Can't Outrun The Past {Book 3}

Chapter 21: Being Scared Is Only Human

*Levi's POV*

Noah had taken us to a shop at the end of an alley. The alley it's was dirty and littered. Graffiti lined the walls, some nice and some so very not. Each was tagged with a star.
The shop itself was cut into the brink wall, the door painted solid black and the windows boarded shut.
"N, you sure this is where we want to be?" I questioned quietly.
It didn't seem like the place for three young preteens to hang out. Let alone enter a shop.
"I'm sure." Noah nodded confidently. "This is the place." She pushed open the shop door, giving away an eiry creek. A small creepy jingle rang throughout the room, signalling our arrival.
"I don't like the looks of this." Connor whispered to me, his eyes watching the brunette skip to the counter.
"I agree." I whispered back.
Gaining the attention of the worker, Noah smiled brightly.
"May I help you?" The man asked with a big grin.
"Um.. Yes, I need this stuff." Noah handed a piece of notebook paper to the man.
"And as quickly as possible." I added, joining the pair.
The worker glanced up and laughed. "You joking, kid?" He looked directly at me.
"No, Sir, dead serious." I replied. "And we need it now."
"And what do two kids such as yourself plan to do with all this stuff?" He inquired.
"Monster hunting." Noah shrugged. "We're strange kids." She was growing impatient.
"Listen,"-I glanced at his name tag-"Todd, what's it matter to you what we do with this stuff." I asked nonchalantly. "I mean you run a shop in the worst part of town."
Noah looked pleased as Todd turned away, muttering about teenagers.
"Nice one, Levi." She clapped her hands. "I didn't think you could lie." She said a little quieter.
"The best liars always tell the truth." I replied and walked off to find Connor.
He stood looking at a rack of CDs. "I know more of the songs on these than I do on the radio." Connor laughed, holding up a CD.
I laughed. "That's what we get for having parents."
My eyes wandered around the small rundown shop. There were posters of movies all too familiar but made so long ago. Cutouts of celebrities that I doubted even acted anymore sat here and there. But one thing caught my attention for sure.
A picture of teenagers at a diner. It was clearly taken years ago, but the people looked so happy in it.
A curly headed boy had his arm wrapped around a brunette girl, both appeared to be laughing. A redhead sat up on the bar acting as if she were about to kick the darker haired girl who sat on the stool beside her. Two other boys sat oposite the guy and girl in a booth, the last guy laid on the next table. Something about them seemed so real.
"Hey, Connor, come here a sec." I said without thinking. "Do you recognise these people?"
"That looks like Mum just with brown hair." He pointed to the girl in the booth. "And it looks like Uncle Rafe beside her."
"That what I thought, but why would this guy have a photo of our parents?" I picked it up and flipped it over.

Laugh while you still can Troublemakers. At Kenny's before the fall. Taken 6/14/18 ~ Todd

"I don't think they knew someone was photographing them." Connor realized, and almost on queue the air became chilly.
"Lee, I think Todd is the guy Jimmy was talking about. The one obsessed with my mother." Connor said.
"I think we need to leave." I went to grab Noah, but not before seeing Con put the picture in his pocket.
The picture hadn't been in public to begin with, it had been in an old book so no one would miss it.
By the time I made it back to the front of the store, Todd was back and talking to Noah.
"Hey, I just telling your girlfriend, here, that we got all the stuff in stock." Todd said as I came to stand beside Noah.
"That's great." I answered with a smile. "We're take it and be on our way."
He looked at us long and hard before turning back again to gather the stuff.
Noah turned to me, a worried expression on her face. "Levi, what's wrong?" She asked genuinely concerned.
"Nothing."
"You sure? You look a little shaken up." She grabbed my hand, squeezing it lightly.
"Yeah, I'm sure." I nodded.
Todd came back just at that moment with a bag of stuff.
We paid and were about to leave when Todd spoke up. "Y'know," He started, causing both of us to turn around. "You remind me of a couple I went to highschool with." Todd sighed. "You even look like them. Pitty too, they were major jerks, but they got what they deserved. Have a nice day." He was still staring strangely at us, mainly at Noah as we left.
"Care to explain what happened right there?" She asked once we were outside and reunited with Connor.
"We found this in an old book." Connor pulled the photo out to show her. "It's our parents and relatives."
Noah raised an eyebrow at the picture. "How odd." She took the picture from him completely.
"We think that man might have been the guy Jimmy was talking about." I stated.
Noah handed the picture back to her brother and shrugged. "I bet he was talking about Mum and your dad at the end." She began to walk again.
"Our parents were never together." I shook my head.
"Do you not know anything, Lee?" Noah laughed. "Our parents were together as teens."
"Oh," I decided to drop the subject, but only after Connor winked at me. "So where to now?"
"Uncle Jasper's." Noah replied. "After we put this together though." She turned go Connor and smiled sadly. "I'm afraid we can't take you with us." Noah kissed his cheek. "I'll see you at home." With that being said she grabbed my hand, and started in the direction of-I assume-Jasper's house.

****

"I'm kinda scared." Noah admitted shortly after making the substance. "What if this doesn't work?"
"Come 'ere." I opened my arms, to which the brunette gladly accepted.
"We're going to be fine, N. You'll see." I promised.

*Mack's POV*

Lacing my boots, I looked up at Jack and Alex. "You ready for this?"
"Are we ever truly ready." Alex anssered sarcastically.
"No, but would you have it any other way?" Jack laughed.
"Never." I agreed. "I'd choose this every single time." I reached for a jacket.
"This might be the final time." Jerica appeared at the door. "This may be the last time one or maybe all of us ever see our kids again." She said somberly.
"Speaking of kids. Are they taken care of?" Alex asked as we approached the front door.
I couldn't help, but get lost in the memory of the last time all of us last this cabin.
"Ellis is taking a nap. Nancy, Connor, and Deanna are playing cards. As for Noah and Levi they're somewhere outside." Jerica replied, snapping me out of thought. "Janna agreed to watch over them."
Everyone nodded.
"Let's go meet the others and get this over with." Jack declared.
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's go."
"Guys," Magnus stopped us as soon as the front door shut. "Thanks for being my friends, even if some of us grew apart." He said.
"Same here. I can't think of a better group of friends." I added, making Jack pull me into a sidehug.
"This isn't the end." Alex sounded so sure. "I'm sure Ellie's got a great plan that doesn't involve anyone dying."
"I hope you are right." Jerica sighed, getting in the car.
Without another word, we drove to meet Rafe and Ellie.