Confidential by Jack Parker Read Free Book Online

put the idea into my parents' heads that I've gone crazy."
    Detective Kaiser frowned. "It doesn't mean you're crazy, it means you're dealing with trauma."
    "I really don't feel comfortable talking about this," I said in the most stern, bitchy voice I could muster.
    Kaiser shrugged, giving Detective O' Connor a look, "You're free to go, please send your parents our regards." Kaiser motioned towards the door, and I hightailed it out of there, throwing open the door, only to face my parents and our lawyer looking at me oddly.
    "Can we go home?" I wanted to sleep. I went and sat in between my parents, resting my head on my mom's shoulders. I didn't think I could handle this. It was too much.
    My alarm woke me early in the morning, my mom forced me to her hot yoga class, insisting that I get back into a routine, because I would be going back to school later that day.
    When I got home , I shuffled into my room and stared at myself in the mirror, sighing, I put my hair up into a ponytail, not really sure what to do with it. I slipped on some clothes and stumbled downstairs.
    "Heidi…" I turned to face my mother.
    "Hmmm?" I mumbled walking past her and pouring myself a bowl of cereal.
    "Didn't you wear that a couple days ago?" She frowned, her voice sounded puzzled.
    I looked down at my clothes. I just wore a flowy top and a jean skirt. "Maybe… I don't know. Did I?"
    My mom looked at me funny. "Well, Heidi, why would you wear that again?"
    I grabbed my keys and dumped the rest of my Captain Crunch down the drain. "I'll be home later." I ignored her, and walked out the door, shaking my head. Things were different now, I could feel it.
    The things I used to care about seemed trivial. I would listen to my friends talk about Andrew Donohue, or make plans to go to the mall, and it just didn't seem important anymore. It didn't have the same value it once did. It wasn't even interesting. It was even a struggle to hang out with them, hearing them drone on about things that just weren't… worth it.
    "Heidi?" Emma said, pulling me from my thoughts.
    "Yeah?" I asked.
    "Um… I don't want to freak you out or anything, because I know you just went through some weird stuff, but that guy is really giving me the creeps."
    I whipped my head up from my lunch. "What guy?" I practically shouted, my voice hitting higher octaves than normal.
    People had been staring at me all day. The bruises had yet to fade completely from my face, and no amount of make-up could hide the cuts and bruises that ended up randomly on my arms and legs.
    "People have been staring, but this one is different. He's a total weirdo."
    Lauren turned around. "That one? The fat one with the greasy hair?"
    Katie smacked her arm. "Be nice."
    "About some creep staring at us? I don't think so," she joked.
    But I didn't think it was very funny. He was by himself and I had never seen him before. Our school was a public school, not heavily guarded. I guess someone could walk in there; it wasn't that hard. We all carried our school ID's on lanyards and he definitely didn't have one.
    He hovered close to our table, leaning against a wall. The cafeteria was so busy that I was surprised Emma had even noticed him. I took out my cell phone and stood up, already dialing Detective O'Connor.
    "Where are you going?" Katie asked.
    "I gotta ask my mom to get me something, I'll be right back." I put the phone to my ear and walked outside, my heart started racing when the guy followed me moments after.
    "Hello?" I heard the detective's familiar voice.
    "Hi," I said, my breathing starting to become shaky and rapid as I quickened my pace. "It's Heidi Van Dauson. And there is definitely someone at my school that is not a student and is following me."
    There was a slight pause before his calm commanding voice informed me, "We're on our way now. I need you to make sure you stay in a crowded place, do not go off on your own, or into a classroom, you don't want to get caught somewhere."
    I tried to keep my