Play No More (Player Next Door sequel) ✓

12 | Funeral

Thank you to Ashleypelegrina02 who sent me this gem of a poster on Instagram.  So appropriate for this chapter!

You asked for Luke's POV on my IG.  So here it is - And if you have any more requests, comment on IG @NatalieInACorner  

Chapter 12: Funeral

*Luke's POV*

I wanted to hold Millie's hand. I wanted her to know she wasn't alone, but I was stuck on the other side of a damn wall.

My hand rested on the windowsill, though she had backed away from the window.

We've never had good timing. We've had ridiculous accidents and moments I don't even understand happen.

It still surprises me that she's been living across the street this whole time. And I was too self-absorbed to notice.

Millie Ripley drove into my life with a beat-up car and some story about a raccoon.

I've been making up for lost time since.

And that's how I found myself in her backyard with a dead cat.

Someone murdered a cat, dipped Art's basketball jersey in its blood and then hung it on her doorknob.

It's sick sh*t.

But this wasn't going to go down without someone getting their *ss handed to them.

Chad and I had been searching for clues in her backyard before we stumbled across the cat. Chad had shrieked like an ambulance until he ran out of voice.

Then Flora supplied her off-pitch harmony and, together, they sounded like a bad audition for Choir Boy.

Now Austin was convincing Gloria not to approach the window. She'd run out of the kitchen with a frying pan after she heard everyone's screams.

Seriously, Gloria deserves a vacation.

"What do you think Millie's thinking?" Chad asked.  His voice was hoarse after so much yelling.

I looked down at my sneakers. New UA Curry 6's. I retired my Air Jordan's recently-

But to answer Chad's question - if there's one thing I know, it's that I never know what Millie Ripley is thinking.

*Millie's POV*

Curiosity killed the cat.

I damn well knew that.

But satisfaction brought it back... so I was going to find out who did this sick, misguided thing and I was going to do something about it. 

I don't know what, how or when... but those are great questions so I'll get back to them later. 

This was animal cruelty. Surely, I could prosecute.

My thoughts went to Luke. He had been with Chad when they found the cat and I felt guilty for dragging him and his friends into this. I didn't know it would escalate to murder.

Now we all had to deal with the trauma.

My mother yelled at me to help my sister. Flora was passed out upstairs from shock. But I was barely able to keep my own nerves together. How was I going to keep calm for anyone else?

I forced the tears back as I passed by Austin and Gloria. I dodged the frying pan she was waving in the air, to avoid being knocked out.

KO'd by Gloria

That doesn't seem like a bad option right about now. I mean, there's a crime scene in my backyard.

When do CSI get here?