Free The Devil of DiRisio by Leslie DuBois Page A

and scattered clothing.
    “Leave me alone!” I snapped. Will jumped back as if he thought I would really bite him or something. I swung my bag over my shoulder and practically ran off the set. As I left, I caught a glimpse of Damian Karl, smiling.
     
    ~ * * * ~
     
    As if that wasn’t enough to make it the most horrific day ever, when I got back to my room, I found a note from Alejandro. On official DiRisio Academy letterhead he informed me that my performance academically and artistically had been subpar and that after my next performance with the company I would sit down with the enrollment committee to discuss my future at the Academy. I knew exactly what this meant. I could read between the lines and see that I obviously had no future with the Academy. I was out.
    I needed to get away. I couldn’t stay in that cramped dorm room anymore. I needed to go somewhere, anywhere, just to clear my head. So I started walking. I didn’t know where I headed, I just walked. I ended up at the train station buying a ticket to Nice, France. I don’t know why. Maybe I blamed Italy for all my problems, and I just wanted to get out of the country. On the eight hour train ride, I contemplated my life. I lived in a beautiful city and danced with world-famous performers on a daily basis, but I felt completely miserable. I missed my mother, I missed my father, I missed my sister. As crazy as it sounded, I missed my life in that cramped, roach-infested apartment in Venton Heights.
    I got off the train and walked some more. Then exhaustion overcame me. I couldn’t take another step. I took my phone out of my purse to look at the time and noticed I had thirty-six missed calls from Will. With the phone on silent, I could easily ignore his persistent attempts at communication.
    A little after midnight, I made my way back to the train station. I knew I couldn’t afford to stay in France for the night. I had just enough money to get a train ticket back to Rome.
    When Will called my phone again, I felt I had cooled off enough to talk to him.
    “What are you doing in France?” he said without even saying hello.
    “How do you know where I am?”
    “It’s after midnight. You shouldn’t be in a strange country all by yourself.”
    “How do you know where I am?” I asked again looking around suspiciously. Had he hired someone to follow me?
    “The phone I gave you has a GPS system.”
    “What?”
    “Don’t move. I’ll be there in an hour.”
    “Don’t tell me what to do.” I knew I sounded like a child, but I couldn’t help it. Who did he think he was, keeping tabs on me? And how could he be here in an hour?
    “I left right after my game to come find you. I’ve been following the signal for hours. Go to a crowded area and wait for me,” he ordered. I hung up on him and went to buy my return ticket. I didn’t need him to come rescue me like I’m some sort of damsel in distress. I could take care of myself.
    I went up to the ticket counter and suddenly realized my purse was gone. I had set it down when I answered Will’s phone call, then I got so angry and flustered while I spoke to him that I just got up and left it. Now it was gone. I was stuck in France with no money. Thankfully, I had gotten in the habit of wearing my passport in a little pouch that I wore around my neck so I wouldn’t lose it. So at least I didn’t have to worry about that. But how would I be able to afford a ticket out of France? Maybe I could sell this stupid cell phone with its stupid GPS tracking system from my stupid stalker boyfriend. I screamed in frustration, then kicked the ticket counter before settling down in a seat to wait for Will.
    I saw Will enter the train station looking for me frantically, but I didn’t let him see me at first. I just sat back and let him search. Why didn’t he just take out his creepy little GPS system and use it like a metal detector to find me?
    As I watched him, I noticed that my once-carefree boyfriend who never