The Girl and The Murderer

14. Or not...

What a lame question seriously... But that's the first thing I thought of.

-Er yeah, why ?

He seems a bit lost. It's true that you're not asking that every day.

-I... hum... nothing, just to know...

An uneasy feeling takes place between us. I feel guilty for this. Good job Ray, you just ruined the mood. Great...

Zack is staring at me intensely. It's hard to keep gazing in his orbs so I look away from him fast.

The uneasiness keeps on going for several minutes, with a long silence to fill the room.

-Hey, asks finally Zack.

-Yeah ?

-You know how to read and write ?

I nod. I know what he's gonna ask.

-Can you like... Teach me ?

I smile. I think I have to be a medium.

-Of course. Do you want to begin now ?

He nods eagerly and I bring him to my room.

I spend almost all day to teach Zack how to read the alphabet letters and some simple words. At 5pm, Jane passes by to give me the homework and lessons I missed.

-Thanks, I say with my crocky voice.

-The biology teacher is even more a jerk when you're not there. Please, come back soon !

She tells me the details of her school day, what they did, and what the homework are. But mostly her day. Then come the question :

-Why didn't you come ? You don't seem sick at all.

I don't really know what to say. The truth ? No, I only know her for a couple of days now... Not enough to tell her my life. Mind you, she did... But I'm not too confident. A pretty little lie that she'll never figure out ? Why not ?

-It's my father. I mean, my adoptive father. He collapsed last night during his shift and I had to go to the hospital to see how he was doing. He's still there by the way and one of his workmates drive me back home.

My lie is pretty awkward for the moment but it will be enough to fool her now. Jane seems convinced, that's the most important.

-Well, I gotta go now. My mom is waiting, she says as she goes away. See you tomorrow !

I wave her goodbye before shutting the door.

I climb up the stairs and see that Zack is in a corner, writing big and shaky letters on the papers I gave him.

-Look, he says happily as I step in the room. I almost done the whole alphabet.

He hands me his papers and I smile gently. When you see him like this, it's really hard to figure out that he is a murderer. How can you be so innocent and at the same time cut people's throats ? That can't be.

-Show me how you make your R.

Without an objection, he writes. His hand trembles a lot. It's just a letter though.

-Hold your pen like that and block it with your finger like this.

I readjust the pen's position while I speak. He shivers. Am I the one making him all weird ?

Someone else rings the doorbell. They're never gonna leave us alone now are they ?

-I'll be back in a minute. Continue, you're doing great.

And I rush to open the door.

-Heya kid, says a police officer. Is it Lenny Gardner's house ?

I nod, slightly intimidated.

-And you're Rachel right ?

I nod again.

-You're coming with me then.

-Why, I ask shakily.

-To drive you to your new home of course ! I am in charge of your escort.

-No.

I don't want to leave. Lenny will come back in a few days. Why would they bring me to a new home ?

-No I don't want to.

-But why ?

What if everything starts again ? The beating, the rape and the bad treatments ? What if, this time, I don't have anyone to rescue me ?

-No, I don't leave this place.

The officer bows to whisper close to my hear :

-You don't have a choice. Lenny is too dangerous for me. You need to put as much distance as you can to be safe. We don't want any bad thing to happen now, do we ?

Bad thing huh ? Because what I endured before being adopted wasn't a bad thing ?

-I don't come. Case closed.

He grabs my chin and my heart pounds faster in my chest. What is he going to do ?

-You're going to come without making a fuss now okay ?

I don't like this guy. He's definitely up to no good.

-No. I'd rather die.

I know I shouldn't play with fire but words are coming freely from my mouth.

-I don't want to see you again. Not you nor your uniform. I don't want troubles and I think you don't want any either. You've got no reason to be here. Now, get out of here before I call the real police "officer".

He lets go of me and go away. It seems like he didn't belong to the police. My bluff worked well.

-Who was it, asks Zack from the kitchen.

-Nobody, don't worry. You're done ?

He nods happily and hands me a pile of papers on which he wrote the alphabet several times.

-Good ! You're making progress ! And everything in only a day !

The letters are clumsily written but lisible.

-You're gonna teach me words tomorrow ?

I look at him with sad eyes. He is so excited about the fact to finally know more about how to read and write tomorrow... But I can't skip another day of school...

-I have to go to class tomorrow. But once I'm done with it, I teach you !

His face is painted with disbelief. I quicly say :

-I'll cook dinner. Wanna help me ?