Rumor has it

Chapter 6

Pretty little lies are harmless until those pretty words are left to age. Until it's the reason you resent your mother because it's her sole way to communicate with you.

'Your letters seem to get lost lately, I miss you Hazel a lot, visit me soon' I read the letter, over again and again, falling into a dark bottomless pit of guilt. The younger me would have been carrying those words with me everywhere but currently, I wanted to run far away from those lies, that's all they were.

My chest tightened just thinking of it. Of course, she rather lie to herself than accept the truth that no letters were lost since lately none had been written by me. I didn't want to participate in her pretend play just to keep her happy and myself miserable.

I looked around my room where my floor was covered with my clothes and I was sitting against the door in case anyone tried to get into my room. Clues, I thought maybe there would be any clues of what the officer was talking about in the older letters my mom had sent me over the years. It only made me question why would Jack take the same destructive path as our mom and his dad. What secrets was he keeping from that led to his forced disappearance?

The paper is brittle under my fingertips I squeeze it as if it could take back this awful feeling in my chest and put it back into the letter. Maybe this was a stupid thing of me to do. Maybe I shouldn't have brought out the dusty box hidden in my closet and I probably should have gotten rid of all of these letters long ago.

Apart of me couldn't let go of those letters as it had my anger written all over it. It reminded me of who our mom was and I never wanted to be tricked by her many faces ever again.

Truthfully, the reality I used to beautify had grown an ugly face of itself and now it's tearing down six years' worth of makeup. I refuse to go back to the bare reality of my life but the one who gave me that life was equally as stubborn to draw tears out of me.

Don't cry, even if it's angry tears, I told myself and took a deep breath before I placed the letter back into the box. I hadn't opened a letter from her for six months, I'm doing this for Jack. I wouldn't have broken my streak otherwise.

I pushed the box back into the dark end of my closet before putting my clothes back in their place. I walked over to my desk and took my phone out of the charger, looking at the clock I had a few hours until it was time for school. I couldn't sneak out last night as Grandma checked up on me every other hour, passing by my room after visiting the toilet.

The sun was beinging to rise outside of my window and I put my hair up in a ponytail as I looked over at Kai's house. His window was dark and I sighed, I felt like a stalker and that was bad. Maybe I should throw a stone into his window for not answering my text after all, that's less creepy than me just staring into his room.

I went into the bathroom to wash up and brush my teeth. Then I hurry back to my room and change into my workout pants and shirt.

The kitchen is my next destination and I write a little note to Grandma and Dad letting them know that I'm going for a jog before school. Grandma will probably be happy once she realizes that I didn't write surfing this time. I ate my cereal quicker than usual as I had to hurry out of the house and also I knew myself better than to run on an empty stomach. I wasn't really going to run but it still applies.

My water bottle and my phone, keys are all I bring along before I head outside. I made sure to lock the door after me and it was a safe neighbor but only a fool would keep their house unlocked.

It's silent and most of our neighbors are asleep or getting ready for work. I looked around the gate only to see it open and a tall figure clothed in black came through the entrance with a backpack. It's only when he lifts his hood I can see their face clearly, a pair of newly woken green eyes stare back at me.

" Don't start with the chess master nonsense again," I sighed, where was this boy running off to? It was to early to ask questions.

" I was feeding some birds." He said, answering me like I was the one tripping. He knew I wasn't in a position to question him now so I let it go this time.

" You know what, I will take that answer." I said waving away his nonsense and walking toward him." There are plenty of birds by the beach so let's go, you can feed the birds and I will search around the beach."

"Let's go then." He said turning around and putting his hands into his pocket. He walks faster and takes longer steps so I picked up my pace.

The beach was only a few minutes of walking distance away from our neighborhood. So we get there in no time. Kai stopped in his tracks and I almost ran into him." I don't have any more food for the birds so what are we looking for."

" Okay, anything that you think might belong to Jack." I answered. He didn't say anything after that and began walking around the beach searching for Jack's belongings.

The seagulls and the breeze from the ocean were keeping me alert and awake. Trash, earnings, and some trash were all we found after walking back and forth around the beach. We then walk over to the road toward the fish shop and begin to search there too.

" What did the officer say?" Kai asked, looking around the bushes and all. I was looking around the stones and our side the shop.

" The good news is that the blood they found around here didn't belong to Jack and the bad news is that they don't know where he could be," I answered not wanting to go over everything that was said. He hummed and returned to his search.

"Don't you think they would have found his belongings before us?" He asked walking over to me. I don't look back at him but I could see his shadow right next to me. I was about to get up as my knees began to give up on me but then I saw something shining against the mirror of the shop and then I saw a purple and silver shiny bracelet hidden under the stairs of the shop.

" Maybe, but they don't know what they are searching for, I do," I answered swinging the bracelet in front of him. I had gifted him this bracelet a few birthdays ago and he always wore it, I had mine in pink and silver.

He seemed to have woken up as he stared at the bracelet in my hand." I can't believe they missed that."

" I think they have missed a lot of things." I put the bracelet into my jacket's pocket.

He nods and turns to the road." We have an hour before school starts, let's head back"

" Alright, Thanks for helping me."

He doesn't answer me but he looks at me for a second and then he turns back to the road. I was done for the day and promised to return after school.

" How can you walk that quickly after basketball practice, I will let the coach know that you must be slacking at practice," I said after I caught up to him. He tries to push me away but I duck under his arm and run past him.

" You coward, come and say that to my face." He challenged and I turned around, walking backwards.

" I already did, You're getting slow you better catch up Rosewood," I said, shrugging my shoulder and then turning around.

He glared at me and quickened his pace.
We were back in our neighborhood and we had almost begun a running competition as we reached the gates. Neither one of us accepted the other had won and reached the gates first, I touched the gates first but apparently, his foot was at the gate first.

" See you in school," Kai asked, we parted ways as I headed to my house and he went to his.

" Yeah and don't be late again because I won't save you a seat this time," I warned while getting the keys out of my pocket.

" Dang, alright I see how it is." He said, I gave him a thumbs up and went into my house. I closed the door after me.