Caught

Out of control.

Smut warning 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walked to school alone today, Abigail is sick. I'm pretty sure she's just extraordinarily hungover but she claimed it was a cold so that's what I'll believe. 

I huddle into my coat, as December draws closer the temperature has dropped to freezing temperatures. I think I might need to start wearing scarves and hats pretty soon. 

I can't focus on the cold that much, instead all I can think about is my driver's test tomorrow. 

I haven't had a lot of practice driving but in the past two months, I have driven both Xavier and Abigail home when they were drunk and everyone survived. Though I can't confidently say it was exceptionally safe. 

I guess I'll have to practice today, a lot. 

I walk into English class as slowly as possible, today I feel so tired. 

All I can think about is curling up in my bed and passing out for multiple hours at a time. 

Xavier slides into the seat next to me left vacant by Abigail's absence, he smells like cigarettes and something else I can't quite place. 

My stomach does a couple of flips as he glances at me and grins, "Natural hair today?"

My hand instinctively touches my hair, I have naturally wavy hair. Though I've never liked it much it always looked unruly and messy to me and I've been straightening it almost every day since I was fourteen. 

This morning I was too tired and far too concerned with concealing my eye bags to straighten or bother with my hair, I'm surprised Xavier noticed. 

"Yeah, my straightener broke," I tell him, glancing at our teacher as he walks in. 

"I like your hair like that," Xavier tells me, nodding as some hair falls over my shoulder. I smile at him and hope I'm not blushing too much. 

I need to stop this stupid crush from becoming anything serious. 

"Leave your homework out at the end of the class" Our teacher calls out and my stomach drops.

 Homework?

I turn around but no one else looks confused or shocked, how could I have forgotten this? I never miss homework. 

But I knew how I had forgotten, it's why I was so tired. I'd spent almost all my free time obsessing over the case and narrowing down our suspect's pool. 

I was down to fifty people which seemed incredible in a town of three thousand but fifty people was far too many people to investigate. 

Xavier turns his head once again to look at me but this time I'm too miserable for my heart to react to his gaze, "You should be proud of me detective, I did this homework. Long ass essay but it wasn't too bad." He tells me smiling. 

I smile back at him, though it doesn't quite reach my eyes and he notices, "That's good Xavier." 

He frowns but doesn't say anything as the lecture begins, though I don't pay much attention. I feel like I'm going to crash and burn. 

I can feel it, I'm going to crash and burn pretty soon if I don't slow down. It's been too many sleepless nights, too many dinners and lunches I've skipped so I can try and do my schoolwork and our over this case. 

But how could I possibly stop this, people are dying. Some of them are even my age. A serial killer is running in our town and our Sheriff's department seems to be incompetent or not concerned enough to do anything serious to stop this.