by Grace Reagal
“Exactly. You only need to know one or two to be successful.” Valentin flashes me a condescending look. “And you, Kitten, could probably get away with being mute with your parents.”
I grit my teeth. “That’s not the point. I want to learn Latin. It’ll help me once I go to college.” I interrupt him before he says anything. “And before you say some stuff about my parents being rich: I. Don’t. Care. First of all, my parents are not like that. They don’t just give me things. And secondly, I want to work myself.”
Mom has a saying she would joke around with: “Kitty, your parents are rich. You’re broke.”
Valentin stops and turns to face him, with a raised eyebrow. “So, if you asked you dear Daddy for a couple of grand, he wouldn’t give it to you?”
I stutter, “I—what—I—” I shake my head. “What kind of question is that anyway?”
Valentin laughs. “Exactly.”
Dude, you need information. What the heck is all of this for if you’re going to turn down every chance you get?
But Latin—
Latin can wait. This can’t. Carpe diem, Kitty. Use this to your advantage.
Valentin is insane. I have established that by now. And the only way I am going to get what I want at the end of this is if I play his games and pretend to go along with his rules. When the time comes for him trying to take my…virginity, I am going to slap him with a dose of you-just-got-played.
And so, I pretend to be defeated. “You know what? Fine.”
His arrogant self just says, “I thought so.”
I think I hear him say something about being so fucking stubborn, but I’m not sure because I’m trying to find a way to explain this to my parents.
***
I call Dad at 10:00 P.M. Since he usually works late, he FaceTimes me to say goodnight from his office. But almost every time, it’s him that calls me.
I know he’s surprised by my call. “Caterina? Is everything all right?”
“Oh, yeah, nothing’s wrong, Dad. I just wanted to talk.”
He raises an eyebrow, smiling. “You never call first.”
It is true. I thought this is unnecessary. He can just text me goodnight. He doesn’t have to see my face. But no, he thinks it is important. Something about me being his baby girl, blah blah blah, he doesn’t get to see me as much as he wants blah blah. I mean I love him to bits, but still.
I laugh, leaning back on the bed, putting my pre-calculus textbook on my lap. “Should I hang up then?”
Dad shakes his head, smiling, “No, please don’t.” I can see the New York City view behind him. I’ve never gotten used to it, no matter how long I’ve lived here. Probably because I never actually go out. I just stay in the house. Yeah, it is a mansion, but it isn’t New York City.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Why do I never get to visit your offices?”
He smiles secretly, but doesn’t say anything. He’s looking over a packet in his hands.
“I mean, I never really ask you what you do, but maybe I should…”
“You know what my company is, Caterina. Hotels, store chains, things like that.”
I narrow my eyes as his flippant tone. “Really?”
He laughs. “Maybe ask your mother.”
I shrug, letting it go. “Fine, whatever. I have a favor to ask you.”
He looks up from his paper, intrigued. I try to not ask him for much because I know without a doubt that he will do it. I feel bad asking for things. But this is not an object I want him to buy.
This is a trust issue.
“There’s this…”
He raises an eyebrow, leaning forward toward the iPad. “This…?”
“There’s a football game at the school this Thursday.”
He opens his mouth to say something but I hold up my hand. “Wait, wait. Before you say anything, Dad. Let me say my piece.”
Dad is fair. He leans back in his chair, loosening up his tie. “Fine.” He waves his hand for me to talk. “Go.”
I nod, a small smile appearing on my face. “The game is on the school field. It’s from five p.m. to seven p.m., it’s not that late. I’m going to be with a couple of girl friends.” Except for Tom. “And I know you want to keep me safe, but no one in the school even suspects me being anything other than a Callahan.” Except for Valentin. “I just want to watch a game, eat some food, and have fun. You never let me go out. It’s always: you can play with your family. But Beth and Evon and Kennedy, no matter how adorable they are, are not in my age group. I’m going crazy just going to school and back and to school and back. And since I’m going to college, I really think that it’s time that I get a taste of the real world.”
I take a deep breath, ending my long explanation.
I hold my breath when Dad doesn’t say anything. I know he’s actually thinking about this. That is step one. My heart bursts with butterflies. Maybe…
No, don’t get your hopes up.
“I will let you go—”
“Yes!”
“Caterina.”
I calm down. “Okay, okay. Sorry, Dad. I just got…a little carried away.” Inside, I’m screaming, but I can’t let him see that.
He smiles, looking tired. “You can go, but you will have to have bodyguards with you.”
I fall back on my pillow, groaning. “Dad.” There is no point in going then.
He holds up a hand. “I heard you out, Caterina. It’s only fair you do the same.”
I sigh. “Fine.” But it’s already over. There’s no way I am going with bodyguards. That would just pin everyone’s attention on me.
“They’ll be dressed normally, and you won’t even know they’re there. They won’t say anything or talk to you unless something happens.”
“Something like what?”
“Something like you being in danger.”
I narrow my eyes. “Only when I’m in danger.”
He nods. “Yes. I think you’re right. We’ve protected you a lot since you were a baby, but we’ve taught you how to protect yourself and I trust you, Caterina.”
Whoa. “Wait, is this a trick?”
Dad goes back to reading his packet. “No, I promise. It’s not.”
***
Mell and Tom look at me without saying anything.
I take a bite of my sandwich. I know what they are thinking, but I am not going to be the first one to start.
Mell pops in a French fry in her mouth. Tom takes a sip of Pepsi.
I smile at them widely. I pretend that everything is fine.
But after five minutes of complete silence, I can’t take it. “How’s the weather, y’all?”
Mell starts laughing, spitting out the water she had been drinking.
I lean back, defensive. “What? You guys have been staring at me for the past five minutes like I’m a freak. I did nothing. I said nothing. And when did you both start hanging out enough to gang up on me like this anyway?”
Tom shrugs, looking at me like he’s disappointed. “You’re hanging out with Nikolaev now?”
I grit my teeth. “No, I’m not. It’s complicated.”
Mell grins. “It always is, isn’t it?”
“Mell! It’s not like that!”
“Kitty, he beat the hell out of a guy for you.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not because he’s being nice. We have an agreement.”
Tom raises an eyebrow, pushing up his glasses. I know he’s judging me. And honestly, I’m judging me. “An agreement?”
I sigh. “Yes, an agreement.”
Mell nudges me and winks. “What kind of agreement?”
I look at her disgusted. “No! That’s—Jesus, Mell, can you put on your not-sexual cap for once?”
She smirks. “I only have one cap: The Mell cap.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s just an agreement. I need something from him.”
Tom shakes his head, taking a bite of his burger. “That’s not a good idea, Kitty.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a Nikolaev. They lie and cheat.”
Mell shrugs. “Four eyes is right. That’s basically their motto.”
Tom rolls his eyes. “That’s not original. At least try to be original if you’re going to make a joke.”
Mell smirks. “Well I was going to say something about your small eyes but—”
“Mell! What the heck?” I slap her shoulder.
Tom sighs and opens his laptop, trying to ignore her.
“What? I’m sure he’s called me names behind my back. The whole school thinks I’m a slut.”
He looks up. “You’re not?”
“Tom!” I slap his shoulder.
Mell glares at him. “I’d rather be a sexy piece of steak than a prestigious fuck with khakis.”
Tom looks down at his pants. “These cost like sixty dollars!”
“And?”
I smile at Tom. “I, for one, love your pants.”
Mell glares at me. “So you’re siding with him?”
“No, I—”
She laughs. “I’m kidding. You should side with him. Otherwise, he’s probably going to start—”
I interrupt her before she throws another insult. “What about we talk about what we’re doing tomorrow? Where are we meeting up for the game?”
Mell looks up from her phone. “Oh, I think they’re canceling the football game. It’s supposed to be raining really hard.”
My face falls. The first time Dad is letting me go out, the weather happens? “Darn it!”
Mell laughs. “Why do I never hear you swear?”
“I do swear!”
“Okay, do it right now.”
“Fine. Darn. Fudge. Shoot.”
She bursts out laughing, and even Tom cracks a smile.
I look at them angrily. “Just because I have a different choice of swear words doesn’t make them any less bad.”
“Damn. Fuck. Shit. Crap. See, you wince when I say it. That’s how you know they’re swear words.”
I get up from the table and dump the rest of my sandwich in the trash. “I’m going to be late for my Sem class, so, bye.”
“Aw come on, Kitty. You’re not actually mad, are you?”
I don’t reply and instead walk away. They are right. I don’t swear normally. I don’t act normally. I don’t argue normally. I’m not a normal teenager.
***
As soon as the bell rings in AP seminar, I rush out. My heart is beating fast as I look at the clock. This is the time that I am supposed to be going to my Latin class.
I had dropped it yesterday, but it hasn’t shown up on my online schedule yet.
Oh, God. I feel Valentin walking beside me.
Am I actually going to do this? Am I actually going to sneak out of school? Skip a class?
Valentin pulls me into a corner. His voice is low as he looks me up and down. “Leave your phone with your friend.”
My eyebrows pull in. “Why?”
“Because your father has a tracking device in it.”
What is he talking about? “What the heck, of course not…”
“Think about it, Kitten. Did you really think your father was going to let you out alone without any way of tracking you?”
I feel betrayed, but he’s probably right.
I am in a high school. By myself. Without guards. Would Dad really trust me enough to leave me without anything?
Mom did, but Dad?
I hate that Valentin is planting doubt of my parents in my head. I shake away my thoughts, tucking my hair behind my ear. “But he said—”
Valentin rolls his eyes. “He lied.” His jaw hardens. “He has a habit of doing that.”
“No,” I shake my head. “No.”
Chapter 25
Caterina
He rolls his eyes. “Fuck. You really are naïve. Or stupid.” He shakes his head. “You have no idea who your father is, Kitten. I know him better than you do and trust me, he’s tracking you. I would be surprised if he doesn’t have someone watching you at school.”
I shake my head, kind of feeling sick. “You’re lying.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would I lie?”
“I don’t know, you—”
He sighs as if I am stupid. “Look, I just want to show you around the city, which you obviously have no idea about.”
I don’t say anything because it’s true.
Valentin regards me with a silent stare. “Kitten, why did you decide to come to high school?”
I lick my lips quickly. “What do you mean?”
He leans in, his eyes focusing on me. For the first time, I don’t think he is doing it to be intimidating. I worry my hands, picking on my fingers with my nails. I used to have a nervous habit of doing that. When I was little Mom would constantly have to bandage my thumb because I picked on it so much that it started bleeding. The painful habit had started after that day, and continued on for years.
Finally, Dad had intervened, literally calling me out every time I did it. “Caterina, stop.” Mom would tell him that I couldn’t help it, but he kept doing it. And eventually, every time he had told me to stop, I stopped. And slowly, I completely just ceased it.
Even though at that time I had been really angry at Dad—because why the heck did he ever think that calling me out was going to stop the anxious habit—and I had shown it in my glares and sometimes comments under my breath, I will forever be grateful for what he had done. I could have seriously started injuring myself if Dad hadn’t literally forced me to stop…and actually I almost had hurt myself.
I’d looked at a razor one night, years ago, and considered just making a small slice on my arm to see how it would feel. Thankfully, I had heard Mom and Dad singing karaoke or something downstairs and they had yelled at me to come down. I had forgotten about it. And when Dad showed me out to get my stress and anger out on something else, like kickboxing or shooting ranges, I’ve never even considered hurting myself again.
But Valentin is doing something to me. The habit comes easily as if my finger has done it a hundred times before.
“Kitten?”
I shake myself out of my thoughts. “Huh?”
Valentin looks worried, which makes me smile. God, this boy can act. But I see through his crap like glass.
Hopefully, he can’t see through mine.
“I said…why would you choose to switch to a huge high school like this when you could be homeschooled?”
I tuck my hair behind my ear and answer honestly. “Because I don’t want to be sheltered. I want to know the world.”
His lips tilt up like I have said the exact thing he had been thinking. “Exactly.” He brushes his hand on my cheek. “So, do you trust me?” I resist the urge to shrink back.
“Honestly?”
“Yes,” he says with a grin.
I blink.
“Not really…and by that, I mean, never in a million years.”
He smiles widely. “Thanks for your honesty…but I really don’t give a shit.”
He grabs my arm and pulls me forward. I try to shake him off. “Wait, wait, what? What are you doing?”
“I’ve been letting a lot of things go with you recently since you’re going to…fall in love with me and all, but, not on this. You’re coming with me before anyone sees us.” He grabs my phone and drops it off in my locker.
And before I know it, we are heading toward the exit. “Valentin, let. Me. Go. I don’t want to—” I try to jerk away. “Please. I want out. I want out. This is illegal!” I can hear him laughing as he pulls us through the door quickly. The light shines on my face and I must cover my eyes. “Oh no…”
I have actually done it. I have snuck out of school.
I spot the train station beyond the school’s field. I turn to Valentin slowly. He’s looking at me like I’m going to freak out.
I think I’m going to freak out.
Scream maybe?
> This just feels so wrong. And I know to regular human beings, this would be a normal daily occurrence. But to a sheltered puppy like me, breaking the rules and being out without guards is a high.
The best high I have ever been on.
“Kitten…are you…” Valentin looks at me warily.
My face twists and I squint at him. And slowly, a smile appears on my face…the biggest one I’ve ever worn—with him at least. Surprise washes over his face. I laugh. “Race you to the station! Last one is a rotten egg!”
Gripping the straps of my backpack tightly, I start sprinting across the field. The breeze whips by me and I feel my hair flying. I’m laughing and screaming and I feel my heart beating a hundred times an hour. “I am going to beat you!”
Okay, I like winning a little.
It feels incredible. I can feel Valentin right by my side. I don’t hear him breathing that hard though. My competitive spirit takes over and I do something that usually I wouldn’t do.
Caterina…don’t do what I think you’re going to do…
He’s going to deserve it anyway.
Cat…
I spin around in the midst of moving through the grass and I push Valentin. Not expecting it, he trips and falls. I see it from the corner of my eye, and it is the funniest thing I have ever seen. “What the—”
I burst out laughing and keep running. “I play dirty, sucker!” I can feel my legs starting to burn and my stomach has side stitches. Pain radiates from my stomach.
Usually, when I run this hard and fast, I stretch and warm up first. But I keep going, trying for an even faster pace. Because there is no way I am losing this. I am close to the gate and I can see the opening. After that, there is only a street crossing and I would be at the station.
Suddenly, I feel Valentin gaining up behind me. Oh, no. No. No. No. I grit my teeth and push through it.
Close. So, so close. Come on, Cat. You beat Uncle Ken. Do this.
I reach the gate and take one stride onto the sidewalk. I taste freedom on my lips and it winds itself around my body.
Suddenly, my whole body is jerked backward with a strong force. “Ah!” The momentum I had gained going forward sends me flying back.
