Page 49 of The Handoff

Chapter 25

Lisa

Afterleavingtheclub and deciding to go back later tonight, I headed to the dorm and had an early dinner with Tanya. She managed to get me a fake ID to show I’m twenty-one. She said she knew people on campus, and I handed her a fifty-dollar bill and within a couple of hours, she came back with it. I couldn’t believe how real the thing looked. I was dressed in a sexy black number, hair pinned up, and ready to go to the jazz club.

“You sure you don’t want to come along? After all, you got me the ID card?”

She nodded, as she loosened her hair and laid on her bed. “Remember, we were up early. I have so much work to do next week, and I need to catch up. So, it’s an early night for me, and I’ll be studying tomorrow. Besides, once Dane sees you in that hot number, with those perky breasts, he won’t be able to keep his hands off you and I’ll feel like the third wheel.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” I said as I moved toward her bed.

She wrapped her arms around me. “Have fun. I’m tired. I’m old…”

“You’re too funny. I won’t be too late.”

She winked. “Yes, you will.”

I grabbed my new gold purse, which matched my heels, and I did a quick check in the mirror, and left.

I thought about what I would say the whole walk through campus and while on the bus. I followed Dane today, this was the only reason I knew where he would be tonight. He’d already sent a text telling me he couldn’t make it tonight, and I couldn’t tell him I knew or the reason why I knew. Nerves settled in as I thought about how I was going to explain how I knew where he would be tonight. I replayed the conversation so many times in my mind, but they all sounded the same.

I followed you after seeing you at the mall with your mom.

They all made me out to be a stalker. As I got off the bus, my phone rang, so I stopped at the side of the curb and answered it. It was Mom. My heart beat out of control, wondering what was up, but I knew the answer to my question as I picked up the phone.

“Lisa, you okay?” Mom asked, sounding so nervous. I could tell the bad news I was expecting was about to rear its ugly head. I moved from the curb, seeing as the streets were getting busy, and headed to what appeared to be an alley. It looked quiet. I could tell her to call back later, but I’d been doing that so much lately, she would think I was avoiding her, and she would be right.

“Mom. One minute, just getting away from the crowd.”

It appeared to be quieter once I was in the alley. There were some lights and I spotted a camera, so I felt safe knowing someone was watching me.

“Okay, I can talk now.”

“Oh, but you sound as if you’re out. I just thought we could catch up. You know it has been a while, but you’re busy, so another day.”

I could tell she was about to hang up. I could leave it for another day, but there was nothing better than facing your worst fear, and I knew I had to face it now.

“Mom, what’s up?”

“The appeal has worked and starting in two weeks, the trial will start up again.”

My head spun out of control, as if someone had sucked all the oxygen out of my body. The case. I had to come clean. I couldn’t let anyone find out the truth. Not anyone, but the ones I cared about here at UCLA. Nan’s words about them understanding flashed through my mind. I was stalking my boyfriend—I had that to worry about.

I cleared my throat and said so informally, as if I was talking to a stranger, “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be in touch.”

“Lisa, do you want to talk about it?”

Was she kidding me?

What was there to say?

I had nothing. I started to sweat as nightmares of how my high school torture ran through my mind. I had a feeling it would be worse, so much worse here.

“No. I need to go.”

I hung up, moved my phone away from my ear, and did something I never did. I turned it off. I hesitated about going to the club, my head felt dizzy as all types of flashes about the past entered my mind, but then they were replaced, not with the kids in high school, but with Tanya and Dane. They would treat me the same way.

I remembered Nan saying, “Not if you tell them.”

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