Page 50 of Saving Meadow

“You don’t watch the news? Shit girl. There is a crazy person stalking bars. I heard that he rips off the victim’s faces, can you imagine?” My hand instinctively moved to my scar before I could pull it back; Rory noticed and flinched. Damn. Not her too. “Sorry. That didn’t come out the way I meant it to.”

“It’s alright.”

The funny thing was, it was alright. A month ago, if someone had said something like that to me, it would’ve thrown me. I would’ve had to text Veronica Venus, and she’d talk me off the ledge as I cried my eyes out. Now, I found myself forgetting I had a mark on my face. I still hadn’t gone an entire day without remembering, but it was kind of hard to when there were mirrors around. But I wasn’t obsessing and worrying about what people thought or how disgusted they’d be at my appearance. Nick thought I was beautiful and because he did, he’d reminded me that my beauty doesn’t come from the way I look. I was beautiful because I was a good person, and that was what mattered.

“So anyway. He like stabs them and leaves them for the police to find. I also heard…” She stopped and looked around before lowering her voice. “He drugs the women before he takes them. Makes it easier. No one notices because the women don’t struggle. They just walk out the door with him.”

How did she know that? Mandy told me that detail had been withheld.

“Are you okay?” Rory asked.

Shit. No. I wasn’t okay. It was hard to breathe, and I felt weird like someone was watching me. Which I guess was stupid because there was someone watching me, Rory. She was staring at me as if I’d grown a second head.

Breathe Meadow.

Breathe.

“Yeah. I’m fine. I just feel so bad for all those girls. It gives me the creeps,” I told her.

My phone beeped in my pocket, and I prayed it was Nick. I didn’t want to be one of those needy girlfriends, but damn I really needed him right now.

VV21: How’s lunch?

How’d she know I was at lunch? Did I tell her? I scrolled up to the last message exchange, nothing. I hadn’t talked to her since this morning in the parking lot.

Me: How’d you know I was at lunch? 😊

I hoped the smiley face took some of the paranoia out of my message. I knew I was being rude to Rory, and normally I wouldn’t answer a message while I was otherwise engaged, but I was feeling freaked out and completely out of sorts.

VV21: Ummm. It’s lunchtime, weirdo. Besides you’re a creature of habit. I could set my time by you. Desk or sub shop?

Jesus. I was losing my mind. I smiled and tapped out a reply.

Me: Damn, you’re good. Sub today. I have juicy gossip!!! Have to wait until after work to spill, but Queen Bitchypants will be a non-issue from here on out. Work just became bearable. I’m done at four today; text you then.

That reminded me, I should text Nick and tell him Mr. Klein had announced he was letting us all leave early today, probably because Beth was supposed to come back after her time out to pick up the personal items from her office.

“Boyfriend?” Rory asked.

“No. Sorry that was rude.” I dropped my phone in my bag. I’d text Nick later; it wasn’t like it was important what time I got done, he would be stuck at work anyway.

“It’s cool. So, Beth? Did she really have a freak-out?”

Geez, this girl liked to gossip. I spent the last ten minutes of my lunch telling Rory all about Beth’s break down. It was petty, childish, and impolite of me to talk about Beth behind her back, but she’d been mean to me the last five years. She deserved it.

By the time I made it back into the office, everyone was talking about Beth’s welcomed departure. I was so busy trying to reorganize the files that Beth had thrown on my desk I didn’t get to leave at four when everyone else did. I was almost done when Beth walked in. For the first time since I’d met her, she had a look of regret on her face. The pinchy sour-puss look had been wiped clean off and was replaced with something that looked like remorse. I stood frozen, afraid if I moved the bitch would be back.

“Meadow,” she started. “I owe you an apology.”

“Umm.” I didn’t know what to say.

“I know I can be intense and a bitch. I blurt out things I shouldn’t say, and I’ve been told more than once I don’t have good social skills. Before I leave, I just wanted you to know I’m sorry for being so mean to you. You’re a nice person and didn’t deserve it.” She stopped and placed a cup on my desk. “Here. A peace offering. A vanilla flavored coffee, extra cream, and two sugars.”

Say what? Since when did Queen Bitch know what kind of coffee I liked? I eyed the cup and looked back at her.

“Thanks.”

“It’s the least I can do.”