It All Started with a Sticky Note

Chapter 4: Why do these things only happen in books?

When I entered my room the first thing I did was reach into my school drawer and pull out a black and blue zebra striped notebook. With a sharpie I wrote ‘Spanish 3’on the cover, in case my mom stumbled onto the notebook, so she wouldn’t open it or anything. After adding a table of contents I wrote down all the clues I had, even the smallest things that probably didn’t have to do with anything. It was almost four o’clock by the time I was complete with all I knew, and I was about to admit I couldn’t pull anything else from my brain when it hit me: email Sharon and see if she knows anything. I almost slapped my forehead that email was the first thing I should have sent! I opened my email, my attention was caught by a email draft, one I was sure didn’t exist when I checked last night. I opened up the draft and was yet again surprised at the curveball thrown at me.

The email read:

Avery Nettle:

Looks like we have something in common, we both want something the other has in their possession. I have your sister. Give me the will and I wont harm her. I will call at six o’clock tonight; make sure you pick it up. I don’t think I need to warn you not to bring the police or your parents into this.

                     Saturn

‘Oh wow,’ I thought to myself, ‘a typical way to bring in the villain.’ I scolded myself for making a joke at this time, but hey when you are as weird as me you are always talking to yourself.

‘What was he talking about when he mentioned the will? Most likely the book. But what was so exciting about that?’ I decided to investigate.

I opened the crackly pages carefully, if I tore a page I would be in for trouble from dad or anyone else obsessed with old books. Mid-way through the book I found a loose page. Tugging gently on it I realized it wasn’t attached to the book, it must have been shoved in, yet the page was brownish tinted like the pages in the book so it must have been a life time since it was hidden in there.

My hands were shaking as I unfolded the sheet, but before I could read anything Roosevelt’s ears perked up, mom was heading up the stairs. I decided to keep this a secret, to sow to Stefani later so I threw it in my backpack, shut the box and pulled up email on my computer just in time for mom to open it up and give me a weak smile.

I could go on forever telling you about how perfectly balanced my mom was, she had that personality that could swing from panicked to calm if she had the will. Her broad smile always made her brown eyes shine, and her curly blonde hair made a great finish to her features. So I wasn’t at all shocked when a few minutes into filling out posters on my bed she started laughing at our short-ended conversation. Now, I know I said my mom was perfect, and if I were any one else I’d say she was too. It’s just that I’m not like everyone else; I don’t really click with people, even if I really want to. So whenever its just one-on-one time with my mom she starts talking to me but in the end she’s talking out loud to herself.

“I’ve got some barbeque chips and some green grapes downstairs if you want to come on down.” She started as we finished the thick stack of posters.

 “I’m not really hungry. You need me to come along and hang posters? I can go over to Stefani’s and hang some up around there.”

She just nodded her head and smiled.

“I can drive you over in a bit.” And with that she left my room.

I called Stefani, just to double check I could barge in on her. Being the best friend that she is she thought It was a great idea, and we decided to sleepover at her house, just to keep each other company. After I packed my bags for church I skipped down the steps, grabbed some grapes and headed to the car.

My mom hadn’t even started the car when she looked at me and made a comment about me always wearing jeans and a T-shirt, despite the fact I had some nice clothes in my wardrobe. This was an unofficial argument in my house, but I looked at it from a weak perspective: as long as my cloths match and are clean I’m fine. But the argument wasn’t taken well. I muttered something about how my dress-shirts were made into dog food. My mom closed her eyes, sighed and admitted defeat; I was just too stubborn and crazy. I’m fine with that.

My stomach was still feeling crummy but I ate a few grapes to substitute my lunch that I hadn’t eaten. Once we on the outskirts of the town we turned into a gas station and I hopped out of the car and told my mom bye. I walked down the back alley, climbed ‘Mr. Elephant tree’ and hoped over a brick wall into a hedge garden. I found my way out of it and walked in up to the back door knocking and standing back to view the well-known house. Something about this house always reminded me of an old mystery novel, on the outside of the house were vines crawling over the gray mansion like veins. Behind the three-story house I looked over the large maze garden I had just come out of, I loved how the yard was dotted with fountains, flowers and trees. The door opened and I greeted Elmer, their butler as he called the intercom for Stefani. Their house always seemed busy despite the face Stefani was the only child at home, since her elder brother was off and married with children of his own.

Stefani came out of the kitchen; the batter on the bottom of her shirt made me assume she had been baking with Ellie, the housemaid who was more friend then employee. Few people knew about Stefani’s wealthy family. She viewed it that since she wasn’t popular without everyone knowing she was rich, she didn’t want to be popular with it. So every day, after school she rode her bike down the back alley and climbed a tree over a brick wall so nobody would see her arriving from the front. When I first met her, I thought it sounded like a professional spy and I wanted to do it too, excitement rushing through me every time I did. But now it was just a normal step in life. Like going to school or walking the dog.

“I’ve got a surprise for you.” Stefani hurriedly told me, as if keeping it in had been a struggle.

“If it’s a good surprise, then I think I’ll stay.” Truth was, I loved the feeling when I knew something was being kept from me in order to reveal it in perfect timing.

We ran through the kitchen, dropping off my bags as we hurried through, and went up the staircase, taking two at a time. We took a sharp right turn at the top of the staircase and she turned around and warned me:

     “I haven’t decided if you are going to like it or not, so don’t kill me, ok?” I was about to smile when I caught myself, I noticed she wasn’t being sarcastic. Inwardly I groaned, my best friend couldn’t even tell the outcome. I took a breath and opened the door to her bedroom, the next thing I knew, I was face to face with the first yet last person I wanted to see. Standing in front of the keyboard, playing a random set of notes was Mac. I thought I would be relieved to finally talk to him, but at that moment I changed my mind: this was a bad surprise.

****** Thank you for reading it! I noticed that after each chapter there are less and less views, so I'm trying to make it more exciting :) I want to thank MaryBrown79 (Author of "The eyes of a Rouge" for giving me tons of helping hints on wattpad. Thanks Katie!*******