He looked at me with his piercing green eyes and said “I don't hate you, what made you think that?”
“The fact that you treat me like crap, say rude uncalled for things to me and completely ignore me other times. You're just down right mean to me sometimes.”
Of course he didn’t deny it but said “Sorry I… I'm not sure why.... actually I do know.” He paused and I gave him a look to go on.
He continued “It's just that Cale is the biggest playboy in school and he’s just dating you to screw you, then dump you and now all the other guys will think you're a slut. Plus, I don't like the guy.”
“Why do you talk to me like that? It's rude – don't do that. And why do you care what everyone else thinks?”
He shrugged his shoulders “Well it’s true, he always dates younger girls and he does it so he can…… get lucky with a….. a non-experienced girl.” He stammered on “Did I state that lady like enough for you?” with a disgusted look on his face.
“Well for your information we have been out with him seven times and he hasn’t tried a thing. “ I said making quote marks in the air with my fingers, and then thought at least not that I remember.
“He will...” Storm warned “...and then he’s going to dump you.”
I interrupted him waving my hand and smiled, I leaned closer to him and said “Me first.” Storm looked at me confused “I tried breaking up with him this morning but I didn't.... he talks a lot.” I paused, shrugged my shoulders and then leaned back toward him. “He doesn't know it yet, so please don't tell anyone.”
Storm winked at me as if he knew how to keep it a secret, he leaned back in his chair with a self-satisfied smile, or was it more of a smug look. A few minutes passed he reached over and put his hand on the back of my chair, “Do you want to sit with me at lunch today?”
“Come again?” I replied.
“Sit with me at lunch and you can tell me all about it.” I smiled at him. That wasn't so bad; it felt really good to get my friend back. Plus, admitting I was going to break up with Cale out loud, made me feel like a cloud had been lifted and made it seem more real. I was going to break up with Cale.
Nic was going to be late to lunch today so when I got to the cafeteria, I spotted Storm, grabbed some lunch and went to sit with him. He looked like a cat that just ate a canary.
“What’s up? You look really happy or like you just did something mischievous?”
“Nothings up, just in a good mood, so spill, why are you breaking up with Stud Muffin?” Storm asked with a tinge of sarcasm.
“Well... he's actually boring, he talks about himself all the time and I just don't think he's my type.... Why are you smiling so much?”
“I just don't like the guy. I never thought he was right for you.”
“I never knew you had any thoughts on who was right for me.”
“I've thought about it, so you’re breaking up with him because he’s boring?”
“That plus we didn't really kiss, kiss. What's that about? I think he would since you say he has such a reputation.”
“Addie, you have kissing issues.”
“What do you mean by that?” I shook my head “I do not! I just think that after several dates...” I leaned in toward him for a more private conversation “maybe he should have like really kissed me not just a peck on the cheek…. What do you mean I have kissing issues?” I said softly and my face blushed.
“If you wanted to be kissed why didn't you kiss him, ugh, never mind.”
I leaned in close to him “I thought guys were supposed to lead with that stuff. You did and I thought you were a good kisser...... Huh!” I covered my mouth. “Oh my gosh, I'm a horrible kisser.”
“You're a good kisser...just so you know...” He looked a little uncomfortable; he was looking at his lunch tray. “I don't know, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.” He squinted his eyes looking right at me when he said it. He cleared his throat and continued “So you're telling me Cale never really kissed you, and never tried anything else?”
“No!” I said “Weird right, not that I want this conversation to go anywhere else, but no.” Storm just looked at me wide eyed, and said he didn't believe it, and laughed.
I felt some tension leave us “I know!” I said half laughing with him. “It’s like I was dating my grandpa or something, he was always kissing me on the cheek or forehead and dressed geeky when we went out.”
“And that's it?” Storm asked looking at me trying to detect deception.
“Nothing else at all I swear,” I shook my head no.
“Break up with him” was all he said.
“I don't know what to say to him, I've never broken up with anyone before.” Storm laughed sarcastically and turned his head.
“What is that supposed to mean.”
“You broke up with me.”
“I so did not! We weren't even dating exclusively and since school ended I never heard from you, when I said goodbye to you, you didn't say anything like ‘we should get together this summer.' I believe I...you know what, it's a moot point. I didn't break up with you because we never went steady, we went out a couple times, but we weren't exclusive, and besides, what does it matter now you're dating a nympho.”
He looked shocked. “You're calling your friend a nympho, that's not very nice.”
“I take it back, I like Shelby but you know she tells me everything.” I gave him a look back squeezing my eyes together, studying him back... “Who’s the slut now,” I mumbled.
“So you thought we weren't even dating”.
“No, I didn't say that, I said I didn't think we were going steady, there is a difference. You know that has to be mentioned in some conversation and I never remembered any conversation like that between us.”
Shelby and Nic had found each other and came to sit by us, I was thankful. I didn't want Storm and I to get back to the “cold shoulder” phase again although it may already be too late for that. Storm and I didn't talk much after that, didn't have to not with Shelby there. But I was dumbfounded, was he treating me like crap the whole time because he thought I broke up with him last year?
I couldn't hold it in any longer, I fired out “So that's why you've been mad at me all this time, from eighth grade!” Storms head snapped up in surprise. “Well that's just great, there's nothing I can do about it now Storm, it's done it's over, get over it! I'm sorry Storm but let's not blame it all on me – you did nothing about it either!”
I'm not sure why I was so mad, but I got up without a further word and just started walking. I found myself in front of my locker.
Nic caught up with me a couple minutes later, “What was that all about?”
“Storm is mad at me and has been treating me like crap because he thinks I broke up with him last year.”
“But you guys weren't exclusive, right? I mean you dated a couple of times but nothing serious.”
“Well that's what I thought but he thought otherwise, and it's irrelevant now. I mean why bring it up? You'd think after he had a girlfriend that our so called break-up would have been a faded memory by now.”
“Maybe he still likes you.”
“Maybe he doesn't. If he did why is he dating Shelby? That doesn't make any sense to me. In any case, I don't like him that way… I guess I have other things on my mind.”
“Well we know guys are unstable.”
“And Storm is majorly the king of unstable.” We both had a good laugh over that.
I decided my blow up may not have been about Storm that maybe this Cale thing was weighing on my mind more than I anticipated. I decided to try and break up with him before school was out, but he was nowhere to be found. He must have left school early.
Nic and I decided to hang out all weekend, have some girl time. Since Cale was going to be out of town, we concocted a scheme to try and find the house he took me to, see if we could find any clues. Even though we were going to spy on him, I felt more relaxed, like my life was back to normal. I
felt more at ease than I had in a long while. Although, in the back of my mind I was still thinking about breaking up with him, the crazy guy who drugs girls and does who knows what with them – I wanted to think he was crazy, but I just didn't.
Nic got to my house around 3:00 and so far our ‘spy’ plans have been foiled since we have no one to drive our getaway car. We hung out at my house Saturday night, my sister hung with us too. I was very surprised, she usually always has plans.
We were all bored stiff so we decided to go down to the neighbors to see if any one was home. To our amazement Gus was and he had a friend over. They came out to hang for a bit, they must have been bored too. We talked on the porch until dusk, when I noticed an unfamiliar car in the driveway. I nudged Nic and pointed to it.
Nic said excitedly “Oh my Gosh! You guys are bored and you can drive and have a car!” She said pointing to Gus's friend. We started laughing. “Can you take us somewhere?”
“I'm not allowed out past eleven with the car.”
“We only need it for about an hour...door to door.” Nic said getting all excited. “We need to get something from Addie's house first. Pick us up in five minutes!” She yelled as all three of us girls ran back to my house. We got inside huffing and puffing, we each grabbed a pair of rubber gloves that my mom used when cleaning her paint brushes. Tori had no idea what we were doing but looked excited so she just grabbed all the same supplies that Nic and I did. We ran upstairs and I gave everyone sandwich baggies, in case we found something. My mom came in the kitchen and we all froze.
“What are you girls up to?” she asked.
Tori, quick on her feet said, “We're going to pick up one of Gus' friends and then we're going to play football.” And asked, “Where are the flash lights?”
“There are a few down in your dad's work room.” she said as she reached for one above the fridge and handed it to Nic not knowing she was aiding and abetting future convicts.
“Thanks Mrs. Gellar.
“You’re welcome my dear. You three stay out of trouble ya hear?”
“Really, she says that now?” I said in a whisper taking two stairs at a time into the basement.
“We will!” Tori yelled back as she scrambled to follow Nic and me. We found three other flash lights and then booked to the top of my driveway where Gus and his friend were waiting. All the girls jumped in the back.
Gus turned around to face us and asked, “Where to?”
“I know the approximate location.” and I rattled off the first few directions.
“We aren't going on a wild goose chase are we?”
“It's possible” Nic said, but added “If we don't find it in fifteen minutes than we'll come right back.
He didn't look very satisfied with that answer. “What else do you have to do tonight?” Tori asked.
“Good point, but we get to do what we want when we get back.” Gus replied.
“Fine.” she said. I just rolled my eyes hoping she wasn't getting us into trouble.
Thinking about trouble, I started concentrating on our route. “Turn here.” I pointed. It wasn't the street, we had to turn around and go down the second street, and then a third. As Gus's friend turned down the street slowly I got an eerie feeling, the same one I get when I've had a dream that comes true, this time it sent a chill down my spine. The houses were not close together at all, Gus' friend (I wish I could remember his name) was driving slowly making the moment seem more suspicious than it was, or maybe not.
I grabbed Nic's arm and pointed, “That's it.” I whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear. He drove slowly past it and down one more house, turned around, parked and turned off his headlights. Both the guys flung their arms over the front seat to look back at us. We gave the boys the details on why we were here, but we didn't have to, they knew something was up.
“Now what?” They whispered, they were intrigued.
“Should someone stay here to keep the car running in case we get into trouble?” The guys looked at each other and said “Naaaa.”
“What are we doing?” They asked.
“We're looking for clues.” I said.
“What kinds of clues?” Tori asked.
Nic and I looked at each other, she shrugged, and responded “We need to know who lives here, what kind of people they are and look for other clues like drugs or weapons, anything out of place.”
Gus replied “That's easy, check the mailbox.”
“Glad we brought you, I wouldn't have thought of that.” I said.
Tori the organizer, pointed to Gus' friend and Nic and I, “You three are in one group. Gus and I will be in another. You guys go to the left of the house and we'll take the right.”
I nudged Nic “I'm just guessing but maybe the bracelet's here.”
“Noooo.” Nic said exaggeratedly. I replied “It's a big maybe.”
We all snuck out of the car and closed the doors quietly, I wonder if anyone else was as nervous as I was. Nic and I went right and Tori followed and then the two boys followed, so much for the plan. Until the boys stopped at the mailbox, filtered through all the pieces, and then flanked the house left.
There were no lights on in the house, it was only about 7:30pm or so, it seemed like no one was home. In my dream, where the girl got attacked, they start on the right and moved left, I wanted to do that here just in case it was the same place. Everything about this place screamed déjàvu to me, but my senses could be off because I was here with Cale the one time under weird circumstances. I just don't know.
As we were creeping around the corner of the house Tori tripped over a branch or root and fell into me taking us both to the ground face first. We both started to giggle on the spot, Nic tried passing us and Tori grabbed her ankle to bring her down to our level.
“Glad to see you're so serious about this Addie.” She said sternly, trying to get up. Tori and I tripped her again. She couldn't help but laugh this time, the quieter we tried to be the more we laughed – tears and all.
We gained composure and rounded the corner. I stood totally upright taking it all in, even though it was dark it wasn't pitch black. I popped my flash light on. I walked toward the back of the yard down the right side of the property line and stopped halfway. There was a river birch tree centered in the back yard just off of the deck. This is where I was watching the girl get attacked in my dream, I could sense it, and I wanted to see more. I shined my light across the field in the path they took this summer. I got a chill.
When, Kaboom! I flew to the ground and tried to grasp my flashlight, the girls tackled me and pointed toward the house, I turned it off. People were inside. We were frozen to the ground for a bit, our anxiety growing stronger. I moved my head up slowly, I could see the guys at the far tree line waving us over and then they ducked. I stuck my head back in the tall weedy grass, it was itchy and all over. We were in a meadow-like area, the non-mowed part of the yard.
I looked back at Nic and Tori they lifted their hands to gesture what next. Like I'm an expert at this, I had no clue what to do. We were low to the ground so no one would notice us. I peeked back up at the house, the sliding door curtains were only drawn a bit I could see two people in the kitchen and one was helping the other to the table like they were injured or sick. I squinted my eyes to really focus.
“What do you see?” Nic whispered.
“Two people, one is sick or hurt. I don't know… oh my god! Army crawl, army crawl, army crawl....” I said as we hustled near the boys who were camouflaged by the tree line. We crawled as close to the edge as we could when I saw something shine in the grass for a brief moment. Tori got up and started running which set the motion light detector off! Nic and I popped up and were hot on her trail. We ran right into the boys pushing them into the neighbor’s yard. We were all laughing running as fast as we could to the car.
What's his face was fumbling for his keys. “Is this going to be like a horror film where...” The car started cutting me off mid-sentence. He didn't tur
n the headlights on until we got to the end of the block.
Nic said “Back to the bat cave Boy Wonder.” Everyone let out a little chuckle. I looked back; no one was following us....
“Oh my gosh, my heart’s beating a million miles a minute. “ Tori said excitedly.
“Are you kidding me, I have to pee.” Nic said and everyone burst out laughing.
Gus flipped his arm over the seat and said “we only saw mail for a Dr. Westman.”
Under my breath I said “I saw it.”
When we got back to our neighborhood and the boys reminded us it was there turn to pick the next adventure. We followed Gus and Boy Wonder into the foliage at the end of our street, it went right and left but we went straight. When we finished batting all the weeds out of our way we came to a secret clubhouse that was camouflaged by all the trees and brush. There we had our first Big Mouth Mickey’s' beer.
After that we played Frisbee in the dark and then we all laid in the grass and looked at the stars. Here I felt I had more of a connection and more fun with this group than I ever had with Cale. Not that I ever dated someone seriously before, but if that was dating it wasn't for me.
CHAPTER 8
Nic asked me to be a wrestling manager with her. I hadn't even thought about doing it for the high school team but then I thought, what the heck, we had fun doing it last year. Only to find out that “Manager” is just a glorified name for slave girls – this year we have to clean the mats before every practice something we didn't have to do before, plus, we have to keep score and video tape all the meets, plus, girls aren’t allowed to ride the buses to away matches. In junior high we only had to go to and keep score at the home matches and one tournament. It was a lot more work, it had better be fun.
After a few practices we got used to the routine, it wasn’t so bad. I really didn't get why they needed us at practice. What I did like was Nic and I got to catch up on homework and all our gossip for the day. Today Nic told me that Mr. Meshko, our Algebra teacher, announced to all his classes that I have received the highest grade he has ever given out, that I was the only student to achieve a 100% in his class. I have gotten all of my homework, quizzes and tests 100% correct. I said “All his classes, ugh. I can't believe I'm doing so well in school this year, very unlike me.”
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