I didn't know what to expect when I asked Sawyer if I could see my parents. I thought maybe they would still be alive and all I had to do was find them. That maybe they gave me up on accident, that maybe they planned a fake death, that maybe they were trying to protect me and come back someday, that maybe.... I don't know.
Sawyer hasn't tried talking to me since I told him I wanted to be alone.
He keeps his distance as I sit at a bus stop bench. I've cried a few times, but there's nothing I can do about what already has happened.
It's been two hours and still no sign of Evan. I breath out and wipe my snot from my runny nose.
"You sure they're coming?" I croak. Sawyer is already staring at me. Watching to make sure I don't fall apart again. He still keeps his distance like he's too afraid to take a step closer.
He nods, not wanting to disturb the silence, I guess.
"I'm going for a walk." I tell Sawyer, he nods again and I slowly walk away for the second time.
The street is lonely and dark. I know Sawyer is following at a careful distance, but I ignore him.
I feel a soft poke on my back and I turn startled.
"Jumpy."
I spin around and see Jospeh, Sawyer a few feet back.
Jospeh grins, his smile as familiar as Sawyers scowl.
"I tried calling you..."
"We got the call and traced it here." He informs me and my smile drops. My eyes shoot to Sawyer and I glare at him. Sawyer made me think I marked the wrong number, I knew I was right.
I repeat the number back to Jospeh and he nods. He grabs my hand, his thumb rubbing my knuckles. The back of my throat itches as I hold back my tears, relieved of seeing Jospeh.
If I weren't so caught up in my emotions I probably would have hugged him, but I didn't.
"I'm glad you found us." My voice shakes as I try to keep it steady. He squeezes my hand and leans down to whisper into my ear.
"I.." I feel him go rigid.
"We need to leave." Sawyer cuts in before he walks back to Evan and the group.
"How are you? Are you okay?" Jospeh asks but Avery cuts in.
"No I'm not okay. Thanks to you the plan is ruined. You're putting us in danger. But no, we can't leave without saving poor Opals ass. So Jospeh can win her undying love. Sawyer you should have just left when she didn't budge." Avery complains.
"Undying love?" Jospeh looks at me. I shrug, feeling my face tinge red.
"Look I know we have a way of doing things, but they have been walking a lot and Sawyer is hurt. Is there any way we can get a car?"
Sawyer shakes his head.
"Renting or calling a taxi would be risky. Whoever is after me will easily trace us. But if where we're going is far then I'd really appreciate if we took the shortest route." I tell them. I'm not happy with this plan but Sawyer keeps telling me how dangerous everything is.
Evan stays quiet, I expect him to disagree or at least be the leader of the group, but I guess it's Sawyer.
We walk back into the woods, following Evan. It's dark and a little bit chilly. Sawyer immediately stops and I smack right into his back. The first time I did this I was forgiven, but this isn't the first time, more like the tenth time. It's his fault since he insists on walking in front of me.
I apologize for the hundredth time. I've tried everything, even slowing down, but Sawyer continues to snap at me to keep up. At one point I even held onto his shirt so I'd know when he would stop... that didn't help.
"We're almost there." Evan whispers. I look around. Evan is the only one with a flash light and from that little light all I can see is endless rows of trees. I'm not sure how he knows we're almost there.
"Don't worry. We're close." Jospeh says, he's walking beside me. He's walking as close as Sawyer. Normally I'd be giddy if a cute boy like Jospeh was walking this close to me, but Sawyer is way too close and I'm suffocating.
When I try to fall back and talk to Avery, Sawyer immediately grabs my elbow and keeps me in place beside him. While Jospeh is on the opposite side.
My eyebrows scrunch and I look between the both of them,
"Okay, why are you guys so close to me? I feel like I'm trapped..."
"Oh please, it's obvious they're trying to protect you." Avery says, she crosses her arms, "from me no doubt, or maybe the big bad scary world."
None of them acknowledge Avery, and don't bother commenting either. They're hiding something or least not telling me the whole truth.
"This is where we are staying for the night." Evan says. We come across an abandoned run down mansion. Rotting wood porch, no doors or windows. It's all around creepy. The tall grass getting to the house tickles my legs. I just know there are a bunch of spiders and bugs.
The sound of cicadas fills the night and I just want to be in my own bed. Sawyer leads the way as we all walk into a single file line.
The closer we walk to the house the more the hairs raise on my arm. The goosebumps growing by the second.
Once we're all on the porch and Sawyer walks in with Evan following behind I stop in my tracks.
"Move it..." Avery snaps and she pushes me out of the way. She walks halfway in side when she stops and turns to me. "That's right, little miss Opal is afraid of the dark. Jospeh better hold her hand before she.."
"Shut up, Avery." Jospeh pushes Avery aside and is immediately by my side.
"Just ignore her. Are you okay?" Jospeh whispers into my ear.
"It's just I'm getting a weird feeling..." I confess.
"Be careful, it might be haunted." Avery mocks.
We continue to all walk behind Sawyer.
"It smells funny..." I whisper to no one in particular and I hear Sawyer cursing.
"Check every room." Evan announces and passes each of us a flashlight.
Jospeh is out of sight by the time I'm handed a flashlight and I follow after Sawyer. I don't want to be alone, especially not in a place like this.
We head up stairs and the foul smell gets stronger. The floor boards are weak and every step we take they creak.
Sawyer slowly opens one of the doors. It's empty, no furniture. He leads the way to the next door. The smell hits my throat first, I can almost taste it.
Sawyer walks in and I follow behind. The first thing we see is what looks like a black plastic bag with something inside.
"He's dead." Sawyer whispers.
"It's a body?" I stop walking, not wanting to get anywhere near it.
"It probably was a squatter." Sawyer bends down and pokes it with his flashlight. It doesn't move, so Sawyer removes the plastic bag.
I see the maggots and rotting flesh first and I immediately gag, pulling my shirt up to my nose.
"Yeah, he's dead." Sawyer announces, unbothered. "Fucking Evan," Sawyers head snaps to me, "He sure knows how to pick them." He shakes his head and he starts pulling the dead body.
"Don't touch it, what are you doing?" I whisper yell. Sawyer looks at me,
"Fine, I'll leave it here. Let the smell linger." Sawyer drops the bodies and all the maggots squirm out.
I gag again, not being able to stand the smell.
"I'm going to place it in the closet, it will reduce the shit smell." Sawyers face is contorted in disgust as he drags the body into the closet.
"Won't police be looking for him?"
Sawyer brings as I hear the body thump the ground, he shuts the closet door and shakes his head.
"No, you think police care about people like him?"
I shrug, he has a good point.
We walk back downstairs, the horrible stench still in my nose. I don't think I'll ever forget that smell.
"It's a body. Maybe three weeks old." Sawyer informs Evan. Daniel is outside somewhere, puking his guts out.
"We know, Opals squeals made it obvious."
I turn to Avery, angry that she's been picking on me the whole night. As I'm about to open my mouth and argue back, I catch Sawyer eying me, a little shake of his head in protest stops me from telling her how I really feel.
"I checked a weak ago. This place was empty. Someone probably dropped it off here, recently." Evan argues with Sawyer.
We all huddle on the floor in the living room. It's not a five star hotel but it's something?
"It wasn't Opals fault." I hear Sawyer whisper to Evan. I guess no one else heard because Jospeh, Daniel, and Avery are busy bickering.
"What?" I question out loud when I hear my name. A look passes between them and Sawyer huffs out.
"None of what happened today was your fault..."
"What do you mean?" I tilt my head to the side, slightly confused.
"Charolette tipped off Whit. And got the police involved." Sawyer confesses to the whole group. Everyone is quiet.
"She wouldn't do that..." Daniel protests.
"Well she did." Sawyer angrily protests.
"Why?" He questions.
"Money? They have something she wants? She was a spy the whole time." Sawyer shrugs, "It could be a number of things." Sawyers eyes me.
"Char wouldn't do it right? What if they threatened her?"
"Doubtful." Sawyer counters leaving no room for argument.
"I can't do this. Fuck this and fuck you Sawyer." Daniel gets up and storms out.
I get up and run after Daniel to convince him it's better to stay in a group but Sawyer pulls me back down.
"He'll be back."
Silence fills the room after Daniels departure and I can't help but be angry at Sawyer. Why does he treat people like they have no feelings?
"Is there anywhere we can take you Avery?" Sawyer turns to her. "You just wanted out from your parents, so where to? Your grandparents? Any friends? I'm sure you have a place you wish you to be."
"Actually, no."
"There has to be someone.." Sawyer deadpans.
"There isn't." Avery says.
"Look, we both don't have a place to go." I cut in, but Avery glares at me.
"Okay maybe not in Maine, you must have friends from around the world. We'll get you a plain ticket."
"If you could find one leaving in the next five minuets." She angrily states. "Look, I'm not leaving, I'm staying with you guys. I feel safer."
Jospeh and Sawyer exchange a look and Sawyer bites his jaw.
"Like hell." Sawyer says.
"Excuse me?" Avery stands up now. "I did nothing wrong. Don't forget who has betrayed you all, it's Char."
"You've been making her life a living hell as soon as she got here, Avery. I don't think Char tormented her."
"Living hell?" Avery snorts. "You have..."
"You did everything in your power to make Opal want to leave." Sawyer cuts in.
"Even went to the extent and tried to kill her..." Jospeh cuts in as well.
"Kill her?" Avery's features harden. "I'm no where like our parents. They're the real killers. Don't ever tell me..."
"You pretended to help her and baited her in the basement." Sawyer stands up now and is face to face with Avery. "Hit her on the head and locked her down there in unbearable heat. Did you even have an ounce of guilt in your body? Did you go down there to check and see if she was fucking breathing? If she was okay?"
Avery's eyes widen, the thought of her actually being a murderer scaring her.
"Sawyer.." I cut in. I've never seen someone so angry over my well being and Avery is helpless. "It's okay, I don't think..."
"No, she didn't fucking think. She could have killed you easily. You could have had severe brain damage. Died from dehydration."
"Sawyer, I would not have let it go that far. Stop accusing me." Avery shouts.
"Really? Because from where I'm standing you're psychotic. And you did all of this why? Because you saw her as competition, a threat? You might not be like our parents but," Sawyer glues Avery to her spot with a cold look. "But what you're becoming is something I don't want ever."
A tear escapes her eyes, her expression falling. I want to hug her, comfort her, but knowing her she would not welcome my sympathy.
"You're in a place where we don't trust you anymore." Jospeh cuts in, his voice friendlier than Sawyers. "You can't be here." Jospeh continues.
I jump in the middle between everyone.
"I want her here. I'm not okay with the two of you just kicking someone out."
"You really don't want her here, Opal. I know you see the good in everyone." He turns to Avery again, "But I see the bad in everyone, their intentions and motives. I can care less where Avery ends up. She fucked up, she brought this on herself."
Jospeh winces at the harshness of Sawyers words.
"If she leaves, I leave. She has no where to go and if she leaves they will for sure find us."
"Don't fucking care." Sawyer shrugs, his eyes challenging mine.
"Sawyer." Jospeh cuts in.
"Nope not happening." I say.
"It's not up for debate. She's not fucking staying."
I look at Jospeh for help and even to Evan but they don't look at me.
"If that's how you want to play this, lets go Avery."
I pull her by the arm and start walking to the door. Jospeh follows after us and I'm ready to put up a fight if he tries to stop us but instead he follows us to the door.
Once we make it to the front porch I hear Sawyers heavy steps following after us. Sawyer catches my arm in a tight grip, yanking me back. We're at a face off, his fingers digging into my arm. I wince and he drops my arm. His silence is intimidating and I stand my ground.
"Bloody hell." Sawyer aggressively runs his hands through his curls, "Fine." He pushes pass me and stands in front of Avery.
"Two things, one, this whole I'm better than everyone thing has to stop. Get over what ever problem you have with Opal." Sawyer counts with is fingers. I watch as Avery nods her head.
"Okay. I'm sorry." She says, a little defeated.
"Two, get over me. I'm not interested and I'll never be."
My mouth opens at how blunt and harsh Sawyer is acting toward her. I watch as her face tinges red.
"I got the hint." She snaps. Sawyer stands there eyeing her.
"Okay okay. Be friends with Opal and find someone else. Got it." She pushes Sawyer out of the way and makes her way inside. But before she does she gives me a sad smile.
I hear Sawyer breath out, when he's in front of me, I open my mouth to say something but he doesn't look at me. He ignores me, his usual scowl returning to his face.
I stand on the porch and breath out. Boy was that hectic. I hear crunching of leaves in the distance and Daniel emerges from the trees.
"What did I miss?" He asks.
"Not much..." I mumble and he makes his way inside.
"We need to talk." I hear a low rumbled voice behind me.
I turn thinking it's Jospeh, instead I'm met with Evan.
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Hiiii 😭 I miss you guys! I miss writing!
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