The Not So Innocent Boy ~[Completed]~

Chapter 16.

Chris left Briar's house with her note. He was still worried about this task that she had given him. How could she trust him with something so important? All these things were running in an infinite loop in his mind. He couldn't find a way to calm himself. He was worried that the cop that had just arrived would think that he looked suspicious. Maybe he would get in trouble for helping his best friend.

It was getting out of hand. Chris took in a deep breath. It cleared his head for a moment, but just a moment. He continued to walk. The corner store was only a few minutes away. He tried to speed up his pace, but then he thought of his suspicious appearance again.

He finally made it to the store. The little bell rang as he opened the door. There were only a few people in the store. A couple of employees and a few customers. Chris walked the isles looking for what he needed. He was heading down the isle with all the different cards. Then he spotted Clarice. She was staring at them with no expression, then she caught sight of him. She started to run away.

"Clarice!" Chris tried to follow her.

She wasn't slowing down.

"Please stop!" He tried again.

Finally she stopped in her footing. "What do you want Chris?" She was visibly unhappy.

"Have you talked to him? Asa?" He asked her.

"I just did." She wasn't keeping eye contact.

Chris had a glimmer of hope, "Are you going to talk to him again?"

She didn't want to say anything. She just turned and headed for the door.

"Please, I need you to tell him something." He tried to chase after her.

"I don't want to talk about this." She tried to get him of her back.

"It's really important. She said just to tell him one word. Whale." He kept trying.

"I'm sorry Chris. I'm not talking to him again." She told him as she finally walked out of the store.

He exhaled, discouraged that his attempt at delivering Briar's message didn't work. He knew if he tried to go straight to Asa, they would know it was a message from Briar.

He took another breath, he had to stay on track. He needed to get what was important. He continued to walk down the isles. He looked high and low for what was on the paper. Eventually he found it and headed to the checkout. The man at the cash looked at him weirdly.

"It's for a friend." Chris awkwardly smiled at him.

He grabbed the item off the counter and walked out the corner store. He looked around once more to see if Clarice had stayed, but there was no sign of her.

Chris thought that it would be questionable if he would to return to Briar's house for a second time in one day, so he decided that it would be better if he returned in a couple days. Hopefully they would let him.

He didn't feel like going home either, he just felt like he should go to the park. Chris didn't pay attention to his surroundings. All this gloom hovering over the case made everyone feel that way. He could sense it in his posture, his steps. Eventually he made it to the foot of their tree, his and Briar's. He climbed to the very top, like they always did. He sat on the thick branch and rested his back against the trunk.

On the inside he was still in a state of worry, then sadness, then back to worry. He couldn't get his mind to just stop and be blank. The only thing he could do was take out the box from his coat pocket. He looked at it and read everything that was written on it.

"God, Briar. What did you get yourself into?" He couldn't keep it inside anymore. Tears started to fall down his face. "You just had to, didn't you?!" He couldn't tell if he was angry at her too. "Well you must really love him." He settled with himself. "I guess it's time for all of us to grow up. No more running around and picking on each other. No more school and Miss Rivers calling us out. I guess we just need to face life right in the heart, cause that's where it really hurts."

Chris still sat up in that tree. He couldn't bring himself to leave, but he was right. It was time to face the truth. They weren't kids anymore, no one was. He slid the box back in to the inside pocket of his coat and slowly made his way down. He hit the grass with a heavy step.

Two days passed, Chris knew he couldn't hold on to it anymore. It was still in his coat pocket, he made sure of it. He quickly put on his coat and ran out his front door before anyone of his family members could ask him where he was off to. He walked down the sidewalk at a steady pace to try and hide his mysteriousness. Before he knew it he was in front of her house. There were a couple of cops doing the hourly patrol, Chris waved at them. They waved back. Chris knocked at the door.

Briar's dad opened the door. "Hi Chris." He said.

"Hi Mr. Cole. Um... I came to see how Briar was doing. I was hoping to say hi." Chris explained.

"No problem." He nodded. "Just don't take too long."

"For sure." He walked inside. "I'll only be a few minutes."

Chris walked up the stairs to Briar's room. He opened her bedroom door slowly in case she wasn't completely ready.

"Briar?" He asked.

"Chris!" She was happy to see him. "Did you get it?" She whispered.

"Yep." He whispered too. He took the box out of his coat pocket.

"Thank you." She pulled him in to the tightest hug.

"Bri?"

"Yes." She listened.

He still held her tight. "If this is the last time I see you before the court hearing, I want you to know that I'm on your side. I'll do anything for you."

She dug her head in to his shoulder, "I know." She took a second, "Thank you."

They both would have cried, but they just couldn't bring themselves to do it.