New update, yayyyy :) I've been home sick from school the past three days, which is why I've been updating so much. Next week I probably won't be able to update like I have been lately. So enjoy it while it lasts :p Hope you're all good! Let me know what you think. :)
---------------
I'm not sure how long I was sitting there with my jaw dropped, but I think it was bordering 5 minutes now. That little fucker, it's him sending me these notes. But what 'proof' does he even have? He had to have seen us at my party. But we weren't even doing anything that bad, I mean, he spun me on a tire swing and my head was laying on his lap, but that was it? Nothing too inappropriate.
I didn't know where to go from here. I couldn't talk to Harry about this, because I couldn't risk him losing his job. Or could I? I mean, Hunter's busy at Scottie's house working on their English project. He couldn't possibly see me talking to Harry if he's there, right?
But what if he's working with someone? What if while he's with Scottie, someone else is watching me to make sure I wouldn't snitch? I couldn't get myself to do it. I'd have to figure this out without telling Harry anything.
I couldn't talk to Scottie because there's no way he'd take my side over Hunter's, no matter how much proof I had. That was pretty sad to think about, actually. That Scottie would probably choose someone he's known less than a year over me, who he's known almost his entire life.
Another thought dawned on me. I let Hunter drive my car. The same car where I left Harry's jacket in before walking into the school. I ran out into my driveway, grabbing the keys on the way, and opening the driver's side door. I looked all over the place, seeing my shopping bags from yesterday, but there was no sign of his coat. I checked under the seats, just for good measure, but it was nowhere in site.
I angrily slammed the door and stomped inside, fairly aware that if my neighbors were looking out their window they'd think I was mental, but at the moment, I didn't care.
"That asshole," I muttered, stomping over to my phone. I decided to call Cassidy, since she already knows about the notes and I know for a fact it wasn't her who did it, since it was Hunter. I was interrupted by my doorbell ringing.
I walked over to my door, holding the phone up to my ear as it rang. When I opened the door, I saw Harry standing on my porch.
"Hi," he grinned, and a smile immediately found its way onto my face.
He tried to kiss me, but I awkwardly moved my head, causing the phone between my ear and shoulder to crash to the floor. I jumped and picked it up, hanging up the phone call I had with Cassidy as well as peeking over Harry's shoulders. I was overly paranoid now, and I didn't know if anybody could be watching us, but if they were, I didn't want them to have more proof than they already had.
"Um, hey," I all but stuttered, "What are you doing here?"
He looked at me kind of puzzled, as if he knew something was wrong, before he shrugged, "Thought I'd come surprise you. Maybe help you with some calculus?" He held up some calculus books and paper and I smiled at the thought of him wanting to help me with his class. I couldn't have him come into my house though.
"That's so sweet of you, Harry, but, uh, my mom's still here," I started whispering, trying to make it seem more like my mom was inside, and hoping he couldn't see through my lie. At this, his eyes widened.
"Oh, shit, I'm sorry, I didn't think about it. I'm so used to you living alone," he whispered back and I smiled sadly. "I better go then," he pointed behind him, and I looked at my feet, nodding.
"Yeah," I sighed, wishing I could tell him about the hectic day I've had. But I had to listen to what the note said. I couldn't tell him.
"Bye," he whispered, tip toeing out of my driveway. I almost wanted to laugh at the fact that even if my mom were here, she wouldn't be able to hear his footsteps in our driveway. I didn't. Instead, I waved to him, before shutting the door and leaning against it. I wanted to punch myself in the face for lying to him.
But I had to do it. I could never live with myself if he lost his job just because I couldn't keep my damn mouth closed.
My phone began vibrating again, and I answered it as I watched Harry pull out of my driveway.
"Hello?" I said, hoping it was Cassidy calling, as I hadn't really checked the caller ID.
"Miranda?" Sure enough, Cassidy's voice rang through my ears.
"Hey, Cass, could you come over or something?" I said, walking to my refrigerator and grabbing a bottle of blueberry lemonade before pouring it into a cup.
"Yeah, sure. Why?" She asked and I didn't want to tell her over the phone. What if someone was tapping through the phone lines?
Okay, now I'm really going mental. I told you, overly paranoid.
"I'll explain when you get here, it has to do with the, uh, notes," I said, trying to be vague. You couldn't be too sure.
"Oh, okay, yeah. I'll be there in 5 minutes. You live next to that park, right?" She asked me and I nodded my head, before I realized she couldn't see me.
"Yeah, it's right behind my house," I confirmed and she replied with an, "Okay." We both said our goodbyes before hanging up.
I sat up on the tall bar stool while rereading the notes over and over again. I drummed my fingertips against the counter, anxiously awaiting her arrival.
I heard a soft knock at my door and I walked over to it, opening it to see Cassidy.
I smiled at her, "Thank you for coming over." I said, gesturing her inside.
She followed me into the kitchen and sat in the bar stool next to the one I sat in.
She grabbed the notes and read them once again, before shaking her head, as if she couldn't believe someone would actually write these to me. I couldn't either, really. It was kind of creepy.
"So, why'd you call me over here? Do you want help in figuring out who these are from?" She offered, but I shook my head.
"No, thank you though. I called you 'cause I know who did it, I just need your help figuring out what to do next," I explained.
Her eyes widened, "You do? Who?!"
"It was Hunter. You know, the guy Scottie has a major crush on? Anyways, I don't know if we told you, but we went on a double date, Scottie and Erica, who is Hunter's cousin, and then me and Hunter. I only went with him to help Scottie, but I think he developed a crush on me. Anyways, I was just over at Scottie's house, explaining this entire mess to him, but Hunter was there because they were working on a project. But they didn't have poster board so I let him drive my car to get some, which is when I told Scottie about all of this. We got into a small fight though, because Scottie was defending Hunter, but when Hunter came back we were alright, and then he was drawing on the poster board. And I noticed his p looked weird, like it was like all of the other letters were in print and then the p was in cursive, I don't know, it was weird. I thought it looked funny, but didn't think anything of it at the time. Then when I got home, I reread the notes, and look at the p's," I explained, pointing to it. "See how it doesn't match the rest of the letters? That's exactly how it looked on the poster board Hunter was writing on."
"So it's Hunter?" She clarified, looking at me skeptically. I nodded my head yes.
"But why is he blackmailing you?" She questioned, almost disbelievingly.
"Because he likes me, and he thinks something is going on between Mr. Style's and I, so he's jealous and he wants to get him out of the picture. What best way to do that then to ruin his job?" I pointed out. I also realized how full of myself I sounded, and I wanted to slap myself, but I couldn't really help it. That has to be his reason for blackmailing me, right?
She nodded her head, seeming to think about it. "That makes sense," she concluded and I mentally grinned. She believes me.
"I just don't know what to do about it. Carry on pretending I don't know it's him? Or confront him about it?" I wondered out loud.
"I mean, what good is pretending to not know it's him gonna do for ya? It'll only make the situation worse, I think," she said.
I nodded my head, agreeing with her, "But if I confront him, what if it makes the situation worse and he releases this "proof" of Mr. Style's and I having "personal relations"?"
She chewed on her lip, in thought, "You're right. Maybe just ask him to stop? And explain to him that you and Mr. Styles have nothing going on, and that he was just helping you with homework?"
"Yeah, I mean, I doubt he'll just stop, but it's worth a shot. And then he'll know that I know it's him, and maybe he'll feel awkward and not want to send them anymore?" I replied and she nodded her head.
"I can't believe he'd do that, though. I mean, it doesn't seem like him," she said, and I looked over at her curiously. I didn't know she knew him all that well.
"Are you friends with him, or something?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"I mean, we're neighbors, so yeah, I guess. We used to play together all of the time when we were little, and kind of drifted after school started. But still, it doesn't seem like something he'd do. But you're right, that is the way he writes his p's. They've always been like that, even when he used to write words on the cement in chalk. I dunno why he does it, must be a habit or something," she explained.
"Have you guys talked recently?" I asked her, curious.
She shook her head, "Nope, I haven't talked to him in a while."
I was still debating if I could trust her, and the fact that she's neighbors with Hunter didn't help much. On one hand, she seemed like she was genuinely trying to help me. But then on another, she could be trying to get on my good side so I can tell her things that she'll run and report back to Hunter.
"Thank you for your help," I said, smiling at her and she returned it, nodding her head.
"Anytime," she leaned over and hugged me and I hugged her back, as well as hugging while sitting on two bar stools could be.
"Do you wanna stay the night?" I offered, wanting to be polite. I also didn't mind her company.
"No, I better get back home. My mom's making dinner and she's probably already pissed that I've been gone this long. I'm sorry about everything happening, Randi, really. I wish there was something I could do," she sighed.
"It's okay, everything will work out," I reassured her, as well as myself, before walking her to my door. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, yeah?"
"Yeah," she smiled, "Bye!" Cassidy waved, walking out of my house and to her car. I shut my door and locked it before walking back to the kitchen. It was already dark out, and I didn't know how time could fly by so fast. It felt like I was just making breakfast with Harry in his apartment.
As I sat there thinking about my day and everything that had happened, it was then that I realized something that Cassidy had said. It was such a small thing, that I've grown accustomed to hearing, that I didn't notice it at first.
Cassidy called me something. Something that only Harry has ever called me in my entire life. Something that made me realize that I couldn't, in fact, trust her. Cassidy called me Randi.
And if she knew that nickname, what else could she know?