Indigo (35 page)

We wave goodbye, and then we’re back on the road to school. We keep the conversation on the drive light, as if we’re both avoiding talking about anything more serious. Well, I’m avoiding it. I’m sure Kennedy is just doing it for my sake. We’re about an hour from school when my phone rings. I see that it’s Sabrina and I groan out loud.

“She’s going to kill me. She’s texted me all weekend and I haven’t answered back. Some friend I am.”

I pick it up. “Sabrina, I’m so sorry.”

“Indigo. What’s going on? Are you okay?” Her voice sounds relieved and frantic at the same time. I almost ask her if
she’s
okay.

“I’m fine, I ended up going home for a few days, there were a couple things I had to take care of. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you--”

“I got so worried when I saw the cop outside! I was coming to see you since you haven’t been answering my texts and freaked when I saw him parked in front of the dorm. I hadn’t heard from you so obviously I thought the worst!”

“Wait, there a cop outside my dorm?”

Kennedy snaps his head over to look at me, his face worried. “What cops?”

“So I went inside to investigate obviously,” she continues, ignoring my question. “I was able to sneak in when some of the senior guys were leaving. I went up to your room and the cop was closing your door as if he was just leaving. I couldn’t believe it! He had some sort of contraption in his hand, it looks like what you had on your window. I was so scared! What’s going on Indigo?”

I feel the blood drain from my face. “I don’t know.”

She continues talking in my ear, but I can’t make out a word she’s saying. Why was there a cop in my room? Did someone find out where I am?

Kennedy and Sabrina are both talking at me, and without words, I hand him the phone.

“Sabrina what the hell is going on?”

The car is silent as I hear Sabrina retell her story. I’m looking out the window, but I can barely see anything. I hear him hang up the phone a minute later, and step on the gas.

KENNEDY

When we pull up to Indigo’s dorm, we both jump out of the car and run towards the building. I throw her behind my back as we climb the stairs, knowing there probably isn’t a threat, but wanting to be prepared for any scenario.

The halls are quiet. There doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary going on. Maybe Sabrina was mistaken?

Indigo is hot on my heels as we walk up to her door.

“Let me go in first,” I tell her, holding my hand out for her keys. She doesn’t hesitate and gives them to me instantly. “Well, whoever was in here had sense enough to lock it when they were done.”

When I open the door and peer inside, the first thing I notice is that the device I installed on her window is gone. I tell Indigo to stay by the door while I check all of her usual places, and nothing besides the window looks different to me.

“I hope this isn’t the reason they came in here,” I mutter, testing the window frame to check it’s still solid. “I’ll make you something else, don’t worry.”

When I turn back to Indigo, she’s pressed up against the door, her face as white as a sheet. I get up immediately and go to her. “I don’t want you to be scared, we’re going to find out why they took away your shutters. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

She’s not looking at me, her eyes focused on something over my shoulder. I try and follow her gaze, and she passes by me walking as if she’s a zombie. “Indigo, what is it?”

She climbs up onto her bed, reaches under her pillow and feels around with both hands. Shadows pass through her eyes, and next thing I know she’s bounding out of her bed toward the bathroom. I hear a few drawers slam, and then a curse I’ve never heard from her mouth before. I’m just following her into the bathroom when she runs out and heads towards her dresser. Putting her hand behind it, she moves it up down and around, and when I guess she again comes up empty she runs a rough hand through her hair. “They’re gone.”

Worried, I run over to her. “What’s gone? What were you looking for?”

“All my weapons, they’re gone. Whoever was in here must have taken them.”

She’s trembling, so I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. Her arms lock around my waist, grabbing me to her, as if she can’t get close enough. I try and soothe her the best way I know how. “I’m going to figure out what happened in here. And then I’m going to buy you all the weapons you want.”

She nods against my stomach, but then freezes when her phone rings. It’s coming from her back pocket, and after three rings go by, I wonder if she plans on even answering it. When she reaches behind her and pulls it out, we both hold our breath. It could be anybody, her mom or Sabrina, but the timing has me feeling that it isn’t either of the two.

We both glance at the screen, see that it’s an unsaved number, and when she puts the phone to her ear I lean in to listen.

“Hello?”

“Indigo, is that you?”

“Who is this?

“It’s Ellen Lincoln, the Dean of Students.”

My stomach drops to my toes when I hear the caller identify herself, and my heart starts racing so fast that I physically have to take a step backwards. My mother is on the phone with Indigo. Could she have had something to do with this? Indigo’s eyes narrow, as if she is thinking the same thing. To my horror, she puts the phone on speaker.

“What can I do for you?”

“Indigo, there is something very serious I’d like to discuss with you. I need you to come down to my office immediately.”

Indigo puts a hand on her chest to calm her breathing. “Were you in my room?”

A pause on the line. “We will discuss all once you get here--“

“No! I want to know right now, were you in my room today?”

“I wasn’t personally, no.” I can hear my mom trying to hold on to her temper. “I sent over campus security, who felt it was necessary to bring a police escort, to do a thorough search of your room.”

“Why? Why would someone search my room?”

“I don’t think this is appropriate conversation for a phone call. There’s a lot we need to go over. Rules of this campus that you need to be aware of.“

“Why was someone searching my room?!” She looks at me and shakes her head in bewilderment. I can only stare back at her, feeling like my world is about to crash in all around me.

Another pause. “A couple of hours ago I got wind that you were wandering around campus in the dead of night with a weapon in your hand. Whether it was true or not, it is under the guidelines that we have every right to do a search of your room. We don’t allow weapons on Fairbanks campus, and under the circumstances, I am willing to hear your explanation and then go over the rules and regulations that yes, even you have to follow in order to ensure safety for all students.”

Indigo looks utterly stunned for a moment, but when her eyes meet mine, I know she is remembering the night she came over to my room during the storm, knife in hand.

“Unfortunately it was reported to me that several different kinds of weapons were found in your room. I need to know why, and I need to know if you were indeed walking around campus with one?”

Indigo sounds strangled when she responds, and sits down slowly on the bed. “I don’t feel safe without them. And yes, when it’s dark outside, I won’t go out without protection.”

My mom sighs into the phone, and I can picture her pinching the bridge of her nose. It strikes me full force what a mess I’ve gotten myself into, what a mess it’s going to be when I tell Indigo about what my exact relationship with the Dean really is. I’m a fucking idiot.

“Come down here, and let’s discuss this further. Are you available now?”

Indigo nods, “Yes. I’ll come down.”

They hang up the phone and I feel like I’m doing to be sick, knowing what I have to do.

“I really hate that woman.”

I wince, and then join her on the bed. She’s reaching into her other pocket, and pulling out a jackknife. “This is the only one I’ve got left now,” Her eyes travel towards the window, noting the loss of the contraption I made her. “And my bow and arrow.”

“We’ll get you more, but Indigo, listen--“

She gains her feet suddenly, and crawls into my lap. “Kennedy, you have to stay here with me. When you’re around, I feel so much better, better than if I had 1,000 knives. I forget almost everything when you’re here. Promise you’ll sleep with me. Please tell me you won’t leave.”

I breathe heavily, staring into her eyes. A blue storm, and her lips just inches from mine.

“I need you,” she tells me. “I need you here. I trust you.”

Her words cut me deep, and I picture her alone here, without any protection, and it fills me with fear. How can I leave her now? How can I leave her alone, and force her to face everything by herself? I can’t. She needs me. No one has ever needed me like she does, and I’m not going to let her down. And just like that I’ve convinced myself out of telling her about my mom. Again.

“I’m here for you. I’m always here for you.”

INDIGO

I’m in a pretty terrible mood when I leave the Dean’s office, and knowing I’ll see Kennedy later, I end up calling Sabrina to see if she wants to grab dinner. I feel bad that I haven’t spent time with her in a few days, and I want to thank her for warning me about someone being in my room.

When I get to the cafeteria she’s already there, and we don’t really talk until we’ve both gotten our food and are settled in our usual seats by the door.

“So it was the Dean who called the police and had them search your room? Why would she ever do that?”

I look at my plate, a little ashamed. “During the storm, I totally freaked out and ended up walking over to Kennedy’s in the middle of the night. I brought a knife for protection, and I guess someone, or a few people, saw me and thought I was crazy or something.”

Sabrina’s eyes narrow. “So she sent someone into your room to look for your knives? While you weren’t there?”

I nod. “They took all my weapons. And my shutters Kennedy made for me. Apparently there’s a strict no weapons rule on campus that not even Indigo Olsen can work her way around. And apparently she thought the window cover was a fire hazard.”

“That woman is the worst! How does she expect us girls to protect ourselves? I’m partial to mace myself but you should be able to carry whatever makes you feel safe.”

I smile, thankful for Sabrina’s loyalty. “I just heard an hour lecture about how safe the campus is. And how I shouldn’t have any concerns because security is over prepared. I was going to mention the picture in the paper at the end, but really just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.”

“Yeah. College Campuses have a huge reputation for being safe.” She rolls her eyes. “I still think it’s wrong how she just waltzed into your room like that. Sort of how she just took authority with the picture. How is that supposed to make you feel safe?”

“I know, I’m trying not to think about it.”

“Are you going to be okay?”

I look in both directions, and then slip the pocket knife from my jeans. “She hasn’t learned all my secrets.”

“That’s my girl!” Sabrina laughs and then when she calms down, eyes me thoughtfully. “And not just my girl. What the hell is up with you and Kennedy? Spill it. I can’t believe you already took him home with you to meet mom!”

I can’t help the grin that overtakes my face. “We like each other.”

“Understatement of the year!”