Exposing Kitty Langley Read Free

and after them.
    I heard her screams coming from the end
of the hall to my right. I picked up speed and froze as I rounded the corner.
Trent was towering over her, ripping her dress to shreds.
    “Now it’s you who will be
humiliated,” he chided. “There’s no way for you to get out of here without
being seen by everyone. And now your dress is ruined.”
    She just stood there, hands covering
her face in defense. Had he struck her? With that, I gave no further thought to
my actions as I bounded toward him, tackling him and putting his head into the
lockers. I knew he was out cold before we hit the floor, his body going limp at
once. I jumped to my feet, looking down at the still figure. I actually couldn’t
believe I just did that. Did I just do that? I was more surprised at my strong
instinct to protect. Where had that come from? I felt a little strange until whimpering
brought me back to the moment, and the small girl trembling against the lockers
as tears soaked her face.
    “Are you all right?” I ask,
cautiously approaching. She didn’t answer. “Um, Kitty, did he hurt you?”
    She looked up at me then, her big
eyes seeming disoriented and confused.
    “Kitty, I need you to answer me. Did
Trent hurt you just now?” Then I noticed the blood on her lips. He had struck
her.
    She began to slide down the wall to
the floor. I took hold of her arm and held her up, trying to keep my hands from
touching her bare skin as little as possible. After all, she’d just been
attacked.
    Suddenly, I heard several girls’
laughter coming from somewhere else further away but heading in our direction.
I knew she would be humiliated to be found this way. I really shouldn’t care. I
mean, she had spent years being nasty to practically everyone in this school.
This was really not my concern. I let go of her arm then, letting her slide
gently to the floor. I was about to take a step, leaving the girl to her fate,
when I spared one last glance at her. She looked pitiful, her face in her
hands, resting her head against her drawn-up knees, and crying—of all things
crying. I really hated that sound. It wrenched at me like nothing else. And I
knew I couldn’t leave her there to be found like that. Mean or not, she was
still a person.
    I can’t believe I’m gonna do this.
    She gasped as I scooped her up in my
arms, but rested her head on my shoulder as I stormed toward the door. I
reached and pulled for the knob. It was locked. I heard the girls’ laughter
getting closer. I took a step back, and then kicked the door hard with my foot,
sending it flying open. It hadn’t been locked after all—only stuck. I rushed
through the door and into the cool evening air.
    In the safety of my car, she seemed
to relax, the tears stopping at least. “Do you want to tell me what that was
about?” I asked as I pulled out of the parking lot, heading for where I didn’t
know.
    She slowly glanced over at me. “I
wish I knew. Trent has never acted that way before. Not that I know him that
well, but I’ve never heard of him being aggressive before.”
    “What did you do to him?”
    “I didn’t do anything to him.”
    “Oh come on. You must’ve done
something for him to react that way.”
    “Listen, Reed is it?” I nodded. “Well,
I appreciate your help, really I do. Without you I’d be back there being
humiliated as everyone got an eye full. It was really nice of you to take me
away from that, but I’m not in the mood to be accused any more tonight, if you
don’t mind.”
    I sighed. “I’m sorry. Do you have
any idea what set him off then?”
    “He said something about humiliating
him at his party. I tried to tell him I wasn’t at his party, but he wouldn’t
listen. I guess I don’t blame him. My guess is that the B’s set me up to take
the fall for this. It’s the only thing that makes any sense.”
    “Well, I heard about the falling out
you had with them, but do you think they’d do that to you? I mean, you guys
have been