In the middle

Chapter 21

'You better stay safe okay?' She mothered. 'I will. I love you, mum.'
'I love you, baby.' We hugged one last time before I saw her walk down the tube to the plane. Her plane wouldn't leave for another two hours. She always had to get on early to clean and prepare. I really wanted to stay but I couldn't.
I had already missed so much homework it was getting insane.

The drive back was long, I hadn't gotten a single text or call or anything from Julian since he left my house.
At a red light, I quickly pulled my phone out and texted Julian.
"Hey, You okay?!"
I didn't really know what to say to him but I wanted to see if he was even getting any calls or anything.
By the time I made it home five minutes later, I still hadn't gotten a text back. It was starting to annoy me. I felt so needy at the same time, maybe I should just get over it.

I pulled into the driveway, by my door was a small brown box. I walked over and picked it up, it felt heavy. I dumped my keys into the bowl by the door. I placed the package on the kitchen counter and got a knife from the drawer.

Just before I touched it my phone finally went off.
Julian had texted, it made my heart skip a beat but then stop again when I realized it was only a short message.
"Yeah, all good. Sorry, talk later. Business."
I left my phone alone and went back to the package. I couldn't remember ordering anything. It had been so long since I had.
Inside was a white box, a small card stuck on the front.

"Sorry for your loss." Loss? What did that mean? Something started to smell. I opened up the box and shrieked.
'HOLY SHIT!' Inside was a dead rat. It looks like it has been dead for more than one day. I ran to the sink and threw up. That is disgusting.
I flung the lid back onto the box and threw that into the sink. Who the hell had sent me this? Was this just a joke from a neighbor or something? I couldn't think of anyone sick enough to send this through.
Just then my phone started ringing from an unknown number. I picked it up, my hands shaking.

'Hello?' I could hear background noise but no one speaking. 'Hello?' I asked again. The phone just instantly hung up. Maybe it had been a wrong number, I felt so sick in the stomach. I ran to my front door and peeked through the curtain. I couldn't see anyone out there. It had to have been put there after I left with mum.
My phone run again, I locked my front door and walked back to the kitchen. This time it was Julian.

'Hey.' I spoke when I picked it up. My voice was low and shaky.
'Hey sorry, I'm just downstairs. Look, I'm gonna be busy all night. I won't be able to come back over.'
'No no, uh... That's okay.' I wasn't really in my head. I was looking back at the box. If I heard something moving in there I was gonna have an actual heart attack.

'Zoie? You there?'
'What?' I hadn't even heard Julian talking.
'I asked if you're busy tomorrow?'
'Oh um yeah sure.' I randomly agreed. I think I was working tomorrow but that felt like too much energy to say.
'Hey! You okay?' Julian asked.
'Yeah, sorry just got a freaking creepy package just now.'
'A package? What do you mean?'
'Someone left a package at my door. There is a dead rat in it.'
'Wait?! You got a package too?' I looked away from the mess I had thrown in the sink. 'What do you mean too?' I asked. My voice was picking up. A car alarm went off outside and I think I literally peed myself.

'Kaden's girlfriend got one too.'
'Kaden has a girlfriend? Since when? Sorry, not point of topic right now.' I say. 'Hold on.' Julian said. I could hear him walking before he put the phone on mute. He must have been talking to someone else.
'You there?' He called out.
'Yeah?!'
'Don't go outside. I will be at yours in a bit to pick you up okay?'
'What? Julian, I am freaking out can you please talk to me!'
'You're okay! Just stay inside I'll be there shortly.' He quickly hangs up and my heart starts pounding.

This was a threat. A threat to me, and Kaden's girlfriend. Who else might have gotten something like this? I stay cuddled in the bathroom, the only window in here is a skylight so I feel so much safer. Unless there is gonna be some spy shit happening and someone comes down from the roof.