Perfect (Rewrite)

Chapter Twenty Two

"Why would he be in your room?" Melanie asked, staring at the box sitting on her bed. Her eyes said it all, she wanted to know what was in the box, what was so important to Chloe. What she was hiding.

Chloe paced the room and answered, "I don't know, but that's the second time that box has moved on its own. Last time I checked, boxes don't just sprout legs and walk away, do they?"

"No. But maybe it's not Jacob," Melanie suggested, but Chloe immediately shot her down with a shake of her head. She knew what she was accusing him of, and she knew she was right.

"It's always right after Jacob comes up here," Chloe answered, and then she picked the box up and threw it at the wall. It hit the wall and then the floor.

"Woah," Melanie stretched her arms out and jumped off the bed. "Lets just calm down. Maybe he put Jacob up to it."

"Why would he do that?" Chloe asked, angered by Melanie's resistance towards belief.

"Maybe because he wants you to find the box," Melanie answered; then she looked to the box sitting on the floor. "What's in it anyways?"

"Its just a pair of high heels," Chloe told her, but Melanie's expression wasn't one of trust. "See for yourself." She motioned to the box, and then Melanie grabbed it, sat back down on the bed, and took the lid off.

"Dang," Melanie said. "I was kind of hoping you were lying."

"Why would I lie about this?" Chloe asked; she sat back down on the bed and stared at the silver high heels in the box. Melanie shrugged her shoulders and then Chloe continued, "I just don't understand why he gave these to me. I mean, what's the point?"

"What do you mean?" Melanie asked.

"He told me where to find the box," Chloe answered. She flung herself back and closed her eyes, resting her head on one of the many plush pillows. "He whispered it into my ear."

"Maybe he was just being nice," Melanie answered, shrugging her shoulders again. "Maybe he just wanted to give you a gift."

"But why?" Chloe asked.

"Jacob told me what Rachel thought about you after I saw the message on the mirror," Melanie said; then she crawled around Chloe and laid beside her. "Maybe he does think you're special, so maybe he wanted to reward you. You know, for being you."

Chloe nodded, but she kept her eyes closed, holding back a laugh. To think, someone might've bought her high heels just for being special. She did't want to see anyone or anything; she just wanted to disappear. There was no privacy in this house, not even when she was alone. The cameras were everywhere, watching her, listening to her. All she wanted was to be alone, but she necessarily want Melanie to leave.

"I have to go downstairs now," Melanie said before she climbed off the bed and left the room, shutting the door softly behind her. The moment she was gone, Chloe opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Then she kicked the box and watched as it clashed to the floor near the door. Something rattled in the box.

Chloe jumped up and ran to the door; she locked herself in and grabbed the box before returning to the bed. She yanked the lid off again and grabbed the shoes, handling them vigorously. Finally Chloe found what she was looking for. A key fell onto the bed, and she gripped it tightly in between her fingers as she stared at it. This was her way out. This was her way of being alone.

She stared at the key and wondered why he had given it to her, why he had given her the way out? Then she questioned how she would use it without the others knowing. Obviously going downstairs at night would be the easiest choice, but if Chloe made too loud of a sound then she would risk losing her only way out. Then again she could take the others with her. She could help more than just herself.

"Chloe," The man in her ear said. "You need to do this alone." Chloe froze, had he heard her thoughts? Had he always been listening to everything? Were her private thoughts not even safe anymore? Chloe grabbed the box, yet again, and threw it at the corner of the room. It hit the camera and fell to the floor. The camera looked exactly as it had before, the box hadn't affected it at all. She wished it had done something, cracked the screen at the least, but it hadn't. Then again, how could something as harmless as cardboard break anything?

"Get out of my head!" Chloe shouted before she slipped the key into her pocket and stormed out of the room. She quieted her steps and erased her anger as she worked her way down the staircase; she didn't want anyone to get suspicious. The four of them were sitting in the living room, staring at the TV screen, and it was once again on, but this time it wasn't her family. It was her friends.