Guilt: A Fractured Minds Novel

Chapter Twelve

A/N: Vote/comment if you like it so far. I really appreciate it and it helps me to know what to fix/work on. :)

Unbuckling my seatbelt I lean down to grab my bag from its spot near my converse clad feet. Wrapping my fingers around the light brown cord I lift it up and slip it over my back. Upon seeing my house I grasp the door handle ready to bolt out of the car. Kara looks behind me before saying, "Oh, you're awake."

She must've thought that I was asleep. It would make sense why she would talk to Ethan about her concerns that involve me if she thought I was asleep. I'm not going to correct her, what she know won't hurt her.
"Bye guys. Thanks you for the day out." I open the door and get out. Shutting it behind me I watch as Ethan backs out of the driveway. Kara waves at me before they're on their way home. Turning around I notice that my father's car isn't here. That's one less thing I have to worry about.

Walking to the garage door I type in the code. As the door lifts revealing a garage filled with a few boxes and outdoor equipment. Walking over to the door in front of me I hit the button and the garage door starts to close. Opening the door I close it behind me and look around the dark house. It takes my eyes a few seconds to adjust as I walk over to the wall and flick on the switch. Light floods the empty house with a yellow glow. Sighing I walk through the house and turning off the one light plunging me into darkness once again.

One that never seems to leave me alone. I pull my phone out of my backpack before walking into the kitchen. Setting my phone down I grab a glass and fill it with cold water. As I drink my gaze wanders to the long forgotten backyard.

When I was young Tori and I would play games that is until one of us had gotten shoved by the other. Most was caused by one not playing the game fair that soon turned into fighting. Shaking away the memory I set my glass in the sink.

Walking down the hallway I drop the bag by the door. Turning around I gaze at the dark hallway before shutting and locking the door behind me. Walking over to my closet I pull off the damp clothes and change into a pair of sweats and an old tee-shirt. Grabbing a hair tie from off the door handle. Pulling up my hair I walk over to the other side of my bed to grab the locket I took off before leaving. Lifting it up I put it around my head and where it rest against my chest.

Light from outside reflects off of something on the floor. Crouching down I see that it's broken glass and it's then I remember the photograph. The broken photograph lays a few inches away from. Sitting down on the ground I reach for the frame and grip in my tight grasp before looking at it. The darkness of the room refuses to let me see the old memory. Reaching for my phone I find my back pocket empty.

"Maybe it's still in my bag." Walking over I pick it up and dump everything out to see a water bottle and a pair of navy sunglasses. Did I leave it in the kitchen? I wonder turning on the light. I'll grab it later. Focusing back on the broken picture frame I slowly pull out the memory.

Taking a closer look I see Victoria and I standing side by side with as much distance as possible and still be in the photograph. I remember that day, I think with a small smile. It was a few years ago that Victoria had "borrowed" one of my favorite jackets and lost it. According to her it just disappeared and she never had it. We had fought about it for weeks only once did our mother start taking things away did she finally give up. Afterwards our Mother had forced us to stand near each other so she could get a photograph of our "sisterly love" as she had called it.

Standing up I set the photograph on my desk before walking over and flipping the light. Grabbing my waste basket I begin collecting pieces of glass off the carpet and throwing them into the garbage can. After picking up all of the bigger pieces of glass I ran my fingers over the carpet trying to get some pieces of glass to pop up. A few pop up before returning to the fibers of the carpet. Kneeling down I stop a small piece near the bottom of my desk. Leaning over I grab it and see a notebook.

Quickly throwing the glass away I grab the notebook and sit on my bed with the notebook in my hands. This notebook seem so familiar to me, I think as I open the first few pages. It's then that I remember that this is the same notebook that Jared dropped. Perhaps this notebook is his? When I entered the room he had dropped it in shock. At the time he claimed that he had forgotten something of his at my house and told me how sorry he was. He did sneak into the house rather than knocking and said that he forgot. That I find odd because who walks into a friends house. After all I'm not comfortable with it, but Jared is. We have been friends for almost a year now and we've gotten very close. Shaking away my thoughts I flip through and find blank page after black page. Upon closer inspection I see that a page has been ripped out of the notebook.What was on the page? Did Jared rip out it or was it already like this?

"Well that's helpful." I sigh and drop it beside me on the bed. Laying down I look up at the ceiling to the glow in the dark solar system. The little stars and planets remind me of the long nights I'd stay awake to stare up at the night sky. After all the thought of the unknown both excites and frightens me. We all look up to search in the vast and growing space for something more that we can't seem to find here on earth. The something that we're missing is embedded deep within our souls if only we have the courage to find and take hold of it.

Suddenly the front door shuts as I sit up grabbing the notebook. Stuffing it under my pillows I listen as someone walks through the house. Their heavy and staggering footsteps lead me to realize that it must be my Father. A lump forms in my throat at the thought of really seeing him for the first time in weeks. Swallowing I slowly slid off my bed and reach into my back pocket only to find it empty. Where's my phone? I had it when I came home from the lake today... Where could it have gone? Suddenly I realize where I left it. In the kitchen!