CRIMINAL (On Hold)

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Mickey

I forced myself to turn down the road leading to my home. I'd rather turn left and hop on the county highway to Calla's house. But, according to Rowan, there were cops posted outside of her house twenty-four hours a day. Protecting that bitch and her aunt.

Ugh, Rowan. He was such a lost cause. Completely wrapped up with his loser best friend. Why he spent any time with her, I'd never understand. She and her father were complete trash!

My fingers tightened around the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. I needed to blow off some steam, but my dad was already pissed about me getting caught out so late the other night. I'd have to figure something out at home.

Sighing, I put on my blinker and pulled into my driveway. In front of me, stood a run-down two-story house with white siding that rotted at the edges. We'd lost everything five years ago. My dad had lost her, which sent him into a deep depression. He'd lost his job and nearly the house. Everything fell into disrepair and I was left holding the pieces... I was just a little kid! A little kid forced to act like a grown up. I had to learn how to cook, clean, and I was even responsible for figuring out how to pay the bills.

I put the car into park and got out, slamming the door behind me. My anger had been building for years, growing beneath the surface of the façade I had put on. But things were changing, this sweet and caring daughter had had enough! Calla Vincent would pay for her family's sins. I'd make sure of it.

"Hi, Mickey." My dad raised a hand to wave at me. Of course, he had a beer bottle attached to it. Dad had never been a big drinker before, but that all changed. Now, he could barely make it through the night without a six pack.

"Hey, Dad." I tossed my keys into a small bowl sitting on a table next to the door. "How was your day?"

"Pretty good. Hung a lot of drywall on that project up in Marksville." He took a swig of beer. "I made you a ham sandwich. It's in the fridge."

"Thanks."

He muted the television. "How was school?"

"Oh, pretty good." I'd been taking a psychology college prep course. Today we had talked about sociopaths. A topic that struck close to home.

My dad set the bottle down on a wooden TV tray. "Did you get your homework done at your friend's house?" 

He hadn't met Rowan and I intended to keep it that way. He pulled on a lever on the side of his oversized chair, causing the footrest to spring forward.

"Yeah. We got quite a bit done. I should be able to get the rest done in an hour or so. Do you mind if I eat my ham sandwich in my bedroom?"

My dad smiled. "Not at all. I'm just so proud of you for being a good student."

"Thanks, Dad. Maybe after I finish, we could watch some TV together?"

I doubted he'd still be awake in an hour. Exhausted from the manual labor he'd preformed all day and tired from the beer, I usually found him passed out in his chair before the sun even set.

I rubbed my arms as I made my way to my bedroom. I hadn't done any of my homework at Rowan's house, but that was the last thing I wanted to focus on. Instead, I wanted to focus on the next part of my plan.

Buzz. Buzz.

ROWAN: Hey, babe.

ROWAN: Thanks for coming over earlier.

I rolled my eyes. What a sap.

ME: Of course!

ME: I just feel so badly that your best friend is going through all of this...

Lies.

ROWAN: She's been through so much...

Cry me a freaking river. She and her family deserve what's happened to them and more!

ME: Once all of this is sorted and her dad is out of jail, maybe we could go get pizza or something?

I wonder if I could poison her pizza?

ROWAN: Of course!

ROWAN: I wish you could have met her before all of this crap started up again.

Trust me, I already know all I want to know about that little witch.

ME: Same.

More lies.

ME: Hate to do this, but I need to get some homework done.

ME: I'll call you before I go to bed, okay?

ROWAN: Of course.

ME: xoxo

"Ugh, finally," I muttered to myself as I set my phone on top of the comforter of my twin-sized bed.

Glancing around my room, I frowned. Peeling wallpaper and rings on the ceiling from a leaky pipe. Our house used to be warm and opening... Now, it looked like the setting of a horror movie.

My phone buzzed again. Rowan had sent a gif of a puppy with heart eyes. What an idiot. He's so whipped, it's not even funny.

That's when the idea hit me. Rowan was Calla's closest friend. If I really wanted to crush her, I needed to hit her family and her friends.

I reached down and pulled out a notebook that I had wedged between my mattress and the box spring. Flipping open to a blank page, I grinned. In the middle I wrote Rowan's name and then circled it with a red marker. I drew several lines out and licked my lips. Under the first one, I wrote, "POISON." 

**********

Cliffhangers,

Happy Halloween, Everyone! Thanks so much for checking out my latest CRIMINAL update! Things have been a bit intense lately with a massive writing deadline and not feeling so great while pregnant. 

Good news though, I have finished my book and I'm turning it in to my editor tomorrow. I'm also starting to feel a little bit better! <3 

Also, a MASSIVE thank you to Wattpad to featuring #CRIMINAL on their Halloween Instagram story! So honored! 

Hope to update again soon!

Hearts and Daggers,

Kelly Anne Blount xoxo