Between Universes

Chapter Six

School had gotten easier since she was able to start classes at the beginning of the semester and not in the middle of it. The lack of work she needed to do outside of school gave her more free time to do other things. She spent more time with her friends, who also seemed to be adjusting to an easier schedule. Some days she spent with Kat's family, trying to get more used to calling them her own in her head. On some days, she would sit in her room, doing nothing. Katherine liked to just sit and think. She missed her family, especially her sister, but she had a connection with this world. It wasn't hers, not by far. It was very different and Katherine hadn't experienced anything outside of the town of Greylake, but she couldn't picture herself leaving. At least not without a little bit of heartbreak.

It was one of those days that she finally decided to take another look at that email from Matthew. She reread the email a couple of times, trying to get rid of her nervousness. She definitely was serious about finding Andrew Reynolds, and though this guy definitely thought she should avoid finding him at all costs, she had a map. She had to do this for Kat, who would probably be doing the exact same thing at this moment if she were here. This was Katherine's job, after all. This is what she had been taught to do.

Nodding, she opened the map on her phone. The places that Andrew and Matthew had met were close together. They all seemed to be in an area that was near the edge of downtown Greylake, one that she could drive to. She could park in a relatively safe area and walk downtown, ask around for Andrew Reynolds, and retreat to the safety of her car if she needed to.

She waited until evening. It would be easier to avoid crazy people if she had the darkness of night hiding her. She parked about half a mile away. She checked to make sure that her phone was fully charged just in case she needed it.

Stepping out into the humid evening, she made sure to lock the car doors before starting her trek toward downtown. She didn't see anyone on her way down there, which surprised her, but she was sort of grateful for that.

Pulling up the map on her phone once again, she followed the directions until she ended up on the corner of a road that housed a bar and some sort of office. She thought it looked sketchy, but she needed to do this-for herself, and for Kat. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to a group of guys that were standing outside of the office building. She didn't think she could trust them, but she figured that it would be safer than approaching the rowdy group of men that was standing outside of the bar. She approached them slowly, then cleared her throat once she got close to them. Their attention turned to her, and she immediately regretted her decision of approaching them.

One of the men whistled, another eyeing her up and down. She bit her lip nervously, stepping away from the men.

"I'm just trying to find someone," She stuttered, revealing why she was in the area. "His name is Andrew Reynolds. Do you know him?" The men laughed at her attempt to stall them, moving closer to her. One kicked a beer can in the other direction.

"Yeah, we know him. Do you?" One of the men cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm looking for him, actually. T-To talk with him about my father."

"Your father, huh? Well, I'll be your father if you want, dollface. Cute little girl like you really shouldn't be out here by yourself. Let me show you home."

"No, I'm okay. If you could just point me in Andrew's direction."

"I'll point something, sweetheart."

She moved away as the man started approaching her. "There's no need for that. I just need to find Andrew Reynolds, and then I'll leave you alone." They didn't break eye contact, even as they heard yelling and doors slamming at another building down the road.

The man took a couple of steps toward her again, and as she tried to step back, she ran into another one of the men.

"Please just tell me where he is and leave me alone."

"No can do, princess. You're the prettiest thing I've seen in these parts for a while." He touched her hair and she backed farther into the other man, trying to get away from the one in front of her. The man behind her grabbed her shoulders.
"I'm 16," She stuttered out. "If you get caught, you'll go to jail." The men began laughing loudly at her and one of them pulled her toward him before a voice cut them off.

"Back off, Goulden." The air suddenly became full of tension. The men did not let go of her but their attention diverted toward the voice. Katherine was facing the wrong way to see who was speaking, and the man who held her wouldn't let her turn. "I said, back off."

The men suddenly backed away, growling under their breath. Katherine was about to turn to see who her saviour was when she felt them approaching her.

Something covered her shoulders and she was being led away. She looked up at the person who helped her. Henry.

They walked a few blocks back in the direction that her car was parked before he stopped them, turning her toward him. She had adjusted his jacket on herself, putting it on. It wasn't too big on her, the boy's slim body making his jacket sleeves reach past her wrist to end just toward the base of her fingers.

"Why were you down there? Actually, I don't even want to know. I knew you weren't the brightest when it came to street smarts, Katherine, but that was the dumbest thing you've ever done."

Katherine looked down at the ground, glancing up when Henry held out his hand. She placed her hands on his own.

"Thank you," she said, "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come. I was just looking for this guy-"

"I meant my jacket, Katherine."

"What?"

"Give me back my jacket." She looked at him in shock before slowly sliding his jacket off and placing it in his open hand. He put the jacket on, placing his hands into the pockets. They both stared at the ground before opening their mouths simultaneously to speak.

"Go ahead," Henry said.

"I just want to thank you again. Sincerely. Those guys were dangerous. Do you know any places down there where they don't hang around? I'm looking for someone."

"You're looking for someone? I just saved your ass from those creepy guys, and you want to go back? Who are you even looking for?" He demanded.

"A man named Andrew Reynolds." Katherine shuffled back and forth, staring at the space between her feet.

"Andrew Reyn- Do you even know who you're dealing with?"

"Do you?" Katherine challenged. That made Henry stop in his tracks. He looked at her before sighing.

"I wish I didn't, but I do. Just leave it alone. I've said it before and, knowing you, I'll probably have to say it again. Let the police deal with your dad's case. Leave it alone."

Katherine glanced down again, biting her lip.

"And stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" Katherine questioned, confused.

"The lip biting thing."

"Why?" Henry was silent for a moment.

"It makes you look dumb." He quickly turned and walked down the street, leaving Katherine standing there just as it started to sprinkle. Her last thought before returning home was wondering how Henry knew Andrew, and how he knew it was about her dad.