new kid / h.s

10

K A T

"Maybe she just went out." Harry said uneasily when he woke up. Even though he seemed calm and composed, I could tell he knew something was up.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell him about the text. It was obvious he didn't want me knowing about what he did, so he would only stop me from going. That wouldn't be any good.

Because I was going.

"Harry, if she went out, there wouldn't be blood on the floor." I was almost crying now. "When dad gets home, he's going to--"

Harry put his hand on my month. "Shhh." he said calmly. "He's not going find out. Because we're going to clean this blood and finish the lemonade."

I checked the clock and saw the time. It was 4 in the afternoon. I had five hours left.

"Maybe you should go." I suggested. "I'll clean this up, okay? And I'll text you if she pops up somewhere."

Harry gave me a worried look. "Something is going on." he read by my expression. "Did something else happen?"

"No, no." I shrugged it off, trying to push the text off to the back of my mind. Curiosity was prying at me and tugging at me from every direction, but I was trying my hardest not to let that show. "Your clothes are done washing downstairs. I'll get them." I offered and he nodded slowly.

I took my phone with me and on the way down the stairs, it chimed again. But luckily this time it was a text from Caitlyn.

"How are you and the freak show doing?" the text read, so I shut my phone off and grabbed Harry's clothes from out the dryer. They smelt like linen and lavender, just like Harry's natural scent. His parents wouldn't suspect a thing.

When I brought the clothes back up, Harry wasn't in the kitchen. Seeing this, my heart immediately began to pound again just like when I saw mom gone. Whoever wanted my mom gone must've wanted Harry gone, too. Maybe they were kidnapped and are in the same place. Maybe they were at the place I would be at, at nine tonight.

I walked upstairs, taking my hand through my hair.

But thankfully, when I walked into my room he was there, lounging on my bed.

"I'm not going anywhere." he laughed, his chuckle light and bubbly, carefree almost. "I saw the text you got when your phone was sitting on the countertop." he said. "You left it unlocked. And I know you're going to meet them to find out what I did. But don't. He's dangerous."

"Who?" I asked, confused. It was a shock enough to know that Harry had known, and he had let on so perfectly that he didn't.

"Louis." he answered sharply. "He was in the same gang as me."

"Gang?!" I asked in a hushed whisper. "So that's why you left your old school?"

"More like my old state." his voice got lower and more urgent, like he was actually keeping a secret that was supposed to be enclosed lock tight. "I used to live in Cali. And I needed a getaway."

"Why?" I leaned in, wanting to know more. After everything Caitlyn had said, I think this was worse. A gang? Did this mean Harry had killed people before and taken drugs? "What did you do?"

He sighed as if my questions were hacking away at his time. Like he had somewhere to be. "Listen, Kat we need to talk about this another time."

"Do you know where my mom is?" I asked. Now that I had gotten the ultimate answer I could only want more. "Is she hurt?"

"Yes and no." Harry said. "But you can't tell anyone. I'll go get her and bring her back."

"Who has her?" I asked, tears brimming my eyesight. Caitlyn was right about Harry. He was dangerous, and dangerous people were not the type I was wanting to be acquainted with. "Who's she with?"

"Are you ready for the biggest bomb drop ever?" Harry asked me. I could tell he didn't want to tell me what he was about to. And I didn't care. I just needed answers.

I nodded my head and waited.

"Your mom is safe... but Noah took her." he said and paused. I could feel the whole world shifting out of place. "And he's part of the gang that's out to kill me."