Hey There, Delilah

Hey There, Delilah (2)

"And why is that?" my mother asked sharply, looking up from the can once again, exasperated.

Jake stared at her for a moment with wide eyes. "Did you not look at the website? The place's practically juvie!"

"J—juvie?" I found myself stuttering, causing Jake to turn back toward me.

"You didn't read the website either? Yeah, the place's for delinquents!"

"Wh—what?" I stuttered again, blinking. My mother was sending me to a juvie school? That was filled with boys?

My mother looked at Jake disapprovingly. "I know that, Jake, but we don't have any other choice. She's a lot safer there than she would be here where her stalker could be sitting right next to her in any of her classes!"

My brother went silent.

"Juvie?" I asked again suddenly, breaking the silence. Juvie, as in a school for young criminals? My mother was sending me to a place filled with criminals? Was she insane? I was leaving so I could get away from a criminal, not meet other ones!

My mother looked at me with sorry eyes before shrugging. "I'm sorry, Delilah. We don't have any choice. It's safer there for you than it is here."

"But how is sending me to a school full of boys that have broken the law supposed to be safe?" I choked out, still shocked over the whole thing.

My mother then sighed, putting the can down once again. "At least when you're there you'll be surrounded by adults. I know it doesn't sound like it's a good idea, but... we have to at least try it. It's the farthest away from us, and the only school we can afford. You'll be away from your stalker, which is the main thing we're worried about right now. It'll be safe, I promise you that. I really do believe that you're a lot safer there than you would be here."

I blew a piece of my hair out of my face silently. I'd have to try and go to a school that was technically a juvie? And not only that, a juvie for boys? That didn't sound like a good idea at all. It didn't sound safe. Who knows what kind of boys were at the school? I almost broke out into a sweat just thinking about it. I now understood why Jake was being so overprotective.

"Fine, Mom. I guess I'll have to give it a try. But what if something bad happens to me there?" I asked, drumming my fingers against the counter nervously.

My mother shook her head, trying to open the can once again. "Then you'll just have to come home then, I guess..." she told me, and then added, "Make sure to not tell anyone where you're going. You can tell Arianna and the other girls that you're going to New York, but no one but them. And you can't tell them that it's an all-boys school. Okay?"

"Fine, Mom," I shrugged.

My mother then groaned. "Jake, can you please open—" Jake took the can from her before she could finish, opening it before I could even blink.

My mother smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Jake."

Jake grunted, obviously still unhappy. "Whatever."

*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~*

"Did you just say—" Arianna started to screech until I reached over the lunch table and covered her mouth with my hand.

"Don't tell anyone," I hissed at her, my eyes narrowing. "You can't tell anyone. No one at all. I'm leaving to get rid of him. He can be watching right now..." I looked around the lunchroom cautiously, removing my hand from over her mouth. If he was watching right now, I didn't want Arianna to yell out that I was leaving.

"You're so lucky," Violet swooned. "You get to go to a school with new boys... I bet boys from the east are hotter than boys here from Washington..." I was happy she was whispering, but I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I didn't tell them what the school's name was or that it was filled with boys who broke the law. In fact, I didn't even tell them it was an all-boys school. I didn't tell them what school I was actually going to just in case he was in fact listening at the moment. They didn't even know it was in New York.