Elites of Vanderbilt high

4. A SCARY NIGHT

It’s been days since I last saw Kevin and Dylan. They were both absent in class, and I was beginning to get worried. Not because I cared about Kevin. He could disappear from earth for all I care. I was worried about Dylan missing this much school and I have been also struggling to do the project all by myself. I suddenly remembered the words Kevin had said to me before shooing me out.

I have something to discuss with our friend here.

I was completing losing my mind. What did they have to discuss that was taking them away from school for four days consecutively? I haven’t seen Kevin too at the mansion. I couldn’t master enough courage to go to the main house to seek him out. I wasn’t that desperate or stupid. I would never forget the day when Kevin had locked me in the store room for several hours when I’d gone looking for Uncle Alex in the mansion during middle school. That kid was sick. Luckily, Jonathan had found me after I screamed my voice away for help. He then had the freak grounded. That was when I still called Mr. Vanderbilt by his first name, Jonathan on his insistence. The freak had also made sure I was formal with him by getting rid of any informal relationship we had.

Maybe I should go to Dylan’s house to look for him after school. I thought he would come to school today at least since it was Friday and he had a party tonight. I sighed. I better head to the washroom before the next class. I closed my locker and headed to the washroom. Two voices were arguing in the washroom. I paused beside the door not wanting to interrupt them. Their tones seemed pretty heated. Maybe I should use another washroom. I turned to leave but the familiar voice stopped me.

“you b***h. Stealing my marriage contract. Everything of mine, why do you keep taking it for yourself? Why are you such a greedy bastard? why can’t you leave what I really want for me? Why come into my life out of nowhere and ruin everything?

“You’re causing a scene and being dramatic. Someone could overhear you.” The other voice said calmly.

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but those were Valerie and Lexi respectively, and they weren’t being exactly discreet about it either. If I was seeking revenge against Valerie, then I had to know anything that can bring her down.

“I don’t f*****g care, traitor. you lied to me. To think I believed you. You’re such a greedy thief.” Valerie scoffed bitterly.

 “We are not going to talk about this here.” Lexi said and I heard footsteps leaving. Coming towards me! Crap! I can’t be seen. I looked around and spotted the janitors’ closet. Hardly had I jumped inside and shut the door before Lexi came out. She looked around suspiciously before spotting the locker. She narrowed her eyes at it coming towards me. s**t. This was going to be embarrassing.

“Why are you leaving? We aren’t done.” Valerie’s voice said coming out of the washroom after Lexi. Lexi gave Valerie a tired look before she gave the closet a glare, turned away and left. I exhaled the breath I didn’t know I was holding. Valerie shouted obscenities at her. I flinched. Tears were running down her cheeks and her makeup was smudged, Mascara running down her cheeks. This was a picture of Valerie I’ve never seen. I took my phone out and recorded her through the small space in the locker. It may come in handy later, considering she cared so much about her image. I waited till she left and came out of the locker.

“Come to Dylan’s party tonight with me.” Lexi voice said from behind me. Ooops!!

So she knew someone was in there and had only pretended to leave. Wasn’t she supposed to accuse me of eaves dropping? Why was she inviting me out rather? I was completely taken off guard.

“What?” I asked sheepishly with a gaping mouth, turning to look at her

She quirked an eye brow at me. Composing myself, I asked her calmly taking the bull by the horn. No need to pretend.

“Aren’t you going to talk about me eavesdropping?”

“You weren’t exactly eaves dropping. She was being loud and the washroom is a public place. So want to come or not? I could use a friend tonight since I don’t want to be alone. Who knows what that banshee is going to do once she sees me alone?” She shrugged talking of Valerie with a laugh in her voice.

She was planning to use me to ward off Valerie since Valerie obviously wouldn’t want me to know what was going on between them. A plan suddenly came to mind. I had a good idea how to get back at the cheer leaders for trashing my car. I could use her too. Fair enough.

“Sure. I’ll love to go with you”. I replied.

“I’ll pick you up at Nine. Meet me in front of the mansion.” She said and walked off.

She was obviously pretending not to care about the fact that I overheard them. I knew it because she was the one who was worried about being overhead. I should be careful of her. She was usually not friendly so her friendly demeanor just now could be a disguise. She hadn’t even acknowledged me or talked to me since she gave me a ride to school. Besides, she had others in the cheer squad to go with her. Her being cold and aloof was better than this cunning part of hers. When I get to the party too I’ll ask Dylan why he had missed school for the past few days. No need to go to his house. He may start suspecting that I had feelings for him. That was showing too much care.

Going home after class, I took a cab. I was late because I had to go to the library to do Dylan and I’s project. It was already dark and had begun to rain. I had to come up with the money to repair my car soon. I could look for some part time job. I’ll go job hunting tomorrow. I took my phone and started browsing for available jobs near me. All of a sudden, the car came to a screeching halt, swerving off the road and tossing me across the seat. What the hell? We had nearly hit a Black car that was sitting in the middle of the road but the driver had swerved off the road in time and hit a tree beside the road instead. It was nearly dark with the now thundering rain so I couldn’t see the other car clearly. The driver seemed to have  knocked his head and lost consciousness. We were on the lone road to the mansion. This was just like in the horror movies. I was beginning to get frightened. The car’s time read Seven forty-five pm on the dot. I was always scared of being alone in the dark since I could remember. I tried to shake the driver to wake him up. My heart was accelerating and my nerves were all over the place.

“Sir. Please wake up!” I shook him but he was really out. He was breathing though so I knew he wasn’t dead.I heard a twig break. Someone was out there. If it were a god Samaritan or onlooker, he would have called out to us. I was getting triggered. My senses were hyper. I took my phone out scrambling to call Uncle Alex. I was so nervous my hands were shaking. All of a sudden, the car door was opened with a force that had me screaming my lungs out into the night. A man drenched in the rain wearing a black hoodie appeared at the door and reached for me with scrawny hands and a breath smelling of whiskey. It felt like déjà vu. The darkness started calling me. I could feel its soothing presence consuming me. Calling me into its abode. That safe heaven. No harm will come to me there. I did not fight it. I wasn’t against it. I welcomed it with pleasure, falling into its sweet Abyss.