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by Admin

  She spent the time checking out the people around her. Paul was with her, chatting away about their English assignment, but Raylee wasn’t really paying attention. Her mind kept going to last year. She remembered the sick feeling in her stomach, the shaky hands, the nervous heart whenever Crystal was in the room.

  But since the new school year started, Crystal had been dormant. She thought her evil tactics had ended, but now she wasn’t so sure, especially when she and her cheerleaders took turns leering at her from across the room every time she turned around. But something was different about Crystal. Her glare wasn't as strong, her expression less severe than before. What did it all mean?

  Troubled, Raylee finished her lunch in silence, wondering if the change in Crystal was a good thing, or just another trick.

  ***

  When she got home and opened a letter addressed to her from the University of Washington, she actually fell out of her seat. Her mom came rushing into the room.

  "Are you okay?" Helping her up, her brows furrowed, she shook her head at her daughter. "What happened?"

  Raylee smiled, baffling her mom even more, then handed her the acceptance letter. Together, they shouted for joy and hugged, bringing her dad, who had been doing some maintenance work outside, rushing into the kitchen to find out what the ruckus was all about.

  "Our daughter got accepted into the program!" her mom shouted, shoving the piece of paper toward her husband. He gracefully took it, hugged his daughter, and said, "Congratulations, you wonderful girl."

  "Oh, no!"

  "What? What is it?" he asked.

  "I'm supposed to be at my shift in ten minutes!"

  "Your first job. Another victory. You know, your mom and I don't have any dinner plans yet."

  "Dad, no, you can't."

  He winked. "I wouldn't dream of breaking your concentration. You'll do great."

  "Thanks," she said breathlessly, pulling on her uniform shirt over the thin t-shirt she was wearing. "I gotta go." She kissed them both, hurried out to her car, and made the drive in less than ten minutes, with just enough time to get her name tag on and snag the cash drawer from Aunt Kim, who was busy piddling about like a busy mouse in the back office.

  "You're here! You excited? I know I am." She lightly squeezed Raylee's cheek. "I am so proud of you! Go get 'em!"

  Taking her drawer, she threw her aunt a half-smile, wondering why she was acting like she was taking on the world. She'd only gotten the job because her aunt was the owner. But to be fair, she was thankful for the opportunity. She had to start somewhere, and Kim's Burgers seemed like a good place to start.

  But learning to count cash and ensure that she handed out the correct change proved a bit challenging. Kim assigned one of the veterans, Joe, to train her. He was, thankfully, patient, realizing how important each penny and dime were. She had to double-check, and occasionally triple-check her calculations when taking orders, nearly giving out more change than she was supposed to sometimes.

  She also learned the rhythm between herself and the cooks. One of the cooks, Ramón, was heavy-set and exhibited a good amount of patience with her, as confused as she got about the orders.

  Tim, the other cook, was around six-foot-four and must have had about thirty tattoos. He didn't talk much, utterly focused on his job.

  The kitchen had their own system and she quickly learned that she had to be on top of the orders when they were ready or the plates soon blurred into each other. More than a handful of times, she upset the servers when she handed out dishes ahead of others that had been cooked first.

  Fortunately, Raylee loved food, and music, which played overhead throughout the restaurant's opening hours, and though she tended to be shy around her classmates, she found that talking to strangers came easily. By the time her training finished a few days later, she was ready to work alone.

  Her first customer was an overweight man with a gray beard, who very much resembled Santa Claus. She placed his order and was thrown when he even sounded as cheerful as the iconic man.

  When she handed him his change, she ruminated about this year's play in Ms. Cass's class. Another comedy, written by the same former teacher, the play was a sequel to their junior show. This time, Santa, a.k.a Billy, got to learn about Easter. Raylee, and the entire cast, hadn't expected the turnout they got last year. Perhaps, this year's performance would entertain again all the way through curtain call.

  Paul swung by for an egg burger, known as the best in town, and surprised her by asking her to the prom.

  "But that's not until May. And what if you meet some girl who wants you to take her?"

  "Not a chance. Who would want to go out with me?"

  "Oh, please. You're handsome, smart, ambitious. Just because you haven't dated doesn't mean you're not desirable. It's senior year. Anything's possible."

  "True. But I figured you were a safe bet. No expectations. I don't have to impress you."

  "Well, that doesn't sound like much fun." She tossed a dish towel at him.

  "But, if anyone asks you, then our deal is off, okay?"

  "Oh, yeah, like who? Billy? Believe me. He has no interest in me, not like that. Why are you thinking so far ahead anyway?"

  "Honestly?"

  She leaned over the counter. "Honestly."

  "Because I don't want you to feel alone. I know what they've put you through and I'm sure they'll be there. If they decide to try to ruin your night, you can count on me to make it right."

  "Ooo, a poet and didn't know it! Okay, sounds like we have a deal." They shook hands.

  On his way out, the wind blew in a handful of gold-colored leaves. She breathed in, enjoying the fresh scent of Fall.

  The next day, after school, Raylee attended the football game. It was the first time she got to see Billy in uniform.

  She didn't know how he did it, but he raced across the field like no one else, exhibiting this aura about him that suggested he was untouchable, and strangely, no one was able to tackle him at any point. They laid their hands on him, but it was as though they were touching someone invisible, his body seamlessly sliding out of their grip.

  The cheers from the stadium were much louder than when Ryan had played quarterback. Raylee knew she wasn't the only who noticed how Billy stood out from everyone else. But that didn't make watching him any less amazing.

  ***

  Christmas came in a flurry of light snow and fresh air. The Christmas tree outside of Faith Church was glorious, replete with strands of rainbow bulbs, and large in size, in direct contrast to the small-sized building, which mimicked the small-town feel. But the main hall, where her dad preached his sermons, was at near full capacity, meaning that approximately one hundred members were in attendance these days; her dad was already in talks about adding a second service with Rick at the helm.

  Faith Church was like a second home to Raylee. Sometimes, when the sermon was over, she didn't even want to leave. She liked sitting there in the house of God. It was safe, a lot safer than the world. In here, she literally felt the arms of God wrapping around her, reminding her of her value and telling her how loved she was.

  Today, her dad was speaking on fixing your eyes on God, focusing on Psalm 61. It was a message she was quite familiar with, and one of her favorites. Paul joined them again. She was glad, not for the first time, to have a friend who shared the same beliefs.

  Out of all of the traits that someone might possess, the belief in Jesus Christ as one's Savior was the most important to her. Life here on earth was relatively short, but eternity was forever. Something she'd learned as a child was how God was Love and Truth and one's Comforter. She knew that He was the reason that Crystal hadn't completely destroyed her.

  They were sitting with Raylee's mom and Aunt Kim. Earlier, Kim brought over some of her home-baked sugar cookies. Raylee could still smell the flour from her hands.

  The choir took the church through a few Christmas songs, "Away in a Manger
", "White Christmas", "O' Little Town of Bethlehem", but her favorite was the last hymn they sang, "What Child is This".

  Imagining what it must have been like to set your eyes on the perfection of God reached into her heart and took hold of it in a way that nothing else could.

  Sometime during the middle of the service, her dad spoke from verse 3: "For you have been my refuge,

  a strong tower against the foe." Raylee's mind went immediately to Crystal. If anyone had been her 'foe', it was definitely Crystal. She felt her body tense, her heart rate speed up.

  No. She's just a girl.

  Only the truth was harder to 'do' than believe in sometimes.

  SEVENTEEN

  Spring

  When classes resumed after Christmas, nothing exciting really happened. Raylee supposed she was thankful for that, because it meant that no one was terrorizing her either.

  Even though Billy had drama and English with her, he never spoke to her. She didn't know what to make of that. It wasn't that he was rude, he just didn't talk. Maybe he was stressed out about college. He did seem more intent in drama lately.

  Paul barely had any time to spend with her these days; his dad was teaching him more of the business, which meant more after-school hours, and he was still interning for the accountant.

  Kim's Burgers ended up quite busy during the holidays, but it was now nearing Easter, and the busyness still hadn't worn off.

  Kim ended up having to take a few server shifts, which she didn't seem to mind. Raylee hoped she could somehow pick up on that positivity when her own life turned crazy next time.

  One night, the week of Easter, Raylee closed up for Kim. Tim finished cleaning the kitchen area and said goodnight. Joe, one of the servers, headed outside to take care of the trash.

  As she locked up the office, she heard a banging at the front door. She assumed Paul was a little early. When she got to the door, she peered out into the night, the light from the porch overhang exposing nothing more than a barren ground.

  Huffing, she went back to the front counter to finish wiping down the counters.

  Banging at the door again.

  She whirled, rushed to the door, looked out, and saw no one. Since the trash bins were on the far side of the parking lot, north of the building, she couldn't detect Joe either.

  Behind her was a phone near the cash register. She would call Paul to see if he’d left yet. Or maybe she should call the police.

  Behind the register, the phone in her hand, she began to push buttons, entering Paul’s number, and someone knocked on the door, not the banging from before.

  She glanced up. Paul. Immediately hanging up, she hurried around the counter, unlocked the door, and hugged him tightly.

  “Woah! What’s that for?"

  “Paul, someone will not leave me alone."

  “What happened?"

  She pushed open the door, strained to see past the light, searching intently across the parking lot. There was no one, except for Joe, who was slowly making his way back to the restaurant. Noticing her outside, he waved and then headed to his car. She waved back.

  “Can we go?" she asked him, tugging on his arm and pulling him out the door before locking it and yanking him toward his car.

  When they were on the freeway, he said, “What’s going on?"

  “Honestly, I don’t know. Footsteps, the mask, the shadow. Now banging on the door."

  He spun the wheel as they neared her street. “Someone was outside?"

  “Yes, Paul, and they banged on the door a couple of times, but when I looked outside, no one was there."

  “And you think it’s related to the mask? What was this about footsteps, a shadow?"

  “Henry. Henry was the footsteps."

  Paul looked confused as he pulled up the front of her house.

  “You lost me."

  She faced him. “He was following me and then he acted like he wasn’t when I caught him. He’s probably the shadow man."

  Paul chuckled. Raylee frowned. “How is that funny?" she asked.

  “Raylee, you sound like you’re talking about a boogey man."

  “What about the mask? Someone left it in my locker. That wasn’t my imagination."

  “Sorry, I just want to lighten things up. I don’t know what the banging was, I didn’t see anyone when I pulled in."

  She sighed, wondering what to make of it all. The only person that really made sense in all of this was Crystal. She had it out for her through almost all of high school.

  “See you tomorrow, okay?" Paul said.

  She nodded and waved as he pulled out into the main road.

  ***

  Prom was now just two weeks away. Holding to their deal, she and Paul had already picked out their outfits. His was a simple black tuxedo with white inlaid around the cuffs and collar. Hers was an all-purple dress, a large bow in front stretching from shoulder to shoulder.

  Taking a bathroom break from chemistry, she startled when seeing Crystal at the one of the sinks.

  She was clutching the corners of the basin and fuming at her reflection in the mirror. Upon seeing Raylee, she vigorously wiped her eyes, involuntarily smearing mascara across her face.

  "Great," she said. Raylee didn't know if she was annoyed at Raylee seeing her or if she was responding to something else.

  Wiping off all of her makeup, she didn't bother putting any more on. To Raylee's surprise, she honestly didn't look any less pretty without it. She wondered why she was always wearing it. Did she think she had to? It was strange to think this way about her.

  Without looking at her, Crystal exited the bathroom. A moment later, Raylee started heading down the hall when she came to one of the unoccupied classrooms. As she passed by, she noticed Gina inside; she was crumbling up some papers and tossing them into a small grocery bag.

  Then she heard Crystal's voice. "What are you doing?" she demanded. She did not sound happy.

  Gina jumped at the sound of her voice, looked up, then relaxed. "Oh, it's you. Just getting us ready for an exciting dance."

  Not wishing to be seen, Raylee quickened her pace, but not before hearing Crystal say, "No, Gina. Put them back," and Gina scoffing, "This is a joke, right? You're kidding me, right?"

  Just a few feet from the door, Raylee stopped. The two best friends never fought, but there was tension in the air. She wanted to keep heading down the hall, return to chemistry where Paul was surely starting to wonder if his lab partner would be returning, but her feet seemed glue in place.

  “I helped you set it all up, did what you asked me to, all for. . .for what, and this is how you treat me?"

  Raylee gasped. A long silence followed.

  Gina crossed her arms and shook her head. "Fine, but you'll have to do it yourself."

  Her heart skipped. What did that mean? Was Crystal planning something again? Was that why she was upset? Because Gina wouldn't help?

  She couldn't just stand out here in the hall, tormenting herself with what-ifs, so she hurried back to class.

  There was no possibility of paying attention to anything in chemistry. She’d overheard the conversation loud and clear. Crystal was behind all these moments of fear. Not Henry or Donald, but Crystal.

  But what was she going to do about it?

  The emotions rushed through, changing from one to the next in a matter of seconds until she found the emotion of anger rising above the others. No longer afraid or anxious, just angry.

  Thankfully, prom was around the corner, which meant senior year was almost through, which meant Raylee would be heading off to another state, away from all the drama, uncertainty, and fear.

  But she couldn’t stop thinking about Crystal.

  After class, she confided in Paul.

  “You sure you heard them right?"

  “Yes, Paul!"

  “So why not report it to Grabisch?"

  “Because that won’t make it right."

&nb
sp; Paul watched her, his eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?"

  For years, she’d tormented her, made her feel helpless, insecure, afraid, awful. The humiliation, the sense of endangerment, all because of her.

  She stomped off, in search of Crystal, Paul running to keep up with her.

  She found her right outside the girl’s bathroom. And suddenly she couldn’t move or speak. The rage that flooded her started to lessen.

  Crystal barely glimpsed at her before walking off.

  If she let her go, this would never end. She followed her, stopping just behind her. “Crystal."

  She looked back, her eyes vacant, sad, she wasn’t sure, but she didn’t care.

  “How could you?" Her lip was trembling.

  Crystal’s blank stare turned into one of confusion. And then that haughty voice she’d always used on her. “What are you talking about?"

  Paul put a hand on Raylee’s arm.

  “You know exactly what, Crystal. You never quit. Always laughing at me, teasing me. . ." Hurting me. She couldn’t bring herself to say that, to let her know how deeply she’d wounded her.

  “Yeah, that was me. So?"

  Breaking free of Paul’s grip, Raylee lunged forward, causing Crystal to move backwards. “How can you say that?!"

  “Raylee," Paul was saying.

  “It was always you, and Gina, and your stupid friends, doing everything you could to humiliate me."

  She had moved so closely to her that Crystal’s back was pressing into the bathroom door.

  With an air of disinterest, she shrugged her shoulders. “What’s your point?"

  Raylee felt the edge of rage. “You went too far. The rubber mask. The worms. That was you!"

  Crystal stared at her for a minute, her indifferent expression shifting into one of confusion.

  “What mask?"

  “The mask, the mask, the gray mask you put in my locker! I overheard you and Gina, just a few minutes ago, how much she helped you set everything up."

  She looked guilty at first, but then she just shook her head. “That wasn’t about you."