I run downstairs to tell my mom the good news.
"Hey, I'm going out with Ian tonight."
"Uhm- they hell your are. You didn't even ask me, Bailey-"
"Mom- tonight is the only night I have went out in like 4 months. Can you not let me do one thing. For myself?" I say frustrated.
"You really don't understand it." She says, her voice shaky, and her eyes watering."
"What?" I ask.
"Your father is dead, we know for a damn fact it wasn't a suicide, and you know it was a homicide. His killer is still out there. And every time you go out, I am scared to death. My heart drops every time you don't come home on time from curfew, when you don't call me when I ask you too. I am scared to death. And I don't want the same thing happening to you." She says, sobbing.
"Mom, I'm not doing this again, please just let me have this one night to myself." I say, picking at my nails.
"No." She says. That's when I loose it. I take a deep breath and look up to the ceiling with bumps on it.
"I am going, and I will come home when I please. Goodbye now." I say.
"Bailey if you walk out that door." I hear her say as I slam the door. I wait down the street for Ian to pick me up.
"Hey, you look more stressed than usual." He says as I get into his car.
"Yah." I answer.
"I have a question." He asks as he turns the corner.
"What?"
"When's the last time we drank milkshakes at the diner?" He ask. I instantly grow a smile. The diner is the local dinner in Vanilla Vally everyone goes too, I haven't been there since last year.

Ian parks and the bright neon blue and red lights reflect off his perfect skin. He literally has no blemishes. We walk out and he opens the door for me. The bell at the top rings loudly above my head.
"Hey, Bailey, Hey, Ian." Clark says. He owns this diner.
"Hey Clark. Two milkshakes please. Vanilla and strawberry swirl." He still remembers my order...
We take a booth, sitting across from him, the faint 60's music playing in the background. No one is here accept for us. How it always has been. Just us two.
"How's your-uh- situation at home." He asks. His lips on the straw of his milkshake. I sigh.
"My moms too drained to realize the issues at hand anymore. The money my father had left barely even covers the rent of our house. My brother is just smoking in his room. And she's worried about me going out."
He looks up at me from his milkshake.
"Oh." He responds. I wouldn't know how to respond to that either.
"What do you think happened to your father?"
"That's thing, I don't know. My moms convinced it's a homicide. But I'm not sure, that's what I've been trying to figure out, but I've had no time with school."
"What can you do? Bailey. The investigation was dropped and there's no evidence proving that-"
"Wait- maybe there is..."
"Bailey.."
"No, stop. I wanna look further into this. I don't care how bad my grades. My mom won't care. Are you in?"
"Wait- we need to think about this." Ian says to me, his voice drops lower than usual.
"Are you in. Or not.?" I ask, staring into his eyes.
"Whatever- fine."
"Good. Tomorrow meet up with me here and we'll start."
He sighs.

"Thank you for the milkshakes, Clark."
"Yah, thank you so much." Ian follows my appreciation.
"How much?" He asks.
"Nope. On the house. You two have a goodnight." Clark responds. My heart goes out to him. He's too nice for a cruel town like this.

"What time is it?" I ask Ian once we get out. I'm shivering.
"Uh. 10:42." He answers. I smile and nod.
"We can go drive around a little or go back to your place?" I ask.
"Yah totally. Wanna look at the Christmas lights with me in town."
"Of course I say."

We arrive in town and the lights don't shine as bright as they did last year, there dimmer. More shady. Rusted. As we're walking we see our English teacher.
"Hey, Mrs.Sandler." Me and Ian say as she passes us.
"They still have that special star above that Christmas tree. It glows exactly the same." Ian tells me, pointing his finger to the center Christmas tree.
He looks at me and asks if everything's alright. I just nod my head. There's too much going on tonight.
"I have an unusual request." I ask.
"What?" Ian says admiring the red and green flashing disco ball.
"Would you take me to my old house later tonight?" Ian spits out his hot chocolate.
"What- a new family lives there. And plus it's a gated area there's no way we'd be able to get there."
"Dude- I know a back entrance. And everyone is here tonight. Trust me no ones gonna be home. Accept for my family." I say trying to convince him
"Well no shit. You live at the entrance of a new town. Everyone is doing there own stuff there." Ian argues. Changing the subject.
"I live like right next between the signs to Vanilla Vally and OaksDale. Everyone lives in that town and goes to OaksDale school district. I still go to Vanilla Vally High." I argue back, I know it's stupid but I'm trying to my best to let me go there. "Whatever." He mummers. Finally I think. Ian has always been a stubborn guy, but he usually almost comes through.

20 minutes past by, me and Ian are practically walking in circles at this point. I check the clock. 1 hour more of this. I figure this is the best time to leave.
"Let's go." I say and grab Ian's sweater. As we're running down to the exit we're greeted by Mrs. McCarthy.
"You guys are leaving so early?" She says. She's too sweet for this world. I would hate to lie to her.
"Yeah unfortunately." I say, forcefully frowning. I smile and breeze past her.
Once me and Ian get into the car he stops me.
"Are you sure you want to do this." He asks.
"Yes, of course." I tell him.
We arrive to my little development. It's a gated residence, with maybe 4-5 houses. Mine is at the end of the cul-de-sac. A huge White House. This time usually would be the most jolly and happy house in the town.
"Do we know who lives here?" I ask myself out loud.
"Uh- I think the Daltons life here now." Ian responds. Ugh I hate those people. They always tried to one up us and now they're living in my house, pathetic.
"What's your secret area?"
"This way." I tell him. I hop out his car and he follows behind me. Just around this whole fence and you'll see a little bush all the way at the end. That's my house. And all we need to do is climb over the bush and go through the basement.
"Okay..." I say, breathing heavily. We arrive at the very end.
"I need help let me step of your hand." I tell Ian. He puts his hand out and my boot gets snow on his hand. I lift myself up around the bush and I'm now in my backyard.
"Ok, hold on to this branch." I pull a branch from a dead tree and he grabs it, I move forward with the force that he moves himself up onto the fence.
He breaths heavily.
"Almost there." I say cringing. His breath is visible in the cold winter air. He drops down to the ground with a groan. He sighs in relief.
"How do we get in?" He asks.
"There's a key underneath the door mat."
We walk to the front porch. Seeing this remind me of coming home on a dark Christmas evening after doing some last minute Christmas shopping with me and my girlfriends. Ian's breath is hot against my neck. I inhale the cold air and release it, my heart is banging against my rib cage. I search blindly in the dark for the house key. It's not underneath the door mat. before I notice anything else, Ian is looking through the tops of the  banisters. He opens the third one and there it is, a rusted metal like key in his hand. He looks over at me and smiles sarcastically.
"Shut up." I tell him and we both chuckle. He wiggles the key and finally the door opens, wide. A faint smile grows across my face.
"Okay." I say, "Go into my dads office. There's a secret compartment in the floor, and I'm not sure if anyone noticed it." I tell him.
"Im just gonna look around." I add. Seeing this house makes me remember all the amazing things I used to have. That's one lesson I learned. Never take anything for granted. I miss it so much. Looking at the fire place, where usually would be my school pictures are replaced with new pictures, of a new child. A tear escapes my eye and rolls slowly down my cheek. I bite my lip. I don't wanna start to cry anymore.
"Bailey." I hear from behind. It's Ian, his voice grows louder than usual.
"What is it?" I say concerned. My eyes grow wider as I see the blue and red lights flashing through the window. I sigh and I remember the silent alarm when someone opens front door.
"We had to turn off that silver button as soon as we came in here. The door is opened by a strong force.
"Put your hands where I can see them!" I hear a loud stern voice come from the foyer. I. am. Petrified.