One song lyric in this chapter! Please vote and comment! <3
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I grab my cell phone and call Stephanie. In less than fifteen minutes, Stephanie and I are sitting on my bed in our pajamas.
"I need your help," I say.
"What happened?"
I hand Stephanie the letter. Her emotions vary while reading it. Once she finishes, she stares at me with curious eyes.
"I don't know what to do," I add.
"How are you feeling about him?"
"I don't know. I mean, I want to help him, but then again, what he's done is unforgivable."
"You're right. And all the stuff he said in the letter is accurate."
"How do you know?"
"I basically grew up with those boys. We went to the same school and I saw them all the time because we lived in the same neighborhood. If anything was out of the ordinary, everyone in the neighborhood knew about it."
"Wow," I respond.
"Are you going to talk to him?"
"No."
"I think you should. Now that the truth is on the table, maybe you two can have a serious talk about your feelings."
"I don't have any feelings for him anymore."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!" I yell.
"Oh...Okay," she says with a suspicious look.
"I'm serious Stephanie, I'm done with him. He doesn't deserve anything from me because he treated me like I was nothing. A sad letter with an apology is not going to win me back."
"Then what will?"
"Nothing," I say forcefully.
"I think you should give him another chance."
"No."
"Niall is right that when he was with me, my family and I changed him into a better person. I was afraid when I heard we were taking in Niall because I didn't want his bad influence in my home, but we helped him to stop his terrible ways."
"True, but one little party switched him right back. Who says that can't happen again?"
"You're right," she sighs.
A long moment of silence.
"WAIT!" I gasp and jump back on the bed.
"What?! Emily?! What is it?! What happened?!"
"How did my car get back in the student parking lot?!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"I left my car at the hospital last night because I walked home! I never went back and got it!"
"Wait...so...what?" Stephanie says.
"After school today, I went to the student parking lot and just drove home like nothing was wrong, but my car shouldn't have been there!"
"How did you get to school this morning?"
"I took a taxi!"
"My head is spinning," Stephanie says.
"I'm freaking out!" I say as I leap off my bed, "Lately, I've been going crazy!"
"Okay, calm down. We can figure this out."
"It doesn't make sense!" I yell, "They shouldn't have even been able to drive my car because I've had the keys the whole time!"
"Do you have any spare keys to your car?"
"Yes, I have one spare key, but it's hidden."
"Go get the key," she says.
"Okay."
I hop off of my bed and walk into the bathroom. There is a vault against the wall where I keep several personal belongings including a spare key to my car and a spare key to Mrs. Xavier's apartment. I enter the combination code to the vault and it opens. Everything is in the vault. Except both of the keys.
"They're gone!" I yell as I run back into my bedroom, "Both keys are gone!"
"What do you mean both?!"
"The key to my car and the key to my neighbor's apartment!"
"What?!"
"I have to go to her apartment now!"
"Okay! I'm coming too!"
Stephanie and I bolt out of my apartment and in seconds we are standing outside of Mrs. Xavier's apartment pounding on her door.
"Emily?" Mrs. Xavier says, "Are you okay dear? You know it's getting late. Who's your friend?"
Mrs. Xavier has hair curlers in and a lime green facial mask on her face.
"This is Stephanie. You still have the key to my apartment right?!" I yell.
"Yes dear, I should. Why?"
"Can I see it to make sure?"
"Okay, just give me a moment dear."
Mrs. Xavier disappears into her apartment.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous Emily."
"Why not?! I'm freaking out!"
Mrs. Xavier appears at the door.
"Here it is!" she says.
I grab the key from her and examine it.
"This isn't the key!"
"Are you sure?!"
"Yes!"
"What's going on dear?"
"I think someone broke into our apartments and stole our spare keys."
"What? How do you know?"
"Someone stole my car. I have it now, but it was moved. The spare key in my apartment to both my car and your apartment are gone and now the spare key you have to my apartment is gone."
"Oh no," Mrs. Xavier covers her mouth with her hand, "what do we do?"
"Is anything else missing?" I say.
"Not that I saw. And you?"
"Just those two keys."
"For now," Stephanie adds, "we're going to go talk to the manager to see if we can get the locks changed."
"I'll see you later," I say, "don't worry Mrs. Xavier. Everything should be fine."
"I won't dear. Please find out what's going on."
Stephanie and I then walk down the hallway as Mrs. Xavier closes the door to her apartment.
"Who do you think could have done it?" Stephanie says, "Who's been in your apartment recently?"
"Um, the only people have been you, Niall, Zayn, and Harry."
Stephanie and I enter the elevator.
"Wait. Why were...?"
I then explain to Stephanie all that happened last night including the fight between Niall and Zayn and Harry forcing his way into my apartment and spending the night at my house last night.
"Did you notice any of them go into your bathroom while they were with you?"
"I don't think so," I say, "they just used the living room bathroom, but Niall was alone in my apartment for who knows how long."
We emerge into the apartment complex lobby.
"We need to find a manager," Stephanie says as we walk to the front desk, "I never realized how much this place resembles a hotel."
"Can I please talk to the owner?" I say to the concierge.
"Yes, one second miss," the bleach-blonde haired woman responds as she picks up a phone.
After a few minutes of waiting, a guy who appears to be around my age comes into view. He has short brown hair that is quiffed above his head. He is wearing a tightly-tailored black suit. I've spoken to him a few times in the past since he is the owner. I look to Stephanie whose mouth has dropped open.
"What are you doing here?!" she says.
"Stephanie?" he says.
"Josh?!"
"Wait," I say, "You two know each other?"
"This is Josh!" Stephanie says, "The boy Liam stayed with and he's the one who throws the frat parties!"
"Oh my god!" I respond, "I guess I never made the connection!"
"I didn't know you owned this place Josh," Stephanie says.
"Yep," he begins, "just a little business thing I've got on the side. What do you two need from me today? Are you looking for an apartment Stephanie?"
"No," I say, "I want to report a theft."
"What?!" he gasps.
"Someone stole the spare key to my neighbor's apartment and the spare key to my car from my room. Also, someone stole the spare key to my apartment from my neighbor's room."
"We need you to change the locks on her and her neighbor's apartment doors," Stephanie adds.
"I don't think that can be done," Josh says.
"What? Why not?" I counter.
"Those doors have industrial locks on them. It would cost a fortune to replace. I'm sure we can find out who-"
"How much would it cost?" Stephanie interrupts, "I'll pay for it."
"Take it easy Steph," Josh says, "let's talk this through. Come into my office."
Stephanie and I follow Josh as he leads us down several hallways and into a large room with a huge desk, several expensive chairs, and priceless modern art on the walls.
"Beautiful office," Stephanie says.
"Thank you," he begins, "now let's talk about this. I don't want the police involved because that puts bad publicity on my complex. Now who all has been in your apartment recently?"
"Well, um," I begin, "Stephanie, Niall, Zayn, and Harry."
"A very diverse set of people," he responds.
"Definitely," Stephanie laughs.
"If you don't mind me asking, who do you think stole the keys and why?"
"I honestly don't know," I say, "Niall was the only one who was in my apartment alone, but Harry is mad at me about something so it could have been him. But what's weird is that the car keys were returned to me with my car, but the thief still has the keys to mine and my neighbor's apartment."
"Who's your neighbor?"
"Esther Xavier."
"Have you talked to her about it?"
"Yeah, but she doesn't know anything. How do you think we should go about figuring out which one of them has the key to my apartment?"
"I think we should confront them," Stephanie says.
"I don't think that's the best route," Josh adds, "I should call them all and tell them that a key is missing and that they were seen in your apartment and that they are suspects to see if one of them will confess."
"Do you think that will work?" I say.
"I don't know, but it's worth a shot. You just sit tight and I'll figure out who stole those keys."
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Stephanie and I are sitting on the couch in my apartment. It's nearing ten o'clock. I placed an extra padlock on the door so that even someone with a key to my apartment can't enter.
"I'll stay with you tonight Emily."
"No, you don't have to," I respond.
"I want to be with you because I know you're stressed about everything that's happening."
"I just want to be safe. I'm so afraid," my voice cracks.
"Emily, you're safe. Josh is figuring out what happened so for now, we can relax. No one is coming in here to bother us, okay?"
"Okay."
"Do you want to watch a movie?"
"Sure."
For the next hour, Stephanie and I watch a teen movie filled with crazy relationships and bad friendships that we are both immersed in while curled up in a blanket on my couch.
We are laughing at a scene until there is a loud knock on the door that silences us.
I pause the movie.
"Who is it?!" I yell.
"It's Josh. Please open up."
"One second!"
I jump off the couch and pace towards the door. Stephanie is anxiously following behind me.
I open the door and take a few steps back so Josh can enter.
"So...?" I say.
"I found who has the keys."
"Great! Who is it?"
"Yeah, who is it?" Stephanie adds.
"Well," Josh begins, "how about I let the person who has them tell you."
Stephanie both glance at each other.
"What?" we both say in unison.
"Come on in," Josh turns around and calls out of the door.
The thief walks in.
Stephanie gasps.
My eyes grow wide.
"Oh my god."
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Who do you think it is?
Author's Note (Important):
I was wondering if I should make a character list with everyone's relationships to each other? I know it can get a bit confusing since the boys have been in different families with different last names. I know you read other fanfics at the same time and can forget the character's relationships to each other in this story. More characters and relationships will appear in future chapters so please let me know if I should make a chapter with just the characters who have appeared so far that you can refer back to if you get confused. I'll make more 'character chapters' in the future once they become necessary. Please comment to let me know! <3
One more thing, I'm looking for a new fanfic to read (I caught up on Illegally Yours)! Please comment your favorite fanfic on Wattpad you've ever read/are currently reading so I can check them out! Thank you! <3
I can't wait to post the next chapter of this story!