A Bounty of Pictures

Chapter 12

Jade jumps on my comforter when the sun peeks through the blinds.  I rub her chestnut brown fur and she runs downstairs.  I scroll through my phone when a text arrives. A text from Peyton. The phone tumbles to the beige carpet. Then it rings and Parker's contact's picture shows on the screen. I quickly swipe right.

"Did you just get a text from Peyton's phone?" He asks.

"Yes." I stare at the carpet.

"What did yours say?" I put him on speaker and go to my texts. "It just has the address and time."

"Is this guy really going to make us meet up with him to give us Peyton's phone?" Parker's voice sounds drained.

"I don't know..." my voice fades away.

We sit in silence for a few minutes. I hear dad walk around in his room.

"Why don't you come over?" Parker asks.

"I don't know. I've been at your house all week.  I feel like your mom is getting suspicious."

"Fine. I'll come over there." Parker states. "See you in ten."

He hangs up and I toss my phone on the pillow and go to wash off my makeup from last night. I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep last night.  Dad steps out of his room dressed in mint green scrubs.

"How was last night?" He asks. I shrug and he nods with understanding. "Okay. I'd stay home but one of the patients from last weekend needs surgery again. Should be home around four.  Mom is helping Maria move in."

"Okay. Good luck today." I wave and he goes down stairs.  I go back to my room with a call from Seth.

"Chloe, do you have aspirin?"  Seth's voice sounds shaky.

"Um, yeah." I'm about to ask why when I hear puke bounce on water. I close my eyes.

"I'm sorry." He mumbles. "I got wasted last night. I don't even know if it was last night."

"Seth, what's your address?" I ask concerned.

"I don't know.  This isn't even my bathroom."

"What?" I ask.

"Wait. It is. It's the master bathroom." I hear him curse.

"Parker and I will come over." I say grabbing a notebook on top of my backpack.

"Parker knows my address." Seth says. "Oh no." More puke come up and I try not to throw up myself. "I need to go."

I say bye to Seth then wait for Parker.

Parker arrives exactly in ten minutes. I tell him about Seth's phone call and Parker agrees to go over. Parker opens the fridge door and digs through the bag of oranges.

"Well I'm ready to go." Parker says tossing an orange in the air. I grab my keys on the table and we head out the door.

Seth's house is nothing as I imagined. His house sits in the middle of the main part of town. Blue shutters are open at every window.  A small porch, but big enough to put an outdoor couch. Parker turns a rock upside down and slides the bottom open for a key to fall out. I look around, feeling awkward just walking into a house in the middle of the day. Where are his parents? I randomly wonder.
The door swings open after wiggling the key in the lock and I step onto a blue and red floral rug. Brown hardwood floor follows its way down a hallway. A living room to the left of the door and a study on the right.

"Seth! We're here!" Parker calls.

"I'm in my bathroom!" Seth replies. His voice sounds shaky. Parker leads me up the wooden spiral stairs. "I've never gotten this sick in my life."