing with dramatic irony in this story!
Next week, Brianna starts to rediscover a bit of her old confidence… but how long will it last?
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