Chapter 17: The Gentleman

Thursday 17-May 2007

Lisa arrived a few minutes after school finished, her chest still heaving from running over. Chris's mum showed her into the dining room. She gasped when she saw Chris, went over and sat beside him, and ever so gently caressed his face.

"Oh, Chris, you look awful!"

They talked about Chris's injuries and what the doctor had said. Once they were done with that, a silence settled over the room.

"Lisa, would you like something to drink?"

"Oh thanks, Helen, I'd love some water."

Once his mum walked out of the room, Lisa turned to Chris. "Shahia's secret must be one hell of a story."

"What's Shahia got to do with this?"

Lisa gave him a look, but then he saw her pause and reconsider. "Chris, I saw the last half of your fight yesterday. You weren't the only one that had to be helped away from it. Jerry had to be helped, he was limping badly. You know, you were lucky, he's a killer — a real fighter."

"Yeah, I was real lucky."

"Anyhow, you two weren't the only ones who had to be helped away after the fight. Shahia was terribly upset, hyperventilating, and she couldn't talk. So I dragged her over to the field, sat there with her while she calmed down, and held her while she cried."

Lisa looked at him speculatively. "That girl takes keeping her mouth shut to a whole new level. In nearly a whole period, she said only one thing to me, which was to tell me that you were protecting her when I asked her if it was you that upset her.

"Anyhow, towards the end of the period, she just suddenly stood up, thanked me, and left school.

"So, you fought Jerry for Shahia?"

Chris squirmed. He really didn't want everyone to see it that way, but obviously Lisa knew enough to know the truth.

"Lisa, first, thank you so much for looking after Shahia. Yes, I did that for Shahia. But it would be really bad if everyone thinks that's what happened."

"Well, I kind of suspected that, given how secretive both of you are. I had to tell Mr Cartwright, but I told the few others that know to keep their mouths shut about her part."

"Mr Cartwright? What did you tell him?"

"Well, he came by when Shahia was crying into my shoulder, but when he approached I waved him off, so I had to go and see him when Shahia left."

"What exactly did you tell him?"

"Well, I told him there had been a fight between you and Jerry, that you had been taken home really out of it, and that you were protecting Shahia, and that it had left her completely blown away, so she wouldn't be at school for the rest of the day. That's all."

Wow. That was interesting. Mr Cartwright had known a whole lot more than he'd said; he'd kept his cards close to his chest. But Chris thought back through the conversation he'd had with Mr Cartwright, and he suspected that Mr Cartwright had really used that information to test him and then help him out.

"So, anyway, Chris, I completely misjudged you. I'm very sorry that I doubted your intentions with regard to Shahia. I really wish I could find someone who'd do that for me."

Chris shrugged. "Thank you. Actually, given the way I've acted in the past, I can understand why you doubted me. And thank you for trying to keep it quiet that this was about Shahia. That could really make it hard for her."

"I was worried about her today. You know when she started this year, her body language told a terrible story. In the last few weeks, since she talked to you, it's been improving, but today it was worse than ever. So please, tell me. What's the big secret?"

"Do you really want to know? To know this huge thing, that changes everything, and then you simply cannot say anything to anyone at all for any reason? Can you really keep a secret like that?"

Lisa snorted. "You make it sound like lives are at stake!"

Chris just looked at her.

"Oh, Chris, come on, pull the other leg, it sings waltzing matilda!"

"Well, I'm not sure. One day, when you know, then you can tell me whether I'm wrong, whether you think the answer's obvious."

Lisa reached out and put her hand on Chris's hand. "Chris, I swear: I can keep a secret like that."

"Yeah, well, it's not actually a secret, that's the sad and scary bit. I told you I'd talk to Shahia when the time is right, and I promise that I will as soon as I can."

Chris's mum returned. "Lisa, how's your mum?"

That got Lisa distracted, and then Jay and Bec got home. A few minutes later she had to leave.

When Shahia arrived half an hour later, with Alyssa and Maria, Chris moved into his bedroom upstairs; he needed some privacy for this. He sat on the floor in front of his bed.

When she came into the room, she saw his face, and she stopped, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh, Chris!" She covered her mouth with her hand.

"Hello, Shahia." He smiled at her.

Slowly she approached him, drawn by the terrible appearance of his face. She reached out her hand, about to caress his face like Lisa, but stopped. She gracefully sat down on the floor in front of him.

"I can't believe how badly hurt you are."

"It's not as bad as it looks. It doesn't hurt so much now, it just looks really bad."

"Your mum said you had to go to hospital?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, I was pretty badly concussed after he slammed me into that wall. I spent most of last evening there while they checked me over. But they said I'm going to be fine."

Shahia's relief was obvious. "I can't believe you did that for me."

"Well, I did do it for you. But even more than that, I did it for me. That's really why I did it."

"I don't understand?"

"It's about showing myself what kind of person I am, what I am going to make of myself."

Shahia looked at him doubtfully. "I kind of understand that, but to take such a beating for me? Isn't that a bit extreme? I don't get it."