Love vs hate

Chapter eight

"Bye Spencer," I got out of his car but put my bag on my back and shut the door and he drove off leaving me here alone. I'm hoping no one is home and to my luck, no one WAS  home, my mom left a note on the door...

"Dear, Kimberly.
I am going to be gone for the weekend, make sure that you're good and don't get into any trouble please, I have Derek coming every so often to come and check on you. Please be nice and be on your best behaviour.
                                       Love,
                                                      Mom <3".

Of course, she's gone, she is always leaving but, it's ok because I have some investigating to do. Spencer might think it's just a joke but I don't trust Derek, I trust him as far as I can throw him, and I can't throw him at all. I ripped the letter off the door and walked inside, flopped onto my moms' desk chair and went onto my mothers' computer and searched up 'neurotoxicity'.

"Neurotoxicity can result from exposure to substances used in chemotherapy, there are some treatments such as radiation treatment, drug therapies, and organ transplants, but exposure to heavy metals such as lead can result in neurotoxicity and drinking alcohol with any drug to prevent neurotoxicity can result in death."

"Lead? DEATH!" I said in a loud whisper knowing no one could hear me anyways, no one was home.

"Symptoms of neurotoxicity include; memory- concentration problems; confusion; impaired control of the limbs, bowels; headaches or migraines; eye problems that are neurological in origin; balance and hearing problems and muscle pain."

"Some of these symptoms my dad had." I knew that my dad was always confused, losing his memory but not only that I know he was taking pills to prevent him from getting any worse the day before he died. It was my dad's birthday and he was drinking with my mom and his friends. The fact that Mr. Leach has a liquid Lead in his office is way more than just a coincidence, I need to know more and I'm sure that this key will tell me something. I shut my mom's computer off and got up from the desk chair, Derek opened the front door and startled me.

"Oh, hi," I said in an awkward tone trying to be nice.

"Hey, I just came to check on you and make you dinner."

"Sounds good but I have to go for a bit so can you save me a plate please?"

"Yeah, sure I can, have fun hun."

"Don't call me hun ever again,"

"Got it," he nodded, an awkward smile following.

I started walking towards the front door texting Gena to...

Me: meet me at 1st Avenue 98331 ASAP.

Gena: what why? For what?

Me: I'll tell you when you get there, please get here! you owe me anyway.

Gena: Ok, ok I'll be there in 5 minutes.

Me: Good, I'm waiting.

I got off my phone and grabbed my coat, ran to 1st Avenue 98331, I met Gena there, it was cold and gloomy out and it was only 7:30, she was standing in front of a motel. I thought we'd be meeting at a house of some kind, but not, I grabbed the key out of my pocket and tried to find 11 02 with Gena, 11 02 is the number on the key, I'm assuming that was the room number and to our surprise, it wasn't a motel room but, a broom closet? Gena gave me a look and took the key from my hand and unlocked the door.

The door opened and all we could do was stand there in shock, there were pictures stapled all over the walls, not just pictures but pictures of my mother...and me...and my dad! I knew Derek was a creep.

"Kimberly, what the hell is this?" Gena looked at me and took a step back from the door.
"I- I'm not sure',' I looked at Gena with a scarce look on my face. "Let me call Spencer," I stepped back from the door and went by the parking, leaned on someone's van and called him.

The phone rings, hoping he'll pick it up, "hey?" Spencer said finally answering.

"Oh my god Spencer, where are you? You need to get here now!"

"Ok I'm on my way, are you ok?"

"How would you like me to define ok?"

"Kimberly I will be right there, where are you?"

"1st avenue at the motel."

"Uh - ok, see you at 10."

I hung up the phone, looked over at the room we found and walked back to Gena who was looking at the pictures that were stapled on the wall. Spencer pulled into the parking lot and got out of his car and started walking towards us, I turned around and when I saw him I gave him a tight hug. Before letting go before I took his arm and walked him into the room, there was so much stuff in there even. a lock of my red hair. Spencer started looking through the piles of paper on a shelf at the back of the room.

"Um-" Spencer grabs a piece of paper and reads it, giving the paper a shocked face.

"What is it?" Gena and I say at the same time, Spencer hands Gena the papers he found.

"Are you sure you want to see this?"

I started reading the papers, "Warning,

You will be watched closely to make sure you do not misuse it. This may cause very bad and sometimes deadly breathing problems
This includes slow or troubled breathing and death. trouble sleeping, seizures, and loss of body function.
Do not take with alcohol or products that have alcohol. Unsafe and sometimes deadly effects may happen.
Get medical help right away if you feel very sleepy, very dizzy, or if you pass out.
Be sure that you know how to measure your dose. Dosing errors can lead to accidental overdose and death."....this is the subscription to the pills my dad was taking to get him better until that is, he took it with alcohol and he died.

"Kimberly, I'm so sorry," I looked at Gena and hugged her.

"I'm ok, I promise."

I looked through the other papers and saw a letter and started reading it to allow Spencer and Gena to listen.

"TO my love Lina Kane, I love you with all my heart which is the reason why he just had to go. I hope you can forgive me for this. One-sided love hurts, I should know but we don't have to worry about that anymore now do we? The only person in our way now is Kim.
                                          X o x o Derek Leach."

"Yo this guy is messed up," Spencer grabs the letter from my hand nicely as tears start falling down my face, "We need to get you home kim," Spencer walked me out of the room then Gena locked it behind us and handed me the key but I didn't take it so she put it in her jacket pocket. The car ride back home was silent. I didn't know what to say after finding out my principal killed my father and that my mom didn't only cheat on him with this man before he died but is dating him now. I couldn't stop crying. We pulled into the driveway and I saw an all too familiar truck in the driveway beside Spencer's car.

"No!"

"What?" Spencer looked back at me from the driver's seat.

"He's in there," I pointed at the window and you could see him through the window watching soccer on the tv.

"Oh hell no, you are not staying here, not if I can help it," Spencer whipped out of the driveway and started driving to Gena's house.

"Thank you," I said just above a whisper, not so sure why I'm whispering but I just couldn't bring myself to speak any louder.