I breathe deeply, letting my shoulders fall off.
- I know! I know! - ...I say by passing my hand on her arm that she hit the bag. - I'm so sorry! Can you tell me what happened to Brooke? She's gone and she won't return my calls. I want to apologize and I can't.
Jane sighs.
- Promise you won't freak out? - she asks, making a frown.
- Oh, shit! She's giving up, isn't she? - I mean by running my hands over my face. - Jane, please tell her that I'm going to keep to the schedule and that things like that won't happen again. Do it for me, please!
I take a break, sighing.
- I really need to pass this semester and only Brooke can help me. I know we don't get along, but I promise I'll behave!
I spit the words out nervously. Jane throws her hands in the air and makes a frightened face.
- Stop! Jane screams. - You're making me dizzy! I've never seen a man beg so much. Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Taking a deep breath, she pulls her cell phone out of her pocket. Jane seemed to be looking for something, and after a few minutes, she turned to me.
- When I told you not to freak out, it wasn't because Brooke gave up on helping you, because she didn't give up. - she sighs pointing at her cell phone. - She doesn't want to talk to anyone about it.
I make a face looking at Jane and then I look at the screen of the device. I hold my breath by grabbing the device from her hand and pulling, I turn around. In the photo, Brooke would show up with his eyes closed. His face was swollen, full of bruises and cuts. Some were so big they had stitches. His eyes were purple and his mouth cut and swollen. There was another picture showing Brooke's torso and the ribs on the right side were purple.
- They only serve as evidence. - says Jane.
- Who did this? - I ask in a cold voice, without taking my eyes off the screen. Jane doesn't answer and just holds her breath before my angry gaze - I asked a question, Jane!
She jumps scared when I raise the tone.
- Tiffany! - she shoots. - It was Tiffany Dowson who beat the crap out of her in the most cowardly way possible.
Jane taking a deep breath, frowning on her forehead and sitting on one of the benches.
- She was furious about what you did to Aron and took it out on Brooke. - Jane sniffs, with tears in her eyes. - When she was arriving from Starbucks that day, Tiff took her by surprise and drew a lot of blood from her face. Luckily, I was coming from Kapa and I was able to stop her from hurting even more, my friend.
- Oh, shit! - ...I squeal. - Aron tried to assault her that day and I was able to stop him. If I hadn't forgotten our date and gone to Starbucks, none of this would have happened, because I would have made sure to take her home and Tiffany wouldn't have touched Brooke.
- It wasn't your fault! - says Jane in a regretful way. - If Tiff hadn't hit Brooke that day, he certainly would have hit her on another occasion. It was a matter of Brooke being alone.
She takes a break.
- And Brooke's always alone.
I breathe deeply.
- Why didn't she let me in or take my calls? - I ask sitting next to Jane and hand over her cell phone. - I could have done something. My uncle's a doctor and he's at the university hospital.
- We know that! He's the one who picked up Brooke. - she laughs. - In fact, beauty is a matter of genetics in your family.
I let out a relaxed laugh, breathing deeply then when Jane made a face.
- Tiffany threatened to hit her again in case you did something to Aron. - Jane continues. - I tried to convince her to go to the station, but Brooke wouldn't.
I take a deep breath with frustration and put my hands on my hair.
- How is she now? - I ask, in a tone of concern.
- Well, as far as possible! - she answers. - She still feels some pain, but is overcoming the two cuts in the supercylinder, which needed points. What hurts most is the ribs.
She takes a break shaking her head.
- I'm having to lie, saying she has a cold. The good part is that these people believed it. - she sighs. - The bad part is having to hear her crying over a bracelet.
- A bracelet? - I mean by frowning.
- Yeah! Looks like she got a bracelet from her grandmother and it was her most valuable asset. - Jane explains with frustration. - In the confusion, Tiffany ended up busting her bracelet and she doesn't know where she ended up, not even to fix it.
In fact, Brooke was wearing a thin, rather discreet bracelet on his right wrist. I'd noticed that the day I saw her in the Lounge. I turn
