Chapter 4

JOE BANDIT P.O.V

“Can you believe how quick the game is coming up?” asked John, as we walked towards our lockers.

“No, and I am very excited for us to win,” Gio said in a confident tone.

John Jones and Giovanni Giordano are my closest friends. John and I have been best friends since kindergarten. We got close to Gio when he moved to America from Sicily and started school here at the beginning of the senior year. We were the best players on the team in all the sports we played. It sounds obnoxious of me to think that, but It was true.

All three of us got offered a full ride to any university that we wanted to go to. John, Gio, and I all decided that we wanted to play for The University of Alabama. I already told my parents and so did John. Gio on the other hand has stalled telling his family. He said that it is going to take a lot of convincing to get his grandma to agree to let him stay in America until he graduates college.

I smiled and was about to respond to Gio’s comment but stopped when I saw Chasity Dawson at her locker, with her friend Payton and Madeline. I am surprised she agreed to help me, when I texted her last night. I was nervous about asking her because I thought it was going to be hard getting her to say yes. Thankfully I was wrong about that part. In the end, the hardest part about last night was trying to get her phone number.

I couldn’t ask my parents for her phone number because I didn’t want them to ask more questions as to why I wanted it. So, I decided to wait till midnight, to go find it myself in my father’s office. He had everyone’s file in his office. When my parents finally went to sleep, I crept out of my room and walked into my father’s office using a secret door in the wall that connects to my father’s office. When I finally made it quietly inside, I looked through the filing cabinet, that contains information of every single one of the employees that work for my family. The weirdest thing was the fact that I had a hard time looking for Mrs. Dawson’s application. I checked the other drawers in the filing cabinet and couldn’t find it.

It took a while to find the file and when I did, I was surprised. It wasn’t how I found it, but where I found it. The shocking thing was that it was in the drawer of my mother’s desk; in her office, that was right across from my father’s office. If they knew about what I was doing, then I would ask them why Mrs. Dawson’s folder was in my mother’s; but since they don’t know what I’m doing, I decide to keep this to myself for now.

“Chasity,” I said with a smile, as I called out her name.

She and her friends, along with everyone else looked at me. Gio and John looked at me puzzled at why I called her name.

“I will catch you guys later,” I said, as I patted John on the back and started walking towards Chasity.

They along with everyone else, have never seen us talk to each other before, and up until yesterday, that was true. I started walking towards her when she heard me call out her name. Her friends looked shocked at seeing me come their way, they quickly whispered something with a laugh and grin. Then walked off, which thankfully left the both of us, to be alone to talk.

“You look really nice,” I said, as I stood in front of her.

She just smiled and looked down, tucking her hair behind her ear. The denim jean jacket, over her white V-neck t-shirt, matched really well, with her high-waisted black jeans. Her black sandals matched perfectly with it, along with the backpack she had strapped on her shoulder.

“Are we really back to the ‘no talking’ thing?” I asked with a smirk when I realized she did not say anything back.

She chuckled a bit and shook her head. “Thank you for the compliment. Now, what was it that you needed help on?”

“Come with me to my locker and I will show you,” I replied, as I nodded my head towards the direction of my locker.

When we stopped in front of my locker, I unlocked it and reached for an envelope at the very back of my locker, hidden under an old math textbook. I knew it was safe here because no one would ever break into my locker and touch a math textbook. I then turned towards Chasity and gave the envelope to her. Inside of the envelope contained photos of my family. It was candid pictures, and a lot of them were as if they did not know someone was taking them. The creepiest ones were the ones that looked like they were being taken from outside our window.

That one gave me the chills.

“What is this?” Chasity asked with confusion clear on her face and in her tone.

“Someone has been stalking my family and me,” I said in a tone, that showed a bit of fear.

I did not want to say it, but this scared me a bit. It was really creepy and I want to tell my parents, but I can’t; at least not yet.

“That is really creepy. How long has this been going on?” she asked, emphasizing the word ‘really’ to me.

“Years,” I said in a creeped-out tone; emphasizing the word ‘years’ to her.

Her eyes got wide “What!?” she exclaimed in a loud tone.

“Please keep your voice down. No one can know about this,” I said in a slightly demanding tone.

She quickly looked side to side and grinned sheepishly “Sorry.”

I felt a bit of relief finally being able to talk about this to someone. I have kept this a secret for years, ever since the day I found the first envelope.

“No one else can know about this,” I said, making sure to stress how important it was that she keeps it a secret.

“Why didn’t you tell your parents?” she asked as she looked through the pictures.

“I do not want them to worry,” I replied as I shook my head to her question.

“I feel like this is the type of thing you should tell your parents about,” she said, as she showed me a picture, I have seen multiple times.

It was a picture of my parents eating together at the dinner table, and the picture looked like it was taken from outside the window.

I shook my head “Whoever is doing this, is someone close to my parents.”

“What makes you think that?” she asked, as she kept looking.

I grabbed back the photos and searched for a specific photo; I knew was in here.

“This is why I think it is someone close to my parents,” I said as I showed her a picture of my parents renewing their vows.

“I remember this day. It was the day they renewed their vows; It was really romantic. I am glad that you guys allowed me to come,” she said with a hint of a smile.

“Of course, you are always going to be invited. My parents really like you,” I stated as if it was obvious.

It really was true, and I was not lying. My parents really did like her; because every time they saw her, Chasity is always so respectful to them, and my parents really liked that.

She touched her heart “Aww. I really like them too,” she then put her hand down and tilted her head in confusion. “Why does a picture of your parents renewing their vows, make you think it is someone your parents are close to, that is doing this?”

“Only friends and family were allowed,” I said stressing the word ‘friends’ and ‘family’ to her.

I remember everyone that was there. No other stranger was there. There was no new staff or outside catering. We cooked our own food and set up the whole backyard ourselves. All our friends and family pitched in to help, as a gift to my parents. It was sweet of them, and my parents at first refused their help; but everyone insisted so much, that eventually my parents gave in and let them continue.

“So, who do you think did it? A family member or a friend?” she asked, as she creased her eyebrows.

“I am not sure,” I replied.

I have already written down the names of everyone that came that day, including the staff. I need to find out who is doing this, because if someone is planning to hurt my family; they’re messing with the wrong family.

I protect my own.