RUN!

39.

    "Here you go." Jordan hands me a burger before taking a seat next to me. It's already late but I don't feel like going home, we're sitting across a burger stall near her house. It's a pretty busy night, lit up as though it isn't well past seven.

"I went after you because I was worried...what happened at the cafeteria was awful," she goes on. My brows jump on instincts, I'd forgotten about that. "You're angry at me right? You haven't said more than three things since I saw you."

I try the burger. It's really good.

Jordan had followed me and found the red house. As she'd later explained, she'd seen me entering and came in too.

"I wasn't angry, just irritated. But it's fine now, really."

She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "What did you see?"

What did I see?

"Nothing." If you exclude the packet of bottle water lying in the corner and the rumpled bed as well as the rope on the floor...and the chain. Nothing, I didn't see anything.

"Adonis. You know I can tell when you're hiding something right?"

"Avery was there. I just don't know when she was taken away."

"Maybe she wasn't taken away."

"Nobody ties themself up Jordan."

We're silent for a moment then she grabs my free hand and forces it open.

"What's this?" She asks, staring at the purple cloth.

"Her necklace is inside. I'm going to give it to the cops tomorrow, don't touch it so your fingerprints doesn't get on it."

"Oh."

"Why are you still here Jordan? You should go home."

"You're not going to go home even if I go home so I'll just stay. Besides, it's obvious that you're shaken up."

"She was right there." I could feel it.

The front door made no noise when I opened it. It wasn't locked, which is weird but that's besides the point. The curtains were drawn so that except for the door I opened, there wasn't any means for light to enter. I'd been able to understand my surroundings though, the house was pretty tidy for a place as broken down as that–

"Everyone at school knows that Declan is a suspect...and you're poking around too," Jordan says quietly. She hasn't touched her burger and has kept busy by running her fingers through her hair.

"I don't really care about that. It doesn't make a difference."

"The culprit would be more alert now."

"Some things can't be helped."

"Um...they've also started a rumor that you're one of Avery's long list of fanboys."

"About time."

"Adonis," she sighs in defeat. I give her a shrug and glance at her burger.

"Are you eating that?"

She hands it over to me with a grunt.

"I guess you could say I'm a fanboy. I wouldn't be going through all of this if I didn't have some liking to the girl," I admit.

"I can't believe you just said that–"

"What?"

"I mean the entire school loves Avery. All the juniors, the teachers, the boys. I can't believe you're just as crazy over her as they are."