Just Love Me Once Again

Page 32

Caleb.

"School, " Trixie almost whispered as she slipped her phone in her pocket. "It's at school."

My mother tracked me? I guessed that explained how she found me the night at the fish pond. "She is smarter than I thought," I said more to me.

So my phone was at school, so that meant that someone from our school had taken it, and they had it on.

Well, that was dumb.

It still didn't solve the question of how someone had recorded the video. My phone was lying in my bedroom, and it wasn't recording Trixie and me.

Shit.

I blinked long and hard.

The balcony.

Could someone have been out there filming us?

But who can come to my house? Now, my gut was twisted with acid, and I was charged. To think of someone outside on the balcony the whole time, watching us.

"We did nothing wrong, Trixie."

Her eyes were red from crying, but I knew she wasn't running away.

"Let's go." She turned and walked to her car, swinging the door open.

"Is your car safe to drive?" she gestured to the car parked behind her car.

I nod my head as a yes.

"Stop at your mom's and pick up her phone," she instructed, as we'd need my mom's phone to find mine. "I'll meet you at school."

Once I grabbed my mother's phone and hurried away from her questions, I sped off to school to find Trixie in the parking lot waiting for me.

"Are you okay?" I asked, taking her hand, but she yanked it away.

My heart dropped to my stomach.

She ran a hand through her long, black hair and took a deep breath before walking towards the school.

God, I hope this works.

Everyone was still in class, but not for long. The bell would ring soon, and we'd be like animals in a cage at the zoo.

I followed the tracker on my mom's phone, still amazed that I wasn't pissed off that she tracked me.

The light flashed, showing my phone's general location, but it wasn't specific.

"Is it still flashing?" Trixie asked, looking over at the phone in my hand.

"Yeah." I looked around.

"Look," she spoke up." This tracker's only accurate within fifty meters. So..."

"So start dialling my phone," I interrupted. "Maybe we'll hear it."

She dug her phone out of her pocket and called my cell phone. We walked the tiled floors in silence, listening for any rings or vibrations from the locker.

"Let's split up," she finally suggested after the fifth call. "I'll keep dialling, just listen for a sound. I think it's in a locker."

"Why?" I asked, stopping to look at her. "Someone could have it on them, too."

"With me calling every ten seconds? No." She shook her head. " They would've turned off the phone, in which case it would've gone straight to voicemail. It's on, and it's in a locker."

Suddenly we found the locker, but the final bell screamed.

Students flooded the hall, all trying to get their lockers or downstairs to leave.

People stopped to whisper to their friends. There's was no telling what was going through their heads, and my fist balled up in aggravation.

"The phone is here, in 1298," she said softly, and I tensed. "I don't know whose locker it is, though."

I do.

I looked behind her, my eyes hardening on the locker.

Natalie.

My jaw was glued together, and oxygen poured in like fuel.

"Caleb, what are you doing here?" a female voice snipped behind me.

I tried to keep Trixie behind me, but she yanked me back and quickly stepped in front.

"Actually, we're just waiting for you," she said with mock happiness. "You know that video that came from Caleb's phone this morning? The one that everyone saw? He didn't send it. His phone was stolen Saturday night. Would you know where it is?" Trixie asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

The hall had gotten quiet, and everyone stood like they were on the outside of the boxing ring peering in.

"Why would I know where his phone is?" Natalie sneered.

Trixie held up her cell. "Oh, because..." She hit redial, and everyone heard my ringtone from Trixie, coming from Natalie's locker.

Trixie flashed her screen to everyone, so they could see that it was my name on the screen of who she was dialling.

"This is your locker, Natalie," I pointed out, so everyone would know.

Walking up, I bent down into her face. "Open up your locker and give me my phone back, or we'll get the Dean, and he'll open the locker."

She didn't respond.

"What's the number for cops? Oh, yeah, 911." Trixie held up her phone like she was ready to dial.

"Caleb, please stop her!" Tears rolled down Natalie's cheek. " After you and Trixie left from the Homecoming dance, I was devasted. Then I thought of giving you another chance to patch things up. So I went to your house. No one was there, and by unlocking it using the spare key you had given me, I went to your bedroom. After half an hour I heard your voices. I got scared and climbed onto the balcony. Caleb had left his phone on the dresser, so I snuck back into the room and recorded everything."

"So you recorded the video from Caleb's phone," Trixie confirmed but was looking at me.

Our eyes were locked, and a mountain of relief descended on my shoulders.

Natalie took a gruelling minute to retrieve the phone, and then she threw it at Trixie. "You may go."

I had a hundred names I wanted to call her, but it would be a waste of time. I was going to take care of this.

But Trixie had other plans.

"Natalie?" she spoke calmly. "Do yourself a favour, and get some help. Caleb is not yours, and he never will be. In fact, he won't ever look at you again, and see anything good.

Trixie turned to me, but all of a sudden, Natalie was yanking her by her hair!

And I stood there like a moron, not knowing which one to grab, because they were moving too quickly.

Trixie was slammed against the lockers. Natalie tried to punch her, Trixie ducked, and then smashed Natalie across the face.

Shit.

I hurriedly grabbed my girl and whispered in her ear. "Shhh." I tried to control her, but she was struggling.

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Wilson growled, as she came to the front.

Trixie immediately relaxed into my body. I released my hold, and she stood there silently, looking down.

"Now, what happened here?" Mrs. Wilson looked at the crowd.

I looked at Natalie sharply as a warning to keep her mouth shut. I doubted that she'd say anything anyway. She didn't want us going to the cops with this.

"I didn't see anything," some students said. "probably just an accident."

Everyone else in the crowd figured out the game plan and followed it.

Mrs. Wilson didn't get anything from anyone. "Alright. Everyone head home!" She barked.

The students, along with Natalie, departed slowly and quietly. No one laughed behind their hands. No one gave Trixie a look.