Date Me (20 page)

“Was he arrested?”

“For about two seconds. There was no proof he did anything wrong. The van was a stolen rental. It was my word against his. And my word didn’t mean much since I invited him to the party because I didn't know. After they released him, he sent some pictures he had been taking of me to my mom. He wanted her to know that he could hurt me anytime he wanted. At one point, he even put a note in my little sister’s backpack. That’s how close he got to her. I left mostly to keep them safe.”

“Even if they couldn’t prove the attempted kidnapping, stalking is illegal. Why isn’t he in jail?”

“Stalking is really hard to prove and it didn’t help that I thought we were friends. I had dinner with him one night. Let him videotape me on the beach. We couldn't even get a restraining order. My family moved to France. I came here.”

“So that's why you didn't have a Facebook and why you only had like four numbers in your phone?”

“Yes. I just had to leave. Only a few people know what happened. There were rumors at my old school that my parents sent me to rehab. Not long after, the three rehab facilities—where people said I’d gone—were broken into. Their files accessed.”

Riley’s eyes get big. “And here, your file was accessed. Wow.”

“That’s why I’m freaking out. I know he’s found me.”

Riley shakes his head. “No. It's not him. If it was, he would have broken into your dorm last night and surprised you.”

“You're probably right. I don't think he would have waited. But maybe he needed time to plan. Maybe he wasn’t sure I was there. Maybe he sent someone to break in. Either way, now he knows.”

“I keep going back to Whitney. I'm telling you, that girl is evil. I think she was looking for dirt.”

“I’m not worried about her. Hell, I used to be her. Kinda. At my old school.”

“You were Queen Bitch?”

“No. That job was taken by my best friend. But I could be mean sometimes. I got caught up in the whole popularity thing and I really didn’t like the person I was becoming. I swore to myself that when I came here that I wouldn’t be popular. That I would never sit at the popular table in the cafeteria.”

“And my brother has been dragging you straight to that table, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah, but I’ve realized it’s not the table that matters. Just because I sit there, doesn't mean I have to be like Whitney.”

“You are
nothing
like her. So follow along with my reasoning here. We have major security at school. If this guy broke into the office, he had to get on the campus first. Our campus is extremely secure. If someone broke in, got past the guards, the whole school would have been on lockdown. That’s why I think it was done by someone who was already at school.”

What he says actually makes sense, but I’m not convinced. “I hope you’re right.”

“Come on, our movie is about to start. Let’s get some popcorn.”

We eat popcorn and I get to spend a couple of hours with my mom and Tommy.

Screwed our way around school.

5pm

Dawson: Where are you? I heard you get called to the office. Is everything okay?

I have similar texts from most of my friends.

“What am I going to tell them, Riley?”

“Maybe you should tell them the truth.”

“You won't tell me the truth about Homecoming and why you got kicked out of school.”

“That's cuz it's embarrassing. Epic, but embarrassing.”

“It's been two years.”

He give me a big dramatic sigh and then says, “Fine, I'll tell you. So, freshman year, I come to school thinking I'm the shit. I'd had sex a few times that summer and felt like I was joining my brothers for what was going to be four years full of nothing but girls and sports. So Homecoming weekend rolls around. By this time, I've been with two older girls at school, which has done nothing but up my cockiness.

“You know, the Cave has traditionally been a place that only juniors and seniors get to go to. I talked Cam into letting me come to a party with him. He handed me a flask and told me to find someone to share it with. I shared it with this gorgeous junior. Maybe it was the combination of the fact that I was pretty big for my age and the alcohol we’d shared, but I had her convinced that I was Cam and Dawson's older brother and a college freshman. That even though I had gone to a different school, my parents made me come to support my brothers.

She bought that and proceeded to tell me how she hated that her dad came to Homecoming. How she hated him showing her his old stomping grounds and telling her long, boring stories. She also mentioned she hated her dad, although I forget why. Then she told me she had the perfect revenge. She dragged me to every place he took her that night. The bleachers at the football stadium where he played in the band was the first place we had sex.

“There were about four more places, many of which I only vaguely remember. Which is a surprise because I remember thinking she needed to shut the fuck up about her dad because dads are sort of like cock-blocking.

“We drank more, lost our clothes, and screwed our way around school.

“One of the things her dad was the most proud of was the alumni band float. He always helped plan it. Came in early to work on it. Had even designed that year’s and would be riding on it.

“All I remember is her being really pissed at that point. About her telling me this was the place she wanted to defile. How awesome it would be to watch her dad ride on the float we'd done so many dirty things on. That's all I remember until I was woken up that morning by her father, who had come down with some other band alumi to make some last minute adjustments to the float.”

Riley laughs.

“We were both completely naked and passed out on the float. The float was half trashed and I was in a whole lot of trouble. They threw us each a coat and dragged us to the dean’s office.”

“Talk about a walk of shame,” I say with a giggle.

He nods at me and continues. “I was somewhere between still drunk and majorly hung over. And if getting caught wasn’t already embarrassing enough, our parents sat in while the dean questioned us. By this time, most of our clothes had been recovered and turned in by various people. Granted, in retrospect, the girl was obviously pretty messed up and had some serious daddy issues but I was drunk and horny enough not to consider that at that time.

“She started crying. Thinking she'd get out of it that way. She told them all how I got her drunk and took advantage of her. When they seemed skeptical, she pulled out what she thought was her get out of jail free card. She told them that I was a nineteen-year-old college freshman and that she was underage. That I forced her. The dean stopped and looked at me. Sized me up. Glanced back at my dad. My dad and the dean were in the same graduating class, and I think they have plenty of their own stories because the dean sort of smirked at the girl when he informed her that I was actually a freshman at Eastbrooke.

“She just started going psycho. Yelling at her dad. Screaming at the dean. At me. She tried to attack her dad.

“My parents dragged me out of the room and told me they were extremely disappointed.

“My mom marched off, but Dad slapped me on the back and said, You know you're going to be expelled.

“I was like, Really?

“And then he told me that was the best story he's ever heard and how he hated her dad’s pompous ass.”

I’ve been trying to hold in the laughter, but I can’t anymore.

“See, you're laughing.”

“Because it’s funny. My story isn't funny-embarrassing it’s more scary-embarrassing.”

“At the time, it was pretty embarrassing. Can you imagine sitting in the dean’s office hung over as fuck, listening to the dean explain in detail your being naked on a float. I couldn't even find my pants. I was half frozen.”

“I’m glad you told me your story, but I really don’t want to tell people mine. Maybe in a few years when it’s not so fresh. And if I’m still alive.”

“You really think he wants to kill you?”

“I think he will keep me for a while. But eventually, yes, I think he would.”

“So we’ve seen three movies and I’ve eating two tubs full of popcorn, two boxes of candy, and three slushes. Do you think we can go back?”

I check my phone for the time. It’s after six o’clock. Vincent’s flight doesn’t leave until seven, but he should be there by now.

I text Garrett.

Me: Any word?

Garrett: He’s at the airport.

Me: Oh, good. That’s a relief.

Garrett: I’ll let you know when he’s on the plane.

“Am I going to get in trouble at school for skipping?”

“I think if you do, you should say you were upset about what the dean told you. That you left to handle some financial stuff. To check your account or something.”

“That’s a good idea. Can we go in the mall for a bit before we go back?”

“Are you dragging me to the shoe department?”

“We can go wherever you want. Do you want to look at clothes for you?”

“Not really. Let’s go with the shoes. They seem to make you happy.”

“That they do.”

I try on a bunch of shoes, buy a couple new pairs, and am paying for them when I get a text from Garrett.

Garrett: He boarded the plane and we watched them close the doors and pull away from the gate. I really don’t think he knows where you are, Keatyn. If he did, he wouldn’t be going back to LA.

Me: That makes me feel a little better. But you said he’s a planner. What if he went back there to plan? What if he knows you’re watching him?

Garrett: What do you think?

Me: I don’t think he would wait.

Garrett: Me either, but still be cautious. Pay attention to your surroundings. Listen to your gut. If you feel danger, get somewhere safe. Just like you did this time. And please put the locket back on.

Me: I will.

I grab my packages and we head back to school.

When Riley drops me off at my dorm, he tells me, “I’m sleeping in your room for the next few nights, just to be safe.”

“I think I’ll be fine. He might have hired someone to break in, but I think the rest of it, he’ll want to do himself. And he just got on a plane back to LA.”

“Still, I’m sleeping in there.”

“Riley, he’s strong.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’d have the element of surprise. He wouldn’t expect a guy to be in there. What are we going to tell Katie?”

“We don’t have to say anything to Katie. That girl sleeps like a rock. Dawson has come over a couple times and she never even knows he’s been here.”

When Riley sneaks in my room a bit after midnight, he lays down on my fluffy rug.

“Riley, just come up here and sleep with me. I feel bad you’re on the floor.”

“Don’t feel bad. I love this rug. I just want to keep petting it, and I so want to do Ariela on this rug. That’s how you can pay me back. Lend me the rug.”

Tuesday, October 4th

Total diva.

6am

Even with Riley in the room, I don’t sleep well.

I keep having dreams about Vincent. Him being in my room. Me screaming. How I’m screaming as loud as I possibly can, and even though there are people all around me, none of them can hear me.

When six o’clock rolls around, I get up feeling happy to have survived the night.

Luckily, it’s Pajama Day, so I don’t have to do much with my hair. I just put it in a messy bun, throw on the pink and black polka dot camisole and short set, a black slouchy sweater with a big pink heart on it, a pair of black sweater thigh highs, a great pair of Valentino ruffled lace-up biker boots, and I’m out the door.

I even have time to grab a latte before the Social Committee meeting.

I’m in line for coffee when Peyton cuts in next t0 me. “Will you please get me a hot chocolate?”

“Sure. You look really pretty today,” I say, taking in the long silky gown and matching fur heels she bought this weekend. Her hair is smooth and straight and she’s even wearing a long strand of pearls. “Total diva.”

“Whitney is going to be pissed when she sees me. All of them are wearing silk pajamas. You know, like the kind your mom wears.”

“Were you supposed to wear them too?”

“Well, it was suggested that we all wear them.”

“Are they wearing heels with them?”

“We’ll find out as soon as we get to the meeting. You look adorable, by the way. I love how you combine stuff that doesn’t seem like it would go together and make it look so good.”

I laugh. “This was all together at the store.”

“The pajamas, yes, but they didn’t have them with the thigh highs and the motorcycle boots.”

I look down at myself. “That’s true. I don’t know. I just have weird taste.”

“Well, it works. Oh, there’s my brother.”

“Do you want something?” I ask him right before I order.

“Naw, I’m good,” he says, holding up a bottle of water.

“Your T-shirt is awfully tight,” I tease, taking in his Lorenzini blue and white striped sleep pants, extremely fitted white T-shirt—that I know the girls will be going crazy over—and a pair of driving shoes that are so cool, Tommy would die for them.

“Those might be the coolest driving shoes I’ve ever seen,” I say, commenting on the color-washed, tie-dyed shoes he’s wearing. “My step dad would love them. What brand are they?”

“Alberto Moretti Arfango,” he replies. “I found them online at Barneys. Had to have them.”

“You are seriously a man after my own heart.”

Aiden gives me that stupid grin. Like I just admitted my undying love or something.

I roll my eyes at him and head to our meeting.