Rich lies & poor truths

Chapter 16 - More trouble

We humans have to have trust.  Trust that when you go to the shop the friendly old man wouldn’t point a gun at you. Or there wouldn’t be poison in the take-awat burger you bought last night.  We have to trust to live.  But what if you don’t even trust yourself.

“Don’t trust the police, okay.” Is the words coming out of Stephen’s mouth.  The audacity.  I want to scream at him and freak out but at the same time want to curl up next to him and tell him how scared I am.  No!  I have to be strong.

“Can’t trust anyone, right.”  I say and keep my eyes hard as steel.  It didn’t feel nice to sleep next to him last night.  I didn’t even sleep, scared that he would do something bad to me.  That he would destroy the trust that I developed for him in the times of passionate kissing and buying me food.  Just like he’s doing right now.  Stopping in front of our famous Delhi of the town, “Gelpo’s Delhi.”

“Wait here.” he says and climbs out of the car.  No I don’t want to wait in here so I climb out of the car. He looks at me with a raised eyebrow and I give him an attitude filled smile.  I can do whatever I want.

I enter the delhi, for bells to chime and the smell of freshly made food makes me hungry.

“What would you like?” he asks with his hands in his jean pockets.  I swipe my tongue over my teeth and stand in front of the glass cabinet, that’s filled with various foods.  A petite lady with dark brown hair looks at me with a bright smile.

“I would like that chicken salad and a cheese sandwich.”  she nods and starts dishing the food into a plastic container.  Stephen looks at me with a glint of surprise but fixes it to an intense stare outside.

“Here you go.” the lady  walks towards the pay register and  Stephen quickly jumps to pay.

“Thank you.” I tell the lady and take the food that she hands in a plastic bag.  Me and Stephen walk outside and I give him the cheese sandwich, knowing that the salad would be enough.

“Are we gonna go to the park and eat?” he asks, scratching the back of his head.  The smooth skin of his stomach peaks out but I quickly look away.

“Oh no, I will eat this at school.”  I say and go stand in front of the passenger door of his car.

He clenches his teeth and locks open the door, not looking happy at all but I don’t care so I climb in with a quirky smile.  He drives off without saying a word so I don’t either.  Even though my mind is screaming with questions.  Why is he and Lisa keeping secrets from me? And what secrets.  What the hell is going on?  I think back at the video that was on the CD.  And that there’s a CD in my file too but I couldn’t watch it.  Mostly, I didn’t even want to.  But I have to.  I have to, to get answers.  To free myself from the prison, my heart, mind and soul find itself.

When Stephen stops at the school’s gate, I can see him wanting to say something but I quickly jump out.

“Thanks for the ride and this.” I lift the plastic bag, wink at him, close the door and walk off.  Lisa took a ride with Chase and Bonnie as I basically insisted, being all mean and bitchy.  She seriously doesn’t deserve my kindness. I walk in the school halls, wearing a jean short and an oversized hoodie for it to easily go over my cast.  I wish I didn’t have a broken wrist.  It would’ve made everything so much easier.  

I take a moment and go to the bathroom to clear my mind.  I splash my face with cold water, ignoring the girls entering and exiting the bathroom.

Okay.

I brought my laptop.  So I go into a bathroom stall with my school and laptop bag.  I take a deep breath as I take out the CD in my file and with shaky hands put in my laptop and the video starts.  I bite my lips and feel nauseo build up in my stomach.  The video is exactly what I didn’t want it to be.  I cry, feeling so many emotions engulfing my heart.  Confusion and hate mostly.

It feels as if someone is squeezing my heart and draining everything from it, for it to be left dark and scary.  The feelings filtering in me are making me scared.   If Chase saw this video, he wouldn’t laugh like yesterday.  He wouldn’t ask if we are watching a porno.  He would be mad.  He would be angry.   Or would he?  Maybe it’s all a sick joke.  Maybe this isn’t real. Maybe I’m just dreaming.  I inhale a sharp breath.  This can’t be real.  It just can’t.  I quickly jump from the toilet seat and puke all the remains from my stomach.  I heave, hating the feeling as if someone is punching repeatedly in my stomach.  And as if my heart is running a marathon, quicker than everyone else.  Adrenaline courses through my veins and I just want to sleep everything off.  Maybe I should.  Tomorrow everything will be better. But the bitter taste of the words ‘It won’t’ silently on the tip of my tongue.  I wish mom was here. Rubbing my back, comfortably giving me the thought that everything will be okay.  “Be strong, my little girl.” She would say, holding me close.  Be strong. 

I briefly close my eyes, making my decision.  I am strong.  I flash the toilet, pack my everything in my bags and leave the stall.  I look at my reflection in the mirror.  Pale.  Almost icey in contrast with my dark hair.  Tears brim in my eyes and even I myself can see the vulnerability in them.  The hurt and betrayal.  Why do I have to find myself in this situation?  What should I do?  Where should I begin? A thought flashes through my mind.

“Blood Tests.” I whisper.  Knowing the doctor said I have to come in to do a blood test.

Okay.  This where I shall begin.  And know one should know, so I take out my phone and organize and uber, that will arrive in fifteen minutes.  I do not care for missing school today.  I’ll catch up.  I walk outside to see Stephen’s car parked in the teachers parking lot.

“Shit.” I mutter. I have to go to the back gate.  I quickly call the uber and say that he should go around, till the back gate and that I will wait for him there.

I try to avoid eye contact in the halls but I can’t miss Lisa’s golden curls and vibrant blue eyes.  I can see her eyes looking scared and guilty.  I grit my teeth and turn my head forward, holding it high.

“Hey Riley.” I hear Trench’s voice behind me and I inwardly roll my eyes but I turn with a sweet smile.

“Hi Trench.”

“How are you doing?” he asks.

“Good, thank you.” I say, hoping that he won’t continue talking to me.  He gives me a light smile and I purse my lips at him.

“I have to go.” I say, “See ya.” 

I sigh in relief when I reach the back of the school, seeing fewer people, smoking and probably doing drugs.  I stand against a big tree, just a few inches in front of the gate, hoping that Stephen or anyone wouldn’t see me.  When a red ford arrives, the car just like the uber described I run and hop in.

“Riley?” he asks, looking at his phone.

“Yes, that’s me.” I smile at him.  I look at his dreadlocks, making him look like a hippie.

“Yo girl, you look like you’re on a mission.”  he says.  Well that’s because I am, but I just laugh at him.

“So hospital it is?” I nod at him and he starts to drive off.

“So I know it ain’t my place to ask, but how old are you.”

“20.” I lie.

“What you doing at school?”

“I’m a student teacher.” I lie again.

“I see, I see.” 

He continues the small talk until we reach the hospital.

“Listen,will you be able to wait for me?” I ask hoping that he would say yes.

“Well, I didn’t get any other requests yet, so yes, sure.”

I thank him and thank him, taking my bags with me.

Glass doors automatically open and I enter, relieved to see the waiting room empty.  The woman behind the counter looks at me with curiosity.

“Hi, I need to see a doctor, he said I need to come take blood tests.”

“Name?”

“Riley Levington.” she types on the computer, making a few expressions on her face.

“You can go through.”she says, gestures at the alley leading towards the doctor’s room.  I smile and go through to see the doctor that treated my wrist, sitting behind a desk.

“Riley.” He calls and stands.  He shakes my hand and eyes my cast, “How’s your wrist?”

“Fine.” I answer, “I came to do the blood tests, like you asked.”

“I actually have a few appointments in a few minutes.”

“Please, I took school off.”

“Okay, we can do it quickly.” he takes hold of my arm and leads me to another room. I sit on a small hospital bed, while he takes hold of a thick needle.

“This will just sting a little.” he pushes the needle deep into my skin but I feel nothing.   Blood starts to ooze through a small pipe.

“Just relax.” he smiles at me.

I lay my head backwards and do as he instructed, but my insides are curdles with stress.  What’s going to happen after this? And the police. Are they already at my house?

“Okay.” he says after a while, gently taking the needle out.

“Thank you.” 

“I’m going to send this righ away and it’ll take about two to five days for me to come back to you.” Five days.  I really hope it won’t take that long.

“Thank you.” I say again.

“No, I really think that this was necessary.” he looks at me intently and I nod at him.  I also think that this was necessary.  I need answers.

When he finish talking he leads me towards the waiting room and greets me with a friendly hand shake.  

Okay, this was fast.  The uber luckily didn’t have to wait long.  Until I walk out and instead of the red ford I see the black Mercedes and Stephen leaning in front of it with a cigarette in his mouth.

“No.” I whisper, already feeling defeated.  Should I run?  Or should I go back in and hide.  My  worry increases with each second. He starts walking towards me, dark sunglasses covering his eyes.  I feel scared.

“Don’t be scared Riley.” is his first words, probably seeing the expression of fright in my face and the first thing I do is run.

“Riley!” he yells and I hear his footsteps behind me.  He catches me from behind and I let out a painful yelp.

“Stop.” he begs and I start to cry.

“Leave me alone.”  I scream, but he keeps holding me. Both our breathings are hard and fast.

“Riley.” he says again, somehow making me calm. 

“You can trust me.” he continues. His voice is soft and his breathing shaky.

“Trust you.”  I ask unbelievably.

I hear him open his mouth but quickly closes when a loud truck stops in front of us.

He mutters curse words and I start to feel even more shaken when three strong looking men jump out of the car and their eyes are on me.

What now?  What the freaking hell now?