Chapter 32
I got out my phone as I drove away from the studio, texting while driving. Naughty you Alice. I'd grown naughty in lots of ways now.
“Need to speak to you. Can we meet?”
I hit send and the little mail icon on my phone fluttered away like a bird. Moments later I got a response.
“I told you not to message me on this phone. I need to be the one to contact you Alice. Meet me later in Adam's Park. There's a large oak tree in the center. I'll be there at 8 PM. Don't text again.”
It seemed like the entire world was being infected with paranoia. What, did Kyle think that his personal phone was being tapped or something. The idea was ludicrous to me.
I drove back to halls and parked, noticing Tess' car parked nearby. I hadn't spoken to her since she'd spilled my secret to the entire college. I'd been walking on eggshells for a little while after, expecting to be called up the Dean's office to be reprimanded in some way. Worst case scenario - I'd be chucked out of college. To be honest, if they could get proof that I was working as a stripper, I wasn't sure if there was any alternative to that.
In reality, however, nothing had happened. I hadn't noticed any specific attention being thrown on me, I wasn't getting stared at around campus as I'd expected to have been. Even the guys - Tom and his cronies - hadn't done much more than smile at me and make the odd suggestive remark. I suspected that perhaps Tess had helped secure their silence, but I hadn't talked to her to find out. Frankly, I'd been too f*cking angry and busy recently to bother myself with such things.
As I entered my halls I could see Tess talking to a girl in the main hallway. I ducked my head and issued straight round to the left in a bid to avoid her stare, rushing straight on up the staircase towards my dorm room on the first floor. I could feel her eyes turn on me as I rushed up, but she didn't call out.
It was only late morning when I got back into my room and shut the door behind me. I had to set my mind to college work for the rest of the day and put everything else to one side. The way my life was I almost forgot I was at college sometimes. What had once been the focal point of my entire life had gradually taken a back seat to other dramas, and my attendance levels and grades were proof of that.
As I settled into my desk I heard a knock at the door and Tess' voice came through it, timid and unsure.
“Alice, can I come in?”
I kept silent for a moment. This was the last thing I needed right now, not with everything else going on. That said, I had wanted to hear her out for a little while now; give her the opportunity to apologize.
“I know you're in there Alice, I just saw you rush up the stairs.”
“OK Tess, door's open, come in,” I said casually, twirling around on my chair to look towards her.
She walked in and shut the door behind her. Her eyes were full of sorrow and regret, in contrast to mine that remained set in stone.
“Alice, I've wanted to talk to you for a while, but I haven't caught you. You've been like a ghost recently.”
I nodded dismissively. “I've been busy. What did you want to talk about?”
“You know what I want to talk about. I hate that we're not friends any more. I just don't see how you'd throw away our friendship for what happened.”
“Tess, I'm not throwing away anything. I just want you to realize what you did.” It was true - I wasn't going to lose my best friend over this. I didn't have enough in my life to lose her. But she needed to be punished, to be taught a lesson. This was the only way I could have gotten through to her, show her how serious everything was.
“I do, I do,” she said quickly. “Sometimes I just don't think. I'm so sorry Alice. I never thought things would go this far, that you might be thrown out of college if they found out. You're my best friend, you're like a sisterto me. I'd never do anything to hurt you, you know that.”
I could feel my expression beginning to soften as she spoke. It was obvious that she regretted what had happened, that she'd never expected things to go this far. I was never one to hold a grudge, not with her, not with anyone.
“You're my best friend too,” I said, my words growing softer as a smile appeared on her face. “I guess I've been so caught up in other things recently, it made what happened seem worse than it was.”
“I talked to Tom straight after,” she said quickly, nodding. “I told him it was nothing, that it wasn't true. I think he believed me, I made him believe me. You know, he's really not that bad when you get to know him. He told everyone else to shut up about it, that a rumor could threaten your college education.”
A look of surprise grew over my face. “Really? I appreciate that Tess. What you did, and what he did, if it's true.” I would always have a lingering sense of distrust towards a guy like Tom. He may have been a saint underneath, but whenever jock guys get together, they descend into mindless morons. At least, that was my experience of them.
Tess walked towards me as I stood up and we hugged. Her arms were tight around my back, squeezing hard. “I've missed you babe,” she said into my shoulder. I won't interfere with your dancing again. Promise.”
Somehow I felt that she may yet have her part to play, good or bad, in things. That was just Tess - you couldn't keep her out of things for long!