~Chapter 8~

2.3K 121 3
                                        

I'm not getting anywhere with my online research. Titus is out with his friends practicing or whatever and I'm alone in the house. I finally shut my laptop in frustration. There's no way I'm going to get any progress. The weather is declining, but I've got to reach the library soon. I also want to see Nicki again. I'd like know for myself that she's okay after the entire party incident. Even seeing her in my house the previous day she still looked a little startled.

Call me paranoid, but I'll feel a lot better being postitve knowing she's actually ok, rather than hearing it from her brothers.

The front door opens and I'm welcomed by the chatting of Titus and everyone else he included. I put my laptop away and rush downstairs. "Hey Ty." Titus smiles giving me a short nod.

"What's up, bro?" Nick and Cole both greet and we all say hi to one another. Aaron is a little more withdrawn from everyone else, but I don't mention it.

"Nothing." I shrug. Nick pats my back. "It looks icy cold out there." I note as Titus closes the door to my surprise.

"Yeah," He frowns. "It's supposed to snow tomorrow, but the sun will make it's way back around." Titus informs. "So, uh, anyone up for hot chocolate?"

"Me!" Nick raises his hand.

"That makes the two of us." Adds Cole who seems a lot more calm than Nick about the hot chocolate.

Titus asks me also, "You want some?"

"No." I shrug.

"I'll get to it, then. Hey, Ty?"

"Yeah?" My heart speeds up because he might know I've been in his room. How can he know? Maybe I didn't cover my tracks well.

"Grab my CD's off the top of my closet shelf. We can't play out since it's snowing, so we'll just watch some old videos of us playing instead."

I nod my head immediately, and I'm extremely relieved he doesn't know. "Okay." I dash upstairs hoping he won't add anything else like "by the way, I know you were in my room earlier." In a calm tone, but later on he'll yell at me until I'm 6 feet under.

When I walk into Titus' room, it's eerily quiet. I shiver and slowly make my way to his closet. There are clothes piled on his floor, and only a single path to his bed. I kick a few shirts and pants and make it to his closet. No clothes are on the hangars. They're all on the closet floor. I frown and grab the box in front of the one labeled "Football CD's."

I dust off the box and glance inside. There's a few items in the box, and documents as well. The first one I see is a death certificate.

This certificate acknowledges the death of Mary-Ann Dana Woods

On the day of June 8th 2010

At 115 Westwood Drive

Signed, Doctor Philip Harville

My heart pounds in my chest as I grab a different paper that's worn out and instead of it being another death certificate, it's a birth certificate.

This is to certify that Titus Blake Woods was born to Mary-Ann Dana Woods and Tom Jake Woods on May 12 1999 at 1:12 AM.

I do a quick speed read through it with his weight and length, but I pause at the location.

115 Westwood Drive

Not only that is the same place mom died, but also where Titus was born? Titus told me we were born in some hospital on the other side of town, and this street is just around the corner. Something has to be off. Dad died in the car, but mom died later on in the hospital. Or shall I say, 115 Westwood Drive.

I grab my own birth certificate and read through it as well to be sure.

This is to certify that Tyler Drake Woods was born to Mary-Ann Rose Woods and Tom Jake Woods on May 12 1999 at 1:15 AM.

It ends with the same address: 115 Westwood Drive.

I know for sure something is going on at this point. "Ty! What's taking so long?" Shouts Titus and I drop all 3 certificates. I can't take them because there's a very likely chance he'll find out about them missing.

I take out my phone and quickly take pictures of each certificate. When I'm done, I carefully put them back. I try my best to make sure they're in the right places but, knowing Titus, he wouldn't notice if it was misplaced by the slightest. And even if it was, he'd think it was him who misplaced it.

"I'm coming." I shout as I pull down his CD box and restore the certificate boxes where it was before. The CD box is actually pretty heavy, so I use both arms to hold it.

When I open the door, Aaron is standing there wide eyed as if he's seen a ghost. "Uh," he starts to scratch the back of his neck. "Titus told me you might need help with the box."

I shake my head, "I got it." Aaron gives me a funny look as if he's contemplating something.

"Ty?"

"What?" We slowly walk down the hall. I don't want to be engaged in a conversation with Aaron. He creeps me out and gives me a bad feeling. He doesn't do well in school, and God know what he does outside of school.

"D-Do you remember the accident? I mean, any aspects of the accident?" He asks. What a weird question. Why does he want to know anyway?

I decide to answer so that it's not a clear yes or now answer just in case he has some foreign intentions to use it against me. "There's a lot I don't remember, and also a lot I do remember." He shuts his mouth and I'm satisfied with how the conversation went.

My mind steers elsewhere, and it's not to Nicole Hanson and the way her eyes change colors. It's not even the fact that I just found creepy information on where I was born.

It's almost like I'm at a peace at mind, and I begin to think about my art, and how I'll add different shades of the same color to my work.

The Luna's NerdWhere stories live. Discover now