by Iris Taylor
He handed me a crisp white card with his name and number printed on it.
Now's the time.
"I do know more. It's not directly related to me but definitely has something to do with Elijah Sawyer and Adrienne Gordon."
He looked at me with interest. Taking a deep breath, I told him about what I had heard in that deserted washroom, and what April had discovered. I then told him that because nothing had happened when I brought up my being bullied to Miss Marshall, I decided to take matters into my own hands and got a hold of Elijah's and Adrienne's school records. I left out Simon and Lucia's involvement. They had done more than enough to help me, and I didn't want to cause them any trouble.
"And you have copies of these records?"
I did. I took them out of my bag, my hands shaking. I could trust the police, right? Or were they also at the elites' beck and call? I muttered a prayer and made up my mind to trust them. What choice did I have?
I showed him the payments and what we thought they coincided with. I also showed him the scribbled initials and the little note in what we thought was Miss Marshall's handwriting.
"Very good," Officer Williams said, rubbing his chin. "Listen, Miss Bradley. I suggest you keep all the things we spoke about today to yourself – at least until the matter is resolved. We need to settle this quickly and it hinges on the silence and collaboration of all parties. Please keep in touch and be ready to return should we need your further cooperation."
He took the papers from me and I watched him as he filed them away. Please don't make me regret this. Please let him be on our side.
As I left the station, I saw that Victor had already arrived. "Everything okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "They just wanted a more detailed statement," I said, and left it at that. To his credit, he didn't prod me any further. I felt some guilt knowing I was reporting his friends' crimes to the police but shook the feeling away. What had to be done, had to be done. There were too many people’s lives on the line, including those unborn innocent ones. My mouth thinned into a line at the grim thought. I was probably too late, but better late than never. Sick people like Elijah tended to continue their evil actions until something disastrous happened to stop them – like Sam and being put behind bars. Elijah was a younger version of Sam, and I was doing my part in putting a stop to his crimes. The thought satisfied me thoroughly.
“WHO’S THE GUY?”
I looked up from reading the newspaper Julian had left on the kitchen table. It was full of all the usual stuff – nothing that caught my eye. Brody was leaning against the counter, munching on an apple noisily, his eyes on me.
“Sorry?”
“Who’s the guy who sends you home daily?”
Wow, maybe Victor is right. He’s beginning to act like a really annoying brother. “His name’s Victor. He’s a senior, like me.” When he didn’t reply, I continued, “Why?”
“Victor Grey? The football player?”
I nodded. His eyes brightened. “Can you get me an autograph? My friends wouldn’t believe it if I told them I know him personally!”
I shook my head, confused. “But you don’t.”
“Well, now that I know who he is I’ll make sure I do. He your boyfriend?”
Well, then. “We don’t talk about it. I’m taking things one at a time.”
He nodded, but seemed distracted. “Okay. I’ll try look for something for him to sign on. Will he be coming by tomorrow too?”
He left after I replied in the affirmative. I guess Victor’s popularity even extends beyond Ravenshaw Falls.
The next day proved this to me. The moment I stepped out of the car, Brody strolled across the street to introduce himself to Victor, whose fierce gaze softened once he realized Brody was a fan. The two talked for a while outside until my mother told them both to come into the house.
I was feeling pretty left out by the time the conversation moved on to a discussion about previous football players and what their achievements were now – I wasn’t a fan of the game and certainly didn’t follow anyone from this side of the country. Scooping up some lasagna into plates and handing them one each, which they took without acknowledging me, I decided I was done being ignored and went upstairs to my room to do my own thing.
After about ten minutes – which was way too long for Victor to realize I had gone – I heard a knock on my door. “Come in,” I called out, somewhat miffed. I was lying in bed, hugging my pillow, after changing into a tank top and a pair of tights.
I saw his sheepish smile before everything else. “Hey. What are you up to?”
I was moping around, but he didn’t need to know that. “Just resting. I didn’t get my full eight hours last night.”
He entered the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Brody’s a pretty cool guy. Nothing like I had expected. I met Julian too – he seems really decent.”
“We’re lucky to have them around,” I said softly. We were. We had all fallen into a routine that made the house feel like a home – someone was always around to accompany me or my mother during the daytime, and the groceries were always sorted. Short of moving in, that is. I was almost certain Julian was going to pop the question any time now.
“They’re lucky to have you, too.” Victor replied softly. “I’m lucky.”
I kept quiet. He was rubbing circles on my foot and it was making me sleepy. After a while, the rhythmic motion lulled me to sleep. When I woke up, I found the room dark, the curtains billowing in the evening breeze. Victor must have left, and I hurried to check my phone to see if he had left me any messages.
You are one sleeping beauty.
About an hour later: I wish I had stayed. I miss you.
I hurriedly tapped in my reply. Why didn’t you?
His answer was almost immediate. You’re too tempting.
What did that mean? I decided to press on. Have you looked in the mirror lately? I think those words suit you better.
Nah, I’m just another run-of-the-mill pretty face. You, on the other hand, are exquisite.
If you insist, I won’t argue. Too sleepy.
Did you dream about anything?
You mean did I dream about you? No. I dreamt about chocolate cake. I wasn’t about to admit that sometimes I dreamt about his kisses and hugs. It had been far too long.
Now I’m jealous of chocolate cake. *smacks forehead*
I laughed. You’re so cute.
Can I pick you up before school tomorrow?
I bit my lip. He was already sending me home from school everyday. Okay. Are you sure though? I don’t want to trouble you.
Trouble me? Beautiful, it’d be an honor.
I replied with a smiley face and kisses.
Give me real ones soon okay.
My breath caught. I wasn’t the only one yearning. Okay. Goodnight. I sent him another kiss and switched my phone off before things got out of hand.
I lay in bed, looking at my ceiling, feeling my heart beat fast, feeling it fall off the precipice. I was beginning to really, really like him again, and this time, I wanted full control.
Chapter Seventeen
“Psst. Have you guys heard?”
I turned to Lucia, whose eyes were the size of saucers, amplified by her neon yellow glasses. Next to me, April shifted in her seat to see Lucia better. “About what?”
“Elijah and Adrienne. They’re both not in any of their classes today. Simon said he saw a policewoman bring the principal into a police car, too.”
My heart leapt. Could everything be resolved so quickly already?
“Word has it that someone reported them to the police,” Lucia eyed me meaningfully. I simply shrugged, not wanting to say anything that would compromise any of us.
“Let’s hope they won’t get away with it this time,” April said grimly.
I looked straight ahead, and contemplated about what this could mean. The elite’s rule over the school was, at the very least, compromised. Victor was no longer a part of them, a
nd with Elijah’s crimes discovered, he could be in serious trouble. I wasn't sure if he was eighteen yet or not, but I was sure with the gravity of his offences it would still land him some sort of jail time. Or at least, it was what I hoped, for the sake of all those girls. Justice needed to be served somehow. And as for Adrienne, well, I hoped they would catch Chad and Brett. They looked like tattletales - ready to blab whenever it suited them best. I had given the police my best description of them, and they had wanted to contact Jack and Lily too as eyewitnesses but I had conveyed my concern that it would only tip Adrienne off about the investigation.
The atmosphere in AP lit was strained. Jack, Noah and Lily appeared quite tense, and Jessica was noticeably less Barbie-like today, with her nearly bare face and simple ponytail. I wondered what out of all the things happening had precipitated that change.
None of the usual clowns had any funny jokes to crack today. We actually managed to get the tasks done well ahead of time for once, which was saying something. Afterwards, we filed out quietly, almost as if we were being scrutinized and stood to be punished if we fell out of line.
"Cara." Victor held my arm and I slipped my hand into his. He intertwined our fingers together, gave me a peck on the cheek, and I looked to see if any of old his friends were still around to see the public display of affection. Jessica stood by the door, her rage evident – but she was gone so quickly I thought I was imagining her being there in the first place.
“I think I had better stick close to you for a while,” Victor said, tilting my chin up. His expression was that of seriousness and concern. “Just in case any trouble decides to show up.” I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, but he silenced me with a gentle kiss on the lips. “Just because Elijah and Adrienne aren’t here today, doesn’t mean they can’t get someone else to do their dirty work for them.”
Does he know I have something to do with their being investigated?
I didn’t have time to think because he continued to press his lips onto mine, and my mind blanked out, filled only with the sensation of the soft, warm prodding of his mouth, his hands rubbing my upper back gently. I returned his kiss with open-mouthed kisses of my own, tugging his lower lip between my teeth, eliciting a growl from him. He gathered me into his arms to pull me closer towards him. The warmth and safety of being in his embrace warred with the goosebumps I was getting from being so close to him and his hard, well-defined body.
“Perhaps that can carry on after school?” a female voice suggested.
We jumped apart. Miss Connelly stood watching us with the barest hint of a smile. I honestly hadn’t noticed anyone else in the room – she must have stepped out and returned without us noticing.
“Sorry, Miss Connelly,” Victor stammered, looking utterly endearing with his reddened ears. “We were just about to leave.”
I hid my smile as Victor pulled me out of the room, my smaller hand in his. His broad shoulders strained against the blazer of his uniform, and I shut out all thoughts of what I would do to them if I had the chance. Naughty girl. Naughty, naughty.
I couldn’t wait. I felt ready, emotionally and mentally, to let my guard down around him again.
THE REST OF WEEK FLEW by, and everyone went back to being raucous again, the topic of Elijah and Adrienne forgotten already. They still hadn’t shown up and we were all holding our breaths just in case. I was hopeful justice would be served, although not overly hopeful.
When I asked Victor about them, he too hadn’t heard anything much about them, except that their parents were working hard at clearing up their names from what seemed to be a long list of crimes held against them. I mentally cheered myself for making that happen, and thought about Mr. Wilkins and his overly cautious approach. I wondered what he would say if I told him there was still hope for Ravenshaw Falls after all.
As I walked back to my locker at the end of the day, my phone vibrated. I checked and saw a text from Victor saying that Coach Anderson had called for an impromptu team meeting, did I have anyone to bring me home? I quickly replied that he didn’t need to worry and I would ask my mom. After rearranging the books in my locker, I sent a text to my mom and headed to the front of the school to wait. I had gone to the library after class to return some books and get some quick reading done.
The hallways were empty and as I walked by the empty classrooms I heard a low sound and some pushing of chairs. This would not have caught my attention if not for the strange hissing sounds and the shushing that followed. I was never one to let my curiosity go unresolved and after a brief moment of hesitation, decided to take a peek. The door was locked, intensifying my curiosity further. The classroom was connected to an adjoining smaller lab and I checked the other door to see if that too was locked. The knob turned under my hand and I slowly looked inside to see an empty lab with the connecting door closed and locked. There was a small sliding window in between the rooms and I went to look.
In the corner of the classroom, between the rows of tables and chairs, a man stood facing away from me. I could see a girl with long blond curls bobbing up and down in front of him, and his appreciative hisses and groans. Speaking of the devil. It was Mr. Wilkins and Jessica.
My heart palpitated angrily at the scene in front of me. What a hypocrite. I guess he was trying to stay on the Ravenshaw elites' good side just like he had advised me. What were the words he had used? Stay out of their hair and just graduate? Or something along those lines. I cast one last look at them with disgust and left the way I came in.
My mother was waiting out front in our old Chevy when I exited the building. She wore a big smile and gave me a tight hug before I managed to buckle myself in. Her blond hair was fashioned in short, tight curls and she looked radiant. "You look amazing, ma. What's the secret?" I joked.
"Angel, honey. Julian just asked me to marry him!"
The news made my heart leap in joy. I couldn't ask for a better person to welcome to the family. "I'm so happy for you! You did say yes, right?" She nodded rapidly and I gave her another hug. "When did he ask? How?"
As we drove to Cherie's to celebrate with some dessert, my mom told me about her eventful day. Julian had come in to work late and flustered, and the proposal had come out all wrong. "So he comes into the office, holding this gorgeous bouquet of flowers and chocolate. Naturally I was happy knowing it was meant for me. My boss, who was already in a bad mood, saw him and she started sneezing the moment he walked past her - turns out she was allergic to the chrysanthemums in the bouquet! She ordered him to leave the office and to take the flowers with him."
We both laughed, and I had tears in my eyes imagining a soft-spoken, ruffled Julian whose proposal plans were screwed up.
"So he never got to ask, and I didn't manage to speak with him at all until lunch, because Karen was giving me the evil eye. When we met he looked so forlorn about the morning, I told him it didn't matter, it was the thought that counted. He gave me the bouquet - slightly wilted by then - and told me he had something important to ask but it wasn't the way he imagined it would be. He got down on one knee right there in the middle of the cafeteria and proposed."
"It sounds perfect," I replied, wiping away a tear in my eye.
"It does, doesn't it? I made sure I told him that right away." We arrived at Cherie's and got ourselves an empty table. The place was packed so I was glad we still managed to secure a spot. After ordering sundaes and cake, my mom turned to look at me questioningly. "Are you sure you're okay with this? I know it's all happening quite fast..."
I shook my head. "You deserve this. We deserve this," I emphasized. "I want the very best for you, and I couldn't imagine anyone better than Julian. You totally scored with him."
She smiled, the happiness shimmering in her emerald eyes. "I did, didn't I?"
We enjoyed the afternoon, keeping each other updated about life. I told her about Victor, and how things were slowly getting better with him. It was hard to talk about it without getting down to the finer details - especially ab
out the bullying, which she didn't know about - but thankfully she didn't ask too much. I told her too, about having to talk with the police again, but simply told her it was just a follow-up meeting. She didn't know about Elijah and Adrienne, and I was hopeful they would both become just a bad memory, nothing more than hurdles to overcome and learn from.
As we finished up our food, the door opened, bringing with it trouble and the promise of retribution. My breath caught in my throat. Adrienne had stepped in, together with Jessica - her mouth appeared swollen, something I might not have noticed if I hadn't witnessed what she had been up to earlier - and Noah. They looked like the golden children they were, beautiful, shiny and polished, even in their cheerleading and football clothes. Adrienne spotted me immediately and her lips curled up in an ugly smile. After speaking to the others quickly, she made a beeline towards our table. I gripped my fork tightly, wondering what she had to say in front of my mom.
"Angel! It's so nice to meet you here! We have so much to catch up on!" Her eyes glinted as she called me by my name, sending a shudder down my back, knowing she knew about it from watching those videos. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about, starting with how you liked being questioned by the police. I narrowed my eyes at her briefly. She smiled and turned to look at my mom. "Is this your...sister?" She placed a hand on my mom’s back, her perfectly painted claws glinting under the light.
My mother laughed, and I could tell she had taken a liking to Adrienne. The girl was a good actress, after all. Smiling back just as widely, I replied, "Ma, this is Adrienne. She's one of...Victor's friends. Adrienne, my mom."
I gritted my teeth as Adrienne fussed over how young my mother was, and how she looked just like me, which I was sure was meant as an insult to me.
"Listen, Angel. Now that I'm back, I just thought I'd let you know I plan to hang around for a while," she said with a wink. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."
