September 15th, 2017

Finn dropped me off soon after our slow stroll around the block. He was about to kiss me on the cheek when Jace opened the front door and pulled me inside. The boys, Robert included, then proceeded to have a 'nice' shouting contest through the door while Beatrice rushed me to the kitchen. I got to sit on a stool by the island and warm up meanwhile she made me hot cocoa. We talked for a while about my date? while I drank the warm liquid. I went to bed a while later-after a quick hug from Beatrice-with the biggest smile on my face. I was more content in that moment that I'd ever been since the night my parents died. For those few minutes and the ones that passed as I lay on my bed waiting for sleep to come, I felt normal. I felt loved-or at least more than tolerated-and it was the best feeling in the world.

Tuesday through Thursday I went through the week with the smile that covered my lips the night before. No huge drama arose, so it was quite peaceful. Anaya and I made progress on what we are now officially calling 'Project T.R.U.T.H.'. We don't actually have an acronym for it. Anaya just thought it would be cooler if we made it sound like we did. Within just three days of researching whenever we could, we had so much information we couldn't keep track of it. I ended up buying a huge white canvas as a means of organization. Now whenever Anaya or I learn something new, I type or write- it down and pin it to the canvas.

Wednesday night I got sick of having the board on the ground that I asked Jace to hammer nails into my blue walls and hang the huge frame above my bed. He ended up asking a hundred too many questions about what the pins meant before even doing a thing. I desperately needed his help, and the only way he'd give it to me as if I explained everything to him. Jace promised not to tell anyone about my canvas after I explained in vivid detail what I was working on. True to his word he didn't. The loud noise of the hammer did. Now all the McCains know about my plan.

Jaylin was openly skeptical about it, time and time again claiming that my family died in a fire caused by nature. She even showed me some articles and a few videos proving her point. Robert swam in a similar lake to his daughter, though he doesn't say so in as many words. He just smiled, lightly rubbed my shoulders and shrugged when I ask what he thought. Beatrice and Jace were the exact opposite. They-by that I mean mostly Beatrice-now spend almost as much time as I do searching for anything that could be helpful. 

Even Though Jaylin isn't on board with my plan to uncover what happened to my parents, she and I are good. I don't goof around with her as I do with Jace, and I'm not always at ease when it's just her and I, but it's clear she doesn't hate me anymore. Tuesday night she even invited me into her room to watch a show. Even though we spent most of the show talking about my date with Finn, I enjoyed getting to know Jaylin a bit more.

Jace and I are chill too. He gives me a ride to school every day that I wake up on time. After school he's got baseball practice, Jaylin's got dance, and Robert and Beatrice work. This leaves me the option of walking the two miles home unless Finn drives me, which he does with no problem at all.
Every day I look forward to our short ten minutes in the car-turns out Finn and I got no classes together, much to both of our annoyances.

Friday is the day my good week comes to a stop. I wake up at five twenty-three in a cold sweat. Flickering images of my nightmare blur my wet vision as I try not to scream. With no other choice left and my heart thundering at an inhuman speed, I stuff my face into one of the huge white pillows on my bed and try to calm down. Like the flash of light that appears when a camera takes a photo, the nightmare that never leaves blinds my closed eyes lids.

The room is darker than all the rest they'd been in. It's huge walls stretch up to thirty feet high before touching the wooden roof. No furniture of any kind is scattered around the large room. Weirdly, the only things in the entire room are old looking weapons. They are latched to huge chunks of wood, solid silver chains making sure nothing moves. Chills eat away at Lin's body the longer her eyes spend glaring around the large room.

"Jaxson lets go back home."

Lin's words come out in a gentle whisper as she tugs on Jaxson's black leather jacket.

"I'm not ready to go yet. Stop rushing me." He growls loudly, voice filled with so much anger.

Lin barely flinches. Jaxson has always been one to get mad quite easily. Pretty much everything that doesn't go his way angers him.

"That's good." Time freezes at the sound of the husky voice. It's deep and rough like one of a smoker around the edges. "The party is just getting started, right boys?" It's hard to see, but Lin still manages to get a good look at the ugly smirk tattooed on the guy's dry lips.

Behind him, two guys, both huge-- probably six feet and a few inches-- crack their knuckles.

Lin's so scared, that she almost pees herself. Her little body shakes so horribly that to the unaware eye it would look like the earth is shaking right under her small feet.

"Chill out," Her body does nothing to obey the order, so Jaxson sighs and wraps an arm around her waist. "I've got you."

People are liars. Jaxson is the best example of that. Once the guys trapped us in a corner, my so-called night in shining armor made a run for it, leaving me to eat his dust.

Like on the common days when  I wake up in a cold sweat, Friday ended up being a bad day. Due to my little breakdown, I was behind schedule and took too long getting ready. Jace left without me, leaving me no choice except to walk-my little truck refused to turn on- to school. The stroll took me about thirty minutes, just enough time to be exactly ten minutes late to first period.  Garst was chill about it, marked me tardy and all still, but at least he didn't give me grief about it. Waking up late allowed me no time for breakfast so when lunch rolled around I was starving. No money equals no food. Instead of going to the library, I spent lunch at the office. I caught up with Rosario. We discussed how school was going for both her and me, a bit about her life, and I even manage to get her talking about my family.

Much to my happiness, my last two classes went by in a rush. Now I stand at my locker, carefully putting away my books on the little shelf. I'm about finished with my little task when Hazel appears. She's jumpy with energy and does most of the talking. I try to get in a couple of words here and there, but like usual, it's no use.

Hazel is the type of person who could play a team sport by herself. She doesn't need anyone telling her what to do, she does what she wants on her own time. On most people, that trait is annoying as hell, yet Hazel makes it work simply because she's so cheery.

"Jacqueline!"

"What?"

"I asked you if you had any homework?"

Hazel looks at me like I'm supposed to know this. What typically follows that look is a long lecture on respecting others when they are talking by not spacing out.

No, thank you.

"I know, I was just ah...race you to the steps!" Taking off in a sprint down the hall.

Hazel only hesitates for a moment before running after me. "CHEATER!" She hollers, drawing more attention towards us than I'd prefer.

When I'm a couple of feet away from the entrance, I make the mistake of looking back to see where my competitor is. Turns out she was right behind me. Hazel pushes me out of the way, exiting the building and winning the race.

"You.. can't.. shove people...in a.. race, Haz."

I'm breathing hard. My pulse is exhilarating. I lost the race. My competitor is laughing at how out of shape I am.

I can't help but smile as I take a seat on a step next to Hazel.

"You also can't have an hour head start, but hey! You did."

"It was a second at most!"

"Keep telling yourself that."

She crosses her arms over her chest. "I will." Turning away from me.

I stare at her blankly for a moment before we start laughing. Big, anxious laughs that usually annoy me the crap out of me but feel so right simply because it's with Hazel.

"What are we laughing at?" Tears of happiness leak out of her eyes, sending a jolt of accomplishment through me.

I made someone happy!

"I dunno."

________

Hey! Thanks for reading:) Please vote, comment and share if you liked this chapter!

I gotta be honest: as of right now, I don't know where this book is going. I know where I want it to end, just don't know how to get there.

Wish me luck, Liv

DP: Nov.4.17
WC: 1,459