Criminal Activity

Chapter Eight

 I hear my name being called by Tom. I groan and roll over to look at my clock. I read 9:50. I've only been asleep for two hours. I want to sleep more, but I roll out of bed anyway. I head downstairs to the kitchen and there Tom is with Charles sitting right next to him. I immediately know what he's here for, the call from my mom.

"Don't bother lecturing me. I was going to tell you after I woke up. I just really needed to sleep," I said to them and they looked at me in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Charles asked. I thought he was here for that call because they can track my calls.

"My mom called me?" I said questioningly.

"Wait, what? What are you talked by about?" Tom asked

"I am here to discuss the case from today. We want to get together the info so we can talk to her parents about what happened. We don't think it was suicide. We think it was set up to look like a suicide. It looks like a warning," Charles continued. "We will talk about the phone call later. I don't know how she called you because we blocked unknown callers from your phone, but we will look into that later. Is there anything important enough to bring up right now?"

"No. She was lecturing me about having a boy in my bed," I said and Tom blushed.

"I did not need to know that," Charles said and we all chuckled. "It isn't safe here anymore because she knows your location. We are going to pack your things up and move you to another location. You will not be going to the same school though. It's too risky."

"Won't everyone think it's odd that I disappeared the day after the girl dies? What if they think I had something to do with it?"

"You don't have to worry about that. We are going to tell them you left your last state to get away from death of your friend and this death was just too much."

"So they're going to think I have PTSD," I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes. Charles and Tom laughed. "Whatever. As long as I can get some sleep."

That was the last of the conversation, so we said our goodbyes and Charles left. Tom and I head back up to my bedroom. I plop down on my comfy bed.

"Should we start packing?" he asks me. I think about it a moment.

"I guess so, but I really am going to miss her," I say and a tear rolls down my cheek.

"Who?"

"Selena. She's been nothing but nice to me and I feel awful for just leaving her."

"I'll talk to Charles about ordering you another phone so you can have that one to use to text your friends. It will be an iPhone so you can FaceTime her too. Chucky and I have known each other for a long time so I can wiggle a little favor like that out of him. Just collect her phone number and tell her you'll call or text her once you have settled in," Tom said as he wiped the tears from my cheeks. I walk into him and hug him really hard. He's the best boyfriend ever.

 It's been two and a half hours and we've filled four moving crates and three suitcases. The crates are for makeup, shower things, kitchen supplies, furniture, and pictures. The suitcases are filled with clothes and shoes. I'm surprised that after two and a half hours, I'm not done with packing my clothes. I knew I had a lot, but I didn't think it would be this hard to pack everything up.

"Hey, Sprint. Can you come here for a minute?" Tom asked and I followed his voice into the bathroom.

"Yes?"

"What the hell is this?" he asked me holding up my eyelash curler.
"That is an eyelash curler. I use it when Rebecca doesn't do my makeup on the weekends," I reply with a giggle.

"Be careful! I don't want you to poke your eye out," he said and I giggled a little more before heading back to my closet to finish getting the last couple skirts packed up.

***

It's almost been four hours, but we have finally finished packing all the stuff up. My tummy rumbles and I start to think about how I would love a burger from smash burger. I go downstairs to see Sabrina and Tom talking.

"Hey, Sabrina. I noticed that you didn't pack up any of your things or anything from the kitchen. You might want to hurry so we are on time with the moving," I say happily.

"Sprint, Sabrina isn't coming with us," Tom said and my smile disappears.

"Why not? She's treated me more like her daughter than my own mother did," I say quietly trying to hold back tears. It's only been a few days, but I love her just as much as any other daughter would love their mom.

"You can always call and visit and when all this is over, you can come live with me if you would like to go to college near here. You don't have to drop me completely. I love you as if you were my own daughter but we all have to do things we don't want to do. If I could go with you I would, but I can't. I am of better help here," Sabrina says and embraces me in a hug. I hug her back tightly letting the tears fall out.

"This is probably the worst birthday ever," I say with the tears still rolling down my cheeks.

"I know, Sprint. I'm sorry. We will make it up to you. I promise. Want to go get some Smash Burger?" Tom asks. I smile.

"You know me so well," I say with a smile. We say goodbye to Sabrina and head out to his car. I noticed there was a black 2008 Mustang sitting right next to Toms car. The word 'Sprint' was written on the both sides of the car in gold.

"What the—"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SPRINT!" Charles, Sabrina, Rebecca, and Tom scream. Charles throws me the keys. This is actually a pretty good birthday.

"We are definitely taking your car," Tom says. "We have to show this baby off!"

As I was scanning the car, I noticed the license plate even said 'Sprint' on it. This is the best present ever. I hop into the front seat and Tom, only a half second behind me was now in the passenger seat.

"Wait, I can't go," I say bummed out.

"Why not?" He asks.
"I don't have my license. I left it at home."
"Check the dashboard compartment," Tom says with a smile. I check the compartment and there's my license. I read the expiration date. It's the right one. It doesn't expire for another year and a half. I smile and back out of the driveway to head to Smash Burger. Tom has to give me instructions because I still don't know my way around Westview.

I pull into the closest parking space that wasn't handicap. Tom and I race into Smash Burger. I reach the doors first and turn around to gloat.

"Ha! I beat you to the doors! You lost to a girl!" I tease him.

"I let you win. You would be on the ground crying your little heart out if I actually tried. That's how badly I would cream you!" he replies and laughs. He wraps me in his arms and I tilt my head back so I can see him. He pecks me on the lips and I smiled. I've got all I need right in front of me.

Someone behind Tom clears their throat. It is a middle aged, white male. He is bald and looks to be single and living alone. I check his ring fingers and there isn't a ring on either.

"You guys are standing right in front of the door and I would like to eat lunch before I die of starvation," the white male says bluntly. I turn around and he is correct. We are smack dab in the middle of the doors.

"I'm sorry, sir," I say and pull Tom with me while I move out of his way. We follow the bald man in and wait for him to order. After he orders, we order and find a place to sit.

"Oh, yeah. Charles will explain all of that situation later." With that, they brought us our meals and we ate them. After we finished, we drove to Selena's house so I could tell her a lie and get her number. I'm still upset I had to lie to her, but I have to get over that. The truth will put her into danger. After we got done everything we needed to get done, we go home and pack up the car and go to bed because we have an early wake up tomorrow.