2Chapter dedicated to: Mrs. Staggs- thank for not only being my teacher but a shoulder to lean on during rough newspaper times. You're one of my favorite teachers of all time, may you have a long and healthy life.
Chapter Six
I guess I was overreacting I thought as I sat down in my fifth period class. Thoughts of the tutoring session still fresh in my mind. I didn't grasp how intelligent Nick was until he started to explain how he didn't need to write down everything the teacher said. Just one basic topic and key points that he thought were interesting. Learning history didn't have to be a chore in his opinion; it was just a way to connect to the past.
Mrs. Staggs, one of my favorite English teachers gave me a cheery smile that I returned. For some reason I was feeling happy. Almost lighter, like all the troubles I thought I'd have with Nick being so close just evaporated when he started chatting with me as if I were his equal. It felt nice, here I assumed he'd try to make me feel dumb but when we left I knew I walked away with something useful. He didn't stop when lunch ended either; he continued to talk with me in public as we walked upstairs to our English classes. His room was next to mine and he promptly ignored anyone who tried to steal him away, aka his fan girls.
Even when Julian waved him over he simply waved back and turned back to me to finish his thoughts on the Dust Bowl and how he found The Grapes of Wrath to be one of his favorites since he was learning about them at the same time.
Everything that came out of his lips captivated me. He was honest, intelligent and an all around interesting person to be around. Most of the time I listened to him, nodding at phrases I agreed with and laughing at his sarcastic attitude toward school in general.
We didn't part until the final bell had ringed, I was the last person in class. Something that never happened to me, my friends had worried looks on their faces until I whispered a hello to them. They looked flabbergasted that I was so late and I knew they wanted to know all about the study session but Mrs. Staggs started talking about The Great Gatsby. I had already read the book in a day because I have no life so I started to doodle, pretending to take notes. I wasn't paying attention to my friends until a note was thrust into my sight. I looked up at Stephanie next to me, her look said I had to reply ASAP, or else. I guess my friends really weren't all that patient. I carefully opened the folded, crisp notebook paper when Mrs. Staggs was looking to her right; it was written in Siobhan's green gel pen and said:
What the hell? You disappear at lunch and don't even tell us you're hanging out with Nick in the library? Who are you and what have you done with my friend? Spill everything, now!
I thought about how there was nothing really to say about the situation. As we reached the library doors I expected to be in a world of hurt. I didn't ask him where he thought would be the best place for studying so I chose a small room in the back. It contained comfy chairs and had a door with a lock so no one could hear anything that was going on inside. I blushed, thinking about the stories my mom told me about what happened in the "study rooms" at her old high school. I knew for sure that Nick wouldn't try any funny business but I chose the chair facing the window just in case.
Throwing my stuff over the chair I turned to close the blinds, the beaming sun was bugging the hell out of me. He didn't object to the artificial light as he sat across from me pulling out his notes and our history book. It was strange that I'd seen it before, that particular one sitting on his desk. I didn't know anyone who carried their books around school with them, but then again I only knew like fifteen people.
"Um, alright. Let me start off by saying I don't' want be here." I was amazed at my own bluntness but I thought the only way this could work was brutal honesty. "I'm pretty good at school, homework and such, but for some reason I can't focus enough in class to get the information down for his tests. So, how about we this, you tell me to pay more attention in class, I agree and we depart. Sound good?" I said smiling hoping he would agree so I could leave and eat some lunch.
"Why can't you concentrate in class?" He ignored my offer.
I didn't want to tell him the real reason so I gave him a fake excuse. "I guess I'm too bored? I mean you'd think I'd be awake by 9AM, but his voice- puts me to sleep." I lied and waited for him to agree or tell me I was slow.
"Let me see your notes," he requested. I dug them begrudgingly out of my backpack and reviewed what I wrote that day. Usually I wrote things in the margins like, "I hate this class" or "Shoot me now!" But today the only non-school doodle said, "Only twenty more minutes" about six times. I handed the notebook to him and watched in fascination as he bit his bottom lips in concentration.
I noticed that he was wearing his Vogue glasses, not square like the ones I was forced to wear when practicing driving but round and sleek. With his green eyes and messy brown hair he looked like he should be in a private school uniform. Naughty thoughts.
"I think you have a problem with not focusing on the main ideas. It looks like you wrote everything he said down. No wonder you hate to pay attention." He said still not looking up at me as he continued to scan my messy handwriting. "Like here, he mentioned the Dust Bowl and you have a page describing what it was. You could've condensed it into a sentence or two at the most."
And that was it. Our study session kept rolling through the entire lunch period. I didn't even want to eat by the time the librarian came around to tell us it was almost time to go.
"History isn't a science," he stated plainly as he tossed his book aside, "it was simply a way to connect with people from a different time." I couldn't help but think about me wanting to "connect" with Stephen during history but he was absolutely right.
I was shaken out my recollection by Siobhan removing my leather belt out of the loops on my jacket. This happened frequently as to get my attention or just annoy me. I couldn't turn around since Mrs. Staggs was finishing her thoughts about the metaphor eyeglasses how they represented God's eyes. I looked above her head at her eyeglasses replica. It used to scare me, I thought it was judging and scrutinizing me like a Big Brother device. Since I had read the book I realized it was comforting to know that a higher power was watching down and over on us, even if it was wide creepy blue eyes.
She then told us we had the rest of the period to finish our grammar homework from the day before. I knew that this was only class that I had to do my own work for so I couldn't copy from Siobhan or Stephanie. The main reason however was they hadn't even started the homework, they usually wanted for me to let them see it to later steal. I tried to grab the needed book from under my desk but my hand was stopped by Steph's foot. I looked up at her face.
"Oh no, you're telling us what's what." She said her aggravation flickering.
"I'm holding your belt hostage until we get some answers," Siobhan half-joked and proceeded to tie it around her slim waist. On her it looked like a fashion statement, if I tried anything like that I'd be considered abnormal. "Did he force you to go to the library and recruit you for his cult? Don't fall for it Rachel, come back to the light!" She continued in a mock dramatic voice and grabbed my arm.
"No," I shrugged off her touch with a smile, "he was just assigned to be my tutor. I didn't know until fourth period after I was informed that by not walking with him home it would ensure a bus ticket." Siobhan looked aghast.
"That's why you were sent to the office?" She said disbelieving. I didn't want to get trampled on by passing students to get back to French so I walked to science and waited outside until the bell rang. "That sucks."
"You were signed up for tutoring?" Step pressed keeping an eye out Mrs. Stagg's and her usual rounds. "That's odd, half of my class is failing and he didn't say anything about getting them help. What do you have in his class?"
"I don't know like a C or something. It wasn't that bad actually; he just helped me out with my note taking or whatever." Their faces looked confused that I would ever be that social or calm. I decided to change the subject before they questioned me any further. "I found out some interesting facts from Alexis about Justin I think should know."
I spent the next five minutes telling them about him not having a passport and the yearbook business he left behind. The two of them listened intently and dropped in a few comments here and there about the strangeness surrounding the disappearance. Then I told them about it not being mentioned in the paper and how they found his note.
"What did the note say?" Siobhan inquired. "Besides the fact that he was leaving did he give a reason in the note?"
"I didn't really read it. I just looked at it to confirm that it was his writing. I could tell by how he put hearts instead of dots over the I's." I answered and thought about it further. His parents didn't mention a motive for his leaving; everyone assumed he just wanted out like every other freedom-hungry senior.
"Guys," Stephanie whispered putting her hands to her face, "what if it was a suicide note? What if he wrote it so it wouldn't upset his parents?" Justin wouldn't kill himself. He had too many things keeping him alive, for instance Harry Potter, yearbook, everything Disney and possibly college. Plus he'd be too chicken to shallow pills or slice his wrists. He could barely watch a movie with any gruesome gore.
"Nah, they would have found the body by now." Siobhan cleared the air. "But no one would think to look in Nick's garage either. Maybe he was murdered?" Nobody said out loud that we might have been the last people to see him alive. Now that it crossed my mind it was morbidly startling.
"Come on, I just spent lunch with the guy," I shook the thought from my head. "How could someone we've known since middle school kill someone else we know? Plus what would be one reason why he would?"
"He was trespassing, one gun shot and pow. Dead." Siobhan returned seriously. "Then he realized who he was, panicked and wrote the fake note."
"It was his writing though," I pressed, "I doubt he'd ask him to write the letter and then shoot him. He would've written something in the note to let people know something was wrong."
"Like the fact he went to Japan with no passport?" Siobhan retorted raising her eyebrow. I didn't think about that, what if he was crying for help? The police weren't interested in why he left, with kids going missing they probably had their plate full. Hell, they were starting to treat our school like it was ground zero. Who cared if a kid said he was running away and because he was eighteen it technically wasn't illegal or unheard of.
"No Rachel's right, I don't think he would hurt anyone. His family goes to my church and I've met them, it's unlikely they'd fire first and question later." Stephanie added. I was thankful for the information but we still weren't near any solid answers. "I think we should tell the cops about what we did."
"No," Siobhan and I said together then she continued, "are you crazy? We don't want Nick to know we were in his house, he'll be after us too!"
"Oh for goodness sake Siobhan, it's not about that," I turned to Steph, "we didn't just pull a prank for laughs, we trespassed on someone else's property. We could go to juvenile hall for that, his parents could press charges. We're not even sure Justin just didn't get a passport in secret and is now having the time of his life." Her face told me that she had a hard time believing that. "Listen, my dad used to be a cop and all they need is probable cause and to find one of our finger prints to say it was one of us. I'm not going to be pinned for something as silly as looking around his house."
"We should have never gone," she said scared. I was worried too but I wasn't about to have the not-so-handy-dandy Apple Valley Police Department looking at us for answers we didn't have.
"Yeah, I agree. Nothing good has come out of that experience but the fact is we did. If we could travel back in time we'd have done it differently. But then we would've meet up with ourselves and then it would create a rift in the universe possibly creating a black hole-" I cleared my throat and she steered back to the topic, "My point is you have to promise not to tell anyone," she told her.
When Steph didn't reply right away I quickly asked, "Have you told anyone?"
"No," she looked conflicted.
"Promise Stephanie, at least until we figure some more stuff out. If it looks like we need to tell someone then we will." Siobhan persuaded her, she was good at that. We both stared her awaiting her answer. I mean, if she really wanted to the cops she would, we couldn't stop her. This was more a test of friendship and loyalty. I hated putting her in this position but she confirmed my fears by wanting to put us in the eye of the storm.
"Alright," she finally responded looking down at the ground. She chewed her lip as she pondered and stated, "But if no one comes up with any more facts by next week we should tell an adult or something, and we could make it anonymous." Siobhan and I both nodded our heads in agreement with her demand. It seemed only fair, though we didn't owe anything to Justin, to do the right thing even if it was a week late.
We couldn't discuss anything else because none of us had yet to start our homework. My heart jumped in surprise as Mrs. Staggs popped up next us. You know you're a teacher's pet when the most scolding you get for neglecting to do a given assignment is a small laugh and a shake of the head. It made me glad I wasn't considered a bad seed.
We worked together to finish and thankfully I didn't have any homework for the night. It was definitely going to be a fan fiction night for me. I had a good one waiting for me that involved Harry Potter being able to hear people's thoughts. I laughed inside as I realized how much of a geek I was.
The bell rang as we were packing up to go to our last class. Stephanie had history, Siobhan sadly had drama and I had computers, the funniest class in the world, not. I waved goodbye to my friends departed down the stairs. I loved my schedule because most of my classes were on the second floor and it helped that with my irrational fear of falling down the stairs. Even with the new pills I still couldn't shake the tumbling sensation that lead to my neck snapping. Shaking the uncomfortable feeling away, I passed the second entrance to Mrs. Stagg's room when I was abruptly grabbed by the arm into the groove where the door was. Being forced to be somewhere undesired happened to me too often nowadays.
"What do you think you're doing?" Mary affronted.
"Uh, walking to class?" I answered truly puzzled by her behavior.
"Ha ha, so funny. I think not, you're consorting with the enemy!" Mary declared. At my blank stare she groaned angrily in her throat, "You are hanging around Nicholas Jenkins are you not? The guy who used our friend for a ritual sacrifice." It was official, Mary had snapped. We all knew it was going to happen one day but it was assumed it wouldn't be until medical school.
"Huh?" I solicited. "Come again, what did who do to whom now?" My head was raised and my eyes obviously told her I thought she was coo-coo for Co-Co Puffs.
"Look at this," she said as the book she robbed from Nick's house was whipped in front of me. I started to panic, what if Nick or one of his friends recognized it? "Don't worry, I made sure no one saw it." Her reassurance didn't ease my tension.
"Why on heaven's green earth, did you bring that to school?" I sighed starting grow irritated at the book smart girl.
"I needed to show you this," she hissed and shoved the opened pages into my hands. It was an intense graphic picture of a nude male getting his heart removed and devoured by three demonic figures laughing around a fire. I particularly loved the color use and attention to detail. The man's face was twisted in agony; he was nailed to a brown table spread eagle with green and white candles around him in a neat circle. A dark figure looming over the deceased was floating near the roof. It was hidden toward the top of the page. I might have missed it if Mary hadn't circled in sharpie marker.
"Why did you mark up his book Mary?" I asked through my teeth. "Now you can't give it back to him!"
"What makes you think I was ever going to give it back?" She shrugged off my alarm. "I'm not going to let him get the opportunity to get his guidebook back. That would be like putting a grenade in a child's hands." She honestly thought that this book was a true article; I thought that it was probably sold on Amazon.
"Yeah, I could find books like this on the internet if I wanted. However, I'm not going to strip someone naked and eat their liver!" I tried to reason with her. "Are you crazy? If he finds out you even have this book he's going to put two and two together and we will all be screwed!"
"Rachel, if you look closely you'd notice that the victim's heart is on the menu, not his liver." She wasn't joking and clearly ignoring my troubles.
"Huh, yeah thanks for clearing that detail up. I hadn't noticed." I returned sarcastically. "Was there a reason why you found this so interesting to share with me?"
"You don't see it, the connection?" She paused and leaned closer to me. "Justin was sacrificed for Nick's Black Mass Ceremony." She exclaimed thinking she cracked the case; her arms wide open with pride. "It brings eternal power to the host of the sacrament and Justin happens to disappear on the night that we find this book in said house that Justin disappeared in? Hello!"
"We don't for sure-"
"Fuck that, Rachel. He didn't go to Japan, he told me he wasn't going until he mastered the language and let me tell you he was no where near competent." She pointed to the picture toward the three enjoying their red fest. "These three are the servants to the magic provider; they are consuming his mortal body in order to release the soul. A pure, innocent individual is needed to complete the energy transfer." I shook my head at her outrageous notion.
"Say it's true, Mary say they took Justin. His soul is neither pure nor innocent." I flipped the pages back one and saw the tiny print in English. "Where does it mention this blackened ceremony ritual?"
"It's a Black Mass Ceremony, pay attention. There are four chapters in there about how to establish the instruments and substance necessary for the environment to accomplish a demonic force fusion to get the desired ability, have you been listening?" She spat quickly and grabbed the book from my hands.
"Mary, are you okay?" I knew it was a loaded question but it didn't hurt to check.
"I have a migraine the size of China's population, Mr. Arnt is literally making my life hell and your disbelieving position isn't helping matters, thank you." She rumbled putting the book safely back into her bag. "Just stay away from him, he's evil." There's a word I didn't hear Mary throw around lightly unless mentioning Calculus homework. I intentionally failed to mention the bus ride home bit so that she might calm down.
"I promise to not be around him more than necessary." I wasn't lying to her but she didn't need to know the whole truth.
"Good, at least you're taking some of what I said seriously. If I were you I'd invest in a cross or something since he lives down the street." She mentioned as we walked out into the open.
"What? Now you think he's a vampire, come on Mary. You're the one that doesn't believe in this crap. Besides I'm not sure if a cross actually has powers or if it's just a reaction to the memory of God, it may not always work- what am I saying? Vampires are just mythical creatures attached to theories. I thought you of all people would understand that." I grasped her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
She didn't answer right away and instead looked over my shoulder toward the room she had shared with Nick for the past hour. It must have been hard to sit near someone she believed to have taken Justy. I'd never seen her get so worked up over the occult before. I realized that she was making up an extreme reason because in truth there wasn't one good enough that he would leave without telling her.
"I didn't, until they took Justy." Her eyes were starting to fill with unshed tears. I noticed her eyeballs were bloodshot from what I assumed to be a sleepless night. Hopefully tomorrow she'd be rested and her usual rational self. She just had to accept the fact that Justin wasn't coming back anytime soon and maybe we would never find out what happened to him. I didn't like thinking about it but reality sucks a lot of time.
"Everything is going to work out fine," I fibbed, the warning bell ringing overhead. She still looked shaken up so I decided to play the paranoid role and level with her. "I'll see you tomorrow morning okay? Don't tell anyone else about your concepts because knows who could overhear you. Don't forget it's only Tuesday, even the cops aren't going to start looking until tomorrow."
"You're right," she sniffed. I was thankful she was starting to see reason. She even smiled at me and shook her head lightly, hair falling around her oval eyes. She'd finally calmed down enough to stop spouting gibberish. "The ritual can't even be performed without a harvest moon; we totally still have time to find him. Thanks Rachel, I knew you'd hear me out." Or maybe not.
With that she tapped my shoulder as though I needed consoling and turned to go to her Chemistry class. I was left alone for the second time that day with my mouth agape. When one part of my life turned out to be alright something always came out of left field to trip me up again. If things kept going this way I didn't know how I was going to survive the week.
Computers wasn't interesting in the least since I'd finished three weeks of work. I did get hit on by Chris Huddleston for the millionth time but I wouldn't allow his creepiness to drive me mad. As I walked out I did a quick sweep for Nick but I wasn't able to locate him. I shrugged and walked down the row of buses until I found mine was the fourth one down.
As I entered I remembered that everyone had to sit in a particular seat for what I assumed to be a role call. It was odd that our bus seats were assigned for us; it seemed everyone was sitting next their polar opposite. One duo was an anorexic freshmen boy next to a junior I knew from the girls wrestling team. I wondered what people would think when I had Nick sat next to me.
I didn't try to think about it when I chose an empty seat. I accidentally sat in some other pair's seat and had to ask the driver where to sit. She gave me a blank stare so I waited outside the bus. I was about to give up when turned around to find the bus doors were closed. I knocked on them for her to open up but she just smiled and waved as she drove off.
Great, now I was stuck at school that would close at three. If I hurried I supposed Phillip's mom, Ms. Evans, could give me a ride. She'd probably make me complete a couple yearbook pages in lieu of gas money but I didn't have any other choice. There was no way my mom could pick me up before three. Now I could understand the reasons people were complaining about the school shut down. How was this stress supposed to keep anyone safe? Nick had better have a good reason for ditching me. I decided to found out his reason and maybe his parents could get us, it was his fault after all.
I rounded the corner and entered the A Building again, he could've possibility took meeting him in the building literally. I guessed he would have figured it out after two minutes and decided to go to the bus. I couldn't wait in the hallway because in influx of students made impossible for me to breathe. I knew he wasn't on the bus because he would have shouted my name or something. I really hoped that he wasn't on the bus because then that would make me a moron.
Nick was no where to be found in the empty hallway, a thought suddenly popped into my head that he might have been outside my computers classroom because he did it earlier that day. I walked quickly toward the room past the water fountains when I heard a male voice ring through the corridor.
"Do you know what you're even doing Julian?" I heard Nick's voice say dryly. "Because it doesn't seem like you do."
They were inside Mr. Arnt's room with the door opened; I ducked next-door where Mary had dragged me earlier. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but they were talking rather loudly and he did make me miss our bus. I wasn't one for interrupting conversations, being taught it was polite to wait my turn. I rationalized that he waited outside my classroom for me; I owed it to him to not get angry with him before I knew all the details.
"Of course I know what I'm doing, Nick," Julian spat his name with venom. "It's my turn to get I was promised in the first place. I'm not going to stand around and watch you get the all the limelight, alright?"
There was a pause in the air, like the argument was coming to an end which was great because I needed to get home soon. Jenny would start freaking out if I didn't come home then she would phone Mom and well, she'd notify the cops. Just that morning she made me promise to inform her when I had made it safely home. I didn't want to give her a fake call to calm her nerves and call back later for a ride.
"If you want to drum in our band Julian you'll have to take it up with Stephen," Nick answered calmly making every word clear.
"What are talking about? I'm really starting to get sick of your shit, man-" Julian continued his rant and suddenly was cut off by Nick.
"You're a decent drummer Julian, you really are. But we already found our groove and your presence would upset the balance." He pressed back again speaking slower than he normally did. "I think we should discuss this later, preferably at a decent time like tonight over the phone."
I had no idea that Julian would want to kick Stephen out of his own band, what a dick. If my crush could be admired for something it was most definitely his skills on the skins. I was glad that Nick was standing up for his band mate; it showed he had backbone and character. I wondered if this was what they were talking about the entire time. It seemed silly and immature but then again we were all in high school. It amazed me how much a little thing could cause so much drama. It made me thankful that my friends were pretty chill.
But Julian had his own band; I only knew this because he bragged about it all the time. In my opinion they sucked because it only contained two members, including Julian, and their songs were seven minutes too long. They must have been talking about someone else when I walked up because it didn't make sense that he'd want out when he put the band, called Secret Risk, together.
"Fuck you," Julian said tartly and walked out the room. Thankfully he didn't notice me as he passed quickly. Nick followed him slower also failing to detect my presence as he walked past and down the stairs. I couldn't let him know that I overheard their conversation so I waited until the sound of his footsteps halted then followed. Checking around the corner the coast was clear so I quickly went down to meet up with him outside.
He was waiting at the end of bottom step looking up at me with a side smile. I considered that I'd be caught but I chose to play dumb and smiled back.
"I've been looking for you everywhere." I said shyly and stopped two steps above him. "We missed the bus."
"Yes, sorry about keeping you searching for little old me. As for missing the bus," he dug into his pocket, "that's why I brought these," he answered coolly as he flashed his keys. "I forgot to tell you that I drove to school today. My dad let me barrow his Mercedes."
"I didn't even know you drove?" I smiled thankful that I might not have to take the Twinkie on wheels home for awhile. The only person I knew who had their license was Steph but her mom picked her up from school until her car was out of the shop. Now with the school closures her mom vowed to continue to get her until the semester's end.
"Just one of my many talents," he replied coyly. "Let's get the hell out of here."
"You could have said something to Mrs. Imabitch this morning." I mentioned wondering why he was taking me home when we barley knew each other. He laughed loudly as we made it out of the school.
"You call our vice principal Imabitch? Priceless." He continued to express amusement muttering how true it was. "I didn't want to leave you alone in the lion's den with that woman. She yelled at me yesterday that you weren't at school. I didn't know what she'd do if I told her I was driving myself. She'd have probably popped a blood vessel." I imagined her face exploding in anger and chuckled softly.
"You still don't have to take me home, I mean- do want some gas money or something?" I asked hastily not prepared for the proper code when someone received a ride from someone who wasn't a friend. My mom told me to offer money and since it was Nick I wasn't sure if he needed any. I counted in my head that I currently had five dollars which was like a gallon of gas on a good day.
"Nah, I'm taking you the same way I'm going. We are practically on the same street." He waved off my offer. I felt kind of dumb asking if he needed any, I remembered the kid was rich and probably had a credit card or something. I started to feel the panic I had earlier in the day. I acted alright around him in a school setting but now this purely social and I wasn't good at that. "Don't worry about it."
Instantly I felt better. I was being silly, here a hott guy was offering to take me home, and I should be thrilled. We walked past some seniors that called out Nick's name and he nodded back indifferently. It must be odd to be so popular that random people know your name.
We reached his dad's black Mercedes, knowing nothing about cars I noted how clean it was. When I climbed into the automobile I felt relaxed, which was odd because usually the thought of being so close to an unfamiliar person made me tighten in anxiety. But with Nick I felt like I could just be myself. I knew not to be however since I knew I'd come across as the vampire-loving, fan fiction reading freak that I was.
We didn't talk on the way since he blasted classic rock. He tapped his steering wheel and hummed along to a couple of songs. My apartment was coming to view when he started to lower the volume to turn to me.
"You want a ride tomorrow after school?" He asked. "I mean we are after school walking partners after all. I can't just leave you to walk the whole one block home alone." He explained half joking.
"Uh, you don't really have to." I replied trying to be polite.
"It's nice having someone in the car when I drive," he clarified, "it makes me feel safer. I hate going alone." I wanted to mention he could always take the bus but he was looking directly at me for my answer. I nodded an okay and he grinned as he pulled expertly into my tiny driveway.
"Thanks for the ride." I said the leisure portion of the trip over. Before I exited his car he cleared his throat to get my attention.
"I was wondering," He started almost nervously, "if you happened to accidentally take my notebook from lunch." I shrugged my shoulders and opened my messenger bag pulling out each notebook to match his red one. When I didn't find it I sighed and answered a sorry no. He then said reassured, "I must have left it somewhere else then."
With a quick goodbye I left his car and found my house keys in my pocket. He waited until I was inside to depart, it was kind of chivalrous.
I ignored my sister who playing Sims on the living room computer and went straight to my room. After a quick chat with my mom I called Siobhan to tell her about Mary's disturbing behavior. She agreed that we would have to keep a close eye on her for the rest of week and then said she had to go to finish her homework. I wanted to call Mary and see if she was feeling any better but I decided not to stir her up anymore. Placing my headphones over my ears I chose to listen to some Broadway music that Sierra had given to me earlier that year. I'd never thought to pay attention to it because I was never in a calm mood when I wanted to listen to music.
I thought about how dark and moody I'd been since my parents divorce and since my incident with- well I didn't want to think about it. I was in a great mood which was rare, I wanted to enjoy every second.
It happened to last until the next morning; I was eating my usual strawberry poptart when my mother entered the dining room, face green. She didn't say anything to me but simply placed The Daily Stress face up on the table. On the front page the huge bold letters screamed: THREE MISSING TEENAGERS FOUND IN OUTSIDE FREEZER, OWNER SUSPECTED IN SLAYINGS. Under it were the pictures of three high-schoolers. Two boys and one girl, all around my age.