Questions for Answers

Chapter Two

The next day, school went by extremely slow. I was distracted in most of my classes because I couldn't stop thinking about last night. I knew the new owner of the house said that there was nothing left there, but the way she reacted to the whole thing made me a little suspicious. If she knew who I was, why wouldn't she want to help me out? Even if there really wasn't anything the police didn't collect for evidence, I think I would've liked to come in and see the house again for the last time, just to try to remember something, anything.

"River, are you not going to eat anything for lunch?" I heard Kat say in the background of my thoughts. I quickly snapped out of it to acknowledge that I heard her.

"No, I'll eat something when I get home. I don't have an appetite at the moment, I guess", I responded.

"Can you at least drink some water then or something? You haven't eaten anything since yesterday and you're starting to worry me", she said concerned.

Kat was such a great friend. She cared about my well-being, more than I did it seemed, and she knew when something was off with me. I agreed and took a sip of water from my water bottle. I cleared my throat, "I think I'm gonna go see the therapist here. I need to talk about this with someone else. I barely got any sleep last night. I guess I was too scared to shut my eyes and have to relive that night."

She gave me a supportive pat on my back, "I think you should, too. As your friend, I can only do so much. And maybe, since you're older, it'll be easier to talk about it. They're professionals, they can help."

I nodded, "I think you're right. I have an off period before history, so I'll head that way after lunch is over."

"Uh, River, lunch is over", she said.

I looked around the cafeteria as I saw a bunch of students getting up and walking around, "What? We only sat down, like, ten minutes ago."

She now stood up as well, "It's already been forty minutes. You're just in your head a lot, I think you keep losing track of the time. Is there anything else going on with you, other than the obvious?"

I got up from the lunch table, now joining her, "No, no, sorry. I think this is just all the more reason I need to go see that therapist."

"Okay, well, I'm gonna go head to algebra. I'll see you in history", she said walking off.

I carried my bag with me as I exited the cafeteria and started heading toward the therapist's office. I wasn't so much nervous as I was doubtful. Not doubtful that I would be able to get help, but doubtful that I would even want the help. If I talked to this therapist and actually got better and was able to stop thinking about my parents so vividly, maybe I'd just forget about wanting to know more and move on. I couldn't let that happen. Something was incomplete about my life and I couldn't stop the sense of yearning for an answer that I had about it all.

I was almost at my destination until I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. I swung my head around and saw a girl that was probably my age. She was holding some sort of box that had a note attached to it, which I couldn't see. She waved, "Hi, sorry to bother you, but is your name River?"

I gave her a weird look, but answered, "Yes? Who are you?"

"Um, you came to my house yesterday. Or, I guess it was technically yours first, but that's beside the point. I heard you asking my mother some questions. She told you that there wasn't anything left behind, but that wasn't entirely true. It's no fault of hers though, she didn't know. Luckily for you, I'm a curious kid. After I heard my mom slam the door in your face, which, by the way, I apologize for her, I went to my room, your old room I'm assuming, and I started looking around for stuff. I almost gave up after an hour of searching, but under my bed, there was this wooden tile that seemed..out of place to me. So I messed around with it and once I finally got it off, that's when I discovered this box", she said holding it up to her chest.