Wonderland | H.S.

Chapter Eight

And the plot thickens, baby.

Hello, Time.

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Presley's POV | Present Day

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Violet Delight's Motel stares at me as I stare back at Violet Delight's Motel.

The motel's name is not lost on me, not even for a second. Of course, out of every color and Holiday Inn—the chain that stays far away from Greenport after the incident of '08—Harry chose the purple motel.

Have I done something heinous enough to land me such a despicable fate? If so, could I offer my little brother up to the purple gods to rewrite history?

I cross my arms, dropping my head to the side as I think about all the crimes I've committed. Horrible child? More like horrible parents who shouldn't have been given the option to reproduce. Crashing Mia's 2008 Volvo into a tree at the age of twenty-two, and then proceeded to run? I didn't have my license. Of course, I ran for the hills.

Oh, dating a drug dealer—one who most likely dealt me cocaine in the midst of my spiral. Not to mention, murdering one of Jensen's—

Murdering one of Jensen's accomplices.

Fantastic. It's beautiful to see my transformation of becoming a self-defense murderer as a side hobby.

Dear Life, what the fuck else?

"Can you walk?" When I asked life for something different, the last thing I wanted was to hear that damn voice. My eyes snap to Harry, his expression filled with boredom. "You've been staring at the sign for ten minutes like a weirdo."

With good reason. "It's peculiar, don't you think?" I cross my arms, observing the sign from the corner of my eye. "Pretty, purple colors. That weird, grungey vibe that you only get in Indie films that win Sundance Awards. What's next? Music playing behind each of our hormonally-driven conversations?"

Harry blinks at me like I didn't make sense, which I did. Or as much sense as one person can make after being bombarded with information. I had so many questions for Mia, eating and pulling at my stomach lining until acid poured out.

The only comfort I found was Mia's parting words, "I've already called Auggie. Kid's down to stay with Mil and me until you get home. Doubt he'll leave Lucas', though."

To which I asked, "Does he remember?"

"As much as I do," she shrugged, which meant that he remembers Harry. "Look, I don't know what went down a week ago, but I remember everything before that. Still thought Levi was dead until I got those letters," she gritted her teeth, a wave of visible anger flushing her face. "I can't speak for the others, but you're not losing it, got it?"

I wanted to tell her I had, indeed, lost everything I didn't wish to find.

Didn't matter. I knew it didn't matter. I couldn't locate anything that did matter aside from my little brother's safety. "And the letters?" I asked Mia before my departure. "Tell me if they'll hurt. Just give me that."

But Mia didn't give me that. Mia didn't give me anything that made sense. All she said was: "Third time's a charm, Pres," she smiled. "And be that, okay?"

"Be what?"

"Presley. Be Presley."

I wanted to ask what she meant by that, but Harry's yelling at me to 'hurry my ass up before he runs me over with his car' deterred me from uncovering the clues.