37. Friends In Odd Places
"You can't just go see Dillon like that and me neither, don't you have any decorum?" Libra said as soon as the door to the apartment slammed shut.
Dillon had read the fear in her eyes but he hadn't known why she'd been scared. It had little to do with Laura anymore, even if she still intimidated her, now it was about getting caught. Had Dillon known why Laura was there he had most likely slammed his door in her face never to be opened again.
"You were the one who called me so I don't think you get to order me around. You weren't by your door so I decided to make a pit stop while I waited." Laura said with that fake innocent look plastered on her face.
It was true that Libra had contacted Laura the beginning of the week when she had tried to reach out to Jason White only to have been ignored completely. She had left him a message but he hadn't gotten back to her. Desperate for someone who could convince Jason to talk she reached out to Todd who asked Laura to help â and apparently it had done the trick. He hadn't said much but left tiny breadcrumbs that Laura wanted Libra to be aware of.
Not a day went by where she wondered why Laura was doing this. If this was about Dillon rejecting her she sure was a vindictive person. As they sat on Libra's couch to talk a wave of courage washed over her and she decided that at the end of their conversation she was going to ask Laura for a reason â any reason at all to why she was helping her.
"So what did Jason say?" Libra asked with her heart thumbing loudly inside her chest.
Laura sighed and gave her a tiny look of compassion while she took out her phone. Her silence said everything she needed to know. Dillon was involved somehow but they couldn't prove how just yet.
"He didn't say much at all, kept talking about how Charlie and Dillon were 'his boys for life' and he wasn't a snitch, but he did mention that he'd argued with your principal and your name had been mentioned."
"My name? Why would my name be mentioned in an argument between the two of them?" Laura was confused by her words and tried to remember if she'd ever had business at the principal's office â she hadn't.
"Apparently your principal had said something about how Dillon should ask you for advice about his grades, since you were at the top of your class. Dillon had mentioned it around Jason and he remembered how angry he'd been about it." Laura said.
Libra heard her own breaths as they broke the growing silence. She closed her eyes and remembered how she had put Dillon and his crew in their place in debate class and any other class for that matter. Since that was the only weapon she had she used it often, to remind them that in class they couldn't mess with her. Never had she thought that it had affected Dillon in any way, but evidently he had anger toward her. Her mind started to form a motive for Dillon Holden, a motive that told her that he was involved somehow and it had to do with spite.
She had doubted his grades when she had first seen him here and perhaps she had been right about it. The conversation with Todd entered his mind; the conversation where he told her about Dillon's parents allegedly bribing the police. If they had influences like that they could most likely get him into a college as well. Had Dillon done this and asked his parents to cover it up?
"W-why are you doing this?" Libra asked and knew her eyes were teary at this point.
It didn't matter what Laura wanted to do to her now. A part of her realized that Dillon had something to do with that night; even if he wasn't the one who did it he sure as hell knew who did. She wanted to be with him, she knew that now, but after this information she knew she couldn't. Since that awful night her goal had been to liberate herself from the pain she was feeling and perhaps become stronger than before in the process, this was her chance even if it meant losing someone she wanted.
Laura cleared her throat and got her attention once more. This time her eyes looked demure and her hands were shaking a bit. This Laura was someone she didn't know, a Laura that appeared far more relatable than the other one.
"My sister is a lot like you, actually. Shy bookworm that doesn't know how beautiful she is," Laura said without looking at her, "a guy from her high school treated her badly and got away with it. I wasn't there to protect her then and I've always regretted that. I never want to regret something like that again." Laura said and looked at Libra with tearful eyes.
The wall that Laura had built up around her existed no longer and the vulnerability had finally come through. There were more people out here with troubles that allowed them to act a certain way, Libra should've known better than to judge Laura from the get go.
Libra allowed herself to place a comforting hand over Laura's, "I think your sister is very proud to have a sister like you. I know my sister would've done the same and I am very proud of her."
Laura gave her a weak smile and nodded silently. Then they simply sat there in silence and allowed the tension between them fizzle out to dust.
"What are you going to do about this whole mess?" Laura asked carefully.
Libra shrugged her shoulders and tried her best to smile. She had yet to receive the final confirmation that Dillon was in fact involved but she knew that a confrontation wasn't far away â no matter how badly she didn't want it. When she looked at Laura she couldn't help but to feel relaxed for a moment. Even if she would lose Dillon she had a strange feeling that this wouldn't be the last time Laura would be here. She'd still have Sophia as well and Jack would keep in touch after graduation, she knew that.
"I don't know actually," Libra said and focused on Laura for a second, "but somehow I think I'll be okay." She nodded and without warning Laura and she broke out in a small giggle.
Things will be alright, she told herself, I will be alright.
After another few minutes inside Libra's apartment Laura excused herself to leave and Libra followed her to the door. Before she opened Laura turned to her and smiled nervously.
"I'm sorry I was so mean toward you. A part of me wanted Dillon before but I don't anymore, I promise." Laura assured her.
Libra had no idea why she told her this seeing as Libra wouldn't want much to do with him if he was guilty. But this only increased the belief that Libra had left a mark with Laura and that a potential friendship could bloom between them.
"It's alright Laura, that's in the past now. I'm really happy you told me about your sister, that couldn't have been easy for you."
"It wasn't, but thankfully she got through it somehow and you can too," she hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "watch out for Todd, though. He's only doing this out of spite so if Dillon doesn't turn out to be the one you should warn him about Todd."
"That is if Dillon would even want to speak to me after accusing him like this." Libra shook her head as she spoke.
"Don't you care about his feelings Libra! You are the victim in this and he should understand that. If he gives you any trouble let me know, I'll totally beat his ass." Laura laughed but somehow Libra could tell she wasn't joking.
As they said their good byes Libra opened the door only to see an angry Dillon stand outside. His face looked red and his breaths were harsh and fast.
"Are you two done here? Because I think Libra and I have some words to exchange right now." Dillon said between clenched teeth.
Libra exhaled and nodded for Laura to leave and closed the door behind her and Dillon. She knew this was coming just not this soon.
"So," Dillon started with a slight pitch in his voice, "you've talked to Jason?"