Playing with Fire

Chapter 7

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I maaaay have had some writers block. But just for that, I'll make this chapter way longer for you. Btw I'm working on another story called "Escaping Lucifer" which should be coming out in July of 2019.

P.s. don't forget to vote and share

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At school, Landon seemed to become more distant. But that wasn't even the most of my problems today. After I was called to the principal's office for the second time today, I didn't expect to see a police officer standing before me, dangling handcuffs in his hands. A tear surfaced at my lower lash line and made its way down to my cheek. But I wasn't ready for what was to happen next.

A few seconds later, Landon appeared behind me and our principal and the officer brought us into the office to talk. Landon seemed tense, so I grabbed his hand and caressed it with my thumb, ensuring him that I'll find us a way out of this situation.

"Do you know why I'm here?," the officer said, breaking the silence after staring at us for what seemed like forever.

I saw a tear on the verge of Landon's eyelid when he was about to open his mouth. Fearing what would come out of his mouth, I quickly interrupted, "No. We don't know, so would you mind telling us?"

"Well, if you don't know already, Alex is missing.."

"This we know. I think I remember being the one dialing 911." Yes. I dialed 911 so it didn't make us look sus. Smart move. I know.

"Okay.. but do you know that your parents are the number one suspects for his disappearance?" My jaw hit the floor when he said that. This question jumped up from behind me and strangled me nearly to death. I replayed the question in my head, ensuring that those were, in fact, the exact words that came out of the officer's mouth. "Skylar, where were your parents last weekend?" My heart rushed as beads of sweat began to surface on my skin. But my breathing was steadied when I felt the comfort of Landon's hand on my knee.

"If you want to interrogate me, I suggest I have a lawyer present," I said with confidence. A smirk emerged on my face at the change in facial expression of the officer. I stood up from my chair and dragged Landon out of the room with me, making my way to his car outside.

"That was amazing!!!" Landon cheered behind me after we got inside of his car. I turn around and the smile on his face became contagious. But behind the smile that emerged on my face, all I could do was think about how my parents became prime suspects in Alex's investigation. Especially when I was the initial reason behind his disappearance.. or was I? I began to question Alex's disappearance as it were a brain teaser in a magazine that I was reading.

But then Landon saw my smile fade, "What's wrong?" And that's when the waterworks activated.

An endless stream of tears formed on my face, leaving Landon speechless. "What will happen to my parents if they go to jail for something that I did?! I'd never forgive myself if something like that happened to them," I managed to say through a few sniffles.

"Look at me, Skylar," he put his hands on my shoulders, "That won't happen to your parents. They don't have enough evidence, which is why they came to you looking for answers. And we don't even know that you're the one who's actually responsible for Alex's disappearance. That night is still a blur.. to both of us." He lowered his hands to my arms and started rubbing them. And the more I thought about it, I didn't remember actually taking him to the woods. We'd just assumed that we did. And were my parents actually on the business trip like they said they were? I began to question my parents' innocence along with mine until the sound of the school bell interrupted my thoughts.

"Let's just go home," I suggested. He took his hands from my shoulders and opened his mouth, but nothing escaped his lips. He just turned toward the steering wheel and drove off. We drove in silence throughout most of the ride--not an awkward silence, but a comforting silence--that is until we arrived at our destination. "Umm.. this isn't either of our houses," I said as we pulled up at the parking lot to our favorite diner.

"You need some closure. At least for the day." He offered me a smile and I took it, managing to return one back to him. I honestly didn't feel like being here right now, but he was right. I did need this.

We entered the diner and took a seat at our usual table. This diner brought back many memories, good and bad. I didn't know how to feel about being here. But, the fact that Landon is sitting in front of me, trying to cheer me up makes me forget about the bad things.

After the waiter took our orders, I glanced at the spot that my father and I always shared milkshakes at when we were younger. I smiled at the thought that we could do that again one day. But, then I spot the bathroom that I went to, on the same day, when my father was robbed. After that day, I hadn't stepped foot at this diner in hopes that something like that would never happen again. My smile dropped. It seemed that my life would always be followed by bad things, no matter what I tried to do.

"Are you okay? You look kind of sad." Landon always knew when something was up. We'd known each other for that long. But I just nodded my head and told him that I was fine. The table just grew into an awkward silence, until he broke it and said, "Remember when we were over there singing 'Headstrong' on the tables and we were forced to clean them when we were done?" I giggled at that memory. It was in the middle of summer when we had just graduated from middle school, and we came here to cool off with some milkshakes. That is until our favorite song played through the radio. That is one of my favorite memories that I share with Landon. We were so close.. that is until this whole incident with Alex drifted us apart.

I found myself saying, "I miss times like those when we didn't have a care in the world. But then we entered high school, where everyone judges and has social standards. Why did things have to get so complicated?"

He just stared at me with a blank face, saying that he didn't even know the answer to that question himself. I sighed as the waiter came back to the table with our food and drinks. And just when I started to feel like things couldn't get any worse, they did.

"Oops!," a girl said as she 'accidentally' knocked my food over onto the floor. It was the school bitch, standing just two feet away from me. She whipped her long, black hair to one side before she said, "Oh hey Donny, what are you doing with Susan? Why don't you hang out with us over there?" She motioned towards her friends and pretended that I wasn't even sitting at the table.

"Ahem!" This bitch really thought that she could get away with knocking over my food?! If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that you don't bother me and my food!!

I didn't know if it was the situation with my parents, or the fact that I was really hungry, but she somehow ended on the floor with her hair in my fist. But before I knew what I was doing, I had my fist in her face, throwing multiple punches. That is until Landon yelled "STOP!" and threw me off guard, giving Amelia the opportunity to punch my back and kick my leg. After about two more minutes of exchanging punches, police sirens are heard outside of the diner.

And now I'm back where the first chapter started. My Miranda rights are read out to me as the officer hauls me and Amelia out to separate police cars. Cameras following me, flashes on, and this is what I came here to get away from: judge-y teens.

I know that Amelia had that coming for her but, on the way to the precinct, I couldn't help but think about the time we used to be friends. And I know it seems hard to believe but, we'd been inseparable. Having sleepovers all the time, on the phone until midnight, but I know one word that can ruin everything we had: boys. She'd be boy crazy and so was I, but it wasn't until she lost her virginity to her first boyfriend that she turned her back on me.

"Shit!" I just realized that Landon was still at the diner. But based on the constant ringing of my phone, I could tell that he'd be meeting me there.

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xD I hope you guys like this chapter, I made it longer just as promised, and there will be longer chapters in the future. Another chapter is coming soon. Tell me what you think in the comments, and if you have any ideas feel free to share.

Don't forget to like and share :p