Chapter 9 – The Big Reveal
Friday
My stomach was filled with knots as I pulled on the low cut dress I was borrowing from Natalivanka’s mom.
It was gold and kind of looked like a short wrap dress.
But the bow on the side wasn’t holding the whole thing together.
The zipper in the back was. I’d hoped the long sleeves would make it more classy than slutty.
But I was pretty sure it was the opposite.
Normally when I dressed up, I’d think about if Axel would like my outfit. More recently, I’d been thinking of Jacob when I got ready. And today I was just thinking about how guilty I felt.
“So hot,” Sophie said. “Here.” She handed me the pair of heels she was holding in her hand.
I sighed and sat down on the couch in our secret lair. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Yes, black heels are the perfect complement to a gold dress.”
“I mean this whole night,” I said. “I should be hanging out with Jacob and his family.”
“You can do that next Friday,” Sophie said.
“If Jacob doesn’t break up with me after he hears about tonight.” I strapped on the heels.
“He won’t. Now do you want a fur coat or...”
I laughed. “I’ll just wear my normal jacket.” I grabbed Jacob’s varsity jacket from the couch.
“You can’t wear Jacob’s varsity jacket.”
“Of course I can,” I said as I pulled it on over my dress. “I’m not going on this date for the sake of a date, remember? I’m going on it for the reveal.”
Sophie pressed her lips together. “Yeah. It still seems kind of rude to show up to the date in another man’s jacket though.”
“I’m wearing the low cut dress RJ requested I wear.”
“I wonder if that request was actually from your kiss thief of if RJ just wanted to see you in it.”
I glanced at the portrait of RJ on the wall and shuddered.
“Ew.” I pulled both sides of the jacket to hide the low cut of the top.
We seriously needed to remove that portrait.
It was the opposite of tasteful. “Has RJ texted you anything? He said he’d tell me the time and place but I haven’t heard from him since lunch. ”
“Oh, sorry, I should have said earlier. He’s waiting downstairs in the car for us.”
“Us? No. I can just take an Uber.”
Sophie laughed. “There is no way RJ and I aren’t coming to watch your date.”
“Sophie.” I glared at her.
“What?”
“You can’t spy on my date!”
“Why? Are you thinking about letting him go to third base with you again?”
“No! But I...” my voice trailed off. “I’m uncomfortable being watched.”
“Your kiss thief has literally been watching your every move since the beginning of the school year. No, actually longer. He’s been obsessed with you for ages, remember?”
I pressed my lips together. Jacob was probably right about the kiss thief.
He was clearly a total creep... My chest was hurting again.
It hadn’t really stopped hurting all week.
I was pretty sure I was dying a slow painful death.
“I don’t think I can do this. And I definitely can’t do it if you’re watching.
Please, Soph.” What if it was Mr. Halifax and Sophie had to see us on a date?
God, what if I’d actually gone to third base with my teacher? ! I was just like my mom!
“You’ll be fine.” Sophie looped her arm through mine and pulled me out of the secret lair.
“I’m not fine. I’m having a heart attack.” All I could think about was walking into the restaurant and seeing Mr. Halifax. Would I throw a glass of water in his face? Would Sophie do it first?
“One day when you’re actually having a heart attack, no one is going to believe you.”
“Sophie, please, you can’t come...”
“You’ll be fine,” she said again.
I wasn’t so sure about that. But I probably should have guessed she’d be tagging along when she’d changed into one of Natalivanka’s mom’s dresses too.
Maybe it would be good if she was there. She could handle yelling at Mr. Halifax and I could just run away. I’d probably need to leave the country. I’d never be able to show my face ever again. And Sophie was wrong, I was definitely having a heart attack.
RJ was waiting for us in Sophie’s car. He was in the driver’s seat wearing a suit.
How had he not gotten arrested yet? Whatever. At least he was getting better at driving. I climbed in the back seat and Sophie sat down in the front.
“Your kiss thief will be pleased, baby doll,” RJ said.
What? I looked at him staring at me in the rearview mirror. Gah. I pulled Jacob’s jacket tighter around me.
RJ slammed his foot on the gas before I even had a chance to put my seatbelt on.
And then he forgot his turn signal as he merged.
I guess he wasn’t getting better after all. Maybe we’d just die on our way to the restaurant. The thought made my chest stop aching just a bit. “RJ, I really don’t want to go into this blind. Can’t you just tell me who the kiss thief is? I’m already on my way to the date.”
“On your way is the key phrase of your sentence. There’s still time for you to bail. And I don’t want you to tuck and roll out of the car.”
“I’m not going to jump out into traffic. Just tell me.”
“Baby doll, I’m already committed to this reveal. You know once I’m committed to something there’s no backing out.”
That was true. He never backed down from something once he started. “But I swear I’m going to go through with the date.”
“I don’t believe you.”
He had every right not to believe me. Because if he did tell me, I would for sure run out of this car as soon as he parked outside the restaurant. I was too transparent.
“Do you think you should lose the jacket?” RJ asked. “Or are you trying to make him jealous?”
“I’m not trying to do anything to him but see his face,” I said.
“I didn’t think of the jealousy angle,” Sophie said. “I love it.”
Well now I was tempted to take it off. But I didn’t want whoever this person was to think they had a chance with me. “It’s not Jacob, right?” I asked RJ.
RJ just laughed in response.
I’d planned on having a very awkward conversation with Jacob after the game tomorrow. What if I was about to have it right now? “Maybe this is some kind of test?” I said. “Maybe it is Jacob and he’s hoping I won’t show. Turn the car around!”
“Not happening,” RJ said as he pulled over to the curb. “We’re here.”
“No! I can’t go in! What if it’s Axel?!” I shook my head.
“No, of course not. He hates me or something, clearly. Only someone who hated my guts would date a Triple G. What if it’s Luis?
! I can’t be his fourth!” I silently thought about Mr. Halifax.
The worst of the worst options. Because...
gah! “Is it hot in here?” I started fanning my face.
Sophie turned around to look at me. “You’re spiraling.”
“Of course I’m spiraling! I’ve spent the last month texting my kiss thief saucy things and making out with him and...more. What if it’s a drifter?!”
“I told you it wasn’t a drifter,” RJ said.
“But what is your definition of a drifter?!”
Sophie laughed.
“This isn’t funny, Soph. I...I...I’ve done things with this guy.
Potentially a teacher. A teacher my dad already beat up once.
What if my dad finds out about this? He’ll probably kill Mr. Halifax.
And then he’d end up in prison on death row, waiting for the chair.
And my mom would...I don’t know...become an alcoholic or something and jump off a building in her depression. ”
“Jesus,” RJ said.
“And Liam and I would be orphans. But he’d always blame me for our parents’ deaths so he’ll resent me for the rest of our lives!” I screamed in the back seat of the car. “I don’t want my parents to die!”
“Should I slap her?” RJ asked.
Sophie shook her head. “No. Scar. Stop it. Take a deep breath.”
I screamed again.
“Okay...yeah, slap her.”
RJ leaned over and slapped me across the face.
“Ow.” The burn of my cheek somehow distracted me from the chaos in my head.
“Better?” RJ asked.
“No.” I rubbed my cheek.
“Look, Scar,” RJ said. “It might not be Mr. Halifax. All you have to do is walk through those doors and find out.”
“Might not? Just tell me!”
“It could be anyone.”
“What?! You said he was on my list!”
“And you said you’ve done things with this guy. Which is why you need to figure out who it is. Maybe ask him if he has any contagious diseases while you’re at it.”
“Ah!” This was a disaster. “RJ, you said it wasn’t a drifter. So it’s either Zach, Leo, or Luis?”
RJ shrugged.
“Does that mean it’s none one of them?! Is it Mr. Halifax?!”
RJ laughed.
“Stop laughing at me! My life is in shambles!”
“It’s not,” RJ said. “You’re just overthinking it. Come on. Walk into the restaurant and go see for yourself.”
“Or you could just tell me.”
RJ turned around and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Nope. It’s time for the big reveal!” He climbed out of the car.
Screw me. I got out of the car too. I looked both ways, debating whether or not I should run. If I never found out who it was, I wouldn’t have to flee the country.
“You’ve got this,” Sophie said as she joined me on the sidewalk. “Just take deep breaths. And try not to scream when you see him.”
“That’s not comforting! Why would I scream?”
“If it’s like...a deformed drifter.”
“Soph!”
“It would explain why he’s only made out with you in dark spaces.”
“Or it’s Mr. Halifax and he could only make out with me in dark spaces so he wouldn’t get arrested.” I groaned.
“I like my theory better,” Sophie said. She hooked her arm in mine and pulled me to the door.
My opportunity to flee had been thwarted.
We were at some restaurant I’d never been to before. But it looked really fancy. A drifter couldn’t afford a meal here, right? Or was my kiss thief expecting me to pay? I wasn’t sure a teacher could afford to eat here either. But I didn’t know Mr. Halifax’s background. Was he from money?
“Ready?” RJ asked.
“No,” I said.
“Great. Your date is in the back right corner wearing...” He pulled out his phone and stared at the screen. “A black suit, no tie.” RJ shrugged. “I personally would have worn a tie...”
“RJ, give me your phone!” I reached out to grab it but he pulled it away.