Page 626 of Filthy Elites

TEN

Billie

I wentto school early because I was eager to start the day.

It wouldn’t make the end of school come any quicker, but I did it for my sanity.

When I returned home from the park last night, several things hit me at once that didn’t cross my mind before because I was so consumed with the worry of everything else.

The most prominent thing was how Chad seemed to be one step ahead, and how he knew things he shouldn’t know.

Like me wanting a career working with children.

And the fact that he was there last night.

How did he know I’d be in the park at that time?

It couldn’t have been a coincidence. There’s no way I’m going to believe he was out for a walk at the same time as me.Bullshit.

Also, Isabelle said he lives on the other side of town. The parts where the rich are so rich, they may as well have the place named after them.

He would only have been there if he was watching me and would only know about my dream to work with kids if he was looking at files like the personal statement I sent UCLA.

The issue of the surveillance at school and my car also popped into my head, and I didn’t think it would be too farfetched to think Chad was capable of being just as fucked up as the psychos on my criminal shows.

He’s watching me. That’s the answer, and I won’t know more of what he’s up to until the end of the day, which seems like eons away.

When people start rolling in,and no one makes any unusual comments about me or stares, the tension burning through my body eases somewhat as I realize he couldn’t have shown anyone the video or my pictures.

The respite is only momentarily, though, because when I see him, everything comes rushing back a hundredfold.

I’m in three classes with him before lunch, and in each one, he makes a point of staring at me, staring me down, picking me apart with invisible fingers.

Isabelle takes me to lunch at a little café she’s been harping on about since we met. She said they made the best rhubarb pie, so that’s what we have, and she was right.

We had toasted sandwiches, and I ate more than I had in days.

We’re just finishing up now with some hot chocolate.

The hour is nearly up, and I’m dying to talk to someone about what’s going on with me, but I can’t say anything.

The past taught me that I shouldn’t trust anyone.

When I first found out about Mom and Cal, I told my then best friend. The way I found out was not good because I came home and found them in bed together.

Mom wasn’t expecting me back that day because I was supposed to be going to my friend’s for the weekend.

I told one person, and that story was in the gossip magazine months later when the shit blew up with Dad.

I don’t know Isabelle at all. She seems nice, but then everyone seems a certain kind of way until you get to know them.

I didn’t even tell her about the car or the drugs for the same reason.

“So, I noticed Chad is still obsessed with you.” She raises a brow and takes a sip of her drink. “Has he done anything more to you?”

Boy, if she only knew.

“No.”

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