Chapter 11: Sophie
I sat up in my bed and looked outside my window. The sun was just barely reaching the tops of the trees. My mom was in the kitchen cooking. She had been up all night cleaning, then went straight to the kitchen to cook breakfast. I listened to her all morning, humming and singing to herself as she moved around the house. I just laid in my bed, tired but not able to sleep.
I glanced at my clock. I was supposed to be at school in thirty minutes, but my mom told me she didn't want me going today. Beside me, my phone vibrated.
"Hello?" I said, answering it.
"Sophie what the hell is going on?!" It was Justin, obviously distraught.
"Hey," I replied in a lower voice.
"Are you okay?!" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
He sighed. I could almost picture himself running his fingers through his hair, completely out of his mind. "What the hell happened? And why is there a cop car stationed outside my house? And most importantly, are you the girl that's all over the news?"
My blood ran cold. "What?"
"Turn on Channel 12, Soph."
I threw the covers from my body and ran out of my room. My mom noticed me as I ran past the kitchen and into the living room.
"Sophie, what's wrong?" she asked, emerging from the kitchen.
I looked around for the remote and didn't answer her. The TV turned on, and I changed the channel to the news. The same woman that was covering Kimberly Wilson's story popped up on the TV.
"... another attack in the Manatee County area. This has been the second attack in the past few weeks. The FBI says they believe it's the same man who was responsible for the death of seventeen-year-old Kimberly Wilson, former varsity cheerleader at Manatee High School. He attacked another Manatee High School senior late last night. Channel 12 News has not yet spoken to the young lady, but we should have that information for you soon. The FBI has released their very first sketch of the man they believed to be responsible for all of the gruesome murders throughout the country. They have no other information on this man, other than that he is about 6'5", around one-hundred and eighty pounds, and is armed with a deadly weapon. If any more information about this man arises, Channel 12 News will be the first to bring it to you. This is Rebecca Davenport reporting for Channel 12 News."
As she was talking, the computer-generated sketch that Amber created last night popped up next to the reporter. I fell on the couch, speechless. My mom stood to the side, gaping with her hand over her mouth.
"Sophie?" Justin asked through the phone. "Sophie please tell me what happened."
I hesitated at first, fighting back the frustrated tears. I knew the FBI wanted the man's picture on the local news, but I didn't know they had that much information. I explained everything that had happened to me last night, from the time Zoey had left to when I got home and received another gift from the man. Justin was quiet, and just as I expected, he blamed himself for leaving me at home alone.
"Justin," I sighed. "It isn't your fault."
"But if I would've been there-"
"Justin," I interrupted. "Please, stop."
He was silent for a few moments, then he sighed. "I assume you're skipping school then?"
"Yeah, mom doesn't want me going anywhere today."
"Well, Zoey and I are coming over," he decided. "We'll be over in thirty minutes."
"Justin, you can't-," I began. He hung up before I could finish my sentence. I pulled the phone away from my ear and set it on the couch beside me. My mom had retreated to the kitchen again, so I was alone. The scent of crispy bacon danced through the air, making my mouth water. I got up and walked towards the kitchen.
"Justin and Zoey are coming over," I said to my mom as I poked my head through the door.
"Okay honey," she said nonchalantly, keeping her eyes on the sizzling bacon in front of her. I left the kitchen and went back to my room to get dressed. In the corner of my room, I saw the box that was left on my bed. I told my mom, and she had called Darius about it. He said he would be by later in the morning to collect the evidence and to not touch it anymore. The fact that that man had been in my room again gave me chills.
I pushed everything out of my mind and took a long, hot shower. When I stepped out, steam lingered throughout the bathroom like a sauna. I stood in front of the sink and wiped some of the water from the mirror, then stared at myself for a few moments. My eyes were still bloodshot from crying. Part of me mentally slapped myself every time I started to. Nothing seriously bad happened to me. I could have been killed, but I wasn't. More serious things could have happened to me, but they didn't. Crying only made me feel weak, and part of me thought that's what the man wanted; for me to feel weak and vulnerable. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
"Sophie, Justin, and Zoey are here!" I heard my mom call from outside my bedroom.
"I'm getting dressed!" I replied, wrapping myself in a towel. "Tell them to give me five minutes!"
I heard her footsteps retreating as I walked into my room. I quickly dried my body and pulled out an old t-shirt and some sweatpants from my dresser. Naomi was laying on my bed, watching me with a tired expression. I pulled my t-shirt over my torso and stroked her fur a few times. She was probably more tired than me. She wouldn't sleep all night, knowing I was awake.
"Sleep, girl," I whispered. She let out a sigh and licked my hand. It was amazing how human-like dogs could be, and how they could understand you the way they did. I was lucky to have her. Without Naomi, I don't know what would have happened last night.
There was a knock at my door. "Sophie?" It was Zoey.
"Come in." I leaned over and tied my damp hair up in a bun. The door squeaked open and Zoey walked in.
"Hey."
I flashed her a small smile. "Hey."
She walked over to me and hugged me tightly. "I am so sorry."
"Zoey, Justin tried to do the same thing. Don't apologize for something you couldn't control," I sighed, fighting back the tears that formed in my eyes. "Don't blame yourself."
She started crying as she held me. "I should have stayed. I didn't even go to that party. I shouldn't have left you here alone."
"Zoey..." I trailed off, hugging her back tightly. "I'm okay, I promise."
My door opened wider and Justin walked in. Zoey stepped back and Justin pulled me against him. I finally broke down and cried into his shoulder. He kissed my forehead and held me against his chest tightly. I wrapped my arms around him and gripped his t-shirt.
"I'm sorry," he said. He was crying, which surprised me. Justin never cried. The only time I remember him crying is when he broke his arm during the state playoffs and he couldn't win with the basketball team.
"Don't," I whispered. "I'm okay."
We pulled apart and he kissed my forehead again. Naomi sat up from the bed and whimpered. Zoey smiled and walked over to pet her. We all sat on the bed and talked about what happened at the police station. I explained to Justin why he needed the police car stationed outside of his house. I wasn't sure if it scared him or made him angrier.
"Sophie?" my mom asked, walking into my room. She held a tray with three coffee cups on it. "I brought you three some coffee. I think we all need a little java therapy."
"Thanks, mom," I said. We each grabbed a coffee mug from the tray and sipped the coffee. It tasted like peppermint mocha, which was my favorite. I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent.
"Thanks, Lisa," Zoey said, smiling at my mom.
"Breakfast will be ready soon, too," she said as she walked out of my room.
"Your mom is the best," Zoey said, raising her mug to her mouth.
"Yeah. I don't know when she has to go back to work, either. She hasn't told me about Chicago or anything yet," I sighed. Knowing my mom, she would probably have to go back to work in a few days. She rarely ever worked from home. She was either at her office or off on a business trip.
"Who are the roses from?" Zoey asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Huh?"
She pointed to my dresser across the room. The bouquet of roses was still there, as red and bright as they were then I got them. Next to them were all the things I'd been receiving from the man. It sent chills down my spine. I glanced at Justin, knowing now that they weren't from him.
"He's been sending me gifts," I told them. Zoey gasped and Justin tensed. I could tell Justin was getting angrier with every new piece of information I told them. "I thought they were from you. One of the notes with the gifts mentioned my elbow when I fell, so I assumed they were from you."
"He mentioned your elbow? He was at the basketball courts?" Justin asked.
I nodded. "I don't know what else he knows. When he was here he kept asking for my name. He said he would hurt Naomi if I didn't, so I told him. Then, when I got back from the police station, that box was on my bed. Darius, the FBI agent I was with, is coming to pick it up soon for evidence." I pointed to the box in the corner of my room.
"He's been in your room?" Zoey asked, eyes wide.
I nodded again. "Yeah."
"Shit," she sighed.
I sipped my coffee and glanced at Justin. He was quiet, looking down at the bed. I rested my hand on his knee. Was he angry? Or upset? I couldn't read his facial expression, but I prayed he wasn't blaming himself for any of this.
"Do they know anything else about him?" Zoey asked.
I shook my head. "No. They don't even know his name."
"Wow."
I nodded and sipped my coffee again. "You guys shouldn't have skipped school for me."
"Really? You don't think we would?" Zoey said with a half-smile.
"I never said that. I only said you shouldn't have." I couldn't help but return her smile. Despite the events that happened, Zoey and Justin always helped me feel better. We'd been the Three Musketeers since elementary school. If anyone could make me feel better, it was them.
"Sophie," my mom said from the hallway. "Darius is here, honey."
We got out of bed and went to the living room. Darius was standing in the middle of the room in the same dark grey t-shirt and jeans he'd been in a few hours before. He saw us emerge from the hallway and he turned to us.
"Good morning, Sophie." He smiled and nodded at us.
"Morning," I said. "This is Zoey and Justin."
"It's nice to meet you both." He glanced at Justin and nodded at him. Justin nodded back like they exchanged a silent conversation.
"Darius would you like some coffee?" my mom asked from the kitchen.
"I would love some," he answered. He turned and looked at me. "Do you have the box?"
I nodded and took him to my room. I showed him the box I discovered after I got home, then showed him the previous gifts from before. He put a pair of gloves on and picked the box up, gathering the other gifts in it.
"I'll take these to the lab. We probably won't get a hit, but at least we'll have this evidence. Thank you, Sophie."
I nodded at him, then looked at my dresser again. The roses were still there. They were flowers, so they couldn't be really used as evidence. I grabbed the vase and walked out of my room.
"Sophie, where are you going?" Darius asked.
"Taking out the trash," I answered. I didn't want to see these roses in my room any more than I had to. I walked to the front door and unlocked it. When I opened it, the bright sun blinded me. My eyes fixed themselves as I stepped outside of the house. The wind was chilly, but the warmth from the sun created a good balance in the weather.
"Is that her?"
"There she is!"
I looked out to the street to see news station vans scattered everywhere. There were reporters, photographers, and even a few bystanders. Some of my neighbors were outside of their houses, watching the commotion.
"What the hell?" I said. Cameras turned towards me and reporters were waving me down.
"Ma'am can we speak to you?! It's for the Channel 12 News!"
"We were here first! Young lady Channel 5 News would like to interview you on the recent attack!"
Dozens of people were at the edge of the driveway. Nothing was blocking them from coming up to me, but I didn't think they were allowed to. The officer that was supposed to be patrolling my house was outside of his cop car, standing in front of the reporters. His arms were open as if he were trying to make them back away. I saw him speak into the radio on his shoulder, but I couldn't make out what he had said.
Cameras flashed, despite the brightness from the sun. I felt my face grow warm and I was frozen. I didn't like this attention. I didn't want to be interviewed, I didn't want my picture taken, and I sure as hell didn't want to be on the news. I felt my eyes burning with the oncoming tears. I dropped the bouquet of roses and heard the vase shatter on the ground. Glass shattered and water splashed around my bare feet. The roses fell around me, the loose petals falling from the buds. I felt myself starting to panic, and I couldn't control my breathing.
"Sophie?" Darius came up behind me and saw all of the commotions in the street. "Shit."
"I..." I stammered.
"Come on Sophie," he said gently, putting his arm around my shoulder. He guided me back into the house. Zoey, Justin, and my mom were all at the door.
"What's wrong? What's all that noise?" Justin asked, studying my face.
When I didn't answer, Darius did. "The news reporters are here."
"How did they find out?!" I snapped, wiping my tears. Suddenly, I felt anger spread through my body. The only people who knew about what had happened were the FBI, Zoey, Justin, and my mom. I didn't know how the information got around that fast.
Darius looked at me. "With all of the commotion last night, it was probably one of your neighbors who tipped them off. I saw the news story this morning that Channel 12 did. One of your neighbors probably saw it, too, and put the pieces together."
"I can't believe this. I don't want them here!" I said angrily. "Is there any way we can make them leave?!"
"Only if they step on the property," he sighed in defeat. "Whatever way you look at it, Sophie, they're the press. They know the laws and push them to their limits. They know what they're doing. If they start harassing you at school or in public, law enforcement can step in, but right now it's completely legal with what they're doing."
Justin wrapped his arm around me and held me close to him. The tears fell, but I didn't care. Zoey put her hand on my arm in comfort.
"Sophie, you look like you haven't slept at all," Darius pointed out.
"How can I?" I muttered.
"You have to try."
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I felt the tiredness weighing down on me every minute I was standing there.
"We'll stay with you," Justin whispered into my hair. He gently kissed my temple and I calmed down.
"Fine," I sighed. I fought back a yawn and I turned and walked down the hallway. Justin and Zoey followed me to my room. I climbed into bed next to Naomi and rested my head on my pillow. As soon as I pulled the covers over me, I felt a wave of exhaustion crash into me. Justin and Zoey both sat on each side of me. Justin slid his arm under my neck and Zoey wrapped her arm around my waist.
The last thing I could remember was thinking of how secure I felt with them there. When I felt I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, I let them close and fell into darkness.