Stains everywhere.
The usual…
I shut my eyes and sighed.
The apartment didn’t matter now.
I wasn’t sure if it ever would again.
The meals were all labeled with my name and Jo’s name.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about eating that way, but it was better than nothing. And it made sense with Jo’s busy life.
It still made me marvel that she was a doctor. Like a real doctor. Performing surgeries and stuff. And driving really expensive vehicles. And living in this gigantic house right next to the beach…
My memory brought back the baseball players.
And Uly.
I shivered at the thought of it all. For two different reasons. With two different kinds of shivers too.
I grabbed a bottle of fancy water and went upstairs to my… room?
There was no way I could call it a room. It was bigger than a room. It was like an apartment. Built into a house. Which made me wonder what Jo’s room was like then. Just her describing it, it was like its own house too.
The fancy water tasted so good it made me stop and stare at the bottle. I had no idea bottled water could taste different. Or taste as good as this water did.
I drank the entire bottle by the time I got to my room.
I stood at the window and looked down to the beach.
The thought of Uly made me bite my lip.
Those douchebag baseball players really backed off quick at the sight of Uly.
That was a flag redder than my cheeks.
It all started to swirl so much in my head, I needed a minute to rest.
I jumped into the bed and let out a laughing cry as my body sank down into the mattress.
That whole cliché saying about sleeping on a cloud?
It was a real thing.
I was swimming in the bed.
The blankets. The fluffiness. The way the bed moved to the shape of my body.
I closed my eyes and told myself this was impossible.
I took a few deep breaths.
I pictured Joff standing there, wiping blood off his hands. My mother on the floor, shocked to see me home. My locker with the blood red V on it. Gray and his shit eating smirk. Officer Jack and the way he helped me… and the way he looked very afraid of Jo when she showed up.
Sleep wrapped its arms around me.
How could it not in that fucking bed, right?
I didn’t even dream.
I was just… gone.
And I only realized it when my phone started to go off, waking me up.
I lifted my head and felt drool on my cheek.
I looked around, almost forgetting where I was.
When I looked at my phone, I realized it was four hours later.
Whatthefuck?
And it was my mother calling.
I shut my eyes again and groaned.
I wished I would have put the phone on silent.
“Please tell me you’re not mad at me.”
Thanks, Mom. Don’t ask how I am. Go right to yourself.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Except they have me in a room with someone else. She’s complaining of stomach pains and is demanding surgery. She thinks she’s a doctor.”
“Speaking of doctors…”
“What? I told you I’m okay. I’ll be out of here tomorrow. Jo wanted me to stay.”
“Right. Jo… Dr. Jo…”
“Don’t ever call her that, Belle,” Mom said. “I’m serious. She’ll slap you.”
“Mom, I’m in a house that’s worth millions. I was at the beach a few hours ago. She picked me up in a car that was worth over two hundred thousand dollars. And then she gave me the key to that car. Along with a credit card. What…”
“That’s good,” Mom said. “She’s a good friend.”
“Friend? I never met her.”
“You’ve met her before,” Mom said. “When you were really little. Just briefly though. We’ve been on two different paths for a long time.”
“I can see that.”
Mom didn’t say a word.
I rolled my eyes.
I waited.
“Sorry,” I finally said.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Jo said you called her.”
“Yeah, I did,” Mom said. “For you. I knew things were getting bad and going to get worse. I knew I needed to call the police. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen then. And I know things have been tough for you. You need this break, Belle. My pretty Belle. Remember that?”
I swallowed hard. “Yeah.”
Vague memories of my mother telling me my name meant beautiful in French.
Now my heart ached.
Thanks for that, Mom.
“You’re going to be fine there,” Mom said. “Jo will take care of you. She told me she’s going to make sure you finish your classes too. Unless you want to come back here. It’s up to you.”
“What about you, Mom?” I asked. “You’re leaving the hospital tomorrow…”
“And I’ll figure it out,” she said. “Jo is a good friend. We go way back. There’s a lot you don’t know. I’ll be okay. I have to make sure that Joff never comes near us again. I’m sorry he turned out that way.”
You’re sorry everyone you choose turns out that way…
“Belle, want to know something?” Mom asked.
“What?”
“I was going to be a doctor too. I was the one who put that bug in Jo’s ear. I always talked about it. And then she went her own way and… whatever.”
“I didn’t know that,” I said. “You could still do it.”
Mom laughed. “Not me. But I will find my own way. And so will you. I could never give you anything like Jo has done today. Go enjoy it. Just know I’m fine.”
“I love you, Mom,” I said.
“I love you too, my pretty Belle.”
The call ended and my eyes filled with tears.
I dug through my bag and found my cigarettes.
I sat at the window that faced the beach and I curled up on the daybed and smoked.
Tears ran down my cheeks and I didn’t bother to wipe them away or even ask why there were tears to begin with.
I shoved the conversation with my mother to the back of my mind.
I had something more important to figure out.
Was I actually going to show up on the beach at eleven tonight to meet Uly?
I realized there was no sneaking out of my room to the outside. Not that I was one to sneak out anyway. I had no problem just leaving whenever I felt like back at the apartment. But at Jo’s, I caught myself looking out the window like I had to open it and find a way down to the beach.
Which was crazy. And impossible.
So I did what I knew how to do.
I left the bedroom, walked the mile long hallway, scaled down the biggest staircase I had ever seen in a house, and made my way toward the kitchen.
There were rooms everywhere.
Doors all around.
Each one tempting to open.
But I wasn’t a seven year old girl anymore. Meaning I didn’t believe for a second that behind one of those doors there would be monsters or a secret world or whatever else is written in kid’s books to make them forget about their lives.
A soft glow poured from the kitchen and went toward the back of the house, which was just one giant set of windows. One of those windows was actually the door to get outside. My next goal was to remember which one was the door so I didn’t slam my face off the glass like you’d see in some viral clip shared across social media.
There was one last room to my left and when I turned my head to look, I saw nothing at first. Then came a little bit of movement that made my heart stop.
Ohmygoditsafuckingghost… Jo’s house was built on some burial ground and there are ghosts everywhere…
That’s how fast my mind worked sometimes.
I
t wasn’t a ghost.
It was Jo.
Sitting in a dark room that had very dark red leather chairs in it. The kind of chairs that were oversized with the really big buttons up and along the arms.
She sat there and the longer I stared, the more she came into focus thanks to the glow from the kitchen.
A glass of wine in her hand. The kind of glass that could hold half the bottle.
Wearing a black dress, her legs crossed, her heels kicked off to the floor. The slit on her dress ran really far up her leg. If the lights were fully on, I probably would have been able to see her butt.
“I’m just… going for a walk…”
Of course I was the one who had to break the ice with Jo.
“I didn’t ask,” she said in a soft voice.
Of course you didn’t.
I took a step and paused. “Are you okay?”
I tried to focus my eyes more on the mostly dark room.
Jo didn’t move an inch.
She didn’t even move the wine glass.
“I’m sitting here, Belle. Do you mind?”
“Sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be out too late,” Jo called out. “You’re expected to class… preferably tomorrow.”
“What’s that?” I asked, stepping back.
“You heard me.”
“How did…”
“I told you I was going to take care of things, Belle. I can respect you not wanting to trust me. I wouldn’t trust me either. But at the very least, listen to me.”
I had a lot more to say and ask… but it was now after eleven.
I gave Jo a cliché sounds good and then hurried to get out of the house.
Just what I needed at the moment - more things to think about.
I lit a cigarette and hurried around the giant pool. I hurried again down the twisty path. And when I got to the sand, I looked around for Uly.
My mind played tricks on me over and over so when I finally thought I saw him, I wasn’t sure if he was real or not. Which meant the only way to know was to… touch him.
Okay, that wasn’t the only way, but I was so flustered, I went with the first thing that came to mind.
Which was to touch him.
He stood with his back to me and I reached for the side of his body. Not a tap on the shoulder. Not to touch his arm. But grab his side, just above the waist of his jeans, like I was trying to… tickle him?
Uly turned.
I jumped back and gasped, losing my breath.
“Took you long enough, doll,” he said. “You’re going to miss the show.”
“The show?”
Uly smirked at me. He was wearing the exact same clothes as earlier.
Duh, Belle. You are too.
His sunglasses hung from his necklace.
His beanie was pushed back enough, leaving plenty of his messy, dark hair exposed.
I lived in a place that was full of trouble and this guy made that trouble look like happiness.
And I was the one who showed up…
“Hey, Uly, man, what did you need?”
I turned my head and my eyes went wide when I saw Ryan approaching us.
“What the fuck is this?” I whispered to Uly.
“Just wanted to show you something,” Uly said.
He clicked his tongue and nodded to me.
Ryan stopped. “Whoa. You brought her… why?”
“You talked a big game,” Uly said. “Back it up.”
“What?” Ryan asked.
I started to shake.
Uly set me up…
I slowly stepped to the side. I tried to figure out how fast I needed to run to get to Jo’s house. Or at least close enough to scream for help.
“We were fucking around,” Ryan said.
“You put your hands on her,” Uly said. “Right?”
“Harmless touching,” Ryan said. “Just a little welcome. That’s all. What is this, Uly? Are you pissed? Shit, bro, man, if she was… you know…”
Uly moved faster than anyone I ever saw in my life.
The punch hit Ryan in the mouth so hard, I heard something pop.
I covered my mouth as Ryan went face down into the sand.
He didn’t move for a few seconds.
Then he turned his head.
Uly stepped forward and stepped on Ryan’s hand. “I promised her I would kill you.”
“Fuck… Uly…”
“She’s not ready to see that. Yet. So here’s what you’re going to do. Walk home. Find your boys. Show them what happens when you talk to Belle. Say her name. Make it known. Got it?”
Uly applied pressure with his foot and Ryan screamed.
“Yeah, I got it,” he said. “Fuck, man, I got it. Please. Not my hand…”
“Who are you not allowed to touch?” Uly asked.
“The new one,” Ryan said. “Okay?”
“Say her fucking name.”
“Belle!” Ryan yelled. “Belle! Belle! Belle!”
Uly stepped back and looked at me.
He nodded.
I shrugged my shoulders.
He moved toward me. I smelled his clothes, cologne, and skin.
“Make your move, doll,” he whispered. “Now.”
I thought about Gray. All the stuff he said to me. And how I knew somewhere inside me it was probably bullshit, but it sounded good and made me feel good. And he did all of that to prove a point which ended with him painting that V on my locker.
And then Ryan… and the other guys…
Oh, Joff smacking my mother around…
I stepped toward Ryan and bent my knees.
I brought my cigarette toward his face and he rolled away from me.
“Don’t burn me,” he said. “Fuck, you’re as crazy as them.”
“Them?” I asked.
Ryan grinned, blood and sand on his face. “Stick around and you’ll find out.”
I jabbed the cigarette through the air at him.
He screamed and rolled again and fought to get to his feet.
I stood up. “Don’t ever come near me again, you fucking jock. Stupid asshole. Go suck on a baseball bat. Or shove a baseball up your ass. You fucking loser!”
Ryan waved his middle finger as he ran down the beach.
That felt good to do.
Even if Ryan’s warning didn’t sit well with me.
Fuck, you’re as crazy as them.
Them?
Stick around and you’ll find out.
Uly stepped up next to me, a cigarette between his lips. He lowered his head and cupped his hands as he lit the cigarette.
Dangerous and sexy wasn’t good enough to describe him any longer. But it was all I had for the moment.
He looked at me and nodded.
We stood together and smoked.
In silence.
Then he started to walk away.
My right hand reached for his. “Where are you going?”
He looked back. “I’m sure I’ll see you around, Belle.”
He pulled his hand away.
The night blanketed him and I stood on the beach alone.
Shaking.
Turned on.
Confused.
But I knew one thing.
Now I definitely had to show up to Bay Falls High.
six
Jo made it very clear she was not going to drive me to Bay Falls High - East.
I was officially on my own.
Which should have scared me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Uly.
I was intrigued in a way that I wasn’t sure if it was good or not. At the very least it was a comfortable distraction. Which I needed.
A woman named Sue made me breakfast, served me coffee and orange juice, and asked if I needed directions. I lied and told her I didn’t.
I left the house with a bag and realized I was going to drive the super expensive car Jo left for me. That was my ride. My wheels.
And face it…
It was fucking f
un to drive.
The tinted windows and glow of the lights from the dashboard made me feel like a total badass.
I helped myself to a few practice laps around the driveway just to get a feel for the car. Which was simple: touchy and fast. Just thinking about moving and the car wanted to do eighty. Far from what I was used to. Sarah had a beater car that sometimes took coaxing to get it to start. And the wipers would turn off while halfway up. Oh, and the sunroof leaked in the rain so she had a towel to put across the middle console in case of a storm.
But this car…
Not to mention the fact that anything I wanted I could tell it to do.
Play a song? Done.
Turn up the volume? Sure thing, Belle.
Directions to Bay Falls High - East? Here you go…
On the screen it showed it as BFH and that seemed kind of cool to me.
“BFH,” I whispered.
I nodded.
I could get used to it.
I could hang back and observe.
Figure out what classes I needed to take to finish up and then be done.
And maybe if I did that… proved myself to Jo a little… who knows. Maybe she’d help me some more. I hated to think of things in terms of money, but it was kind of a big deal. Living my entire life without it and then living a few hours with it, the difference was staggering and I already knew what I preferred.
I certainly wasn’t cut out to be a doctor, but maybe there was a chance I could do something with my writing. Or just be the loser that lived off of someone else while perfecting my manuscript.
Right?
Yeah, fucking right, Belle.
That voice was the voice of the car talking back to me.
Which made me laugh.
When I saw BFH, I let out a long breath.
The building looked like an old castle.
Or some kind of prestigious university or something.
A very big, tall, wide, old building.
The entrance was the tallest part. Almost like a church steeple that went for miles into the air with a giant clock perched near the top.
I slowed to observe the building and someone behind me beeped their horn.
I sped up and pulled into the parking lot.
NOT SO Innocent (Bay Falls High Book 4) Page 5