Episode 61: Scene Four
"You okay, Kate?"
Kate was snapped out of her pensive state. She blinked in Zach's direction before her facial features finally relaxed and her grip loosened on his hand. For a moment there, she had mistaken him for the cause of her troublesome mood. "Yeah, I guess."
"Oh, come on. I can tell that something's wrong. Don't you feel you can tell me?"
"Zach, don't even get like that. You know that I trust you and would tell you anything...well, almost anything. Look, let's talking about something else," Kate hurried to change the subject.
"Okay," Zach thought for a second. "Hey, have you seen your mom lately?"
"More than I'd like to. I haven't the slightest idea as to why she's hanging around here instead of going back home. She still has that insane idea that we can't be together. I wish she'd just get over it and move on."
"Yeah, I know. What's strange is that my parents have no problem with it whatsoever. They aren't too fond of your parents, but they said that that's no reason to hold anything against you."
Kate sighed and swung Zach's hand with hers. "I wish my parents were more like yours. They can be so judgemental at times. My mom, especially."
"I say we just forget about them. Who cares what they think?"
"Amen, brother!" Kate giggled. She began skipping along the sands of the beach, filled with the bliss of one without a care in the world. For a time she was forgetting the strange message and everything else.
Zach could only half-hop along with her. He didn't want to look stupid skipping through the sand as Kate was, but he didn't want to disappoint her either. "Okay, you have officially lost it."
"Hey! Is that a nice thing to say to your girlfriend?"
"If my girlfriend would quit acting like she were still in preschool, I wouldn't have to."
"Oh, hush," Kate grumbled, but she wasn't down for long. "I need to go back home to get my mail. Do you want to stay here or wait for me to come back? I'll go and be back in no time at all."
"All right," Zach conceded reluctantly. "Be back soon."
"I will!"
Kate ran up the hill to the back of the girls' dormitory and into the front area. The postal counter was deserted except for the required attendant. Kate leaned up on the counter and said, "Kate Dermont, please."
"Student ID," the attendant called for sharply.
Kate produced her ID, which sent the man lounging off to open her mailbox. Kate waited impatiently while he retrieved her mail. When he returned with a single letter, she took it and thanked him, though he offered no response or sign of appreciation for the thanks. She tore the thin white envelope open and unfolded the small, yellow-lined notebook paper. All of the light went out of her face.
There, on the sheet of paper, was the word "coming," and below it were the words "get you" which appeared twice right next to one another. Kate had received another message from her unknown "admirer."