Finding Ford

chapter sixteen

"Don't you want to be lost then found?" -Leona Lewis, Lost Then Found

JAS LOOKS angry.

She's leaning against her own car, which is parked beside ours- and how did we not hear it coming?- her brown eyes darting between the two of us. Her jaw is slack, hands frozen and practically whole body stiff. Ford and I are already up from our spot on the rock, Ford staying behind as I slowly make my way towards her.

Jas' breaths are shallow. When I finally get close to her, she looks at me with wide eyes, saying, "Explain. Right now."

So we do. We drive to some sort of diner, and before we're even sitting down in the booth, Jas and Ford are already hugging, Jas letting a few tears through, which is a rare sight. We order a pizza and begin with the obvious, "You can't tell anyone." Then, we go on and tell her everything fro start to finish; Ford receiving the threats, leaving town, me getting the text and then the phone call. Finally, we end off with last- at which Jas wiggles her eyebrows at the mention of us sharing a bed- and getting the money from Ford's house.

Jas' long, manicured nails tap against her coffee cup, and right then, I'm glad it was Jas who found us. Because Jas can be a bitch, she can be blunt and she can be mean, but once Jas realizes I'm serious, she'll do anything she can to help me. Still, I can't help the creeping fear that she's going to tell someone.

Ford seems to be thinking the same thing, because he says, "You do realize you can't tell anyone about this, right?"

Jas snorts. "And get my favourite Ford killed?" Leaning over the table, she pinches Ford's cheek, to which he blushes and slaps her hand. I can't help the little twinge that appears in my stomach at that, almost like, jealousy? I brush it off as Jas sobers. "Look, whatever you just told me, I know you're not joking. This is serious. I'm not going to tell anyone, I'm not suicidal and I didn't wake up this morning planning on getting anyone else killed." Jas licks her lip, taking her second slice of pizza. "Do you guys have any ideas as to who it could be?"

"Well, you know that note I got on my window sill?" I continue when Jas nods. "Lucas had been talking to me the day I came back and said the exact same words to me. And then he said that thing about secrets always coming out whether I want them to or not..."

Jas bites down on her lip. "I can't see it happening. But I get what you're saying. Who else?"

"Mr. Cutler," Ford says. "Tech teacher. Always hated my mom and I, and would have the keys to any room in the school, as well as the knowledge on how to erase security tapes."

"Mr. Cutler's a creep," Jas shudders. "Is he a killer, though?"

"Think of everyone in Cailbridge," I point out, "Do any of them seem like killers?"

"True," Jas says. She leans back in her seat, and I can see the interest gleaming in her eyes. "What about Luke?"

"I already talked to Ava about that," Ford says. He's picking at his pizza, even though I usually seem him gulping down his food in one go. I guess the whole murder thing puts a damper on the appetite. "Luke just... wouldn't, you know? He's all talk and he never actually lives up to what he says."

Jas hums. She's silent for a moment, before an idea seems to pop into her head. Turning to me, she says, "Have you showed Ford a picture of the message across the memorial?'

"No," I frown. "Why?"

"Maybe he'll recognize the handwriting," Jas says, already pulling out her phone.