UNtouched: a bay falls high novel

by Kidman, Jaxson

The bathroom was empty but there were a lot of bathrooms in the house.

  My eyes looked to the stairs and my heart sank.

  “No,” I whispered.

  I took the stairs two at a time as I needed to get to my room.

  The house was certainly too big to make good time running through it.

  I already knew what I was going to find.

  He set me up again.

  Being outside. Near the pool. Inching me toward the pool until I finally stupidly fell into it. Knowing exactly what he was doing. Because he wanted to see what room I went into to get changed in.

  When I saw my bedroom door, I hoped I was wrong. I hoped I was overly paranoid.

  The second I opened the door, I didn’t even need my eyes to know Barr was in my room.

  I smelled his cigarette smoke.

  * * *

  “Not bad in here,” he said as he sat on the edge of the bed right where I slept.

  He leaned forward and opened the nightstand drawer.

  “What are you looking for?” I asked.

  “This is the drawer where all the fun is hidden, right? Private toys. Condoms. Something to ease it all in…”

  My cheeks warmed. “Whatever you say, Barr. Now get out of my room.”

  Barr slammed the drawer and stood up. He took another drag of the cigarette.

  I watched the smoke billow through the air, looking for something to cling to. To leave its smell. He was going to leave his smell behind.

  “I don’t think I should be smoking in here,” he said.

  He strutted through the bedroom to the bathroom.

  My eyes scanned around the room.

  Part of me expected him to trash the room. Find all of my bras and panties and throw them around the room.

  But everything was left in place.

  So this was another power move. A way for Barr to remind me that he and the others were always in control and always knew everything.

  Which made no sense because I…

  I walked to the bathroom and caught him staring at himself in the mirror.

  “Why are you doing this to me?” I asked.

  Probably a weak question but it was an honest one.

  Barr turned the sink water on and closed the drain. After just a few seconds he turned the water off and dropped the cigarette into the water. It sizzled and died.

  He looked at me through the reflection in the mirror. “You’re asking the wrong question, love.”

  “Oh?”

  “You keep asking why… maybe you should ask why not…”

  I curled my lip. “That makes no sense.”

  “Of course it does,” Barr said as he turned. He walked out of the bathroom and across the bedroom. “Why me… why me… when it should be why not me.”

  “Still makes no sense,” I said.

  Barr stood at the window and slipped his hands into his pockets.

  None of it made sense to me.

  Other than me being the new girl.

  Fresh blood.

  All that stupid bullying crap.

  Yet the worst part of it was the way he looked. Tall and strong. Dark and bold. Not afraid to get in your face.

  “To answer your question, love, Pres grabbed you because he felt like it. Just like me being here tonight. I felt like it. And just like Kip talking to you. He felt like. That’s what we do. Whatever we feel like doing.”

  “What?” I asked.

  Barr brought his right hand from his pocket and he showed me my phone.

  I gasped.

  My fucking phone.

  I had left it on the bed.

  And now Barr had it.

  “Was hoping for a few naked selfies,” he said. “But nothing. Did see a few faces though. And one I assume is your mother.”

  “You know what, Barr? Fuck you.”

  He turned and grinned. “Now we’re starting to get somewhere. House is big enough that nobody will ever know. Then again, they’re not stupid. We’re both missing from the table.”

  “Give me my fucking phone back,” I said. “Now.”

  “Are you ordering me around, love?”

  “You don’t get it, Barr. That’s all I have. That’s the only thing I have from…”

  I choked on my words and cleared my throat.

  Shit, shit, shit. You can’t cry in front of him…

  “This is the only thing you have left from where you came from,” Barr said. “Wow. That’s pretty intense. That’s deep. And yet even still you wanted to talk about us.”

  “I didn’t say a word about what I saw,” I yelled. “I just didn’t get why Pres grabbed me. That’s all. Or what you three are doing.”

  “Well, I answered the question. We feel like it. And as for this?”

  Barr looked at the phone and shook his head.

  “Barr… please…”

  He opened the window and flicked his wrist.

  “No!” I screamed and lunged at him.

  I grabbed his arm and his shirt, clawing at him as I pulled myself to the window. I caught the last second sight of my phone before it hit the pool.

  Barr put his hands to my sides and inched me away from the window.

  “Easy now, love,” he whispered. “Don’t want you to fall out of the window and get hurt.”

  I looked at him. He was evil. Forget the honey gold eyes. Forget the muscle. Forget the power. He was evil.

  Barr kissed the air and walked away.

  He left my bedroom without saying a word.

  And I didn’t leave my bedroom again.

  I just stood there and stared at the black square at the bottom of the pool.

  How long until that was me at the bottom of the pool?

  nine

  Being rich meant never needing to go without.

  I had a new phone in my hand by morning.

  A new number, no pictures, nothing on the phone.

  But at least it was a phone.

  I amazed myself by remembering some of the numbers that I never thought I’d know.

  I sent texts to Ruby and Amelia first.

  Then Beth.

  Claire promised me she would contact Mom to get her my new number.

  And to smooth over the story, it was easy. The phone must have fallen out of my pocket when I fell into the pool. And I didn’t realize it.

  Being rich meant being able to lie so smoothly.

  To the point where I wondered about everything Claire said.

  But I at least had a phone.

  And I wished to anything I had Barr’s number. So I could text him and tell him nice fucking try.

  Even if the message was clear from him.

  He took the only thing that mattered to me and destroyed it. He took the memory of where I came from and erased it. It was powerful even if I didn’t understand the meaning.

  When I got to BFH, Beth was waiting for me at my locker.

  “What happened to your phone?” she asked.

  “Dropped it into the pool,” I said.

  “You sure about that?”

  “You really want to know everything?”

  “The Rulz?” she asked.

  “One third.” I put my fingers to my lips like I was smoking a cigarette.

  “Damn,” Beth said. “Claire knows everyone in this town. Especially when it comes to real estate.”

  “Yeah, well, I have a new phone now. And if this one breaks, I’ll get another. And another. And another.”

  “I don’t think it’s that easy,” Beth said.

  “What’s not easy?” Denny asked as he coolly slipped into our conversation.

  He had his sunglasses up on his head, pushing back his messy hair.

  He was kind and cute. A combo I could actually stand for once.

  “Nothing,” I said.

  “Ah, come on,” Denny said. “Spill it. I mean, it can’t be Beth. We know she’s easy.”

  “Fuck you,” Beth said, slapping Denny’s arm.

  “Been there, done tha
t,” Denny said with a wink at me. “I bet it’s you, Ti. You’re not easy, right? Hard to get. Fun to have.”

  “Yeah, that’s me,” I said. “I make you work for it. Make you beg for it. Make you cry for it.”

  “Jesus, that’s hot,” Denny said.

  “Careful,” Beth said. “He takes everything literally.”

  “Oh yeah?” I asked.

  “Keep talking, Ti,” Denny said.

  It felt good to forget everything. To be light and fun again.

  “Maybe there’s nothing to talk about,” I said.

  “Meaning what?” Denny asked.

  “Maybe I’ve… never…”

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  Denny touched Beth’s arm as he clutched his chest. “Oh, Lord, it’s happening. My dream come true. She’s a virgin.”

  “Oh, get out of here,” Beth said, shoving at Denny.

  He laughed and stumbled a few steps.

  Beth looked at me.

  I shrugged my shoulders again.

  Hey, this entire place seemed to function off money, power, drama, and sex… so why couldn’t I have a little fun too?

  “You’re my new favorite person here, Ti,” Denny said.

  “That’s shallow.”

  “As shallow as a pond in a drought,” Denny said. He reached for my hand. “And I’m okay with that. Save all the wetness for you.”

  “Wetness?” I asked. “Gross.”

  “Would you rather me say moist?”

  I laughed. “That’s worse, dude.”

  “I love it when you call me dude,” he said.

  “Told you,” Beth said. “You fed the squirrel once and now he won’t leave you alone.”

  “Maybe he could just go put his own nuts into his mouth and be happy,” I said.

  “Oh, I wish,” Denny said.

  “You’re really gross,” I said.

  “And you’re really on my mind now,” Denny said.

  He interlocked his fingers to mine and put my hand against the locker.

  “Right here?” I teased.

  “Only if you’re damp,” he said.

  I snorted.

  “Damp?” Beth asked. “Well, that does make sense around you, Denny. You’re not exactly flood type.”

  Denny looked at Beth. “Oh, please. When I got done with you, my face looked like I ate twelve glazed doughnuts.”

  Beth gasped.

  I laughed even harder.

  Oh, god, I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time.

  “You get soaked, huh?” I asked Beth.

  “Screw you both,” she said.

  Beth stormed away.

  Denny put my hand to his face. “I’d love to stay and dirty talk all day with you but I guess we need to go learn.”

  “Yeah, true,” I said. “Plus, you standing there like that… it’s just too much temptation for my v-card.”

  “Oh, damn, you’re fucking killing me here,” Denny said.

  I shrugged my shoulders again and he broke away from me, winking and laughing.

  I wasn’t sure how to explain it but Denny was fun. And a friend. Nothing more. We could goof off and not make things weird.

  And it was a little fun pissing Beth off.

  I spun around and opened my locker.

  As always, there was something waiting for me.

  It was a glass of water.

  With a half smoked cigarette in it.

  Just like the cigarette Barr had left in my bathroom sink. Which I had to fish out by hand. The paper and tobacco spreading everywhere, leaving a yellow-brown trailer of grossness in the water.

  I slammed the locker shut, telling myself not to let that ruin the half decent good mood I was in.

  I spotted Gi and Iris and ran to catch up to them.

  I looked back once because I had that strange feeling of someone watching me.

  But nobody was watching me.

  Nobody was following me.

  Hopefully whatever message the Rulz wanted to send me was done now.

  * * *

  “You’ll figure out the groups quick enough,” Gi said as we sat on the bleachers.

  On the field were a group of guys playing football. Shirtless, sweaty, all worth looking at.

  “I really don’t care about the groups,” I said. “I mean other than… you know who. Why aren’t they ever around here?”

  “Trust me, they are,” Gi said. “They know and see everything.”

  “I just don’t get it,” I said.

  “You don’t have to,” Iris said.

  “Wish I was able to so I could get them off my back,” I said.

  “Still bothering you?” Gi asked.

  “You can’t imagine.”

  “Hey, if they keep fucking with your locker, you can share mine,” Gi said.

  “Really?”

  “Of course.”

  “Oh, look at you two,” Iris said. “In love. You should just make out and get all these jocks hard. Watch them try to run then.”

  “That would be a show,” I said. “I’d watch.”

  “Whore,” Gi said and elbowed me.

  “Oh, please, she’s not a whore,” Iris said. “She’s all pretty and untouched.”

  “I’m dirt poor, remember?” I asked. “You can’t imagine the things I’ve done for a hot meal.”

  Iris curled her lip. “Whatever.”

  “Why are these guys practicing football now?” I asked. “Isn’t that for the fall?”

  “They never stop,” Gi said. “They play games even when it’s not football season. Jocks fighting jocks.”

  “They’re all horny for the HCH guys,” Iris said.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “HCH,” Gi said. “Hidden Creek High. Rival school.”

  “Oh. Right. What about east?”

  “What about?” Iris asked.

  “Just curious what the deal is there.”

  “No deal,” Gi said. “Just old money and new kids. Everyone loves to fight.”

  “And fuck,” Iris said.

  “Makes sense,” I said. “You fight and then fuck.”

  “I think you really are a whore,” Gi said.

  “Don’t get too close you might catch something off me,” I said.

  Gi put her arm around me and kissed my cheek. “Bring it on, poor girl.”

  “Careful what you wish for, rich bitch,” I said.

  “Oh, careful, you’ve got eyes now,” Iris warned.

  Gi and I had gotten the attention of the football players.

  “Don’t worry about Maverick,” Iris said. “He loves everyone.”

  “What does Maverick do?” I asked.

  “Wide receiver,” Gi said.

  “Hey, Ti,” Iris said. “Maybe you could play wide receiver for him.”

  I laughed.

  Maverick gave a wave and winked.

  I lifted my hand to wave back at him.

  I mean, come on, hard glistening skin, tone and cut… hhhheeellloooo…

  Someone else quickly grabbed Maverick’s shoulder and ripped him away. He turned and faced off with the other guy, who simply just pointed.

  “Fuck,” Iris said.

  I looked where the other guy had pointed.

  “What’s Brando pointing at?” Gi asked.

  I slowly stood up and looked down to the bottom of the bleachers.

  Holy. Shit.

  Standing there with his mile wide shoulders was tall, hot guy.

  Pres.

  Staring right at the field.

  Right at Maverick and Brando.

  I never saw someone go from flirty and happy to scared so fast.

  Maverick ran across the field to a bench and grabbed a bottle of water.

  Gi and Iris were in silence.

  Pres stepped forward two steps and slowly turned away from the field. He gave me a quick side eye glance and walked under the bleachers.

  I hurried to climb up to the top of the bleachers so I could look
over them.

  The entire football field area was like a professional stadium.

  My hands tightened around the top railing and I waited for Pres to emerge.

  When he did, he just walked toward the parking lot like nothing had happened.

  He eventually disappeared without even looking back.

  “Wow,” Gi said next to me.

  I didn’t even realize she followed me.

  Iris too.

  “That’s what they do,” Iris said.

  “I can’t fucking take it,” I said. “I need to know why. The only one who actually talked to me like a human was Kip. Maybe I should go talk to him.”

  “Talk to Kip?” Gi asked. “What’s he going to tell you?”

  “I don’t know,” I said.

  After all, Kip was the one who acted nice in the garden before the other two showed themselves.

  “You think Kip is the nice one?” Iris asked.

  “I didn’t say he was nice. But out of the three so far…”

  “Then you should go talk to him,” Iris said.

  “What do I do, just find his house and ring the doorbell?” I asked with a weak laugh.

  “No,” Gi said.

  “Go to the ditch,” Iris said.

  “Iris!” Gi yelled. “No.”

  “What’s the ditch?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” Gi said.

  “She should know about it,” Iris said. “I mean, if she’s here to stay for a while, she should know as much as possible, right?”

  “Don’t hide things from me,” I said, looking at Gi. “I need to know as much as possible here.”

  Gi shook her head. “If you go up there, don’t go alone.”

  “I’d love to go to the ditch,” Iris said. “I haven’t been there in a long time.”

  “What is the ditch?” I asked again.

  Iris put her hand to mine. “It’s probably better to see it than try to explain it.”

  * * *

  Iris picked me up just after dark.

  Gi sat shotgun and I didn’t mind the backseat.

  Especially since Iris drove a damn bus.

  It was the biggest SUV I ever saw and she said her parents insisted on her driving it to be extra safe.

  As we drove through Bay Falls, the rich beach town soon became darker and more secluded. There were no longer signs of the beach either. The roads twisted and turned and were just as dark as the night sky.

  When Iris finally turned off the road, I sighed with relief.