Chapter Four
Jordan
“We miss you!” Lucy shouts through the screen.
“I can’t believe you just left us!” Ellie pouts. “I mean I can, I get it, but girl, it’s not the same celebrating the end of our first semester without you.”
Zora pokes her head in the frame. Her hot pink hair has been replaced by a bright blue shade. “If the cops are still checking out your phone, they might bring me in for questioning. I definitely sent you a few harassing text messages.”
“I doubt they’re still checking it. But I did tell them to hold it until I get back.”
“They wouldn’t send it to you?” Lucy asks. “That’s lame.”
“I can go pick it up and mail it to you,” Ellie offers.
“No, I don’t want it anyway. I could use the break.”
“So they basically did nothing? That’s bullshit.”
“I mean, Instagram’s a private company. Unless I was actually harmed, the cops can’t go in there and get info about individual accounts.”
Zora grumbles something.
“Besides, they’re right. I can report it to Instagram and have the accounts removed or blocked. Or I can just block the messages myself. It’s the same outcome as if I got a restraining order.”
“But you don’t even know who it is,” Zora reminds us. “How are you supposed to sleep at night if you don’t know who it is?”
Lucy pats Zora’s arm. “The cops don’t care about if she can sleep at night, at least if she’s not actually hurt.” She turns to me. “But you were hurt. What if it was Razzle who tampered with your board?”
I shake my head. “It wasn’t the board. It was me.”
“Yeah, and you lost focus because of the messages,” Zora snaps.
I shrug. “Skateboarding’s dangerous. Besides, this whole cyberbullying, internet trolling thing is a pretty new crime. Usually it’s schools dealing with this kind of stuff. There are cases with kids killing themselves that don’t even warrant criminal charges, so I’m not really on anyone’s priority list.”
“I want to get that phone and do my own investigation,” Zora announces. “Find out who these people are and hunt them down.”
“Relax, I’m deleting all my social media stuff anyway. It’s done.”
A lump forms in my throat, and I rub my chest.
It’s been five days since I left Beck’s apartment. Four days since I left California and sent him a text message.
“Have you told Griff?” Lucy asks softly.
“About quitting social media? I didn’t have it in me to call him about it. I mean, I could have used my mom’s or dad’s phones like I’m doing now, but I sent him an email instead. Told him I want to be done with all of it, not just social media. The competitions, the brand repping.”
“What’d he say?” Ellie asks.
“Same thing Beck said when, well, you know.” It’s hard to actually say aloud that I broke up with him. “That I was making a rash decision. That I had a head injury and needed time to recover. Griff said he understood and would give me time.”
There’s a pause. That’s not exactly what Beck said. But then again, Beck’s about to start filming on a show that doesn’t allow him in relationships, while Griff’s about to officially launch Brazen.
“So, have you talked to him?” Lucy asks.
I don’t have to ask who she’s talking about.
“No. Aside from that email exchange with Griff, this call with you guys is my first contact with anyone from Summerside.”
I know I should call Naomi and Summer, but I don’t have their numbers, and I’m not about to get on social media to reach out to them. I guess I could ask Griffin on email but… it’s hard to know how to talk to them about Beck now. He must have told them by now, and I don’t know if they’ll be mad at me or ask questions, or what.
Ellie changes the subject and I’m grateful. “So, what have you been up to at home since you can’t skate?”
“My parents have been hovering. Phoebe and Wyatt are off now too, so I hung with them yesterday. Other than that, I’ve actually been sleeping a lot.”
“You okay?” Lucy asks.
No, I’m never okay when I can’t skate, and I’m mopey and moodier than ever.
“It’s just from the concussion. The doctor said this is normal.” I can’t remember if the doctor said it was normal to sleep so much. But Google says so. “My mom thinks I’m depressed or some shit, but I’m fine.” I notice Lucy exchanging looks with Zora and Ellie, so I reassure them, “I have to see a doctor here tomorrow and check in every week until I get cleared to skate.”
My finger runs along the chain of my necklace, fiddling with the heart and skateboard pendants.
“You should call him, Jordan,” Lucy urges in her gentlest voice.
“I’m sure he wants to know how you’re doing,” Ellie adds.
“He does. He texted me. You know, since you contacted him from my phone right before you hopped out of my car at the airport?” Zora says pointedly.
“What did you say?”
“That you’re an idiot and you’ll come to your senses eventually.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No.” She doesn’t crack a smile and I narrow my eyes.
“I’d smack you if you were in front of me for real.”
“Just call him.”
Ellie raises her hand. “I agree with this advice. And I rarely agree with Zora’s advice, so that’s saying something.”
Lucy opens her mouth, to put in her vote too I assume, but I pretend to call out to my mom. “Oh, what’s that? It’s dinner time? Okay, I’m coming!”
Glancing back at the screen I can see I haven’t fooled anyone. “Man, you’re really bad at that,” Zora says, like she’s truly offended.
“Remember, she never had to lie to her parents or anyone about sneaking out or going to parties. This is new to her,” Lucy defends me.
“It’s something we can work on. The lying thing,” Ellie clarifies. “Takes practice. You know, like kissing.”
“Not so subtle,” Zora murmurs.
“I’m just reminding her about her first kiss with Beck in that storage closet, in case she’s already forgotten just how far she’s come.”
“I think I hear my mom calling again.”
Lucy leans forward until her face fills the screen. “What I think Ellie’s trying to say, is that relationships take practice too, and there are ups and downs, but don’t give up on something so good.”
I hear Ellie in the background. “No, I was really just talking about Beck’s kissing. She stopped telling us anything after that but I’m sure his other skills are great too.”
Zora must have grabbed the phone because she’s suddenly in the screen, adding, “Skills in the bedroom. Or in your case, in the van.”
“Or storage closet!” Lucy calls.
“I’m hanging up now. Love you! Bye.”