// CHAPTER NINE:: yes or no... i don't know //

"WELL, doesn't look like anyone was expecting us," Cassandra first said as everyone got off the buses. The town was quiet, causing the only noise made was the buses starting up their engines and quickly driving off.

Audrey furrowed her brows, watching as everyone pulled out their phone to called their parents. She listened to them talk about how it just keeps ringing with no answer, so reached in her pocket for her phone to dial her mom's number. Once she brought the phone to her ears, she heard the same ring that circulated around her group of classmates. An uneasy feeling built in her stomach as everyone was experiencing the same problem.

"I think I'm going to head home," Audrey said out loud and looked up to see Cassandra looking at her, "I got to see if my mom is there."

Cassandra nodded her head, "Be careful," She told her and Audrey nodded before walking away from the crowd of worried teens.

Audrey tried not to think of how her mother wasn't answering her phone because it just reminded her of how she wouldn't answer when Audrey would fall from rehab. Roxanne always gave her daughter the same excuse of why she couldn't visit, which was work, or she would just let the answer machine pick up for her, explaining to her daughter to call back later or leave a voicemail. Audrey's been through this heartache before, but for some reason she feels like it's different.

Silence grew in the streets as she continued to walk home and a chilling breeze brushed past her, making her shiver. Lightning struck above, so she quickly picked up her pace and pulled on the straps of her bag, knowing that rain would soon follow after.

Though she wasn't fast enough as it rained again, which caused her to groan since she was only a block away from home. When she reached her house, she was soaked and so was her bags as she unlocked the front door and went inside.

"Mom," Audrey called out into the house, but silence responded as she dropped her bags at the door and went upstairs, "Mom, you home? The trip got postponed because of the rain."

Audrey walked past her mom's closed room and into her room to take off her clothes. Once she closed her door, she didn't waste any time to kick off her shoes and pull off her dripping wet clothes, which caused a puddle to form around her as she undressed. She then went to her dresser and pulled out a fresh pair of clothes to change into, quickly tossing on a shirt before she heard a knock on her door.

"Alright mom, I'm coming," She yelled out and went to open the door, only to see Harry instead, "What-How the hell did you get in?"

"It was open," He explained, "Your front door was open and I knocked, but you weren't answering."

"Oh," She mumbled, but she frowned since she was convinced her mom was here. She turned away from him and went to her window, seeing that her mom's car was still out front, "This is so messed up."

"Audrey," He called out and she turned to him, watching his eyes travel from her toes and to her face and she looked down, taking notice of her bare legs, causing her to blush and have her eyes go wide.

"Turn around!" She shrieked and he reluctantly turned, chuckling to himself as he heard her scramble through her room.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before," He shrugged and she rolled her eyes as she shoved on her jeans. His phone then went off and he pulled it out to see Kelly was letting him know about the meeting Cassandra is having with everyone. Harry scoffed, "Bullshit."

"What is?" Audrey asked and he turned around without knowing if he was in the clear or not.

"Cassandra is having a town meeting, kids edition." He explained and looked up from his phone to see Audrey's big brown eyes looking at him.

"Let's go then," Audrey nodded, putting on some shoes and grabbing a hoodie, "She might have an explanation as to why everyone's parent isn't answering their phones or at home."

"Yeah and probably why our messages are green," He retorted as they stepped out of her and downstairs,"And maybe after she can explain why the sky is blue."

She chuckled as gave him a nudge, "Just go start the damn car, will you?"

He tossed up his hands and went to his car as she locked her door before she went to the passenger side of the car and got in. She then looked at him, "Why did you come to my house?"

He raised a brow at her as he began to drive off, "To see if you got home alright. It's bad enough that our parents is gone, I don't need my best friend leaving too again."

She bit her lip and looked at the window, "Oh."

The drive grew quiet but Harry sighed when he stopped at a red light, "You know," Taking a pause, he turned to see Audrey's big brown eyes staring at him already, "You know, you never answered my question back there, on the bus."

She sighed and ran her hands through the top of her mop of curls, "Harry, I think there are more things to stress over than my feelings for you. Like our parents missing, maybe?"

The light turned green and when Harry noticed it, he drove off. His heart ached a bit as he bit his lip, "Yeah... yeah, you're right."

"And you're with Kelly," She inputted, "If I explain my feelings about you, what would you do? What would happen afterwards?"

"Well, I-"

"Don't say that you would break up with her," She included, having him glance at her, "Because you know you won't and you know that I won't let you."

He looked back at the road, getting close to the huddle of kids, so he pulled over without another word to her and turned off the engine to look at her, "Despite what you're saying, I need an answer, Audrey."

"Why?" She asked, "Why does it matter?"

"Because it just does," He claimed, throwing his hands up, "I told you how I felt about before you left and you didn't give me an answer and you're doing the same thing now."

"Maybe because I don't know what I feel, Harry," She excused, "Or maybe you just don't know what you feel, which is why I choose to keep quiet. I don't want to be a home wrecker between you and Kelly."

"Do you remember that night when we got drunk at Kelly's party?" He wondered and she hesitated to nod, "You told me that you loved me, just... just tell me that wasn't a lie. That's the least you can do."

"Harry-"

"No, Audrey. Give me a simple answer. Give me a yes or a no, that's all I want," He told her and she sat there for a moment, so he kissed his teeth, "You can't, can you?"

She lowered her head, "Harry-" The driver side door opens and Audrey brought her eyes up to see Harry get out of the car. She sighed to herself, running her hands through her hair before she got out after him, only to watch Harry go directly to Kelly, leaving her by herself. He knew she wouldn't carry the conversation in front of Kelly. Asshole.

"Audrey!" Audrey heard and saw Allie waving at her, motioning her to come over. Audrey smiled a bit and stood next to Allie, "Hey, I saw you ride in with Harry."

"Yeah, we do live across from each other," She shrugged, glancing at Harry who had his back to her. She knew she came off defensive at the simple statement, but she was frustrated. Her heart ached because she not only hurt him, she had hurt herself because she could no longer admit that she liked- no, loved him. She couldn't fall down that hole again, she couldn't get herself sucked up into that world where she couldn't tell what was real or not.

She denied him of his answer because she honestly didn't know it- she wasn't sure if she only liked him the way she did because of the drugs or not, but she did know one thing;

She liked drugs as much as him and if she would fall for him again, she was afraid she would do the same with long lost friend- drugs.