Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Winter Formal (Kennedy's POV)

"Hi," she said, aware that her parents were politely giving them space.

"Hey," Aaron said, a bit breathless. "You look...so great."

Kennedy beamed. "Thanks, you look good too."

Aaron reddened. Feeling more confident by the minute, Kennedy took Aaron's hand. The second she did, he turned to stone, his eyes darting over to her father. In that look, she knew her father must have threatened him in some manner. When Donovan narrowed his eyes, Kennedy saw that Aaron look as if he might faint right then and there. Wanting to avoid that outcome, Kennedy tugged him towards the door and safety.

"We're going," she announced.

As she was reaching for the door, her mother called out.

"Aaron, sweetie," she said. He peered back as did Kennedy. Her mother smiled but Kennedy knew that look, there was an undertone of warning in it. "Know that I have a badge as well."

Kennedy yanked a wide-eyed Aaron out the door, not even wanting to guess what fear her father had burned into him that a statement like her mother's would scare Aaron more. In the elevator, Kennedy cast a worried glance at Aaron, he looked about ready to puke.

"You know they weren't serious, right?" she said, not wanting to risk her dress getting ruined.

Aaron swallowed hard. "You sure, cause your dad showed me his badge and it looked real."

Kennedy waved this away. "Oh the badge is real and he probably could do whatever he said he would, but he won't actually do it. He would get in trouble with the Bureau if he did."

Kennedy was trying to lighten the mood, but Aaron didn't look mollified.

It took the entire car ride to the school for Aaron to come out of the terror her parents had inflicted. If he hadn't, Kennedy was never going to talk to her parents again.

When she took his hand as they entered the school, Aaron relaxed. Kennedy was relieved, she hadn't wanted to spend the whole night with a petrified boy.

They handed in their tickets and stepped into the gym. Hugging the walls were tables filled with refreshments. A DJ stand was at the far end positioned before the dance floor, which was currently empty. Strobe lights attached to the crisscrossed beams overhead flashed in blue and white, distorting the crowded gym. Music blared from speakers, beating against Kennedy's eardrums.

Kennedy scanned the clusters of students, half of which were chatting with each other as others took pictures and stared at their phones. When she spotted Harrison and his date, Julia, she steered Aaron towards them. Harrison cleaned up well, his hair was styled and the suit he wore fit him so good Kennedy felt a tug of jealousy that it wasn't his hand she was holding.

Beside him was a girl that couldn't have been more of Kennedy's opposite, curvy, blonde, and pale. Kennedy wanted to believe it was purposeful, but she couldn't tell, maybe that really was his type. Everything she wasn't.

"Hey!" she said, as they stopped in front of the laughing pair.

Harrison brightened at the sight of her in her dress which made Kennedy's stomach flutter.

"Kenny, you look like a girl, that's strange," he teased.

In retaliation, she punched his arm, making him wince. "I always look like a girl, you're just too dense to notice."

"I notice," Aaron said.

Kennedy gazed up at him and smiled, unsure if she was happy with his comment or the way it made Harrison look at Aaron as if deciding he didn't actually care for the guy.

"You do look really pretty," Julia said.

Kennedy's smile turned brittle because the comment was completely sincere and Kennedy hated that it was. This girl was kind to a fault.

"Same!" she said, not wanting to be outmatched. "The dress works perfectly with your hair."

It was true, the soft yellow was a perfect blend with Julia's blonde curls, making her look a bit like an angel.

"I feel like this is where I should compliment you, Aaron but I'm not going to because that would be weird," Harrison said.

Kennedy knew it was a dig at her because she wasn't one for compliments, but Aaron laughed.

"Thanks, man. That means I don't have to find something to say in return."

Both guys grinned at each other and like that they were chill.

"I saw your parents are here," Kennedy said. Her eyes cut to one wall of the gym where Harrison's parents stood with their heads bent towards each other like they were two teens sharing secrets. Harrison sighed and glanced back at his parents.

"Yeah, they have decided that I should die a slow death by embarrassment." He looked at her. "I'm surprised your parents aren't here, ready to shoot anyone who wrongs you."

"Oh they're here," Kennedy said, flippantly. "You just won't see them."

Aaron froze as Harrison laughed and Julia looked baffled but amused. Wishing she hadn't made the comment, Kennedy squeezed Aaron's hand and dragged him towards the dance floor.

"It's fine," she said.

He nodded but swiveled his head about, searching.

She was going to kill her parents.

When they got to the dance floor, Kennedy fell into the rhythm of the music, letting it help her forget that the person before her wasn't the one she wished she had come with. The more she teased and flirted with Aaron, the more he relaxed and let the fear of her parents fade.

By the time the music shifted into something slower, he was smiling down at her, completely at ease. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands were lower than necessary and Kennedy guided them upward. He flushed and she happily draped her arms about his neck.

Something in the corner of Kennedy's eye snagged her attention. She looked up just in time to see two black-clad figure disappearing through the skylight. She grinned.

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Bang bang!
(Into your heart!)

The white zone is for unloading your thoughts only. 🗯💭💬

The red zone is for loading your thoughts. ❤️

The green zone is where I hang out and generally just kick back and relax. 🟢🟩

So, I found this chapter really interesting to write because of how different writing Kennedy and writing Carter is. You might have noticed this but I go a lot more into what Kennedy is thinking and feeling than I ever do with Carter, which I don't find all that surprising.

Honestly, Carter still remains so much of a mystery to me that I'm not sure I could ever really get into her head, but it's not the same with Kennedy. I understand Kennedy, I can hear her thoughts and know exactly how she's feeling. Carter it always takes time.

How did you like the difference between the two chapters?

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