Chapter 104
To Vivian’s surprise, it didn’t take much work to convince Samuel that Abby was currently untouchable. What did surprise her was how everyone was insistent she miss the rest of the school day and just go home to rest. She was tired — exhausted, really — but powering through the final two periods of the day wouldn’t be an issue.
Her father was adamant she return home and it was obvious this wasn’t something he’d compromise on. She couldn’t tell him about the second phone and how she needed to stick around to find it, so Vivian reluctantly agreed.
“Whatever is going on, just know I’m here for you,” Miriam told her before Vivian was able to leave. The girl had grabbed Vivian’s hands, holding them tightly. “I don’t know why you’ve been avoiding me, and I know you probably won’t tell me either, but whenever whatever is going on is over, I’ll be here to listen to the story, okay?”
Vivian blinked, startled. Her friend was smart; why had she thought Miriam wouldn’t see through what was being done and how could she accept it so easily? And still want to be there? It made it hurt all the more.
“What she said,” Theo nodded, tilting his head in Miriam’s direction as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Just get some rest and don’t worry about it. We’ll wait for you to come to us.”
“…okay,” she murmured, giving Miriam’s hands a small squeeze before turning and leaving with her father.
They said little as he drove her home and carried her things up to her room. “Get some rest,” he repeated for the umpteenth time. “I’ll wake you for dinner.”
“Sure,” she nodded, rubbing a hand over her face. First she was going to take a shower. There hadn’t been time to do more than splash water on her face at school and she felt gross from all the sweating she’d done.
Samuel stood in the doorway for a moment, as if hesitating, before turning back to face his daughter. “I’m proud of you.”
“For what?” She asked offhandedly, not really paying attention.
“For trusting me enough to say who did it.”
Vivian looked over her shoulder towards her father and gave another small nod. She couldn’t tell him she was in a no-win situation and how trusting him had been the best option available at the time.
It did feel good to pass some of the burden to another but it wouldn’t be long before it was back.
Satisfied, Samuel left without another word, closing the door as he did.
Vivian sighed as she removed everything from her school bag, double checking that it was all accounted for. It looked like the girls hadn’t gone through anything; they were probably focussed on the phones and little else.
Good. Because she’d brought the notes she’d made on Paul with her to school, along with the photo of her mother — the one with the hole between the eyes. If they’d found those Vivian wasn’t sure how she’d be able to talk her way out of it.
Keeping them in her room hadn’t felt safe. Whenever she had something she wanted to keep safe Vivian always kept it on her person; where else could she guarantee no one would look without her knowing? That was no longer an option, not when it was proven to be rather ineffective. Where else was there? None of the drawers on her desk had locks. Could she ask Samuel for some kind of lockbox without him getting curious? Would he try and get into it if she got one?
He literally just said he was proud of me for putting a bit of trust in him and here I am not trusting him at all.
Shaking her head, Vivian turned away from her desk and headed to her bathroom, where she stripped and took a cold shower. Halfway through she paused and stared at the knob controlling the water temperate. She’d always taken cold showers and baths because that was all she’d been allowed to have as a child. Hot water was for good girls and she’d rarely fit the definition. It’d become the norm for her over the years, not even thinking twice about it for the most part.
It’s not like she’d ever shared the shower with another person, someone who’d point out how odd it was to only use cold water.
In the school locker room after practice it was always steamy from the hot showers the other girls took and Vivian had thought it weird that no one else used cold water. It was one of those things she’d always just taken as fact: everyone took cold showers.
But what if they… didn’t?
She hesitated when her hand touched the knob, wondering if she dared. There’s no way Samuel would be annoyed by her using hot water to shower, right?
…maybe that hadn’t been the best idea.
After the longest shower she’d ever taken, Vivian finally emerged from her bathroom. Her skin was rather red at this point but her muscles felt so much better than they had beforehand.
Getting into bed, Vivian stared at the pink elephant Theo had given her on Saturday. It wasn’t the best made thing in the world, but it was hers and it’d been given to her by one of her very first friends. Cautiously, she reached out and touched its ear, stroking it a few times before pulling it close and hugging it to her chest. If she couldn’t have her friends here to support her through this mess Vivian could at least feel connected to them through this plush. To her, it was a symbol of that friendship, and even though her current actions were saying otherwise she cherished it a great deal.
I hope they were being honest with what they said earlier, she thought to herself as she closed her eyes. I hope they’ll wait… or at least not hold it against me… for now.