A Pinch of Vengeance

Chapter 1 - The Police

It was a Saturday morning like any other. Aria had just got dressed and was about to head downstairs. She glanced at her clock and realised she had slept much longer than she planned to. It was already 1:00pm.

She went to the kitchen and saw her mum and dad looking rather solemn.
"Who pissed in your cornflakes?" The fifteen year old girl asked opening the fridge and gazing at all the food she didn't want.
"Sit down Aria." Her mum said gesturing towards an empty chair.
"You're not getting a divorce are you?" She asked sitting in the chair her mind flooding with thoughts about what could be wrong.
"No." Her dad spoke smiling a little, albeit a very forced smile.
Her parents looked at each other, almost like they were having a silent debate, until eventually her mum spoke.
"It's your friend Jasmin."
Aria felt her face twist into an expression of confusion.
"She has run away."
The first thought aria had was pure disbelief.
"She wouldn't. She couldn't have. We had plans to go to the concert next week. She wouldn't have missed it for the world."
Her mum stood up and walked over to her, placing a comforting hand on her back.
"She left you a note. The police are going to bring it round so they can see if she told you anything."

Aria didn't say another word before running upstairs.
She slammed her bedroom door behind her and started crying.
Her and Jasmin had been best friends since they were four. Aria had never had a moment when Jasmin hadn't been there for her.
She looked at the pictures of them together on her wall.
She felt tears well in her eyes.
She had to read that letter.

Aria lay in bed hugging the stuffed toy Jasmin had given her for her 8th birthday. It was a small brown bear and she had loved it.

After, who knows how long, there was a soft knock on her door. The door creaked open and her dad stood in the doorway.
"The police are here." Aria didn't move so her dad came in and shut the door behind him.
"I'm sure there will be something in that note. She probably says she will be back in a few days."
Although he was trying her dad wasn't being very helpful.
Aria dragged herself out of bed, knowing it was best to get it over with, and followed her dad downstairs.

She walked into the living room to see two policeman sat on the couch. One holding what was presumably the letter.
"I'm sorry we have to meet like this miss Roberts." One of them spoke as she sat down.
"Before you read the letter we need to ask you a few questions."
Aria nodded weakly not caring about anything but that letter.
"Did miss Thomas act strange or anything recently?" Aria shook her head. "Any problems she was having? Maybe at home or school?" Aria shook her head again. "Did she ever talk about getting away? Or starting again?" Aria shook her head again and the officers looked at each other.
"You don't seem to be very cooperative. Is there something you're not telling us?"
Before Aria could even look up her mum jumped in.
"She has just found out her best friend is missing! She is in shock! If I knew you were going to come in here and start accusing my daughter of lying, when she is clearly upset, I would have never let you step foot in that front door!"
"It's okay mum." Aria squeaked from the chair.
"They are just doing their jobs. For all they know she could have told me where she was going, but she didn't. I don't even think she ran away."
"What do you mean?" The officer on the left asked.
"We had plans. We are... were going to see her favourite band next week. She wouldn't have missed it." They officers looked at each other once again.

"Well this suggests otherwise." He handed her letter.
Her mum had lied. It was already open.
She took out the note and looked at the practically scribbled words.

To my dearest Aria,
I want to assure you I am safe and well.
Please don't come looking for me, I've gone to start again.
Please forgive and forget me,
Jasmin x

"Are you serious?" She said almost throwing the note at the officers. "Jasmin would never open a letter 'to my dearest'! She would never use the word assure like that either!"
"You're in shock, I get that and you won't be in denial forever." One of the officers said in a very patronising tone.
"I know my best friend!" Aria shouted jumping from the chair. "This letter was not written by my best friend!"
"Her parents confirmed her handwriting. There is no doubt this was written by Jasmin."
Aria nearly screamed.
"I told you she didn't run away!" She shouted at her mum before storming into the kitchen.

"I think you should leave." She heard her mum tell the officers.
"But ma'am."
"No. My daughter is clearly very stressed and I'm not having you make it worse. If she says anything that might be of help I'll tell you, but for now get out of my house."

Aria sobbed into her arms at the kitchen table when her mum walked in.
"They're gone." She said sitting next to her. "I didn't know they would stress you out like that." She said putting an arm around her crying daughter.
"She didn't run away!" Aria sobbed into her mother.
"I know. I believe you."