Chapter 12: Changes
******The Next Day******
Hannah went to school Wednesday morning determined to gain the ground she felt she'd lost with Wallace. He was sweet, funny, and kind. Not to mention a basketball star and really cute. She thought they were falling in love, but now he seemed more focused on the new girl Jackie. Hannah had stayed up late last night thinking about how she could keep from losing Wallace. Maybe if she befriended Jackie, the girl wouldn't make a play for Wallace. She may be inexperienced, but she knew enough to know when a girl was considering making a play. Jackie looked at both Logan and Wallace with interest. Hannah didn't think anyone would be bold enough to so blatantly cross Veronica by making a play for Logan. Nor would Logan seriously look twice at another woman, so Hannah figured Wallace would be Jackie's logical choice.
Her dad dropped her off in front of the school, and she watched the parking lot, looking for Jackie. When she saw Jackie pull in, she walked toward the parking lot, trying to set up a casual run in.
Jackie was looking down at her cell phone when Hannah called out a friendly, "Good morning, Jackie!"
Jackie looked up and acknowledged Hannah with a lukewarm, "Hello."
Hannah pressed on, falling in step with Jackie. "So how are you liking Neptune? Isn't the weather so much better than New York?" Hannah said with a sunny smile.
Jackie stopped and turned to face her. "What's up?" she asked suspiciously.
Hannah faltered. "What do you mean?" she asked unsure.
Jackie's eyes narrowed as they zeroed in on her. She finally gave Hannah a grim smile. "Why are you being nice to me?"
Hannah frowned. "Why wouldn't I? You're friends with Wallace, and I'm his girlfriend. I'm nice to all his friends," she said, giving Jackie another friendly smile.
Now Jackie gave her a knowing smile. "Oh, I see. You were looking for an opportunity to announce your title, huh? Make sure I know Wallace is taken," Jackie said.
"What? I don't have to announce anything. I was just being friendly," Hannah said, starting to get defensive.
Jackie laughed. "Yeah, right. You can see that your man is panting after me, so you want to scope out the competition. It's okay. I understand," Jackie said.
Hannah finally lost her composure. "Panting after you? Are you kidding?" she asked in disbelief. "Wallace is a nice guy. He feels sorry for you because you've managed to tick off his best friend. Not a good move."
"I'm not worried about Veronica. And she's not the one you feel threatened by," Jackie said smugly. "You don't have to worry yet. I haven't decided yet if I want Wallace. When I do, you'll be the second to know." After making that pronouncement, she sauntered off.
Hannah couldn't believe the girl's audacity. She actually thought Wallace was hers for the taking. The small voice inside of her that echoed Jackie's words kept her from brushing off her remarks. Hannah didn't want to lose Wallace. Not to a girl like Jackie especially. She walked toward the main entrance, determined to find a way to keep Wallace's attention.
Veronica noticed Wallace's girlfriend going into school looking upset. She called her name. Hannah stopped and turned. When she saw it was Veronica, she smiled and waited for her.
"Hey!" Veronica said. "How's things going?"
Hannah debated on whether or not it was a good idea to talk to Veronica. Then she decided since she was Wallace's best friend; she may be the best person to talk to. "I just had a not very nice conversation with Jackie," Hannah said.
"Oh yeah? Do tell!" Veronica encouraged as they turned to go into the school. Once again, she felt the student bodies eyes on her. Like always, she did her best to ignore the stares and whispers.
"I saw Wallace talking to her after school yesterday, and he admitted he was trying to see if she was okay. I know he made plans to see her," Hannah admitted. "I told him it made me unhappy since he was supposed to be my boyfriend, but I guess he still went to see her."
"They just talked at the Hut. I was there. I wouldn't worry about it," Veronica reassured her.
"Well, I'm trying not to because Wallace has assured me that he wants to be with me," Hannah said. "I'm not very experienced, and I don't want to lose him. I thought this morning that I'd be extra nice to Jackie. Maybe if we were friends, she wouldn't make a play for Wallace."
Veronica didn't know Hannah very well yet, but she was a sweet girl. She liked her a lot and could feel herself getting angry on Hannah's behalf. When Hannah shared exactly what Jackie said to her, Veronica got very angry. "The girl actually said that to you?"
"Yes. She wasn't very nice," Hannah said. "It was like she thought it was inevitable that Wallace would want her over me. She was pretty clear that if she wanted Wallace there was nothing I could do about it."
Veronica rolled her eyes. "The girl's got a lot of nerve. Too much, in my opinion," Veronica remarked.
Hannah hesitated before asking a tentative, "Uh, Veronica. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Veronica replied.
"Do you think if I had sex with Wallace, he'd quit talking to Jackie?" Hannah asked anxiously.
Now Veronica wanted to do some physical violence. "Hannah, do not use sex to hold onto Wallace or any guy. You deserve better than that! If Wallace is going to be too stupid to see through Jackie's act, then he doesn't deserve a great girl like you!" Veronica said hotly.
"But Wallace is so great, and I really like him a lot," Hannah said woefully. She looked like she was about to cry.
"I know how great Wallace is. He's my best friend. He's also too willing to give people a chance sometime," Veronica said. "Jackie is taking advantage of his good nature. Don't let her push you into doing something you're not ready for."
"Well, having sex with your boyfriend is what you do, right? We'll get to it eventually. Maybe it'll be better if I speed up the time table?" Hannah asked.
"I've been dating Logan longer than you have been with Wallace, and I'm not having sex with him," she said. Not technically she didn't add. "I'd rather you not spread that around."
Hannah was surprised by Veronica's confession, but her words did much to relieve Hannah's mind. "You're not? Really? But he's been with so many girls," Hannah said. Then she turned red in embarrassment. "I'm sorry!"
"Yeah, I know he was a man slut after Lilly died," Veronica said dryly. "We've fooled around a lot. But he loves me. A guy that really loves you doesn't pressure you to do something you're not ready for. If you're a virgin, especially, you don't want to go further than you feel ready. You can only give your virginity away once. You want to make sure it's on a guy that's going to appreciate what you're giving them."
"You don't think Wallace would?"
"I think he would if it's really the right time for the two of you," Veronica said carefully. "However, I don't think Wallace would truly want you to do sleep with him in an attempt to hold onto him. In my experience, if a guy is going to leave you, he will."
"Do you think he is?" Hannah asked, upset.
"No! I wasn't trying to say that. Wallace really likes you. Not only has he told me that, but I can tell," Veronica said. "But if he's giving you mixed signals or you're picking up on real interest on his behalf with Jackie, then you need to slow things down. Not speed them up. In the end, you'll be full of regret and very hurt if things don't work out with you both."
"There she is! The love of my life!" Logan exclaimed as he approached the two of them. He bent down to kiss Veronica hello.
Veronica hugged him, smiling at him with happiness. Hannah couldn't help but feel a bit envious of the obvious bond between them. However, knowing that Veronica hadn't used sex to tie Logan to her made Hannah feel better.
"Thanks for talking to me, Veronica," Hannah said as she turn to walk to her locker.
"Anytime," Veronica said, smiling at her.
"I don't know why you didn't let me pick you up," Logan said as he walked her to her locker.
"I need to stay after school today and work on something," Veronica said.
"World domination?" Logan asked with a grin.
"Maybe," she said airily.
Wallace joined them as he opened his own locker. "Hey, guys," he said.
"Good morning," Veronica said. Then she gave Wallace a fake smile. "So did you have a good time on your non-date with Jackie?"
Logan looked at Wallace with interest. "Non-date?" he asked with interest.
Wallace rolled his eyes. "Don't start on me, Veronica!" Wallace said.
"Logan, would you mind if I had a private chat with Wallace?" Veronica asked, looking at him.
"Go easy on him, bobcat," Logan said with a grin. He kissed Veronica's cheek. "See you in class."
Veronica watched him leave and then turned back to Wallace and said, "You know I had a really interesting chat with your girlfriend a few minutes ago."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes, Jackie made it clear to her this morning that you were hers for the taking, but she hadn't decided if she wanted you yet," Veronica shared.
Wallace looked surprised. "She said that? Really?"
"Unless you think your girlfriend is a liar," Veronica said, trying to gauge how strong Jackie's influence was on Wallace.
"Of course, she's not!"
"Poor Hannah thinks she's going to loose you because she's not aggressive or experienced enough," Veronica said. "Do you care about Hannah?"
"Yes. I like her a lot," Wallace said.
"Then I suggest you cool things between your new pal Jackie. She's trouble, Wallace. Trust me. I know girls like her. I know what she left behind in Boston. She may be trying to have a fresh start here, but she knows you have a girlfriend and still thinks you're free game. What does that say about her?" Veronica wondered. "If you're not careful, you'll lose Hannah and be stuck with Jackie, who will break your heart." She closed her locker and went to class. She hoped Wallace didn't make the wrong choice.
Later when she was in class with him and Jackie, she was happy to see Wallace act cool toward Jackie. Maybe he was thinking about things after all.
At lunch, Wallace quickly found Hannah. "Hey," he said, smiling at her. She gave him a small smile.
"Hi," she said.
"Are you okay? Veronica told me that Jackie upset you this morning," Wallace said.
Hannah got nervous, wondering what else Veronica told her. "Did she tell you anything else?"
"Just that Jackie implied she could have me if she wanted," Wallace said. He reached out and took her hand. "I'm sorry. I guess I've given Jackie mixed signals."
Hannah decided Veronica had a point and pulled back her hand. "Why is that, Wallace? If you want to be with other people, just tell me. Don't lead me on. Don't break my heart," she told him.
Wallace winced, feeling like a jackass. "I'm really sorry. I know I keep saying that, but I am. I didn't mean to hurt you or lead Jackie on. I don't want us to break up," Wallace told her. "Please, give me another chance."
Hannah wanted to believe him, so she nodded. "Okay. But I don't want you spending time with her. She obviously has designs on you. You can't have it both ways," Hannah said. "If you want to be with me, you can't be with her, too. Not even as friends. I don't trust her. And to be honest, I'm not sure I trust you with her."
Wallace nodded. "I guess I understand that," he said. He took her hand again and led her to a lunch table.
Mac walked outside looking for her friends. She saw Dick heading to his truck and hurried to him. "Dick!" she called out. He turned and waited for him.
"What's up?" he asked.
"You tell me," Mac said. "How are you doing? You're not leaving, are you?"
He shrugged. "I'm just not feeling it," Dick said.
"Dick, this is your last year. You want to graduate, don't you?" Mac asked.
"Does it matter? It's not like I have anyone at home that cares about what I do or don't do," he said bitterly.
"Then it's up to you," Mac said. "Your life is your own. Don't ruin it before it's really began."
Dick looked at her silently a moment. "How could things get any worse?" he asked her.
"I don't know," she said. "But do you really want to find out? You may be an 09er, but I don't know if you'll get a free pass anymore in school. Some people are hostile toward your family these days."
"Maybe," Dick conceded. "Do you want to go get some lunch with me?"
Mac felt torn. She knew Dick needed a friend, but she also knew Weevil would be really pissed if she left campus with him. "Why don't you come eat with me and Weevil?" she suggested.
Dick grimaced. "I don't think Weevil really likes me," Dick said.
"He doesn't know you, does he? He's just protective and your comments to Veronica have put his back up," Mac said easily. "He's my boyfriend, Dick. If you and I are going to be friends, you got to get along with him."
Dick sighed in resignation. "Okay," he said. Mac smiled at him and somehow a bit of his gloominess went away.
Mac led Dick to the tables. They sat down next to Logan and Veronica who were reading the newspaper. "More bad news?" Mac asked.
"I guess it depends on your point of view," Veronica said sourly. "I talked to the reporter, Julie Sterling, that did the first article. I answered some questions. Naturally, she considered it an interview and wrote another article about me."
"How did we not know this?" Mac asked, grabbing the paper to read.
"Well, I'm so used to people whispering about me that I didn't think much about the whispers today. Nothing was taped to my locker today, so I didn't pay any attention," Veronica said, rolling her eyes.
"Veronica, got all honest with the reporter," Logan said with a grin. Mac and Dick poured over the news article.
"Wow!" Mac said when she finished reading it. "This is a great article. She managed to get some real stories about things that were done to you last year after your dad was run out of office. She quotes some student who says you got all scary with the payback. She even says you refused to be a victim."
"Yeah, and she paints Veronica out to be a compassionate saint who even forgives her rapist, who is a victim of undeserving abuse himself," Logan said with a smirk. "Saint Veronica. It has a nice ring."
Veronica glared at him. "Don't even start!" she warned.
Dick finally finished reading the article and looked at Veronica. "Do you really mean that? You don't hate my brother?" he asked.
Veronica shrugged. "I don't want to hate anyone, Dick. I've been angry a long time. I feel bad for what your brother went through with the coach, but it wasn't my fault. I don't want to believe you really wanted your brother to rape me, but I honestly don't know," Veronica replied.
Dick looked down at his hands a moment. Then he finally met her eyes. "I just was so lame and so stupid," he said quietly.
Before anyone could say more, Weevil arrived with two pizzas. "One is vegetarian," he said, smiling at Mac. He nodded at Dick as he sat down on Mac's other side.
"Thank you," Mac said smiling at him. She pushed the box of pizza toward Dick, glad that everyone was finally getting along. The changes the group had gone through recently had been difficult for everyone. However, she hoped they could work through it and remain friends. She watched Logan tell Weevil and Dick a story. Both guys were laughing at Logan's tale. Maybe things were going to be okay. She took a bite of her pizza feeling really happy. It was a nice feeling.
******After School******
Meg pulled up to her house and noticed a strange car in her driveway. She went into the house and saw her parents saying goodbye to a woman Meg didn't know. The woman smiled at Meg as she passed her walking out the front door.
"Who was that?" Meg asked curiously.
"How could you?" her mom said hurtfully.
"That woman was from child welfare," her father said grimly. "It seems your half a dozen phone calls to them had finally warranted an investigation."
"Oh," Meg said, taken aback. She had given the nannycam to Duncan, who promised to let his security guy handle things. But she had just given it to him today, so Meg knew they couldn't know yet about everything. "Did she talk to Grace?"
"Of course not! There's no need. Grace is fine!" her father insisted.
"What were you thinking?" her mom asked, upset.
"What was I thinking?" Meg asked, incredulous. "I was thinking that someone needed to put a stop to your archaic and harmful parenting practices."
"You are a foolish, young lady who got herself knocked up. You're the last one to give us advice," her father said harshly.
"I made those calls before I knew how completely deranged you two were," Meg informed them. "I didn't know you were locking her in a crawl space in her closet. But don't worry, I'll make sure someone puts a stop to you. I'll protect Grace."
Her father took an angry step toward and swung his hand, slapping her hard across the face. "You forget yourself! This is our home. I am your father. You won't speak to me like that! Nor will you threaten me!" he exclaimed angrily. "As long as you're living under our roof, you will respect our rules."
Meg's hand went to her throbbing face. Her eyes filled with tears. "Okay," she said. Then she turned to leave. Numbly, she went to her room and shut the door. Then she went to her closet and got out her luggage and began to pack.
When she was done, she walked to her sister's room and told her what had happened. "I can't stay here, Liz," she told her sister. "I don't want to leave Grace, but I have to think of my baby. I don't trust them. They can't get their hands on my child."
Lizzie nodded. "We need to call Aunt Becky and tell her what's going on. Maybe she can help," Lizzie said.
"I will. Duncan's got some things in the works to help, too. We'll protect Grace. They'll be stopped," she vowed.
"I will take care of her," Lizzie said. She'd always been so jealous of her perfect sister. Now that she'd gotten pregnant, it was so much easier for Lizzie to not resent her. It was good to know her sister wasn't so perfect after all.
Meg hugged her and then went over to Grace's room. She frowned to see her sister sitting on her bed studying a note card full of Bible scriptures. It wouldn't bother her so much if her sister was allowed to have some fun. Her parents wouldn't even let her watch television anymore.
"Grace, I wanted to let you know that I'm moving out. I'm going to go stay with Duncan. We're going to have a baby," she said gently as she sat down on her sister's bed.
"Are you getting married?" her sister asked.
"I don't know. Maybe someday. You should be married before you have a baby, but you don't have to be," Meg answered frankly. "I'm going to miss you so much."
Grace looked a bit sad and lost, but she just stared solemnly at her. "Don't go," she said softly.
Meg had to fight the guilt and tears at her sister's words. "I'll come back to visit you. I promise. You know I love you so much, right?" she asked.
Grace nodded. "I love you, too," she replied.
"You know it's not right to tell lies, right?" Meg said.
Again, Grace nodded. "It makes God angry and the angels cry," she said.
Meg grimaced a bit at the indoctrination. "Well, I want you to remember that if anyone comes to visit you and asks you questions. You must always answer truthfully. Even if you're afraid. Okay?" Meg prompt. She knew it was only a matter of time before Grace was questioned.
"Okay," Grace said.
"If someone asks you questions about things Mom and Dad make you do, I want you to be honest and tell them, okay? You can't lie," Meg urged.
"I won't," Grace said simply.
Meg hugged her tightly, trying not to cry. Then she got up. "Goodbye, sweetie. I'll see you soon. I promise," she said. She walked to her room and grabbed her backpack and purse and make-up bag. She decided to carry it to her car first, hoping to avoid notice. Her dad was in his study, so she was able to get back to her room unseen. She grabbed the carry-on bag and the suitcase handle and started dragging it down the hall.
Her sister Lizzie came out of her room and took the handle. "I'll help," she said. The two girls almost made it to the front door when her mom came out of the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"You and Dad made it clear that if I'm going to stay here I need to shut up and simply obey," Meg said. "It's not going to happen. I'm not going to let you keep abusing Grace or let Dad slap me anytime I say something he doesn't like."
"Stewart!" her mom called out. Her dad appeared.
Meg and Lizzie exchanged weary glances. Meg should've known it wouldn't be so easy.
"Your daughter is leaving," her mom said flatly.
"If you walk out that door, don't think about coming back! Not even to see your sisters," her dad said harshly.
"You can't keep my sisters from me!" Meg said angrily.
"Watch us," her dad said determinedly.
Meg nodded. "Okay. That's how you want to play it. Remember this moment when you lose everything," she said. Then she opened the front door and walked out.
Ten minutes later, she rang Duncan's doorbell. He opened it and looked surprised to see her at his door with luggage. As soon as she saw him, she put down her bags and threw her arms around him and began to cry.
Duncan put his arms around her, trying to comfort her. Meg hadn't quite forgiven him for his waffling. However, she needed him. No one had ever really needed him before. He liked being able to take care of someone for a change. He'd not been able to do that with his sister or with Veronica. Duncan was determined to be better with Meg. He ushered her inside his house, feeling confident that he could, for once, be what she needed.
******Chapter End*****
I know this chapter focused more on other characters than LoVe, but I hope you still liked it! Most of you voted that you wanted Jackie to be bad, so don't be surprised when you want to slap her! ;) Let me know your thoughts by taking a minute to review!. Thanks so much!
