Текст книги "Stalk Me"
Автор книги: Jillian Dodd
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Текущая страница: 19 (всего у книги 24 страниц)
“Okay.”
“Now I want you to look at these.” He hands me a stack of photos.
I look down, shudder, and then take a deep breath.
“That’s Vincent,” I say. In the photo he looks happy. He looks nothing like he did the night he tried to kidnap me. Even with his sunglasses on, he was holding his jaw differently. “Why do I have to look at a photo of Vincent?”
“Keep going,” he says.
I flip to the next photo. It’s a different guy. He’s blond and . . . wait. “This is Vincent too. Only he’s blonde, right?”
“That’s right. Keep looking through the stack. There are Vincents with different hair colors. With facial hair. Without. We’ve even changed the color of his eyes. And notice the one with him in a ball cap?”
“Yeah. He looks different in all of them. Some of them I don’t know if I’d recognize him.”
“That’s the point. Keep going.”
“Oh, wow. You changed his clothes and his hair.” I flip to the last one and laugh. “Oh my gosh, a girl? Do you really think he’d dress up as a girl?”
“We don’t know what he will do, but remember there are a few things he can’t change. His height. He’s six-four. The most he can do is change his posture and slouch. Also, most people who don simple disguises won’t change their teeth. Study his mouth. You seem okay looking at these photos. James was worried you’d freak out a little.”
“The first picture made me feel kinda sick to my stomach, but he was smiling in it. I guess I have mixed emotions about him. For a long time, I considered him sort of a friend. It makes me feel stupid not to have known. Like all the stuff he told me. Especially the part about me being prettier than my mom. How could I have ever believed that?”
Garrett studies me. “Keatyn, you’re prettier than your mom in the ways that are important to Vincent.”
“What if he thought I was a whore? What if I did a slutty video? Wouldn’t he hate me and stop being interested in me?”
Garrett is shaking his head at me.
“No, Keatyn. That’s a very bad idea. Something like that would probably send him way over the edge. We don’t want that. There’s no telling what he’d do to you if you made him that mad.”
“Can I ask you a question? But you can’t tell my Mom.”
Garrett studies my face then agrees. “Okay.”
“If he had gotten me in the van, what do you think he would have done to me?”
“I really don’t know. You know him better than any of us. What do you think he would’ve done?”
I think about it for a second. “He was obsessed with remaking A Day at the Lake. I think he would’ve kept me and made me shoot some version of it. I’m pretty sure sexual things would have happened too. I think he thought we’d fall in love or have an affair on set. When the movie was done, I’m not sure. He may have re-written the ending. Like, into one where I die.”
“I think you’re probably right. Okay, now back to our list. I’m also giving you pepper spray. Keep one on your keychain and one in your purse at all times. You’re getting a crash course in all this. Do you have any questions?”
“Is it safe for me to talk to the people you loaded in my phone? I was worried I wouldn’t get to.”
“Let’s bring everyone else in. We need to discuss that with them.”
I’m not sure who was listening to our conversation, but Mom, Tommy, James, and Brooklyn walk into the living room and sit down next to us.
Garrett hands everyone a phone. “These are your old phones. We’ve added a dual password protection system. If someone stole your phone, it would be very difficult for them to access your information. Always remember that whenever you talk, text, or email Keatyn, someone could be watching or listening to you. Never, ever mention her real name, the name of her school, or her location. In your phone, she is listed as M. Monroe. I’d suggest getting in the habit of calling her Monroe.”
I look down at my new phone. It doesn’t even have a normal passcode on it. “Why doesn’t my phone have all that password stuff?”
Everyone turns and stares at me.
And it sinks in.
I give them all a wry smile. “Oh, right. If he finds my phone, it’s too late anyway.”
Mom gets tears in her eyes, but Garrett continues. “So that’s pretty much it. I’ll personally be with the security detail tomorrow and make sure she gets to school safely. Keatyn, be sure to work on your backstory today. Figure it out. Memorize it. Own it.”
“You sound like a director,” I say. “You ever think of switching careers?”
I get a hearty laugh from both Garrett and James. “I don’t think so. I’ll see you all bright and early tomorrow.”
I go in my room, look in the mirror, and practice.
“Hi, I’m Keatyn Monroe. I’m from L.A. My parents, uh . . . shit.”
What about my parents? I can’t tell people they’re dead. It’s too horrible to even pretend.
What should my backstory be?
I run to the kitchen to grab a Red Bull. Maybe I need a little quick energy to jumpstart my brain. It seems I’m not the only one trying to concoct a story, though. Millie, Mom, Tommy, and Mr. Moran, who are all in the business of making movies, are sitting at the kitchen table throwing around fake lives like dollar bills at a strip club.
I pretend to scan the fridge for food, but instead I’m listening to their cringeworthy ideas. I swear, they want my life to be some bad teenaged sitcom.
We should all thank God that they’re not writers. Hollywood would go down in flames.
Millie says, “I know, she could be a scholarship student. A ritzy school like that, everyone would avoid her like the plague. No one would guess she’s your daughter.”
I try to keep my mouth shut, but I can’t.
I keep my head glued to the fridge, but say, “Millie! I’m not pretending to be a scholarship student. Kym is in New York styling my uniforms as we speak!”
Mom says, “I still don’t understand how we’re going to get you money. James, how are we going to take care of her financially, if we can’t give her any money for fear of having it tracked?”
“The less you know, the better, Abby. But we’ve got it all worked out,” James replies. He walks behind me, stares into the fridge, then whispers, “How about we order some of your favorite Chinese? You haven’t eaten anything for days.”
I turn around and hug him tightly. “I can’t thank you enough for everything, especially for letting me wear my locket. I trust Garrett. He seems to know his stuff. I just want you to know that I listened to everything he taught me today. Do Mom and Tommy not know about the trust fund?”
“Your mom was pretty freaked out about the whole emancipation thing, so Garrett was a little hazy on his explanation. You’ll get all the paperwork and account information tomorrow on the plane, so if you want to tell them the value of it, you can do it then.”
“Do you think it will it be enough? Pay for school, buy a car and gas and insurance and stuff, maybe get pedicures once in a while?”
James chuckles. “Yeah, I think it will cover that.”
“Hey, wait a minute. So you know all the details?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re chicken to tell her, aren’t you?”
He laughs. “Actually, I am. Garrett has the privilege of explaining it all to your mother. So I’ll call Wong’s and place an order,” he nods his head at the kitchen table, “and you go take control of your fake life.”
As I sit down, Mom says, “How about you’re an orphan, but your parents had some life insurance money, and your executor didn’t want to deal with you, so he sent you to boarding school?”
“No,” I say. “Come up with something cool.”
“You got kicked out of your last school, and you’ve been in rehab?” Tommy asks. “Isn’t rehab kinda cool these days?”
“Definitely no rehab. That would mean I couldn’t party. But maybe I got kicked out of my last school. Can I get kicked out for something cool? I could pretend to be a bad-ass trouble maker!”
“What would be cool?” Millie asks.
Mom says emphatically, “No, on the bad girl. No getting kicked out of school. I don’t want you to start there with a bad reputation.”
“Oh, I know!” Millie says excitedly. “How about you got pregnant, had a baby, and your parents made you give it up?”
“Millie, this is not your prime time soap opera. Next are you going to suggest I killed my mom because of it and buried her body in the backyard?”
Millie laughs. “That was a storyline on my show, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was. I need to be normal. And do I look like I just had a baby? Do I want boys to think I’m easy? Is that what you want? Tommy? Mom?”
Mom mutters, “No. This is harder than I thought it would be.”
Mr. Moran states. “You want close to the truth. We could go closer to the truth. Your father died in a plane crash . . .”
I stand up, knocking my Red Bull all over the table. “Don’t even say that! You guys suck. I’ll make up my own backstory. You’re all freaking fired.”
My fake lives.
7:30pm
I run out the door, down to the beach, and drop myself into the sand. Three of the security guys, including James, are on my heels.
“You know you aren’t allowed out here by yourself,” James yells at me.
“I’m pretty sure since you’re all following me, I’m not by myself.”
He drops into the sand next to me. “I can’t imagine having to deal with all this at your age. I know they treat you like an adult, but you’re still a kid, and I’m sure it’s scary.”
“I feel like I was cast in some bad horror movie. It seems like it can’t possibly be real.”
“Don’t let yourself think that for one second. No matter what you do from now on, this always has to be in the back of your mind. It has to influence everything you tell people, every decision you make. Got it?”
I sigh because I know he’s right. “I’ve got it. So do you have any ideas for my backstory?”
“I agree with keeping it close to the truth and keeping it simple. You’ve traveled the world with your mom and stepdad and were tutored. You recently lived in L.A. Your parents decided to move, you didn’t want to go with, so they shipped you off to boarding school. Or maybe you decided to go on your own because you didn’t want to go with them. Depends on whether or not you wanna pretend to be pissed at your parents.”
“I like that. They moved to France. I didn’t want to go with. It’s simple, and I can be me, just without my famous parents.” I laugh. “And we don’t have to kill anyone off.”
“Everyone is really upset, Keatyn. They’re trying not to show it.”
“I know.” I swallow hard. “I’m pretty upset myself, and I feel really bad about Cush. What if you went and talked to him? What if I sent him a letter?”
“What would I tell him?”
“I don’t know. That I’m sorry. That I won’t be at school with him this year. That I’m sorry I told him I loved him and then just ditched him.”
“You told him you loved him? When was that? I thought you loved Brook?”
“I did. I do. I don’t know.”
“It’s been almost a week already. I’m sure he’s figured out you’re not calling.”
“I know you’re right. I just feel really bad.”
“You’d feel worse if he started posting on Facebook that he knew you were okay. If he told friends that he’d heard from you, and Vincent went after him. Keep him safe and in the dark. Also, Brook texted me and wanted to know if he could see you tonight. I ordered enough food for an army. Why don’t we have him come down?”
“Okay.” I get up, look around at the beach, and see the couple that lives a few houses down. I watch the guy take off his shirt and images of Vincent come flashing back. Of him taking off his shirt, of him grabbing my wrist with his strong hand. “I, um, I need to go back inside now. I kinda feel sick.”
“Keatyn, look at me. What’s wrong?”
My breathing gets heavy, my hands start to shake, and I feel like I’m going to cry, or puke. I can’t decide.
In between deep breaths, I say, “It’s just the first time I’ve been out here. I was fine when I was looking at the ocean, but then that guy took off his shirt. It reminded me.”
James grabs my arm. “Let’s get you back inside.”
Brooklyn showed up about the time the food did. The Chinese restaurant we ordered from is his favorite too and he ate a lot, his appetite obviously not hindered in any way. I pick at the sweet and spicy chicken, rice, and lettuce wraps that I put on my plate. I push the food around a little to make it look like I ate more than I did. What little appetite I had got ruined on the beach.
“You need to eat,” he says.
I pick up a couple grains of rice and put them in my mouth. “I am eating.”
Brooklyn grabs our plates and takes off toward my bedroom. “Come on.”
I follow him for lack of a better plan.
He sets our plates on my bed and motions for me to sit. We sit cross-legged on my bed like we’ve done so many times before. Brooklyn smiles at me, stabs a piece of chicken with his fork, and holds it up to my mouth, so I take a bite. Then he loads up the fork with rice and holds it up to my mouth. I try to eat it, but I bump the fork and the rice goes scattering back down on our plates.
We both start laughing.
“I should probably feed myself. So are you all packed and ready to go? Are you nervous?”
“Yeah, a little. At least we went there this summer, and I feel like I know my way around a little. That should help.” He stops talking and touches my face. “I had an amazing summer, Keats. I know things are really messed up with us, but I meant everything I said. I love you. I probably always will.”
“I meant it too.”
“I got excited when I learned I had sponsors. I thought you’d support me. That you’d be here, I’d be off competing, but that we’d still see each other, still be together. I really hadn’t thought it through. Like the logistics of it. I was thinking all about me and my dreams.”
“I know. It’s okay. With everything that’s happened, it’s probably best for you to be gone anyway.”
“I don’t want us to lose touch. You’re my best friend, Keats, and that part of our relationship means a lot to me. I’ve been trying to make sense of all this. What you said the other day about me liking part of you. You’re kind of right about that, and it’s not fair to you. You need a guy that appreciates everything about you. Not just the surfer girl that I love.”
“You know what’s funny? Mr. Moran suggested this school when I was trying to talk Mom and Tommy into letting me go to high school.”
“Really? Maybe fate intervened.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe there’s someone there that you’re supposed to meet. Maybe you chose the wrong path back then, and fate is fixing it now.”
“Brooklyn, fate is when you miss your flight and end up on the next one sitting next to the guy you’re destined to be with. Fate is when your alarm doesn’t go off, and you avoid a pile up on the highway. Fate does not almost get you kidnapped.”
“Maybe it does. You didn’t get kidnapped, and now you’re going where you were supposed to go in the first place. Maybe the guy of your dreams is waiting there for you.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I’m pretty sure neither one of us knows what we want, Keats. That’s the problem.”
“As in, you don’t know what we are. You haven’t known all summer, have you?”
“I’m sorry. I really do care about you, and I do love you. I guess I’m just not ready for a relationship.”
He gives me a kiss. It’s a goodbye kiss, not a we’ll-be-together-again-someday kiss. Even though I broke up with him, the kiss makes me sad, so I change the subject. “So, there’s a table full of actors sitting around out there trying to write a script for my fake life.”
He laughs. “They come up with anything good?”
“Let’s get high, then I’ll tell you all about my fake lives.”
“Let’s not.” He moves our plates onto my desk, pulls me into his arms, and falls onto the bed with me. “Just tell me.”
“They wanted to make me poor, an orphan, or a scholarship student. Seriously? At a private school like that? They might as well have made me a leper. Then—let’s see—I just got out of rehab; I got kicked out of another boarding school; oh, I got pregnant, had a baby, and gave it up for adoption. Then Mr. Moran suggested my dad just died, and I got pissed off and walked out. I sounded like a little bitchy starlet throwing my script down and marching off the set going, I demand a rewrite. If it weren’t so horrifying, it would be almost comical.”
“So you still need a story?”
“Actually, no. James helped me figure it out. He said I should keep it as close to the truth as possible.”
“So, who are you, Keats Monroe?”
I hug him tightly. “I’m going to miss you terribly.”
“I’m going to miss you too, but I was thinking about what you said about wishing you could make real friends. In a weird way, you wished for this. Going away to a place where no one knows who you are. The experience might be good for you.”
“My grandma always says, Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. I never understood her point until now.”
“So I get to surf, see if I’m as good as I think I am. And you get to make friends, where no one knows who you are. You get to figure out who you really are. So what’s your backstory?”
“I’ve traveled the world, been tutored. I love to surf, play soccer, and dance. And we lived in L.A. for the last couple of years.”
“Oh, that’s good. It’s all true. So why boarding school? Especially your junior year?”
“Mom and Stepdad decided to live in France. I didn’t want to go, but they wouldn’t let me stay in L.A. alone, so they shipped me off to boarding school, and I’m not happy about it.” I give him my pout face. Then I say, “Or I am happy about it,” and give him my biggest smile.
“You know you’re a natural when it comes to acting. I think that’s why sometimes you aren’t sure who you are. It’s so easy for you to play different roles.” He runs his hand slowly down my arm and looks longingly into my eyes. “Can we pretend that tonight you’re still you, and I’m waiting for you on the beach?”
Thursday, August 25th
Everyone will love you.
5am
Brooklyn left at three this morning.
Last night.
I don’t even know what last night was.
I guess it was just mostly saying goodbye.
He wanted to pretend I was still me, the old me. But I’m not the same me anymore.
And I’m not in love with him anymore.
I knew in Europe that it wasn’t going to work out, but I didn’t want to admit it.
I kept lying to myself, because once again, I had some stupid script of my perfect dream life imagined in my head. The kind of life where Brooklyn and I would live happily on a beach somewhere. Probably the kind of script no boy could ever live up to. The kind of script I could never live up to.
Brooklyn was right about one thing.
Life is messy.
And I know that I shouldn’t have kissed him. I know that I shouldn’t have slept with him.
But I did.
Is it so bad that I wanted to have one night where I could pretend it was still summer, and my life hadn’t been turned completely upside down?
Afterwards he tried to be sweet. “I love you, Keats. Even if it’s just as friends.”
“So where does the sex fit in?” I asked.
“With the love,” he said.
“You make it sound so simple. It’s just not that simple.” Because we all know now. It is not that simple.
“Yeah, it is. You complicate it by trying to make it fit into a box, so you can update your Facebook status. A relationship should be defined by your feelings not by a status.”
I wanted to fight with him about it, but it wouldn’t change anything. We’re just over. So even though there is a part of me that will always have feelings for him, it’s a much smaller part than it used to be.
After he left, I fell back asleep and had another bad dream. A dream where I was running and running and no matter how fast I went, Vincent was standing beside me.
I woke up afraid.
Ready to run.
Ready to get on that plane and not look back.
I drop my bag in the entryway to be loaded in the car. Mom and Tommy’s bags are packed and waiting. Tommy already had a trip planned for today. He’s going to New York to be on a late night talk show, so they’re just leaving a little ahead of schedule. The security firm booked two planes and filed the flight plans, which are easily accessible by the public, for both. One is going from here to Utah, and another is going from here to New York. I’m supposed to boldly walk out of the house. If Vincent is watching somewhere, they want him to know I’m leaving.
I want him to know I’m leaving. I want to know my sisters are safe.
Garrett determined that since there were already rumors about my supposed drug addiction that Utah would be a perfect place for one plane to go since there is a famous rehab center there. They have someone who fits my physical description going on that plane. She will wear big sunglasses and get dropped off at the rehab facility. From there, she will sneak out the back or something, drive to Salt Lake City, and take a commercial flight home.
I take a good look at the house. The house that has been my home for the last few years. The spot by the window where we always put the Christmas tree. The kitchen barstools where we have some of our best discussions. The fireplace that Gracie likes to ride her trike into. I glance outside and look at the waves I love to watch. The waves that seem to be as moody as I am. Sometimes gentle and relaxed, other times, dark and stormy.
I swore I wasn’t going to cry this morning, but I can’t help it.
Gracie pulls on my sweatpants. The girls are all still in their little pajamas and rubbing their eyes. “Why Kiki sad?” she asks in the most adorable voice.
I sit down next to her. “I’m going to miss you.”
She throws her little arms around my neck and gives me a strangling hug, which makes me cry more.
“Don’t be scare-wed,”
Ivery joins the hug. “Why you scared, Kiki? You’re going on an adventure!”
Mom and Tommy say that every trip they go on is an adventure, so the girls will be excited about them.
“Because I'm going by myself.”
“Wait!!” Ivery says. “I know what will help!”
She tears off towards her room and comes running back waving a glittery green Tinker Bell wand. It's her favorite thing in the world. She keeps it hidden in her drawer, so the other girls can't play with it.
She thrusts it into my hand. “Take Tink. If you get scared, just wish upon a star and it will be okay.”
“I can't take this, sweetie. It's your favorite.” Plus I already wished on a birthday candle, and look where that got me.
“Tink wants to go with you, since you won’t have Mommy and Daddy.”
I want to start bawling, but I’m trying so hard not to. I need to be the brave girl my sisters think I am.
Avery and Emery join the hug and not wanting to be outdone, Avery declares, “We have presents too.”
She gallops back with her red glitter purse in hand. She unzips it and fishes around for the purple glitter magic marker that she always keeps tucked inside whichever purse she's carrying. “Here! You can write with it!”
Emery gives me a rock that she's colored on. She whispers in my ear. “You can smash people’s fingers with it when they’re mean.”
I laugh out loud at that.
Gracie sneaks into the kitchen, goes to whatever secret hiding place she knows, and brings me two Hershey kisses. She drops them in my hand. “One for Kiki. One for Kiki new fwend.”
If only it were still that easy. Sit next to someone, give them a kiss, and be best friends forever.
Gracie squints her little eyes at me. I can tell she just thought of something else.
She runs to the pantry, runs back to me, and drops another kiss in my hand. Then she says, “Gweysie your fwend too.” She quickly takes the kiss and eats it.
“We need to get going, honey,” Mom says gently.
I give each of the girls one more big hug. They haven't even realized anything is different. Traveling has always been a part of their lives.
James gives me a bear hug. “Take care of yourself and remember what we talked about. Don’t ignore your fear. Always listen to it. Use your head and don’t take any chances.” Then he gets choked up and shakes his head. “I should be going with you.”
“We already talked about that. If you went, people would wonder why. I’ll be fine, I promise.” I whisper in his ear. “Keep the girls safe.” He nods and gives me another hug.
We try not to make too big of a scene for the girls’ sakes.
Mom said she couldn’t watch me say good-bye to everyone. She’s already in the car.
It’s a long flight, but we watch a recent comedy that helps take all our minds off the inevitable. Marcus, Tommy’s assistant, Garrett, and a four-man security crew are traveling with us. Tommy has a private plane. Flying with four kids under the age of five is tough enough without having to fly commercial. Add the fact that they are photographed practically every time they try to take a pee and, well, you can see why a private jet is a must. Normally I complain that the jet is a flying toy box.
Today, I miss the toys.
When the movie is over, Mom asks, “So, you and Brook okay?”
“Yes. No. Sorta. I don’t know, Mom. I didn’t tell you, but I broke up with him at the party, and I was going to start dating Cush again.”
“I see you brought the boots he gave you.”
“I feel really bad I didn’t get to explain things to him, but I brought the boots because they remind me of who I want to be. I’m embarrassed to say that when I started high school I had very superficial goals. I don’t know how long I’ll be there, but I’m doing things differently this time.”
“How so?”
I chuckle. “My old goals were to dress for success and always look perfect. I wanted to be popular and date the cutest and most popular boy.”
Mom smiles. “Honey, those are most girls’ goals. Everyone wants to be liked. To be popular. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Being liked is fine. I want people to like me, but I don’t want to be popular. I’m going to make true friends. I’m not going to be a bitch or be fake, and I’m definitely not falling in love.” And, I don’t tell her this, because she’s a hopeless romantic, but I’m also going to take Vanessa’s advice: I’m going to stop following my heart and start listening to my head.
“You can’t control when you’ll fall in love.”
I ignore her comment because hell yes I can. And I will.
“And I’m going to stay alive,” I add.
Mom’s face turns white. “I can’t believe I’m allowing this. I don’t know if I can. I think you should just come to Vancouver with us.”
I shake my head. “No, this is for the best. I’ll be fine, Mom. Like Avery said, I’m going on a new adventure. And it’s not like we can’t still talk and text. That’s why getting into your phone is like getting into Fort Knox.”
She laughs. “I’m still having a hard time putting in those passwords.” She tilts her head at me. “So, we were talking about you and Brook. You changed the subject.”
“There’s really nothing else to say.”
“Are you okay? I mean, you’ve been through a lot the past six days. Almost being kidnapped. Breaking up with your boyfriend. Going to a new school. It would be hard for anyone to handle. You seem a little too composed.”
“Almost being kidnapped was horrible. Being kidnapped would have been worse, so I’m thankful. Brooklyn wasn’t my boyfriend, so we didn’t break up. He’s going surfing. I’m going to school. If we’re supposed to be together in the future, he says fate will intervene.” I roll my eyes. Sometimes his karma and fate talk sounds a lot like bullshit. “So do you have any advice for me? You made it through high school, were prom queen and all that. What do I need to know?”
Mom runs her hand across the top of her perfectly coiffed hair. “Just be yourself, Keatyn. And be confident. You’re worldly, mature, well-traveled, well-spoken, and confident. You’ve always acted older than you are. Kids are drawn to that. And if I were you, I would make friends with a few boys first. It takes some time to figure out how girls are going to behave. And I know you have to tell a different background story, but you’re still you. The you you’ve always been, with your father’s gorgeous eyes, my killer smile, and your own individual grace. You are unstoppable. Don’t worry, everyone will love you.”
“Mom, seriously?”
“What?”
“You just told me what Elle Woods told her dog when they got to Harvard in Legally Blonde.”
Mom’s mouth starts out in a little smirk and then beams into her famous megawatt smile. She laughs. “You’re right. I did. Well, everyone will love you. And I love you very much.”
I hope Mom’s right about that. For the first time in my life, I have to totally rely on me. And what if me is really a loser? What if no one likes the real me?
When we land, Mom hands me a manila envelope. It looks just like the one that the photographs were in. Only it has my name on it.
My heart starts racing. What didn’t they tell me? What else is there?
“Keatyn, your face just went completely white. What’s wrong?”
I shakily point to the envelope in her hand. “Did the stalker send something else?”
Mom’s eyes get teary. “Oh, no, honey. This is . . . this is something we should have talked about yesterday, but I couldn’t bear to.”
“What is it?”
“You’re not my daughter anymore,” she says, then she breaks down crying.
Tommy pulls her into his arms and says to me, “One of the ways you could be tracked is through a money trail. If our financial people paid your bills like they do now, too many people would know where you are. We had you emancipated. Legally, you’re an adult now. You can sign yourself in and out of school. Legally, you can do whatever you want.”
I grab Mom’s hand. “Garrett told me all this yesterday. It was necessary. I’m still your daughter, Mom. It’s just that I’m legal a year sooner than planned.”
Mom looks like she’s going to puke, but she squeezes my hand and smiles. “Your grandpa wants you to call him before you open this.”
“Like now?” I ask.
Mom and Tommy nod.
I pull up my scrawny contact list and hit Grandpa. He answers with, “Remember our talk this summer?”
“Yeah.”
“I know the situation is different, but it still applies. You understand?”
“I’m fixing to become my own man?”
Grandpa laughs. “Exactly. I’m not gonna beat around the bush. You’re going to be on your own for a while, and you’re gonna need cash. You know I set you up with a trust fund, right?”
“You told me you did, but I don’t know anything about it.”
“When your dad died, I set one up to take care of you. Pay for college, things like that. When I sold my company, all your dad’s share of stock went into your fund. You weren’t supposed to get this until you were older, but with the present circumstances, I’m giving it to you now. I should tell you to spend it wisely, but after all this, I’m gonna say life is short. Have fun while you can. The paperwork for your new accounts is in the envelope, along with new credit and debit cards. You’re a very rich young lady.”
