The Piece System

Chapter Seventeen: ALEX

If the fact she'd already dealt with anxiety that morning when Principal Henley spoke to her was meant to lessen it now, it failed. Miserably.

Driving to Faye's was one of the most jittery, nail-biting experiences Alex had ever endured. It was warranted though, with the way their last conversation had gone. What if she didn't want to see her?

Whether she wants to see me or not, Alex thought, she's seeing me. I need to know.

After stepping out of her car, she approached the door of the slightly flaking terrace. Tentatively, she knocked.

The door didn't open. She knocked again, still nothing.

Wow. The one time she has to be out. Alex huffed, giving it a few more seconds. She had the time it took her to text Caleb back about coffee on Saturday. Surprisingly, right as she sent the text, the door opened. Anyone would think she'd text Faye herself. Well, they'd think that if it was Faye that answered the door.

Kieran rubbed his bleary eyes. "Miss Geller? Why are you here so early?"

"Kieran, it's four in the afternoon. You've been at school all day." Alex said, unimpressed. Kieran licked his lips, smoothing his crumpled shirt.

"Exactly. You interrupted my just-got-back-from-school nap." he said. She rolled her eyes.

"Where's your mum?"

"Out."

Alex scoffed. Right, out.

"Okay, you might be able to help anyway." she said.

He was suddenly much more alert, standing up straight instead of leaning on the frame, "With what?"

"Jake."

Kieran wrinkled his nose, "No."

"Nothing bad! I'm not his enemy."

"Keep telling yourself that." he said. She narrowed her eyes. What was that supposed to mean? Whatever he was trying to insinuate, she wasn't going to dwell on it. There was no room for doubts.

"Just tell me who I can speak to about him." she said.

Kieran crossed his arms, "What about him?"

"About him as a person. I'm not trying to double cross him or anything stupid like that."

"Good, because that would be very stupid."

It was taking everything she had to keep her cool. She knew why he was being sceptical and realistically she would be to if she was in his shoes. But it was so simple! There was no ulterior motive, she just needed answers. Ones Jake was never going to give.

"At the end of the day, Kieran, I'm still your teacher. So you can either give me someone to talk to or I'll shred your work and put you in detention for a month for not handing it in." Alex said. Silence descended, broken only by Kieran's huffed mutters.

"This is blackmail." he said.

"Nope. This is simply an instruction from your teacher."

Eventually, she got a name. It was only one name, though, and it was in a location she did not want to enter. And now she was stood by its mouth, that shiver was more powerful than ever. Rockfoot was the only place she'd sworn never to stick even a finger into, yet here she was.

"Charlie Herring." Kieran'd said. "He's the only person Jake tells everything. But from what he's told me, Jake cut him off since The Daily Checkmate fire."

Alex stared at the sign, the one with the street name branded on it.

"He's also one of the Renegade's Three."