― three: nancy drew

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[ CHAPTER 03 : NANCY DREW : when you're down and troubled, and you need some love and care, and nothing, nothing is going right. close your eyes and think of me, and soon i will be there to brighten up even your darkest night. you just call out my name, and you know wherever  i am, i'll come running to see you again. ]  

★★★★★


          PARKER WAKES UP TO find her room pitch black and deathly silent. She guesses that her mom must've shut the blinds when coming to check on her sometime after she'd gone to sleep. She blinks a few times, slowly trying to get her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Certain, lighter, parts of the room become more visible but others, not so much. Her body still aches lightly, as she tries to pick herself up off the bed without trying to wake her dog. She manages to slip her legs out from underneath the warm comforter, to the cold hardwood beside her bed. As she rises from the creased spot, Frank lifts his dopey head. A low growl emits from him as a single bark slips from his mouth.

          Parker shushes him quickly as he gets excited. Wagging his tail, and slowly rising to crumble off the end of the bed, next to her body; he barks, and again she shushes him. "Frank, please," She mutters as her hand reaches down to pat the top of his head lightly. His tail wags in happiness. "You'll wake mom, and dad." Frank's the type of dog that doesn't do too well when his owner isn't home. Separation anxiety to the point he cries and whimpers until she gets back home. And since dogs don't have a sense of time, it's even worse. Parker leaves in the morning for school, and comes home late at night after work. Frank is always there waiting.

          She knows if she leaves now, now that he's awake, he'll alert her parents that she's leaving. So, in the time it takes to get dressed and fix her hair, she makes the decision to bring him with her. She picks up at her small and fragile Boston Terrier, and watches him silently as he stretches out his body before staring up at her with his bugging dark eyes. Carefully, she maneuvers toward her white door, propping it open to peek out into the hallway. In the short distance between her and her parent's room, she can hear the soft snores coming from her father. Good, if he's sleeping, so is her mom. For now, she's in the clear to get out of the house.

          The stairs, thankfully, were recently repaired—so the new wood doesn't creak as bad as the old one did. Frank's paws clack against the wood as her sock covered feet slide against it, smoothly allowing her to get down at a faster rate. When she gets to the bottom, her fingers latch onto Frank's blue and white leash on the side of the wall.

          Frank excitedly jumps up onto her, his paws scratching against her knees. Parker pushes him down, and clips the leash onto his orange collar quickly. It's not often that she's able to go on walks with her dog, usually her mom or dad takes him, so it's actually nice to be able to take Frank somewhere with her. He's a good dog, and deserves more of her time then when she gives to him.

          "Sorry." The brown-haired girl mumbles as a quiet apology to her parents for breaking their rules. Something she's never done before. Yes, she's talked back to them (on more than one occasion). And she's often gotten on their nerves and vice versa. But, she's never sneaked out of the house, or anything that can result in her getting grounded (at least not since she was a child). She feels apologetic, and some form of guilt boils in her stomach. Yet, her mind is telling her to keep going. Keep moving.

          So, she does.

          Arcadia is a small town. Most people leave for work at six in the morning, and come home at six at night. Thus, the metro system stops at around eight. Nearing midnight, means there's only one option: walking to school. She snuggles into her hoodie, the one she wore this morning, and tightens her grip on Frank's leash. The dog is completely enthralled with the environment. Sniffing some things, and threatening to pee on others. It's not often the dog gets to leave the neighborhood, so coming upon the main street of town, where planters, pillars, and bush galore can be found: he's in love. And no matter how many times Parker has told him to cut down to one or two sniffs per block: he refuses to listen to her. He's defiant.

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