new kid / h.s

18

Lilly Collins plays Kat!

K A T

I spent the rest of that eventful day putting together pieces. Trying to find signals and clues that I had overlooked that could've suggested that Caitlyn was in a gang. I had just failed to believe it, even though it was blatantly clear.

"Harry." I said when I called him after dinner. He said he was getting some of the details to our huge plan sorted out. "Are you sure you want to do this? It's going to be dangerous."

"Yes." Harry said on the other side of the call. I could hear chattering and doors opening and closing in the background. "The question is, are you sure? Because when I got involved with a gang I did it to help someone and it only caused harm."

I put my dishes in the sink carefully. "Are you telling me that I shouldn't do this? Shouldn't help you get rid of this gang once and for all?"

There was a brief pause. "Well, wiping a gang completely off the map certainly isn't a one man job... but you definitely don't have experience in the field."

I scoffed. "So you've taken down a gang before? Come on, Harry. If we could escape their house we can take them down."

"Only one foolish of many." Harry pointed out. "But there are smart ones in every group, don't forget."

I already knew that. It felt like throughout this, Harry had just been undermining me. Trying to get me to back out.

"Do you not want me to do this?" I asked warily. "Because if not, telling me now would probably be the best option."

I could hear him sigh. "I just want you safe, don't forget. I just want to look out for you and protect you."

"Yeah, well, I don't need protection." I said harshly and hung up the phone. Right after, my mom came striding into the room with her monthly issue of her favorite magazine.

"Hey, honey." she said fondly and took a seat down on the sofa. I watched her from over the kitchen counter.

"Hey mom." I said casually and sat next to her.

She glanced at me before looking down at her papers again. "Who was that on the phone?"

"Harry." I answered truthfully. "We're talking about working as volunteers in a mental ward."

My mom smiled to herself. "So that's what all that rambling on about groups and protection was."

Thank goodness she had only heard a portion of our conversation. I decided that this call would be the last public one made to Harry. "Yeah." I said again. "Do you think I should?"

"It's all up to you two." she said. "How about I pay for you two to go somewhere nice to eat this Friday?"

I wasn't completely objecting to her offer, but I wasn't exactly sure if I wanted to comply, either. "Give me some time to sleep on it, mom." I told. "Me and Harry have been seeing each other inside of school and I think that's enough for now."

She nodded like she was almost in agreement. "That is true Katrina, but it would be foolish of me not to think that you two need some time to plan this without secret phone meetings."

"Secret?" I laughed, even though she was right. "Helping patients with mental disabilities isn't anything close to a secret." I said.

My mom eyed me and stood up from the couch, leaving me with my magazines. "When you decide to tell me the truth about what you two are up to, then I'll decide whether or not to let you go to prom."

She walked away, and when she was gone I lifted up the magazine papers-- only to see a reservation for the most expensive restaurant in town, and two one hundred dollar bills.

Mom didn't even have to hear a confession from me, because something told me that she hadn't given me 200 dollars just to spend on food.

And another problem-- I needed that ticket to prom now. It was part of the plan. Somehow I had to make a story out of that phone call. Because if I couldn't go to prom, Harry may have had to deal with that gang for the rest of his life.