CHATROOM
LOVE
Chapter Twenty-One
Thursday, September 20, 2001
"That was great, Rose! I’m sure you’ll be the new
cheerleader." Dawn sat on a bench in the locker room, waiting while Rose
changed back into her street clothes.
"Do you really think so? I thought I messed up a
couple of times."
"Not that I noticed,
and Mrs. Hulstrom was very impressed with your performance. I told you it would
be a good idea for you to try out."
"Well, I hope I get chosen. That was kind of fun,
actually."
"I told you so." Dawn stood up as Rose
pulled on her shoes. "Let’s get going. It’s getting late."
"Sure. I just need to stop by my locker first and
get my homework."
They walked through the nearly deserted halls to
Rose’s locker, avoiding the janitor picking up the day’s trash and mopping the
floor. When they reached the bank of lockers, Rose quickly spun her
combination, then pulled out the books she would need for her homework.
Rose was about to close her locker when she noticed an
expensive-looking envelope tucked between her English book and her math book.
Frowning, she pulled it out.
There was no name on the envelope, but she opened it
anyway, curious as to what it might be. It didn’t look like a piece of trash
that someone had chosen to discard by slipping it inside her locker door.
Pulling out the note inside, she read it, her face paling.
My love,
I have been watching you every day, waiting and hoping
that you’ll come back to me. I’ve seen you looking out your window at night,
the light illuminating you like an angel. I’ve watched as you and your friends
hang out, and I know you’ll make a wonderful cheerleader. Don’t forget me.
We’ll be back together again soon, I’m sure.
The note wasn’t signed. With shaking hands, Rose
turned to throw it in the trash, but Dawn had noticed her shocked, frightened
reaction and stopped her.
"What’s wrong, Rose?"
Shuddering, Rose turned to Dawn, shoving the note into
her hands. "This is what’s wrong."
Dawn read the note, raising an eyebrow. "Do you
think Jack’s been smoking kronic or something?"
"What? No, Dawn. No. That note isn’t from him. I know
his handwriting, and this isn’t it. Besides, why would he say that he’s waiting
and hoping that I’ll come back to him? We are together."
Dawn shrugged. "It’s probably for another girl,
then. Someone just put it in the wrong locker."
"But it talks about being a wonderful
cheerleader. I tried out to be a cheerleader today."
"So did a lot of other girls," Dawn
responded dryly. "It’s probably just a coincidence, or some idiot playing
a prank on you. Why else would someone put this in your locker?"
Rose took a deep breath, voicing the thought that had
immediately sprung into her mind when she read the note. "What if it was
Cal?"
Dawn shook her head. "Rose, how would Cal know
which locker is yours? He’s not associated with this school at all. I mean,
he’s thirty years old, and didn’t go here even in high school, and he doesn’t
work here or sit on the school board or anything."
"He could have given the note to someone else to
put in my locker."
"Wouldn’t that have been a little obvious?"
"Maybe not. Somebody might have thought he was a
parent. Some kids do have parents that young, you know."
Dawn sighed. "Rose, I really don’t think you have
anything to worry about. Most likely, the note was meant for some other girl,
or someone is being stupid."
"Maybe," Rose agreed, but inside she wasn’t
convinced.
*****
When she reached home, Rose immediately logged on to
the Internet, hoping that Jack was online so they could talk. When she saw that
he wasn’t, she turned to checking her e-mail, going through messages from her friends
and deleting Spam. When she got to the last message, though, her heart began
pounding wildly in fear. There was the same message she had found in her
locker, with one additional line added.
I’m watching you, Rose.
Again, it was unsigned. She checked the e-mail
address, wondering if it was one she knew, but it was a new one, sent from a
free e-mail service. The name gave her no help, either—it was only a jumble of
numbers and letters that made no sense.
An icon popped up at the bottom of her screen. Relieved,
Rose recognized Jack’s screen name.
JD_in_AB: What’s up?
rose_bud2001: Lots.
JD_in_AB: How was your tryout?
rose_bud2001: Fine. I think I’ve got a good chance.
rose_bud2001: Jack, do you have a new e-mail address,
by any chance?
JD_in_AB: No. Why?
rose_bud2001: I got this weird e-mail. I didn’t think
it was from you, but I wanted to make sure.
JD_in_AB: Probably just Spam.
rose_bud2001: No, I got a message just like it in my
locker.
JD_in_AB: In your locker???
rose_bud2001: Yeah. Dawn thought it was for some other
girl and put in the wrong locker, or a prank, but now that I got it in the
e-mail, too, I don’t know.
JD_in_AB: What does it say?
Rose sent him the text of the message.
rose_bud2001: The only difference between this message
and the one in my locker is that this one says: I’m watching you, Rose.
JD_in_AB: That’s scary.
rose_bud2001: Yeah, tell me about it.
JD_in_AB: Who would give you something like that?
rose_bud2001: Cal.
JD_in_AB: Doesn’t he have a restraining order?
rose_bud2001: Yeah, but people don’t always obey
those.
JD_in_AB: True. Do you still have the note from your
locker?
rose_bud2001: No, I threw it away.
JD_in_AB: Print out a copy of the e-mail and save it.
If Cal or somebody is stalking you, you might need it for evidence.
rose_bud2001: Good point.
JD_in_AB: If it is Cal, be real careful. I’ve only met
him once, but I don’t trust him.
rose_bud2001: I don’t trust him, either. I’ve never
told you why I got a restraining order against him in the first place.
JD_in_AB: Why?
rose_bud2001: We were over here one day when Mom
wasn’t home, and he tried to rape me. Luckily, Mom came home before he could do
anything. That’s why she got so mad when I had you over here—she was afraid
something bad would happen to me.
JD_in_AB: I’m not going to do that to you!!
rose_bud2001: I know, and Mom knows, too, but she says
things can happen even when you’re not planning on it. You know what I mean.
JD_in_AB: Yeah. Rose, be real careful until you find
out who’s doing this. Stay with somebody as much as you can. I don’t want you
getting hurt.
rose_bud2001: Thanks.
JD_in_AB: If you need, you can come over here, even if
I’m not home. Uncle John and Aunt Margaret like you, and so do the kids.
Trudy’s going to be here for a while, too, and she wants to get to know you.
rose_bud2001: Thanks, Jack. I might come over even if
I’m not scared.
JD_in_AB: LOL
rose_bud2001: LOL
JD_in_AB: Aunt Margaret wants me to come to dinner
now. I’ll call you later, okay?
rose_bud2001: Okay.
JD_in_AB: Love you.
rose_bud2001: Love you, too.
Rose signed off and printed out the e-mail message,
tucking the paper away in a safe hiding place. In spite of seeing Cal a few
days earlier, she had begun to feel safe from him.
Now, she wasn’t so sure.