CHAPTER 6
THE PAID DATE
The security guard guided the two toward the V.I.P. entrance, and a shiny golden lanyard was given to the two of them. This allowed them to skip to the front of the line on any ride. Freya pulled Reighley towards her and pulled out her phone readying to take a picture of the two.
“I have to post on SocialLight since I haven’t today,” Freya said.
“Hey, what if my family finds out!?” Reighley panicked.
“I’ve seen your phone. There is no way that ‘that’ ancient technology would be able to use SocialLight.” Reighley reluctantly nodded in agreement. Freya took the photo of the two together. Freya was posing, holding her fingers up as a peace sign, while Reighley looked awkward and uncomfortable.
“Hey, let’s retake it. Make sure to smile.” The two attempted to take another ten photographs before Freya got a little upset from them all looking like she was holding Reighley hostage.
“Are you doing this on purpose?” Freya asked sternly.
“No! I just don’t get my picture taken often. I hate photos of myself.” Reighley said
“Why?” She asked.
“That’s kind of hard to explain.” Reighley couldn’t tell her the reason why. Reighley had trouble looking at himself, whether that be in a photo or the mirror. He became incredibly talented at being able to avoid his own gaze in a reflection. The last time he had looked himself in the eye was after the incident in middle school. Freya decided not to press him further as she didn’t want to push him away.
“Very well. You can tell me eventually.”
Freya didn’t delete the photos she took with Reighley, even if they looked questionable. She thought he looked cute in them. She sent a few of them to Destiny.
Freya: On a date with Reighley. (Photos Attached.)
Destiny: Geez, Freya! What on earth happened to him? He looks like he’s being held there against his own will. Does he have shackles on his feet just underframe?
Freya: No! He just doesn’t like his photo taken, but I plan on getting the perfect candid picture of him today. One I can keep as my wallpaper.
Destiny: I’ve never seen you do that before. You must really like this guy, huh?
Freya: Oh, whatever. I still plan on dumping him after a month. My parents would never allow me to marry someone of his social status.
Destiny: (Picture of someone's ankles with shackles on) “@Reighley”
Freya: LOL
Freya knew Destiny was technically right. She had never had one of her exes’ photos as her wallpaper, even while dating. She wasn’t sure about the other comment, however. Freya wondered if she did have feelings for him. She honestly didn’t know. She had never been in love before and wasn’t sure what that was like.
Reighley waited patiently for Freya to finish.
“So, what do you want to do first?” Reighley asked.
“Roller coaster. I want to ride all the roller coasters.” Freya replied. Reighley looked at her aura which once was a giant billboard sign. It became multiple tiny black arrows pointing towards a multitude of directions that he only assumed were where roller coasters were located. Reighley thought to himself that his ability to see what she wanted would be pretty useful on their dates. He was sure many guys would be incredibly jealous to know exactly what their girlfriends wanted.
“All right. Lead the way.” Reighley said. He thought he could probably find them all too using Freya’s arrows, but he hadn’t been here before so he didn’t want to draw suspicion for himself. The two made their way to several roller coasters, some had loop-the-loops, others had you get inside while the coaster started upside down. Skipping the line had Reighley get deadly glares from some of the people waiting in line. Although, he could tell that some of them were because of who he was with. The security guard stayed nearby preventing anyone from going up to talk to Freya. During the rides, Reighley looked over at Freya and saw how excited she got from the coasters. It was like she was in an adrenaline rush. Afterward, she would regain her composure and act ladylike.
“You really like these rides, don't you?” Reighley said out of breath. He would get exhausted fairly quickly from the heights, and loops, as his heart could only take so much.
“Yes, they are quite grand. My father owns this entire park, so of course he would make the perfect coasters.” Freya looked over at Reighley and saw him leaning over in exhaustion.
“Okay, you pick the next thing. I’ll give you a short break for now.” She said with a wink. Time and time again Reighley kept on getting surprised. She was quite considerate, even if it was only an obligation for dragging him along.
“You know, you’re pretty sweet,” Reighley said.
“Ah, thank you.” Freya didn’t know why, but even though she would receive thousands of compliments daily, through her maids and followers on SocialLight, this one meant more than all of those combined. Reighley smiled and stood up straight.
“All right. Mr. Security Guard, do you know of any horror attractions here?” Reighley asked. He loved horror. His favorite series of books growing up was a horror series called Quiver. A collection of individual tales of obscure and odd things happening. Usually supernatural.
“Ah, yes. I would recommend the Hall of Shadows. Also, my name is Richard.” The guard replied.
“Okay lead the way, Mr. Security Guard,” Freya said. Richard wanted to correct her but feared losing his job. He knew exactly how scary Mr. Young was and didn’t want to enrage his daughter, even by accident. Meanwhile, Lily was occupied keeping all those who wanted to interact with Freya at bay. She would swiftly interrupt any attempt of a fan to get close to Freya. She even asked Herald for help. The two secretly informed the severity of the situation to the security team, and how jobs were on the line if this date didn’t go smoothly. The entire security team at the park then assembled and made an effort to keep all fans away from Freya and Reighley.
“I didn’t realize being famous could be such a pain.” Reighley said while watching a man holding a sign that said ‘I Love You’ on it be dragged away.
“It’s not that bad. Being worshiped by people has its perks.” Soon the two arrived at the Hall of Shadows. It was a black tent with a sheet thick enough to block out all sunlight covering the outside. The two entered the darkness only to be met by a strange figure surrounded by fake plastic candles standing behind a desk. Behind her were four doors that led into what can only be assumed as the hall of shadows.
“Welcome to my domain!” A woman in a vampire costume said. “To gain the treasure at the end one must put the blindfold of courage on and be placed in the center of the maze to start. Once you're inside you may remove the blindfold and attempt your escape.”
“Sounds like fun,” Reighley said while looking at Freya who seemed uneasy.
“Oh, but it is not! No mere mortal can escape the Hall of Shadows!” The vampire replied. Reighley could see an aura around the vampire girl. It appeared to be a red color indicating how serious this woman was taking her role.
“So what do you say, Freya?” Reighley asked.
“Let’s do it,” Freya replied. Deep down she was fairly scared. The reason this scared her, and extreme sports did not, was because with sports she had full control over most situations. Her own life was in her hands. However, with things like ghosts, she couldn’t pepper spray a ghost or karate chop it. It wasn’t like she carried a vacuum with her at all times either to suck the ghosts up, though in retrospect that didn’t appear to be a bad idea to her. She could have sworn she had seen that in a game once.
The Vampire woman tied a piece of red cloth to Freya, and then to herself and then Reighley and Freya put on their blindfolds and held hands.
“I will guide you to the start. However, it is up to you to escape the maze!” The vampire said. “Once inside please locate your exit signs and enjoy!” After a short walk, the two were placed in the middle of a dark room. The vampire told them to wait to remove their blindfolds and to stay put. A few minutes later a voice was heard over an intercom.
“You may remove your blindfolds of courage!” The Vampire said. The two took off their blindfolds only to see a confusing scene. The floor was painted with glow-in-the-dark arrows pointing in many directions. The floor also had light paths dimly illuminating the area. Reighley tried to follow one only to bump into a wall.
“Ouch!” Reighley said after his face hit the wall. Reighley then began to panic as he had just realized what he got himself into. The hall of shadows was a hall of mirrors.
“Are you okay?” Freya asked. She was concerned.
“Yeah, I am...” Reighley answered anxiously.
“Are you sure? You don’t sound like it.” Freya replied. The hall of shadows wasn’t nearly as bad as she expected, but she could tell that something was definitely wrong with Reighley. He fell apart, with his head looking towards the ground and knees bent. He couldn’t bring himself to move. Eisoptrophobia. The fear of mirrors. More accurately in Reighley’s case, it was the fear of his self-image. The mere thought that Reighley could see his own aura in a reflection, filled him with so much anxiety that it made him sick to his stomach. He could barely breathe.
“I can’t… ” Reighley said, gasping for air.
“Hey! What’s wrong?” Freya said while bending down. She began to panic. To her, it looked like he was having a panic attack after he bumped into the mirror. It was dark but the lights on the floor allowed her to see Reighley. She noticed that Reighley had his eyes sealed shut. He needed help and she was the only one there.
“Just hang on. I’ll get you out of here.” Freya said.
“I can’t open my eyes!” Reighley said.
“It’s okay. You can keep them shut. I’ll get you out of here.” She replied. Freya took Reighley’s hand and carefully helped him up. Reighley had no choice but to trust Freya. He held on tightly and didn’t dare let go. After ten minutes went by of Freya leading Reighley, the two finally escaped the hall of mirrors through a door, only to enter into an elongated pitch-black hallway. From the other end of the hallway was a loud buzzing sound that pushed a breeze at the two.
“Hey, we’re out now. You’re safe.” Freya said. Reighley paused nervously and slowly opened his eyes. Reighley looked behind him and saw a dimly lit glowing outlined door. In front of him was darkness. The door didn’t illuminate anything past eight feet. Realizing it was safe Reighley collapsed against the door, with his back leaning on it. He slid down the wooden exterior and ended up on the floor. Freya looked at him with concern.
“Just let me catch my breath for a second,” Reighley said.
“It’s okay, take your time,” Freya replied. Silence fell upon the two for a minute until Freya decided to ask about the hall of mirrors. “So what happened back there?”
“I… don’t do mirrors,” Reighley answered. “Well, to put it more accurately. I don't like looking at myself.”
“Well, you were just fine when we took photos,” Freya told
“That was different. I know I won't like what I see. I’ve gotten good at not looking directly at myself in the mirror.” Reighley said. Freya bent down so she was face to face with Reighley. She used her hand to lift his head to the same level as her own.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“I don’t know what you see in you, but you look great to me,” Freya said with a smile. Reighley froze and the last of his anxiety dripped away. Her aura was small and pointed at his heart. Unsure what to say, he blushed from the comment and turned away from Freya.
“It’s not the same,” Reighley whispered, completely red. The two stood back up and Reighley took a deep breath. “Okay… I think I’m good now.” Freya couldn’t help but wonder how Reighley ended up afraid of his reflection but decided to leave it at that. “Thank you,” Reighley said as he took Freya’s hand. “Just so we don’t get separated, all right?”
“Oh, all right…” Freya blushed. The two continued forward into the darkness.
“Ahhh!” Freya screamed. From the shadows were cloth streamers pitch black. They were completely hidden from the two. However, the strong breeze was blowing the cloth in their direction. It felt like the darkness was reaching out and enveloping the two. When this happened Freya let go of Reighley and jumped back. Reighley stopped and turned around looking toward Freya’s silhouette.
“What’s wrong?” Reighley asked.
“Something touched me. I don't like it!” Freya answered. Reighley realized that the tough cool exterior that Freya had fell apart.
“Are you scared of ghosts?” Reighley asked.
“Maybe…” She replied. Reighley thought it was cute, but decided not to give her any trouble for it since she had just saved him from his worst nightmare.
“Here, hold onto me,” Reighley said
“Wait, what?” Freya answered. Reighley grabbed Freya’s hands and placed them on his chest. He then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
“Just hang on. I’ll get you out of here.” Reighley said.
“Copycat,” Freya muttered, embarrassed. Reighley began to walk backward into the darkness while holding onto Freya. He acted like a shield from the cloth and the breeze. Freya's heart couldn’t help but race. She was so close to him. Too close. She could smell his scent, and feel the warmth from his body. All her fears washed away. She felt truly safe in his arms. She hadn’t felt something like this since she was a little girl. The two made their way through the darkness. To Reighley, it felt like the walls were closing in on him as the cloth got denser. However, this wasn’t remotely close to as bad as the hall of mirrors made him feel. Soon the two arrived on the other side of the veil at the end of the hall. Freya looked up at Reighley who was looking back. He looked into her beautiful blue eyes and got lost in them for a moment. Freya’s aura was surrounding him like before, but instead of entangling him, it embraced him gently. It was telling her that she felt comfortable like this.
It had finally dawned on Reighley, what he was doing. He was on a date with an incredibly beautiful girl that was clinging to him. He quickly let go, but Freya did not. He thought her eyes were dangerous. Looking at them was like looking at a beautiful blue gem found at the bottom of the ocean. They were a deep sunken treasure. He always thought she was pretty, but that didn’t make him nervous until now.
“You can let go now…” Reighley asked politely. Freya let go and stepped back. The two finally realized that they were being watched by a couple of people. They made it to the end of the attraction and out of the other end of the tent. The two were completely embarrassed by the display they put on for everyone else, and awkwardly left the area.
“Sorry, you had to see me like that back there.” Reighley apologized.
“It’s okay. Thanks for keeping me safe.” Freya said.
“You're welcome,” Reighley replied.
Meanwhile, while the two were in the hall of shadows, the security guard team at Distracto Land switched into outfits to blend in as civilians. Officer Templeton was standing at the top of the skyscraper that was the Moon Launcher ride. A towering machine that launched groups of people strapped in, several hundred feet in the air, and then back down to give them the sense of falling. Templeton had a camera in hand, taking photos of the date to bring back to his boss Mr. Young. Templeton was determined to expose Reighley for who he "really" was.
The couple were walking towards the Ferris Wheel to relax a bit after the intense attractions they experienced. While they made their way there, the two stopped for ice cream. During this time, a man attempted a stealthy leap toward Freya.
“Freya, Marr-” The man was abruptly snatched mid-jump by Lily and the security team and taken behind an alley. It was almost as if the man disappeared out of thin air.
“Did you hear that?” Reighley asked
“Whatever are you talking about?” Freya answered. She knew the situation was most likely a crazed fan. However, this happened often and she didn’t want Reighley’s guard to raise, both emotionally and physically. The two arrived at the Ferris Wheel and once again skipped the line thanks to their pass. Reighley looked at those waiting in envy and couldn’t help but feel guilty. He knew what it was like in their shoes as he too should be waiting in line like the rest. It made him wonder why Freya even chose him in the first place. He was grateful for it since it was a relatively easy income, but he wondered if it was just pure luck or if there was another motivation behind it.
The two entered the Ferris Wheels pod and sat down across from each other. Freya thought that overall today went fairly well. She would have to thank Lily for making the date go smoothly. It was 4:00 p.m. and she planned on returning Reighley home on time for dinner so she would be in the good graces of his sister. Then it occurred to her. Why did she care what his sister thought about her? If she planned on leaving him after a month, then she should have no reason to get invested. She pondered this thought but couldn’t find an answer.
“Well, how did I do?” Reighley asked. “I mean as your boyfriend. I’m sure you’ve had plenty in the past.”
“Well that is true but, this is my first official date,” Freya answered as the wheel began to turn, lifting the two enough for the next group of people to switch out in the pod just under them.
“Really? I would have thought a pretty girl like you, who could have anything she ever wanted, would have wanted to go on a date.” Reighley said, confused. Freya was overjoyed to hear the word “pretty” come from Reighley’s mouth. It truly was a mission success. She finally got her answer. Beauty was half the battle, however, it still didn’t sit right with her. Out of all the adjectives he could have used to describe her, she felt “pretty” was somewhat of an insult. He could have said beautiful, gorgeous, or “the prettiest girl in the world”. “Pretty” alone just wasn’t enough to satisfy her, but it would have to suffice for the time being.
“There aren’t many guys out there worth dating, in all honesty,” Freya replied.
“So then why me? I’m not special, and I definitely don’t have money, so why?” Reighley asked.
“Because I couldn’t have you and I always get what I want. Desperate times, call for desperate measures.” Freya said honestly. Reighley felt slightly sickened by the answer, but it made sense and he was glad she was at least honest about it. However, it stung a bit, knowing he was disposable to her.
“I see…” Reighley answered. At this point, the two were halfway to the top of the wheel and Reighley looked out towards the crowd below and then surveyed the landscape. Freya got nervous from the silence.
"Did I say the wrong thing?" She thought. She was the one who told him she would make him fall in love with her in only a single month. She thought being truthful was the correct course of action. Freya looked at Reighley and thought this was the perfect time to get herself a candid picture of him, so she took out her phone and took a picture stealthily. The photo was surreal. It had a melancholy feeling to it, like a memory captured in time. While looking at the photo she couldn’t help but think back to the Hall of Shadows, and how Reighley panicked at the mere thought of seeing his reflection. “Was he the real vampire here? What kind of life does someone have to live to be that insecure with themselves?” She wondered. Freya felt like he had too many emotions that had been bottled up and needed to be let out.
The silence lingered until the two reached the apex of the Ferris Wheel, only to abruptly stop once again. Reighley looked back over at Freya, the wind blowing in her hair. Reighley thought it was something out of a movie. He thought it was too bad she wasn’t as nice as she looked or he might actively try to pursue her. He noticed her aura was almost riveting. It was as if she had nine elusive and aloft tails with the shape of an arrowhead coming behind her. All of which were pointing toward him. It was a captivating sight to behold. To him she looked like a mythical creature heard in fairytales, but real and only a few feet away. She was a complete mystery to him. It was like he was stranded out at sea, only to discover that there was a deep bottomless ocean below. He was a mere step from drowning.
“Just who is Freya Young?” Reighley asked.
“What do you mean?” Freya questioned.
“I know nothing about you. We are complete strangers, and yet here I am on a date with a girl I don’t know. If you really plan on making me fall for you, I think getting to know you better would be a good start.” Freya didn’t know why, but to her, it felt like Reighley was giving her a hint to gain access to his heart. Meanwhile, the Ferris Wheel began to spin in full motion as there were no more passengers to load or unload.
“Well, I am a famous, beautiful, talented, rich, multi-billion dollar girl,” Freya said with a smug expression.
“I already knew that,” Reighley replied. He couldn’t help but scoff at how conceded she sounded with that comment regardless if it was true or not.
“Well, my father owns Slowsoft and I am the eventual heir to the company,” Freya said proudly.
“Okay, but I kind of figured that one out on my own,” Reighley replied.
“Fine, ask me a question, since you know everything apparently,” Freya said, annoyed.
“Back on the roller coasters, you were like a completely different person. Your face looked like someone who truly was living life to the fullest. What was up with that?” He asked.
“Extreme sports…” Freya muttered.
“What?” Reighley asked.
“I do extreme sports, okay? I do it because it makes me feel alive, but you absolutely cannot tell my family.”
“Wait seriously?” Reighley asked, confused.
“I keep it a secret from them, even though I occasionally live stream myself sometimes doing it. There is something about the risk involved that gets my blood running.” Freya answered. Reighley was blown away completely. When he asked to know more about her he didn’t expect to learn that she was an adrenaline junky of sorts. He figured she would have said she was into modeling or something similar. He thought she would tell him that roller coasters made her feel like she wasn’t some peppy princess and could let loose and not worry about things just for a little bit.
“Well, I didn’t know that,” Reighley said sarcastically. “You just keep on surprising me.”
“Well, is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Freya asked.
“It keeps things interesting, at the very least,” Reighley answered. The two began to talk about Freya’s hobby until the end of the ride. Reighley discovered her passion for doing dangerous things and couldn’t exactly wrap his head around it. Roller coasters alone were enough to make him fatigued. He couldn’t even begin to imagine himself skydiving, ice climbing, or even hang gliding.
Finally, the Ferris Wheel came to a halt, and it was time to exit the ride. Freya could have easily just asked her father to let her have the park all to herself allowing her and Reighley to spend the entire day alone together with the exception of the security, but feared that would make the date even more artificial than it already was. The two stepped out of the pod and Freya informed Reighley that it was time to head home.
The two walked back towards the entrance and on their way a group of three female students from Gilford High School spotted the couple. One of the students took a photo of the two from a distance and began to gossip about Freya and her love life to the other two. One of the girls in the group was Samira Tempest.
“We should totally post this on SocialLight. I’m sure the school would go crazy knowing Freya Young had an official boyfriend.” The girl who took the photo said with an almost greed-filled grin. This girl's name was Yula Figthorn. She had green highlights in her hair, was a second-year student, and was a member of class 2-D.
“Yeah, and that boy she’s with must be a real catch if he got with her. Maybe we could try and steal him away.” The other girl said. This student’s name was Matilda Key. She had half black and white hair split right down the middle of her scalp, was also a second-year student, and was a member of class 2-D.
“We should give them their privacy!” Samira said sternly. She was surprised to see who Freya was with. From what she could tell, Reighley had no idea Freya even existed on his first day of school. So she wasn’t sure why he would be on a date with Freya. Even though their meeting was brief, Samira couldn’t forget the first impression he left on her. Soon after Reighley showed Samira the cat he rescued she couldn’t believe the rumors that were being spread around school about him. His eyes were too kind to be some criminal. He already had it rough enough from what she could tell. “Look, I dislike Freya just as much as the two of you, but we should at least respect Reighley’s privacy.”
“Why? Who cares? He is a lost cause all things considered, especially if he ended up with that wench.” Yula said with a shrug.
“I’m not so sure. The whole ‘bad boy’ thing is pretty hot.” Matilda said.
“I won’t allow it!” Samira exclaimed, stepping towards Yula. “We ‘ALL’ know very well the full extent of being harassed by Gilford Academy. That boy had nothing to do with that, so we should just leave him out of it.” Samira’s sense of justice was compelling to the two girls. Samira had a heart of gold, and her friends knew that. She prided herself on doing what was right even in trifling times. It was that exact reason Yula and Matilda became friends with her.
Yula saw the fire in her eyes. She was serious. It was the same as when she first met Samira. How she could keep herself like that was a mystery to her, but she couldn’t help but give in to her demands.
“Geez! I get it. You don’t have to yell okay? I won’t post the photo.”
When Samira shouted, Reighley caught wind of it. He looked over and recognized one of the three girls. Samira looked back at him and their eyes interlocked. Reighley could see that her aura was different from the day prior. The once light green, soft, and gentle breeze was now an intense pressure on his shoulders. It was like her conviction had weight to it. When she realized he spotted her the aura’s pressure let up. Reighley was about to raise his hand and say hi to Samira when Freya stepped in front of him.
“Don’t bother giving that trailer trash attention,” Freya said, filled with jealousy. For the first time, Reighley didn’t recognize Freya. She looked almost sinister with her intent being abundantly clear. Her aura blocked out the world around the two. It encompassed them, filling the space with pitch-black darkness. Reighley knew what this meant. Freya wanted complete control over who he was allowed to see.
“What?” Reighley asked.
“I said don’t bother with that trailer trash. Only focus on me.” Freya said.
“No…” Reighley’s heart was filled with anger, and his eyes with pity. “Today’s date is over, right? I’m going home.” Reighley turned and left Freya out in the open. He put up with a lot of her comments, but this was a potential deal breaker for him. Samira was one of the first people to treat him with kindness at school. Almost everyone else there was against him, but she was kind. He felt as though he would lose all respect for himself if he stayed near her for even a second longer, so he left.
“Wait. Come back! You can’t just leave me here! You’re mine! How do you plan to get home anyway?”
“I’ll walk,” Reighley replied while looking over his shoulder with cold eyes. He then proceeded through the exit and made his way toward home.