Count On Me(89)
“What you’re doing, Kayden, it’s a good thing.”
“I sure hope so. I really don’t want to screw this up again.”
“Isabelle’s a lucky girl.”
See, that’s something I don’t agree with. I’m doing all of this because I’m the lucky one. I got to spend my entire childhood with the most beautiful girl in the world. I am by far the luckier one and I won’t let anyone believe otherwise.
“I’m the lucky one, Ms. Owens.”
She smiles at me before pointing to the machine in front of us. “When you’re ready, just push that red button and the song will play. I’ve already set it to the outside speakers.”
I nod, thank her and take a seat on the windowsill. I’m going to sit here and wait until she comes out.
It’s when I finally see her making her way toward the tree a few minutes later, Eric right on her heels that I know it’s time. The minute she sits down, her back completely up against the trunk of the tree, I push the red button just the way Ms. Owens told me to.
Let the games begin.
Belle
Okay, now I know something’s up.
No sooner do I sit down at the tree then the music filters out through the loud speakers and with the way Eric’s looking at me now, I’m pretty sure he’s realizing the same thing. The first time could be looked at as a fluke, maybe even the second time too, but this time, it’s different. I know this is geared at me, there’s no way it can’t be.
It fills me with a horrible feeling inside. There is only one person that knows anything about what this song means to me and I haven’t seen him all day, even though he’s supposedly back.
Is the security I felt coming back just a dream? Is this another sick plan by Dillon to get to me and break me the way they did at the dance? Does Kayden even realize what’s going on or is he as big a part of it as the other stuff that’s been done to me?
I’ve been doing so well the last few days. In the times when the anxiety is too much to handle, I make sure that I take myself away from everyone and do what’s needed. I haven’t had an accident or cried. In fact, nothing bad has happened at all. I’ve been perfectly fine.
This music thing though, if I focus on it too much, will break me. I know it.
“Don’t think about it, Belle. Sure, it’s ‘the’ song, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
As thankful as I am that Eric’s here with me, he’s not helping. Telling me not to focus on it is only going to make me do the opposite.
“There’s only one person besides you that knows about that song, Eric and I only told you about it like two days ago. There’s no way it isn’t meant for me.”
The song in question is “Kiss Me Slowly” by Parachute, the go-to band for whoever’s doing this stuff today and it’s pretty obvious why it’s getting to me. The only reason Kayden even knows about it is because it came up in one of our text conversations, which just makes me wanna scroll through my phone and find it.
“Isabelle, don’t do it. You’re gonna make yourself crazy.”
“Can’t get any crazier then I already am.” I answer, before sliding my finger across the screen and going into the messaging app. Running my finger up the screen, I pause the minute I see the familiar words.
K: What are u doing right now?
Me: Not telling you that. It’s embarrassing.
K: I swear I won’t tell or laugh at u.
Me: No Kayden.
K: Wanna know what I’m doing then?
Me: If you want to tell me.
K: Trying to find the perfect song.
Me: For what?
K: U
Me: I told you what my favorite song is.
K: I know that. Not what I meant.
Me: What do you mean?
K: It’s stupid. Forget it.
Me: “Kiss Me Slowly” by Parachute
K: Is that a song for u?
Me: No, it’s a song for you.
K: Ty.
K: I wanted a song that I could listen to when we’re not together so I wouldn’t miss you so much, okay?
K: That song is perfect.
I never did answer him back that night. I’m not sure why I even told him the song to begin with, but I can see now that when they stole my texts, they got that one too. There’s no other reason for this song to be playing now. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
“Eric, I need to get out of here.”
Not waiting around for him to try and talk me out of it, I get up and make a mad dash for the inside of the school, praying that when I finally do get inside, the music will have stopped. I want to escape it and the memories it brings up, once and for all.
I feel like I’ve gone back in time as I make my way into the school and down the familiar hallway that’s going to lead me to my destination. I’ve taken this exact route three times in as many weeks. Despite everything I’ve been through since, how much stronger I’ve gotten; here I am doing it again.