Finding My Normal

Ch 24: Where There's Smoke

That night after getting home from tutoring and finishing my homework I start to surf the internet since I have nothing else to do on my last night of grounding. What I find online makes my heart stop.

It can't be her. After going over the files Victor was able to hack for me I had done everything I could think of to find Detective Reynolds, but to no avail. There was nothing on her. I had so many questions for her that I couldn't ask because I simply couldn't find her. And yet here she is, staring at me from my computer screen.

A Huffington Post article was splashed across my screen with the headline, "Professor Saves Entire Classroom!" Apparently a disgruntled and mentally ill former student ambushed the lecture hall with an automatic weapon. The article goes on to describe how Professor Reynolds talked down the suspect and convinced her to let the students go. The picture is of Reynolds running out of the building with her students after the police apprehended the suspect. The shot is from far away, but I recognize those features. The same dark hair and dark eyes. She's close; she's teaching criminal justice in Charleston at CSU. How had I not found this information before?

Now I know where to find her, I just need a way to get there without my parents finding out. I could ask Kota? I glance at the clock and it's only 5:30pm. I can call him and ask if he can take me sometime next week. I pick up my cell phone to dial his number. He picks up on the first ring.

"Sang?"

"Hey Kota! I have a favor to ask, but you can't ask me any questions about it."

"You need a favor, but I can't know why you need the favor?"

"Yes, is that okay?"

"I can't agree to that, Sang. Are you in trouble? I can help you."

"No, it's nothing like that. I just don't want my parents finding out."

"I'm coming over."

"No! Wait, I'm..." I hear the click of the phone call ending before I get a chance to say "grounded".

I run to my bedroom door and open it a crack. I can hear my parents talking downstairs in the home office, maybe I can sneak down and open the door to let Kota in before he gets a chance to ring the doorbell. A tapping on my window makes me jump. I turn and see Kota crouched on my roof signaling me to let him in. Of course he would climb the roof! No one uses the front door nowadays Sang! Nathan did it why would I think Kota couldn't?

Once he's inside I tell him, "You guys have to stop doing that! You could get hurt."

"Who else has been climbing through your window?"

"Just Nathan, why?"

"Oh, okay, that's fine. We aren't going to get hurt don't worry about us, we've been climbing roofs and trees since we were kids."

"Well maybe I can try sometime."

"No. You are not going anywhere near that roof. What is it you need Sang?"