Shame (Ruin 3)

“Where…” I croaked. “Where was that?”

“Taped to the inside of your door.”

“Inside of my door?”

“Yeah.” Jack nodded. “I didn’t notice it until I looked up from my nap. Whoever put it there...” His voice trailed off.

“I have to move.” I shook my head. “I mean, my place has been broken into, the hate mail... I have to move.”

“Probably not the worst idea I’ve heard all day.” Jack gave an innocent and semi goofy shrug. “You want to go report it?”

“No.” I put my hand on his. “No, that’s fine. I’ll take care of it.” More like, I’d have Gabe take care of it. I was going to give it to him — all the threats, all the notes. I was sick of dealing with it. All of it. I was finally happy, and I deserved to be happy. Tristan had taught me that.

Jack gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Then, at least let me buy you a coffee while we go over the project. I promise we don’t have to get all crazy with our plans, but let’s get out of here, because it’s kind of creeping me out.”

I nodded my head a few times before getting up. When I did, Jack put a protective arm around me and led me to the door.

“I would say to lock it but—” He shrugged. “—a lot of good it’s been doing you.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“Just saying.”

By the time we made it down to the coffee shop, I was in a better m

ood, probably because Jack had somehow managed to turn my fear into hysterics with his crazy stories and antics. I felt guilty all over again for being so suspicious. Especially after he’d bought me another coffee and made me eat a pastry.

“So…” said Jack, pulling out his notebook. “…we’re supposed to find case studies. The prof, you know the one you’ve been riding in that car with…”

I rolled my eyes.

“…he gave us about a billion different links to stories. We just have to click on the emotion and boom, pick out five.”

“Do you have your computer?” I asked.

“No.” He shrugged. “I left it at my place, but I can always stop by tonight and go over them with you. It will seriously only take us like ten minutes or so.”

“Okay.” I took a sip of coffee. “That’s fine, but make it around five, because I think I may have plans.”

Jack grinned. “Would these plans start with a P?”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” He saluted me. “Five it is. Now run along to class. We both know how the professor gives good grades to those who are early.”

“Right.” I laughed along with him and grabbed my stuff.

I took the usual route to class, stopping at my mailbox since I had around twenty minutes before I needed to be there. I braced myself for impact and shuddered when I had one piece of mail.

It wasn’t addressed to Lisa.

It was addressed to Melanie Faye.

I swallowed the fear in my throat and closed my eyes. Tristan had said to take control. With a grimace, I opened the envelope and pulled out a slip of paper. All it said was. Ding-ding… your time is up.

With a curse, I pulled out my phone and texted Gabe. I grabbed the other notes out of my backpack, stuffed all of them in a large manila envelope, and left it at the post for him to pick up.

The minute the student worker took it from my hands, I felt lighter. I was done. I was so done. For the first time in weeks I felt a smile grow on my face as I thought about going to class. I wasn’t Melanie Faye anymore. I was Lisa. Lisa was strong. Lisa was independent. Lisa didn’t get scared when threatened. She didn’t back down.