FOUR

  She could have just not come, sent a message that she was sick. But it wouldn't change anything. She walked as slowly as she could to her usual class, praying he wouldn't be there. Reaching the door, she peeped in, and was filled with joy at the sight of the empty room.

       Glancing at her watch for the third time, only now impressed at her accuracy in test taking. 10 a.m and he wasn't here, it only meant one thing, he was not going to be in her class. She smiled brightly at her thought, beaming the smile on her teacher retreating with her test sheet. "You are late. " the words made her heart drop. It didn't have to be. "Get in there." Cold surged through her with that last part, and her body trembled when he walked. Terror kept her from getting up, and now it was too late. He looked at her and she quickly bent her head, hoping to keep it that way till it was 4 p.m. It was a simple plan really.

    "Umm..." his first word of the day, trying to talk to her all of a sudden felt difficult. He sighed when she didn't raise her head, then he cleared his throat, she still looked down. This was good. "Lacey." He called, and she raised her head very slowly, her emotions clear as day. She didn't say a word. Somehow he expected more when he imagined it. She just stared, it made him uncomfortable. "I'm not going to tell anyone. " He blurted out. "I never was going to, if that's what you're thinking." He tilted his head, her expression unreadable but her body spoke for her. "I was just curious with the rumor thing and I was bored, and I can't apologize for observing enough to know who you are. Like I said, curious, especially since you came back and everyone was talking about it again." He raised his head, looking at her with sincerity. "But, I won't tell anyone, I never was plus Darin is cool and you don't deserve that."

     Lacey nodded twice, doing her best to contain her excitement. She said nothing, there was nothing to say only that now she had to make sure to stay away from him to keep his mouth shut. Maybe that way, he wouldn't try blackmailing her. At least now she can sleep at night. After a few minutes of silence, he took a seat up front again. "You're not going to say anything?" After a ten second silence, he nodded in understanding. And sat quietly.

     Twenty minutes passed in their silence, it was a simple moment of bliss to her. Only interupted by her mathematics teacher walking in, with another test. She sighed and put away her note book. "Okay Atkins, I'll be back for this by 12, but I expect you to be done before that." She nodded and opened the booklet staring at the twenty five math problems before her. "No cheating, I trust you can do this without it?" She nodded, and then they were left alone again.

    "You need help?" Tom asked her. She shook her head. "Come on I can help."

     "Just because you decided to leave my secret alone doesn't mean I want to talk to you." Her words were clear. And it stung knowing she hadn't forgiven him. He had to have known she wouldn't, Darin is her brother, it took a while for him to forgive.

    "I guess that explains why he made Dennis his victim." She didn't look up. "I could've beat him up for you too."

    "You didn't know me, so you wouldn't have." She might have been right, but she was talking to him, and that's all he'd wanted since he started his detention three weeks ago.

     "I guess you're on his side on what he did to that girl in his car?" She said nothing, but her smirk gave her away. "I think it was crazy." Her smirk faded.

     "She could have just given him his jacket and walked away." She looked up with a stern look. "Look, you may have gotten me to talk to you." He held his head with pride. "But I need to do this. I'm sure you know he was right, because you wouldn't have asked if you didn't. Besides, he kept telling her to leave him alone over and over again. Now leave me alone." She pat herself on her back mentally. Her body shook and her hands scribbled fast, a symptom of release from intense fear. And right now she couldn't feel more free.

    The sound of blaring music welcomed her home, it made her smile brighter, seeing as it was one of her favourite songs. The sweet sound of her little sister's laughter drew her towards the kitchen, where her mother stood, holding a spoon covered in batter to her youngest daughter's face, who was sitting on the kitchen counter. Sadey licked her finger with her eyes closed, obviously enjoying the sugar in it. "Hi." Lacey greeted with a smile, walking up to them. "What's happening?"

       "Hey sweetheart, how are you?" Lucille Lawes, her mother asked, dipping the spoon back in the bowl.

    "I'm good, what's going on?" She glanced around the kitchen, both mother and sister were smiling brightly.

     "Well lately I've noticed how gloomy you are so today, I decided to make it a you night, to cheer you up. Sadey said this was your favorite song so we've been playing it over and over for thirty minutes. It's very catchy by the way." The day couldn't get any better. "So I was thinking we'd go out and have some fun." She crossed the distance between herself and Lacey.

      She nodded with excitement, "Let's go to a hotel." She said sharply.

     "Okay, I'll call Geraldine at Cosmos to prepare the pent hou-"

"Oh no, let's go to Away from Home." Her excitement was growing. First her secret would be safe and now she gets to have an evening with events of her choosing.

     "Why? It's nothing compared to ours, I mean three stars." She squeezed her face in disgust. Then she turned to bring Sadey down from the counter. "Three." She repeated

     "I know but think about it, we get to make fun of it. Plus we won't get special treatment and I want to try out their spa and food. I want to try it all." Lucille nodded. "Then we could have a little late night shopping."

     The woman laughed, "Okay sweetheart, go pack an over night bag."

     "What? What about me?" Sadey spoke up, her eyes round and sad. "I want to be there for Lacey, if she's sad then I want to be with her." Lucille and Lacey looked at each other with smiles.

      "Only if you behave yourself."

"Yeah, we bring her, she's your responsibility mother."

Lucille chuckled, "sure thing Lace. Now go tell Lola to pack a bag for Sadey."

     Both girls separated, leaving their mother alone, and ignoring her order. Lacey ran up the stairs while Sadey walked across the living room. Lacey all but jumped in excitement. "A Lacey night huh?" Darin spoke from his room, startling her. She yelped and dropped to her knees in shock.

     "Dude!" She gripped her chest looking up at him Once he appeared. He scoffed. "You scared me."

      "I know." He smirked

"He told me he wouldn't say anything." She said while getting to her feet. I guess you were right."

     "Told you didn't I? He's a cool guy. And you tried to kill yourself with worry."

     She laughed and punched his chest playfully, "on the bright side I got a me evening."

    "So did I. An evening without you two girls. Peace and quiet, music and video games." He sighed with a smile "I needed this me time just like you. Except I get to be alone and you don't." He laughed wickedly As he walked back into his room. She followed suit, walking towards her room, unmoved by his talk of staying alone. She was way too excited about her own evening plans to care about his.

   When darkness took its place in the sky, the three girls headed towards the bar for a drink before heading back up for dinner, as per Lacey's request. Lacey dug her hands into her trouser pockets, hiding her well manicured fingernails. As her mother ordered, her eyes drifted across the room, spotting one of the many people she had no intention of seeing again. She was about ready to jump out of her seat when his eyes met her's with a smile on his lips. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. Thinking of the devil, she may have loved an evening without running into someone she knew, yet here he was. Her mother handed her her drink and they all headed for a free table. Listening to her mother talk, she did her best to ignore the fact that he was somewhere around. She nodded as her mother spoke of their other plans, hoping nothing would ruin it. But all in all, her plan was to go swimming when the others had gone to sleep. She took the last sip of her drink and pushed the glass away from herself. With an intense need to use the restroom, she said her excuses and got to her feet.

     Unaware of anyone behind, her she made her way through the crowd of poeple. "Hi." She heard a voice say, stopping her short in her tracks, a few feet from the female restroom door. She turned to face the person who acknowledged her, the edge of a wall between her and him. Tom to be specific.

    "You're following me now?" She stated to his smiling face, her eye brows creased.

     He chuckled in amusement. "No actually. My aunt thought having dinner out would be nice." She nodded in response. "I just wanted to say hi is all." She nodded again. And watched as he turned to walk away. Her thoughts came back to her, he was right there, after hours of deciding to tell him, he was right there. Only certain the timing may never be right, she sighed. "They were lies." He turned around. Confused by the clause she spoke.

     "I'm sorry?" He said. And went back to the place he stood, where his body shielded hers from prying eyes.

     "I figured telling you was the least I could do. Since you wouldn't tell anyone my secret. I was rude earlier, I didn't say thank you... I don't know why I should but, this is my way of... Well saying thanks for keeping your mouth shut." He scoffed with a nod. Ready to hear what she had to say. "I was going away for the year, it's a family thing for us kids, we leave to learn the family business. Marvin did it, Darin did it, and it was my turn like clock work. So I told them I just had to leave. I didn't want to give details, so I said family stuff. Dennis was super pissed about it and I foolishly thought it was cool, cause it meant he'd be a mess without me. It was a SUCKY thing to think, since I had crushed on him for so long I thought his anger meant he truly cared.

    "On my last day, I went over to see him and tell him not to worry. And there they were, struggling to take each others clothes off between kisses." She could barely believe she was speaking without emotions, no choking with tears or a shaking voice, it amazed her. "Jody said she tried to tell me. So apparently it wasn't the first time. So I left. And now I get back and I hear all these things and my so called friends act like nothing happened. To answer your question, I didn't forgive her, I haven't forgiven her. But I learned to keep my enemies close and that is what I would do. Because when I started seeing him She said nothing, then she turns around and does that. And who else would start up rumors about a girl no one would notice is gone?"

    He sighed when she was done speaking, he never liked Dennis and now he had a reason not to like him even more. "I'm so sorry. And that explains Darin beating him for weeks. I would have done the same if I had known you back then." She smirked. "At least now I know the truth."

    "Yeah, just don't tell anyone about it." Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

    "But if they know the truth they would stop."

"I know. But it stopped before, when something better comes along it'll stop again." Her mother's face lit up the screen and vanished after ringing. "Like your girlfriend calling me a witch. Or Darin's adventure." With a nod, he snatched her phone from her, making her look up at him in shock, typing his number into it and using it to call himself. She laughed at this and took back her phone. "I should go." She turned to walk into the restroom. Calling her mother back.

     It didn't take too long for her to step out of the classroom once the bell had gone. She sighed in relief once she was out. What was he doing? Switching seats, sitting beside the window she always stared out of. She shook her head and started to walk down the hall towards her locker. She'd done her best to avoid him. On Monday he made an attempt to walk up to her, she saw his eyes on her and dashed away, the day after was exactly the same thing, except it happened twice, and yesterday in the lunch bar he was a few feet away from her before she realised he was coming and walked away. And now he switched seats. Did he know she always looked out that window? And every time she turned he was looking at her, intensely, like he had something to say. "Lacey can we talk?" Her stern expression and thoughts were broken by Fay's lovely voice. She nodded in confussion and closed her locker. Her friend led her down the hall and out the main entrance doors, at least her next class was in an hour and a half. The same couldn't be said for her friend.

     "What is it?" She asked when their feet made contact with the freshly mowed lawn. Something had to be wrong for her to decide to talk to her alone. Unable to come up with a logical topic that needed privacy, her stomach felt like it would melt. It felt like minutes had passed and Fay was yet to speak. She kept leading her until they were in between the gym bathrooms and the main school building. A building on its own and closer to the football field.

     As if being controlled, Fay stopped and turned to face Lacey, her face dull with sadness. "It was me you called when you saw them." Finally aware of the subject matter she felt herself relax a little. "And we talked to her. She didn't deny it but we were mad. And then we weren't. Or they weren't but I was. And now you're back and I can't help but feel like a hammer might drop. Cause you're so calm about it. And I know nothing is the same, and yet it looks and feel like it is and-"

     Lacey tilted her head in wonder. "What are you getting at?" Getting impatient very quickly.

     "I should have taken your side, I should have called her out and made Bethany and Anita see it and then we should have stopped talking to her."

      She placed her hands on her hips. "All I hear is should have." She chuckled, getting angry as well as ready hit her in the face.    "You didn't want to lose her as a friend so you let it go. You didn't account for me coming back, but here I am. And now you feel you have an obligation to do this because you don't want to lose me too." Fay stood still, ready to cry and shocked at how accurate she was.

     "Are you mad?"

"I'm not upset." She was furious. "It's okay." It really wasn't. She did her best to smile and reached to squeeze Fay's shoulder in assurance. When Fay smiled back she turned sharply and walked away, leaving Fay behind.

    She rubbed her face as she made her way towards the burnt house. Without a warning she was pulled Into one of the empty labs. She gasped in fear as she was flung litely through the open door, her waist hitting the edge of a table. The blinds were closed except for one at the extreme end, giving her enough light to see her captor's face. Thomas wade stood before her clearly upset. The sight of him made her equally as upset. "So you're avoiding me now?" He stepped closer after making sure no one saw them and the door was closed.

      "Pardon me, but the last time I got mixed up with a popular kid my life got messed up." She spoke in a loud whisper. "Tell me no one saw you drag me in here?"

     "Somehow you were the only one out here. And I'm not like him, and I just wanted to talk. Also Darin knocked his lights out for weeks." He felt the urgency to mention all of that at once, noting her Impatience.

     "Only after he was sure no one would think it was because of me. And there's the matter of your girlfriend. So you could have called. Since you have my number." She walked round him heading for the door.

    "Ex girlfriend. And I wanted to talk face to face."

She sighed in defeat, "I can't." She reached for the knob.

     "Then let me give you a ride after school." He walked closer to her with pleading eyes.

    "I have work to do after so I can't leave." She turned the knob, the door now slightly ajar.

     "I'll wait." He said with a smirk. She bent her head and walked out, heading straight for the burnt house. Leaving him smiling victoriously.

     His watch struck 4:23 when he spotted her leaving the burnt house, she had changed her clothes again, a short skirt and a pair if leather boots. With his hands on the wheel he sat up straight, watching her look round. His growing smile faded when her eyes landed on the motorcycle beside a tree. She walked up to it and tapped the rider's shoulder, who handed her a helmet as she got on it. He combed a hair with his hand and smirked with a scoff. He watched her free her hair from the band that held her hair up as the motorcycle started to move, before wearing her helmet. He shook his head in disappointment, turning on his ignition. He had begged her and yet she ditched him. He couldn't understand her: the need to hide who she was, and her anger over everything... If she was even angry at all. He wanted to figure her out, she chose to be different and weird. All of that drew him to her. But right now he was angry. No girl ever stood him up and this rattled him.