invisible string - simon elroy

four

He led her to the living room and the two sat on the couch.

"Explain! This is unfair!" Evangeline said to him.

"One of our theories right now is that Maddie wanted to run away and frame someone for her disappearance so no one would look for her." Her dad exclaimed. "We assume her closest friend would be helping her."

"Dad, what!" She stood up. "Simon didn't do anything. You need to tell your officers that!"

"Please calm down. We have to look at every possible explanation to find Maddie."

"Simon isn't involved in anything!" She threw her hands in the air as she paced the room. "If Maddie is alive and she ran away Simon doesn't know anything. I can tell."

"Okay. Just calm down. I'll talk to my officers." Her dad said as he stood as well.

"Please dad. Don't let anything happen to Simon." She begged as tears slipped from her eyes. "He's like the only friend I have right now other than Inez."

"Okay. I promise nothing will happen to him." Her dad pulled her in for a hug. "Get some rest, i'll go into the station."

Evangeline nodded as she went to her room and climbed into her bed. Suddenly her phone was ringing, it was Simon.

"Simon!" She said as she sat up in bed. "Are you okay."

"I'm fine. Can I pick you up? I have to return Andersons phone to him from school I just don't wanna be alone."

"Yeah of course!" She climbed out of her bed.

"Okay good cause I'm already outside."

"Okay!" Evangeline hung up the phone then rushed out of her room while putting her shoes on.

The girl rushed outside and climbed into the passenger seat of Simon's car.

"Hey." He greeted as she put her seat belt on.

"Hi. Are you okay?" She asked and he nodded as he drove them to the school. "I told my dad to completely get rid of the idea of you being involved in anything."

"Thank you." Simon smiled as he drove.

The two arrived at the school and Simon stared at the bus stop for a moment.

"You okay?" Evangeline asked him.

"Yeah uh.." The two climbed out of the car and walked towards the bus stop. "My mom is calling, could you go inside and grab Anderson's phone off the top of the lockers outside the gym?"

Evangeline nodded and made her way into the school. She stood in front of the lockers and reached up while she grabbed the phone.

"Vange!" Simon came running towards her. "I have something even better to get Mr Anderson under police watch again and myself out of it."

"What is it?" She asked.

"Just come with me, there's a faculty meeting right now." He grabbed her hand and rushed her down the hall.

Simon burst through the cafeteria doors pulling Evangeline along behind him.

"Simon? Evangeline? What are you doing?" Principal Hartman question as the two rushed towards the table. "We're in the middle of a.."

"Faculty meeting. We know. But I have something you need to see." Simon said as he dropped the marching band uniform he carried onto the table along with some papers. "This is one of our new band uniforms. The ones the boosters all raised money for last summer."

The teachers all turned to stare at Simon and Evangeline who stood behind him just watching everything play out.

"Mr Anderson kindly offered to order them himself. Only problem is, the uniforms he purchased aren't new." Simon stared directly at his english teacher. "They were retired and stowed away for decades."

"Simon, I have no idea what you're talking about." Mr Anderson looked nervous as he tried to play it off with a smile.

"So you didn't find these, spruce 'em up, and pay yourself that money?" Simon questioned.

"What? No! I absolutely did not." Mr Anderson defended.

"Then how do you explain this receipt." Simon pushed the receipt lying on the table forward. "The company doesn't even exist."

Mr Anderson grabbed the receipt quickly scanning it with his eyes.

"And as for our mascot." Simon grabbed the band uniforms jacket and took it towards principal Hartman, Evangeline following him. "Mr Anderson used it to cover up all traces of the old one."

Simon ripped the bandits patch off the jacket to reveal the outline of the old retired school mascot. Evangeline stared wide eyed at it.

"I can't prove he hurt Maddie, but I can prove this." Simon backed up from the table as Principal Hartman looked over everything.

Evangeline stared at him admiringly as he looked towards the vending machines. She turned but saw nothing there and looked back to find him staring at her with a small smile.

Evangeline headed outside to wait in Simons car as he took once again another phone call. Simon joined her sitting in the drivers seat when he suddenly looked back towards the bus stop.

"Simon?" Evangeline stared at the bus stop as well but saw nothing.

"Uh, just uh.. Hold on Vange." Simon rushed back to the bus stop pulling Andersons phone out of his pocket.

Evangeline followed and watched as he unlocked the phone and dialed his recent call. The phone rang then went to voicemail.

"You've reached Claire. Do me a fave and just text me, okay?"

Evangeline looked up at Simon who was looking towards the side of him, as if he was looking at someone.

"Simon, what the fuck is going on?"