Fear Me (24 page)

After two weeks in the club, Peter asked me out and I immediately accepted. He was nice and pretty cute. He also wasn't popular either so we understood each other, or so I thought. He asked to kiss me one afternoon as we were leaving from a meeting and I let him because I had never been kissed before. It was a simple, close-mouthed kiss that didn’t get far. I just didn’t realize that
he
had been watching us…

* * *

“
What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I heard a gruff voice bark. He sounded more intimidating than usual. I looked up to find a furious Keiran, sweaty, in his practice uniform.

We were right outside the gym doors and because of my eagerness, I didn't process the danger of sticking around too long. But what threw me off was that he wasn't looking at me. He was glaring at Peter who looked like he was trying to disappear into the wall. If looks could kill…

“Get the fuck out of here,” he snarled at Peter making him run off instantly. I blinked not believing how fast he was gone. I turned to leave not wanting to dance with the devil.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I stopped in my tracks but didn't turn around even when I heard him move closer.

“You” –
he began but stopped and I heard a loud slam and I jumped, realizing he punched must have punched a locker.
Oh God.
“Fucking look at me!” he roared. I slowly turned, terrified of what I might see. Keiran stood there – fists clenched, chest heaving. His jaw was clenched and I could see that a vein near his temple was throbbing.

He was furious.

Years of him bullying and taunting me, I’ve never seen him this angry, not even when he pushed me off the monkey bars. I was used to cool indifference…hatred even. But this…I didn't know and I wasn't sure I could handle him like this.

“You let him touch you.” He said the ‘touch’ with disgust as if it was hard to imagine someone liking me or even wanting me. I hugged myself for comfort, fighting back tears. I couldn't let him tear me down like this.

“Keiran plea –”

“Shut up,” he ordered. The first tear felt like acid as it burned its way down my face. “You don't get to say my name. Not now…not ever,” he sneered.

I sucked in a breath at the cold hatred spilling from him in waves… I was drowning in it, my tears over-spilling now. He turned abruptly and headed for the exit. I stood frozen in the middle of hallway when I heard tires squeal and knew it was Keiran taking off. I finally dropped to my knees sobbing as I felt a pain to my heart that I couldn’t describe. I felt like I betrayed him somehow.

The next morning I found out by some random girl in the hallway that I wasn’t a part of the Math club anymore. I tried going to the meeting that afternoon but apparently the meeting place moved. I didn't know what was going on but I always had a feeling Keiran was behind it.

After soaking in a hot bath to ease my sore and overused muscles, I gave in and called Willow. I needed to know if we were okay. The phone rang for a while and I almost gave up when she finally picked up.

“Yeah?”

“Hey, Willow.” I tried to sound normal despite the nervousness I felt.

“Hey,” she replied in a dry tone.

“I’m sorry about Friday night.” I struggled with the right words to say in my mind but the truth was I didn’t know what else I could say.

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Cut the crap, Lake. You were getting ready to tell me something about Dash. What’s going on?”

“I can’t – I can’t tell you.” I knew it was lame but while I couldn’t tell her the truth, I couldn’t lie to her either.

“You can’t tell me?” she hissed. I could picture her standing with a hand on her hip and her eyes narrowed.

“It’s complicated, Willow. But you know I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“No, but apparently you would lie to me.”

“Willow…”

“Forget it.”

She hung up the phone and I sat there for a minute with my head in my hands. He’d done it. Keiran managed to break apart our friendship without doing much at all. I considered going over to her house and making her talk to me but I decided it was best to let her cool off. Besides, what would I say to her anyway? My phone pinged a few minutes later with a message from Jesse again.

Jesse: Let me help

Lake: How would you do that?

Jesse: We could tell someone…

Lake: I can’t do that and please don’t say anything.

I silenced my phone and tossed it on the coffee table. Jesse was a good guy but Keiran was out of his league. Keiran wouldn’t see Jesse as a threat but rather another pawn to use against me. I busied myself with chores and homework to pass the time and take my mind off my sorrows.

Normally I would be at work but Keiran had screwed that up for me as well. The day after the incident I’d called Charlie who assured we were good but also said I couldn’t have my job back. The local owner apparently had gotten word of the fight and didn’t want me back. It was yet another thing Keiran managed to steal from me.

* * *

Two weeks passed quickly but nothing got better. In fact, everything just got worse. Willow wouldn’t talk to me, Trevor was watching me, and random girls kept picking fights with me. Just yesterday I was pushed against the lockers by one of Anya’s friends.

Keiran also changed…sort of. He ignored me completely in school now but every night he came for me. As backwards as it was, his nightly visits were the only time I didn’t feel alone. I also felt like the dumbest girl in the world because no matter how much he turned my world upside down, by body always welcomed him. Every time he touched me he took without giving anything in return. Sometimes I cried after we had sex but it wasn’t from physical pain. It was the suffocating feeling of hopelessness. Keiran had succeeded in making me his prisoner.

When Sheldon wasn’t busy with cheerleading and Keenan she made it a mission to break me out of my depression. My aunt was due back in three weeks and I welcomed the chance to feel safe at home again and not just because of the recent burglary. I’d decided to wait until my aunt got back to tell her about it. I didn't want her to worry or cut her tour short.

There wasn’t any way to explain the birthday card and photo to her since it was connected to Keiran somehow. Lucky for me I haven’t been dragged back to his house again since I found the gun and locket in his closet but that also meant I had no way of figuring out his connection to the girl.

I decided to leave that part out when I told her. I knew that keeping it all from her was dangerous and irresponsible but I needed her away from Six Forks as long as possible. I was sure Keiran would get tired of me soon. I’d never known him to be seen with one girl for long.

I was on my way to meet Sheldon at the local burger joint. I wanted to invite Willow but she still wasn’t talking to me. I felt a pain in my heart every time I saw or thought about her. When this was over, somehow I would make it all up to her.

The restaurant was jam-packed and I expected no less but Sheldon just had to pick here of all places to go. I walked in and scoured the place for her. The restaurant expanded a couple of years ago to accommodate the amount of occupancy the place experienced on Friday nights. It usually only lasted until someone decided to take the party to their house.

"Lake!" I looked behind me to see Sheldon pushing through the crowd looking extremely boho in a long, colorful maxi skirt with two splits in the front that made her legs peek out when she walked. She wore a dark green tank top and a long feather pendant. Her hair was in two braids with a thin headband to accessorize.

“You look like Willow,” I said, surprised.

“Thanks! We were talking about fashion the other day and Willow suggested this look when I told her I wanted to try something different.”

“How is she?” I asked and tamped down the jealous feeling.

“She misses you.”

“How do you know that?”

“She’s your best friend. Why wouldn’t she miss you?”

“
I haven’t been a very good friend.”

“The thing about true friendships is that they are resilient as hell.”

I was about to respond when someone passing through the crowd bumped me. “Seriously of all the places, why here?”

"Come on, Lake. Don't be such a Debbie Downer. Where else would we go anyway?" I knew she was right. I just didn't like the possibilities of who I could run into.

"Are there any tables left?" I nearly had to scream to be heard over the music and people.

"Do you even have to ask? I was thinking, when they turn this into a house party, we should go."

I remembered the first and last time I went to a house party. Of course Keiran was there so it ended badly. Brian Lassiter, a senior in high school and the quarterback had struck up a conversation with me because his little brother was a fan of my aunt’s books. He wanted to know if he could get a signed copy for his birthday when Becky Daniels came out of nowhere screeching and hollering about me flirting with her boyfriend. When she slapped, I swung and hit her back and that’s when Keiran hollered that I was starting fights. The kids who house it was kicked me out and I was never invited back to a house party.

"Not a good idea.”

“Why not? Keiran hasn't been after you these past couple weeks so it should be safe right?”

Except when he sneaks into my bedroom in the dead of the night
. “I don't know. Last time I barely escaped with my life.”

She rolled her eyes and said, “Now who’s being dramatic?”

“I don't want that kind of trouble or
any
trouble. Have you noticed lately that I am the target of so much hostility? The last thing I need is my aunt receiving a phone call saying that I got into a fight or worse ending up in jail.”

“But how better to show the big bad wolf that he can't blow your house down no matter how much he huffs and puffs?”

I laughed at her comparison to Keiran. She was such a cornball sometimes.

“And I know you're calling me names in your head,” she said. She looked truly offended which only made me laugh harder until she was laughing too.

“What's so funny?” Trevor asked as he walked up and hooked his arm around my neck. “Please share.”

My mood just committed suicide. “I'm sorry. It was a private joke in a private conversation shared between friends...privately.”

“You've picked yourself up a smart mouth but from what I hear Keiran is done with you so I would be careful about who you piss off,” Trevor threatened.

“You see you got the right idea about pissing people off. You should try it. Like now,” Sheldon retorted.

I laughed which only made Trevor angrier though it didn’t faze me. An angry Keiran made me want to run and hide, but an angry Trevor just annoyed me.

"No one is talking to you. Why don’t you worry about who your boyfriend is fucking besides you?” Sheldon’s nostrils flared and I knew his statement pissed her off.

“Sheldon…” I sniffed the air. “Do you smell that? It smells like...asshole.” Sheldon and I sniffed the air until we both turned eyes on Trevor. “Trevor I think it's coming from your direction. You should take care of that before it gets out of hand.”

We began to walk away when I felt a sharp pain rip from my skull. Trevor had grabbed me by my ponytail and flung me to the floor in a fit of rage. I hit the floor and the force of the impact dazed me.

“What did you say to me, bitch?" He charged towards me, his foot rising to kick me. I balled up to avoid the blow but it never came.

"Oh my gosh!” I heard Sheldon scream. When I looked up, Keiran was there and strangling Trevor, who was clawing at his hands to escape. He was turning blue and looked close to passing out.

He's going to kill him.

Keiran was finally torn away but it took Dash, Keenan and Quentin to stop him and hold him back. Trevor was fighting to regain his breath as Sheldon helped me up. Everyone in the restaurant was staring at Keiran as if he'd grown another head.

“What's your problem, man? You attacking me over her?” He spewed the words out with disgust as if I were the one with the problem. Keiran was still fighting to get loose and Keenan’s hold on him was slipping.

“He'd beat your ass for hitting any girl. I'd beat your ass. Half the guys in here would beat your ass,” Dash growled.

“But there is only one girl he would kill you for hitting,” Keenan added in a sinister tone.

“Why would you care? She set you up!”

Keiran went still instantly, his body tight with tension. I could see his jaw clenching and that infamous vein near his temple pounding a steady rhythm.

Keenan and Dash turned to Sheldon with questioning her silently. She shook her head no and I wondered what their silent communication was about. I figured now that Keiran was reminded he hated me this situation would dissolve immediately and they would all laugh at my expense. Instead they turned back to Trevor, who Keiran never took his eyes off of.

“Say man, how would you know who framed Keiran? How would you even know Lake did it?” Dash asked.

“Once again…innocent.”
They looked at with raised eyebrows and I realized I must have said it out loud.
Oops
.

“Everyone knows she tipped them,” Trevor said, nervously. His eyes were flickering back and forth but never making eye contact.

They watched him squirm and then Keenan hopped to stand in one the chairs. He didn't have to worry about getting anyone’s attention because the entire restaurant was watching intently. “Does anyone know what this piece of shit is talking about?” he yelled over the restaurant.

All heads shook no.

“The thing about tips are that they aren't released to the public,” Dash sneered.

“My dad told me. You—you guys know he's a cop,” he stuttered. I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

“Does your dad normally divulge confidential information? I'm pretty sure it's illegal,” Sheldon asked.