Everything Changed

Chapter Six

     After I finish with the newspaper I take it back up to the librarian. She takes the paper from me but instead of turning and putting it back where she got it, she sets it on the table and looks at me.

     "Are you Shay Jones?" She asks.

     "Yes, why do you ask?"

     "I have read this paper over and over again but I just can't believe what happened to you and your family that night. Why you? It just doesn't make since." She says with a hint of confusion in her voice.

     " I have to go." I reply and leave the library as fast as I can. It wasn't random. Kevin didn't just randomly try to rob us. He had a reason to be at our house. His reason was revenge. But nobody knows that..... right?

     On my way home my phone dings. I pull it out of my back pocket and see that I have a new message.

     Why did you leave? -Jake

     I don't want to talk about this. - Shay

     Like I said, just forget this happened, don't let it get to you. - Jake

     Can't we just tell someone why Kevin came to our house that night? - Shay

     NO! Shay, we both promised to never tell anyone! - Jake

     Okay. - Shay

     I reread those messages over and over again. I can't tell anyone. If I ever do, Jake will never forgive me. The night after the accident, Jake made me swear to never tell anyone that we even knew Kevin. So, when the  police questioned us, we lied. Since that night, I have kept my promise and I haven't told anyone.

     I finally get home. I go inside and head to my room. I sit on my bed and look at the clock beside my bed. It reads 5:45. Mom most likely won't be home until at least 11 tonight and dad won't be home for a few days. Plus, Jake doesn't even live with us. He moved out as soon as he turned 18, of course he used to always come home and visit when Matt was here. Now that Matt's gone, he never comes around.

     I look around my room for something to do. I finally decide to just watch tv. I go to the living room and lay down on the couch. As I flip through the channels I hear a knock on the door. For a minute I worry that it might be Kevin. Then I remember  that, once they let him out of prison, we got a restraining order against him so that he could never hurt our family again.

     I stand up and walk to the door. I open the door slowly, cautiously. I see the person standing on the porch and I open the door the rest of the way. Standing on my porch is Jake.

     "Jake, what do you want?" I ask.

     "Shay, I just wanted to tell you that I know you didn't tell anyone."

     "Yeah, I didn't tell anyone. I don't know why you ever thought that I would. Not only would  you get in trouble, so would I. Jake I lied to the cops those nights. I'm not going to risk getting in trouble for that." I reply.

     "I get that. I understand. If anyone told someone, it had to be Kevin." He says, anger in his voice, "he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Maybe I should go talk to him."

     "No. Absolutely not. No. You are not going to go talk to him. He's not even aloud to come near us."

     "Fine. I'll forget about it. I'll try. The guilt is just becoming too much Shay. Matt is in my dreams. I am sure that wherever he is, he blames me for what happened to him." Jake says, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. When I don't say anything, he turns around and walks away.