#1 Suspect

Chapter 3 - Dreaming of You

Hey Guys! I posted the video of the song "Everybody Hurts" by Avril Lavigne because I thought it correlated this chapter really well and how Avery feels at this moment of time. This quote specifically, "So many question, so much on my mind. So many answers I can't find. I wish I could turn back the time. I wonder why?" I hope you guys like this chapter and please vote and comment if you have the chance. Thanks :-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3

I was silent the whole car ride home with Daniel. He was either trying to play it off to give me space or couldn't tell at all by his excitement. Danny was boasting all about upcoming games and how the coach made him the quarter back once again this year. I nodded a few times and smiled in his direction every ten seconds until my house appeared.

When I walked in, pasta filled my nose. I went into the kitchen to see my mom rummaging through the refrigerator and a pot on the stove, steam flowing out of it. When she heard me walk in she turned around, her hand on her belly. "Oh hi honey, thank God you're here. Do you know what shelf the ground beef is on?" I smiled as she moved so I could take her place in the refrigerator. I found the beef in a matter of seconds and waved it in her face.

She looked confused, "That was stupid to put it all the way in the back. Who put it there?"

"You," I said, smiling at her. "Don't worry though. I researched pregnancy brain also known as 'Momnesia'. It's a condition of short term memory loss that occurs in early or in your case very late pregnancy."

She looked down at her belly poking out of her shirt and snatched the ground beef out of my hands. Trying not to laugh, she squinted her eyes at me and said, "Don't you have homework to do? Food will be done in an hour." She turned to the pot of tomato sauce when she added, "David called. He's working late again but he'll try to make it in time for dinner."

I said, "Okay" and made my way upstairs to my room. I laid on my bed with my English notebook. I turned back to the blank page I was on before and tried to remember what subject Mr. Stoke wanted us to write about. When I finally remembered, I rested my face on my pillow and sighed. I liked to write but not about stupid things like how to limit my carbon footprint. As I started to think about how I would start the paper, I became in recognition of how soft the pillow was under my head and soon my eyes started to close. ***************************************************************

"I still don't understand why you bought this shirt." Gemma turned to me holding one of my shirts from my closet in her hands. I was lying on my bed, my head propped on my hand when I looked up at her.

I motioned to my chemistry book opened in front of me and said, "I thought we were suppose to be studying?"

Gemma analyzed the shirt more, turning it around. "We were but this thing kept distracting me." I shook my head and turned my attention back to my book.

"It's not that bad."

"Really, because I actually saw Cassidy wear a shirt very similar to this piece of scrap you call clothing."

I immediately looked at her with shocked eyes. "Why didn't you say something sooner, get it out of my sight and burn it!" I said sarcastically. We both laughed as she flopped on my bed almost knocking the book on the floor.

"Can I tell you the truth?"

I looked at her confused and said, "Always" 

Her face looked apologetic when she said in a rush,"I kind of maybe already studied this chapter with Cameron at lunch."

This time I really was shocked and kind of hurt. "Why didn't you just tell me when I asked you to come over?"

Gemma sighed playing with the shirt in her hands. "I don't know. I was afraid you might get mad or something. Studying together is usually our thing."

In reality I was hurt but I didn't want to prove her right. "I wouldn't have gotten mad. It would have saved my ears from your complaining about my clothes for a day."

She laughed and said, "Whatever but don't think you're getting out of this. I can still quiz you."

A flashback of Daniel watching Cameron and Gemma sitting together at lunch yesterday came to my mind. I remembered the jealousy clearly written on his face. I sat up from my previous position and Gemma did the same.

 "Gemma, what is up with you and Cameron? Sitting with him every day at lunch and now studying with him?"

I heard her groan as she got off the bed. "I thought you didn't care about the studying with Cameron thing," she said as put my shirt back in the closet.

"I don't and who said I was talking about me? Did you ever think Daniel might get, I don't know, uncomfortable with you two?" Gemma's back stayed turned to me while she kept rummaging through my clothes in the closet. I knew she was just using that for a distraction but she couldn't get out of this that easily.

 When she finally turned back around she said,"Daniel understands that I'm just trying to help Cameron. You don't understand how much he's been through."

 I got off the bed and walked toward her. "Then tell me. Maybe we can all hang out together, you know, including your boyfriend or maybe you forgot you even had one."

Gemma immediately shook her head, "No, having Daniel there would just make Cameron uncomfortable and he'll just shut down."

I laughed a dry laugh, "It will make us all uncomfortable but Daniel is feeling like he is losing you. What stuff is Cameron going through and why are you keeping it a big secret? Maybe we can help or-"

Gemma interrupted, "I'm sorry but there are bigger things than Daniel's insecurities. I just help Cameron with school and that's it." I didn't believe her as I questioned her more. Some of the things just weren't adding up.

"Then how do you know he's been going through a hard time?"

Gemma crossed her arms. "The meetings; you know the personal and private ones both me and Cameron attend." I couldn't help but be aware of the emphasis she did on 'private'.

Soon we heard Gemma's phone ring. She took her phone out of her pocket and looked at it. "It's my mom. She needs me to come home."

I nodded as we both stared at each other. Gemma sighed, "I'll talk to Daniel. Everything will be okay, I promise. Cool?"

I forced a smile, "Yeah cool."

************************************************

"Avery?"

I woke up with a start and saw David's head popped in my doorway which caused me to jump again. I rubbed my eyes and said, "Hey, I didn't hear you come in."

David smiled, "I wouldn't be surprised. With your snoring I don't think you would hear the world ending."

I smiled. "Can we save the humor for tomorrow?"

"Come down, dinner's ready." With that he left downstairs. Did I really sleep for an hour?

My phone buzzed and as I picked it up, showed that I had a message from Lindsay; a really long one. As I read the message it said, " Hey Avery! You  will not believe what my dad just told me. I'm going to tell you anyway. He just was notified that Cameron will be back in school tmrw! Dad told me not to tell any1 but I had to tell u after you were stressing out 2day. Just wanted to warn u."

Of course. I forgot that Lindsay's dad was the principle. Of course he would get notified about something like that. But what does this mean? Did they not have enough evidence to convict Cameron? I guess not but does that mean he didn't kill her or was there other evidence to be discovered? This was it, my chance to actually confront Cameron. I never had a dream of something that actually happened in the past but it was a total wake up call. I always felt like I didn't get all the details from that night so maybe I could probably get it from Cameron.

I smiled. Maybe this day wasn't as bad as I thought but as I got out of the bed I heard a slight crunch. My smile faltered as I turned to see my notebook on the still blank page. On second thought, I've had better days.