Part 6 (1/2)

I flip through the radio stations. ”I never said you were.”

She swats my hand away from the stereo and cranks up some song by Katy Perry. She sings along at the top of her lungs, waving her hands and bobbing her head. I rest my head back and watch the trees drift by. I'm almost asleep when she slows down the car.

I open my eyes and start to unbuckle my seatbelt. But we're stopped in a line of cars, not at the store. ”Where are we?” I rub my tired eyes.

”Stuck in traffic.” She impatiently drums her fingers on the steering wheel.

”Wait, what... traffic?” I sit up. The town is too small for traffic. But there is a row of cars running each way over the bridge and down the road. Police cars barricade the street and policemen are sectioning off the middle of the bridge with tape and trying to detour everyone to the side.

”What's going on?” I mumble, rolling the window all the way down to get a better look.

”Somebody probably did something stupid,” she replies in a bored tone as she inspects her fingernails for chips.

The line of cars crawls forward. Raven presses on the gas and drives by slowly. In the middle of the taped off section, an X is spray-painted across the asphalt. Smashed into the cement barrier of the bridge is a rusted black Cadillac. The windows are broken, the hood is smashed in, and there is blood dripping from the back tire. And there are black feathers on the ground and on the hood.

”Isn't that Laden's?” I squint at the car. ”Oh my G.o.d, it is.”

”Hmm... I guess he must have got into some trouble last night.” She smiles at the thought.

”This couldn't have happened last night,” I say. ”I just saw Laden this morning.”

”How can you be sure of what you saw?” She questions with a sparkle in her eye.

I eye her over questionably. ”Is there something you're not telling me?”

”There's a lot of things I'm not telling you.” She grins and blasts the stereo.

I turn back to the scene. There's an hourgla.s.s painted on the back of the window in red and feathers all over the hood and the ground. It's the exact scene of when the police found my dad's car, just a different location. And I worry that, like with my dad's disappearance, I'll become the prime suspect.

Chapter 6.

When night falls, I don't visit the cemetery. The news announced that Laden is considered a missing person and that there is evidence of foul play. My mom ended up skipping out on dinner and so Raven took her place at the table. She acted like a lunatic, like she was high on the news of Laden's disappearance.

While Raven and I were shopping, I tried to press her about the details of last night, but she s.h.i.+fted the conversation to clothes every time. I end up going to bed early. But late during the night, I'm woken up by the sound of my mom's voice.

”Ian,” she yells up the stairs in a drunken slur. ”I need your help.”

Ian is locked away in the attic, with his ”muse,” a mysterious person that sneaks in every night so he can paint them. I climbed out of bed and pad to the top of the stairway.

”Mom, Ian's in the attic,” I say tiredly. ”What do you need?”

She frowns up at me, disappointed. ”I need help getting up the stairs.”

I sigh and trot to the bottom. Her brown hair is disheveled and her eyes are bloodshot. She used to be pretty, but her lifestyle has aged her. She tugs down the hem of her dress and drapes her arm around my neck. She smells like tequila and cigarettes. Her death omen smothers me, like it always does: lying in a bed of pills and bottles, dying in her own flames. Holding my breath, I help her to her room, lie her down on the bed, and pull off her high heels.

She blinks at me through her blurry eyes. ”You look so much like him,” she mutters. ”You have his eyes and everything.”

She's referring to my father. ”Shhh... get some rest.”

”I wonder if you'll turn out like him,” she says, rolling onto her side. ”I bet you will... a killer...you did kill your grandma.”

Her words stabbed at my heart, but it's not the first time she's uttered them. ”Mom, Dad didn't kill anyone.”

”Yes he did... yes he did.” She drifts off to sleep.

I force back the tears and rush out of my room. I don't cry, but I can't fall back asleep. So I read Cameron's poem, over and over again until the words blur together and make no sense at all. Just like my life.

I'm running late the next morning. There are bags under my bloodshot eyes and I look pallid. I quickly get dressed in torn jeans, grey combat boots, and a black vest over a striped T-s.h.i.+rt. Raven texts me as I'm barreling down the stairs, pulling my hair into a ponytail.

Raven: Need 2 get ur own ride 2day.

I halt at the bottom of the stairs and text back.

Me: Why? Is something wrong?

It takes her a second to answer.

Raven: I got things 2 do 2day. Can't b late.

Me: Just hold on. I'm almost out the door.

Raven: Already gone.

Raven: FYI the news said Laden disappeared the night of the party Me: ... that makes no sense. I saw him outside the house.

Raven: whateva u say. U would know how he died though. U saw it remember. It's why I had 2 hang out with him Me: He's not necessarily dead yet, only missing.

Raven: If you say so. But anyway gotta go. C u at skool ;) I throw my phone into my bag. I consider hitting Ian up for a ride, but then I'd have to explain what happened to dad's car. And I'm not ready for that yet. The only other alternative is to ride the overly crowed bus that is br.i.m.m.i.n.g with unavoidable death omens.

”What's up with you?” Ian asks, munching on a Pop-Tart in the kitchen doorway.

”Nothing.” I s.n.a.t.c.h my house keys off the table. ”I'm just tired.”

”Did mom say anything to you last night?” he asks. ”Like maybe why she hasn't been taking her meds.”

”Does she ever talk about anything?” I snap.

Ian holds up his hands. ”Sorry. I was just asking a question. But I guess I'll keep my mouth shut.”

I open my mouth to apologize, but he turns back into the kitchen. I grab my jacket off the banister and step outside. I slip on my jacket and stare at the end of the street. Walk or ride the bus?

Cameron's Jeep pulls up to the curb. He rolls down his window and crooks his finger at me. I hesitate.

”I promise I don't bite.” He dazzles me with an exquisite smile.