Remember Me? (Book 1) COMPLETED

North High

KATHERINE

Nick spent the next week trying to catch me, while I did my very best to shut him out. I ate breakfast after Nick was gone, took dinner up to my room before he showed up, and when he came by my door the first few times, I pretended I was asleep or in the shower. He left me alone after four days. It seemed, much to my pleasure, that Erland was also keeping up a wall. He stayed home instead of going in with Nick, and because we'd spent the past four days hiding around the house, I promised him that today, I would take him out to check out his new school.

On day five, I woke up to find out that Nick was already gone. Why he had to go into work at 7AM didn't concern me, but I was thankful for the reprieve. It had been a mistake to agree to a week here, but when I looked at my bank account, I was glad for the extra cash from the refund of the hotel room. Besides, in two days, Erland and I would room with my old friend Matthew Burgess. I wouldn't have to deal with Nick much longer.

Grabbing my computer, I went down to the kitchen and settled in on a barstool.

Before coming to Alabama, Erland was going to start the fall of his junior year, but because of the way school systems differ, he'll have to take a test to figure out what classes he'd be in—and if he even qualified to stay in his year. He knew that, and he knew it was today, which was why he was taking his sweet time waking up.

In truth, part of me wanted to keep him up north at Harvey High School, but without an immediate job to support us, we'd only last a few months. Adding to that the hospital bills for my mother. Impossible. Rick showed me the math, and as painful as being down here was, this was the best thing for me and Erland at the moment.

Erland's new school, North High, while only being three miles down the road from Matthew's place, was a solid forty minutes out from Nick's house. It was a nice-enough school, with a population of 2,000—twice the size of Harvey High—and a good athletic program. They had a lot of AP classes, so Erland could still try and keep up his course load to get into a good college. All in all, it seemed like a pretty decent school. If somewhat renowned for being a bit snotty. While I spent the week avoiding Nick, I called the school and started Erland's enrollment. I requested the transcript from Harvey High be transferred as well, and sent in any other forms they requested. Everything was ready.

All that was left was for Erland to take the test.

While I waited for him to come down, I decided to look more into Wayward Publishing. Almost right off the bat, I found that it was five years old, and the CEO wasn't Nick, but a woman named Octavia Beardsly. A "Board of Directors," or "Committee" in some instances, was said to work with her, though it consisted only of the few who traded in WP's private stock.

Nick couldn't possibly have had the money to buy into this publishing company. And, to my relief, when I looked down to the heads of different departments, the name Nicolas Masiello was dutifully written under Outward Relations. So he had been telling the truth.

Yet, why couldn't I shake the feeling that he was keeping something else?

It wasn't adding up. The fact that he found me in the airport was coincidence, but I guess I would've run into him eventually through my job. But there was also the part about Victoria. She sent me those beautiful cards every year and yet, when I was sleeping under her very own roof, where was she to rub it in my face? The fact that she gave Nick an indefinite time for her arrival was a scare tactic. She could arrive in two weeks, or she could arrive tomorrow. That was a dangerous game to play.

Now I knew that I absolutely had talk to Matthew about when Erland and I could move with him. As soon as possible.

Preferably before Victoria magically shows up at the door with vengeance in her eyes and a kiss on her lips.