by M. R. Polish
“No, I’m just not looking for a relationship right now.”
“So the whole, it’s not you it’s me thing, huh?”
I wasn’t sure if he was understanding or upset about it. He frowned. “Look, Steve…”
He held his hand up, stopping me. “Keeley, how about you get to know me a bit. Be friends, if something happens, then it happens.”
“Fine. Sure.” I hoped he didn’t read too much into that.
He smiled. “I’ll go get us a drink.”
Caty brushed up against me. “What is wrong with you? Steve’s a great catch, any girl would be lucky to have him.”
I shrugged. “He’s just not my type.”
She let out a harrumph. “Your type better be chiseled in granite to turn down the quarterback of the football team.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
Steve came back with our drinks, handing one to me at the same time Jonah came back with Caty’s jacket. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and slid the touchscreen with my finger. A new text from a local but otherwise unknown number. B careful. Watch ur drink. I stared at the text then looked up and twirled around. Who sent that? I immediately texted back, Who R U?
I waited with the phone in my hand. I glanced at my drink and hesitated.
Steve touched my arm gently. “Are you okay? You look a little upset.”
“No, I just got a weird text, but I think it was a wrong number.” I looked around again but didn’t see anyone with a cell in their hands.
Steve held his hand out. “Here, let me see, maybe I know the number.”
“No, that’s okay.” It vibrated again. A new text. V. Don’t tell Steve. Meet me in the parking lot in 5 min.
What? Some stranger named V wanted me to meet them in a dark parking spot, in the woods, away from the city. I think not.
I forgot all about the first warning and downed the drink in my cup, then shoved my phone back in my pocket. I wasn’t sure who V was, but I wasn’t going to play his games. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to meet him in a dark parking lot alone in the woods!
“Here, let me get you another drink,” Steve said, but his voice seemed far away. I snapped my head his direction but the whole world became unbalanced as the trees spun around me. I dropped the cup and held my head in my hands. Whoa, I wasn’t sure what was going on.
“Are you okay, Keeley?” Steve asked as he placed his hand on my back, helping to steady me.
I nodded, even though it was a lie. I needed to breathe, somewhere away from everyone. “Yeah, I’m just gonna take a walk. Be right back.”My voice sounded miles away.
“Here, let me go with you. You don’t look so good.”
I waved him off. “No, I’m fine, really. I’ll be okay by myself.”
Unsteady legs carried me away from the fire, away from everyone, away from Steve. My heart raced so fast I thought it would explode. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but I knew the text stranger must have an idea. After all, it was their warning about watching my drink, wasn’t it? I could hear my dad’s voice in the back of my head telling me it was a bad idea to walk alone and toward the stranger I knew nothing about, but I still kept putting one foot in front of the other. I took hold of my cell just in case and grasped it with white knuckles.
I made it down the trail, but it felt like I walked miles to get to the end. I held my arms out, trying to catch my balance against a tree. My legs were so heavy that I had a hard time lifting them, and each step became harder. Once I made it to the string of cars, I saw a lone figure standing relaxed against one of them. Shit, maybe it wasn’t such a great idea after all. Maybe he was the one who did this to me—whatever this was, I wasn’t sure. I leaned against the closest car and slumped to the ground. The shadow of the person came running to me, but I couldn’t run away or yell for help. I couldn’t move at all.
“Damn it,” he cursed under his breath. “I told you to watch your drink. Come on, you gotta get up.”
“Can’t,” I barely whispered. My chest burned with each breath.
“Hey! What are you doing over there?” someone called from behind us.
The stranger turned around. “Nothing, she just had too much to drink. We’re fine.”
The other guy laughed as he called over his shoulder, “Gotta love light weights.”
It was too dark to see him, but the stranger was tall, I could see that much. My eyelids felt heavy and I fought to keep them open. Whatever was in my drink was knocking me out, but I couldn’t do anything to stop it. The urge to close my eyes won and everything went black.
Four
I awoke the next morning in my bed. I sat up immediately and froze. What happened last night? I couldn’t remember. I didn’t know what happened after I met that stranger, or how I got home. What about in the middle? My stomach twisted and turned. I was going to be sick.
I knew I hadn’t been drunk last night, but I was almost certain I was drugged. My throbbing head and heavy limbs testified to that fact. Something was off. Had I been raped? By whom? Steve? The stranger? The whole team? Oh, God, I was definitely going to be sick.
I ran to the bathroom and purged everything from last night from my body. I never experienced something like this before and it scared me. I curled up on the bathroom floor and cried. Tears from the unknown, tears from the past, they all fell in torrents down my face.
I sat up and wiped my face with the sleeve of my sweater. I stopped and looked down at my attire. The same clothes I wore to the bonfire were still on, but that didn’t mean anything. I didn’t feel sore where I shouldn’t; was that a good sign? Slowly, I picked myself up off the floor and wiped away the last few tears that ran down my cheeks.
My phone was still in my pocket so I pulled it out. There wasn’t much battery left, but there was enough to make one call. I hesitated before pressing send, but I needed to find answers.
When he answered, I stuttered but finally managed to speak. “Um, my name is Keeley. You don’t know me, well… You might know me. You texted me last night.” What was I supposed to say? Did you rape me? Do you know what happened after I passed out?
He took a deep sigh. “I’m glad you’re awake. How are you feeling?”His voice was rough and low.
“Listen, I have no clue who you are, but you texted me to watch my drink then something happened.”
“So you’re blaming me? For warning you?”
I wanted to cry and slam the phone down at the same time. “No, I just need answers. Who are you and what happened?”
“My name is Vahn, and you were drugged.”
I sucked in a quick breath. “And then?”
“After you passed out, I found your keys to your house. I asked one of the girls if they knew where you lived, and after about three guesses on which apartment it was, I was finally able to get you to your house without anyone calling the cops.” He laughed, but it sounded more sarcastic than humorous. “I swear nothing bad took place. I laid you in your bed and then left.”
“How did you know? I mean, why do you even care?” I thought about it for a split second more. “And how did you get my number?”
“One, I got your number from Caty’s phone Monday night. She set it down and forgot about it. Two, I have my reasons why I care enough to help. Three, because I know Steve. I mean, we aren’t friends or anything, but I know what he does.”
“And what exactly does he do?” I asked as I double-checked my front door, making sure it was locked.
“He drugged you, Keeley. He did it because if he does it enough, your body will want it. It’s his way of keeping you close to him. He’s done it before. If he gets you addicted, then you’ll need him. He feeds off people needing him. It’s like a sickness.”
I walked back to my room and fell on the bed. Flashbacks of that first party flittered through my mind. Wasn’t that what I thought was happening between Stacey, Tina, John and Adam? My gut twisted in affirmation. “Are you serious?”
&nb
sp; “Unfortunately, I am.”
“So he’s done this before? Why hasn’t he been caught?”If my dad heard about something like this happening in his town, he’d be all over it. I couldn’t help but wonder why the police weren’t involved.
Vahn growled. “Because he’s covered his tracks really well. I tried to turn him in to the police, but after a few weeks of investigation, they dropped it. They said they never found any evidence to prove my accusations. It’s total bullshit. They didn’t even bring them in for drug testing.”His voice held the utmost hatred.
I took a few seconds before responding; figuring we both needed a minute for processing. “How did you know I was his target?”
“Because you’re pretty, and he’s already become attached to you. It doesn’t take much for him. ”
“Great, just what I need. Some psycho drug dealer wanting me to be his girlfriend.”
“Keeley, stay away from him. If you know what’s good for you.”
I stiffened. “Is that a threat?”
“Just do it.” He hung up.
I picked up a pillow and screamed into it. What was I going to do? I had no clue who this Vahn dude was, and what he said about Steve scared me to death. What if it wasn’t Steve, but really Vahn that drugged me? I was in knots about everything. Not having a clear memory frightened me more than knowing Steve could be deep into drugs.
I thought about calling my dad, but scratched that idea almost immediately. If he knew I was at a party he’d freak out. Adding drugs to the table would be too much. I was an adult now, but the past still haunted all of us. It was especially hard on my dad. It had to be embarrassing to be the Chief of Police and have your daughter arrested for a DUI and vehicular homicide.
I wasn’t sure where to go or who to talk to, but one thing was for certain: I was in something a lot deeper than I wanted to be. If I contacted the police, what would I have to say? I was drugged, but I don’t know by who, but you can arrest Steve Yarnell because I got a phone call from some stranger who said it was him?
Yeah, that didn’t even sound plausible to me.
Classes for the day flew by and I was grateful to have my mind on something other than the bonfire. I drank an energy drink and took the maximum dose of aspirin to get me through the day. My eyes were so tired they burned and my head refused to quit pounding. Every step I took was torture. The highlight of my day was when I saw my mystery man in one of my classes, but before I could approach him, he was gone. I was beginning to think he was a ghost—one minute there, the next gone.
Today he looked as good as he did when I first saw him, only this time I noticed some grease spots on his jeans. I couldn’t help but wonder where they came from. I always thought guys who could work on their own cars were kind of sexy, and this confirmed it.
I let my daydreams carry me away until I made it home. I stopped walking when I saw Steve parked outside my apartment. He was leaning up against his car and had dark glasses covering his eyes. So not who I wanted to talk to at the moment. I felt near death and he might be who I was to blame for it.
“Hey,” he hollered when he spotted me, and ran to meet me.
“Hey,” I said dryly.
“You left early last night and I couldn’t find you.”
I shrugged. “I was tired so I caught a ride home with a friend.” So he didn’t think to call or look for me when I disappeared? Yeah, what if something worse happened to me, like I was kidnapped or something? It was nice to know he was so concerned.
“Who was that? I didn’t see anyone leave the party.”
“Just a friend.” I wasn’t sure why, but I knew I had to keep Vahn’s name a secret. At least until I could figure out this whole mess.
“Okay, well, you’re okay though?” He reached out to touch my shoulder but I pulled back.
“Yeah, I’m good. But I have a lot of homework, so I better get inside.” Please, dear Lord, make him leave, I silently prayed, hoping Steve would just vanish.
“Here, let me help you carry your bag.”
“No, I got it. It’s not that heavy.”
He stuffed his hands in his front pockets. “Well, can I come in? It would be fun to just hang out together.”
I shifted my weight to one leg impatiently. “I already told you I have homework.”
His whole body tensed up. “Can we do something later then?”
“Steve, I don’t know.”
“What’s wrong? Have I done something to piss you off? I’m just trying to show you I’m not a bad guy. I want to spend time with you. I really like you, Keeley.”
He was totally playing with my emotions. I wanted to like him; he seemed so genuine when he talked to me, but my instincts said to stay away. What if he was the one who drugged me? What intentions he must have had last night weren’t noble by any means. I wasn’t sure what to do. In the end, I decided to dig deeper. Maybe I could find out who did this to me and put the creep away. “Maybe tomorrow? I only have a couple of classes.”
Steve smiled. “Yeah, that works. What do you want to do?”
I quickly ran through options in my head, all of which included witnesses. “Maybe we can do a game night with some others or something.”
He smiled wider. “That’d be great. I’ll plan it all out. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Yeah,” I said, none to enthused. I sighed as I finished walking to my door.
“Oh, and wear something you won’t mind getting dirty!” Steve called over his shoulder as he jumped into his black Mustang.
I hit the door with my shoulder after unlocking it, pushing it open. Great. I wasn’t sure what he was planning, but dirt wasn’t really my thing. I flung my backpack onto the couch and followed it down, plopping myself against the worn cushions. I couldn’t believe I agreed to spend more time with Steve. Ugh, so many bad choices, but this one might be my worst one yet.
My head still ached so badly that I couldn’t focus on homework. I grabbed one of the throw pillows and buried my face in it as I laid down. I tried to picture my mysterious guy to keep my mind off how bad I felt. I wanted to know who he was, and why he always left before I could say hi. It wasn’t long before sleep took over my thoughts, turning them into dreams—dreams of drugs, friends, drinking, driving… and death.
A loud ringtone filled the room, waking me. I jumped from a dead sleep and instantly regretted the motion. My head still hurt, although it wasn’t quite as bad as it had been earlier.
I picked up the phone and swiped to answer it. “Hello?” I said, still a little sleepy.
“Hey, did I wake you?” the voice replied.
I couldn’t place the voice. “Who is this?”
“It’s Vahn, didn’t you program my number in your phone?”
Ugh. I got up and looked out the small window by the front door, making sure no one was there, and then checked to make certain the door was still locked. Maybe I was a tad paranoid, but I had a right to be.
“You there?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry. Um, no, I didn’t program it. I don’t even know who you are.”
“I’m the guy who saved you last night, or don’t you remember?”
I couldn’t remember, that was the problem. “Listen, I’m so not in the mood right now. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know who even did it. It could’ve been you for all I know. I mean, you seem to be the one who knows everything, so it easily could be.”
“You seriously think it was me?”
I released a long aggravated breath. “I don’t know. Honestly, you’re the only one who seems to know anything about last night.”
He let out a grumble. “Keeley, I’m trying to help you, before it’s too late. Why don’t we get together tomorrow? I have a class in the morning then I have to be at work, but how about tomorrow afternoon?”
“I can’t, I told Steve I’d do this game night thing tomorrow.”
“What? Are you kidding me? What is it about this guy that you can’t say no to?”
&nb
sp; It was my turn to grumble a choice word under my breath. “Look, I don’t know you. I’m trying to figure things out, and I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“Keeley, please just listen to me. Steve is bad news. Just be safe tomorrow and call me when you’re home so I know you’re okay.”
I smirked a little at his request. “Yes, Dad, do I have a curfew too? I’ll be fine.” Oh my gosh, who was this guy? I wish Celeste were still alive, she’d know what to do. I laughed internally at what I knew would be her response; ‘Leave them both alone. Girls don’t need creeps, we need men’.
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
I smiled as I nodded my head slightly, not that Vahn could see me. “Okay, I promise.”
“Goodnight, Keeley.”
“Goodnight.” I tapped the end call on my phone and tossed it to the couch. It was weird that this stranger could pull so many emotions from me. I didn’t have to talk to him, but I also felt a little empty after we hung up. I couldn’t understand his warnings. They were like pieces of a puzzle that I had to put together. Maybe that alone was a clue that I should be more worried about him and not Steve.
I found my way to my room and practically fell face first on my bed. I didn’t want to think about it, I wanted to sleep. My eyes closed almost instantly. I saw Celeste’s face first. She was smiling and laughing about something that was just said, but I missed the entire conversation as I stared at her.
“What are you staring at girl? Jeesh, you’re looking at me like you haven’t seen me in years.”
I smiled. “Yeah, it feels that way. So much has happened and I miss talking with you.” Somewhere deep inside I knew it wasn’t real, but I couldn’t help myself from talking to her like the old days. I needed my friend.
A hand fell on my shoulder and I looked up into silver-gray eyes. Half of his face was shadowed but I could see him smile. Everything else disappeared, even Celeste. We stood in a dark room with only a small light filtering through a crack in a boarded up window.
Without speaking to me, he picked me up and carried me outside of the old house. The fresh air was cold against my skin, my entire body hot as I stayed cradled next to his chest. In the blink of an eye, we were in my apartment then he laid me on the bed. His fingers brushed my hair off my face before he left the room, leaving me alone.
