Ellingwood Town [Austin Porter]

4. Call for help

I woke up in the same place where I saw the car. I thought I was for sure dead but there was no scratch on my body. People were around me but I felt completely fine. I tried standing up and a man, a paramedic, held my arm, I yanked it away quickly out of instinct and walked, people still in shock about me being completely fine. 

The only person I could think of calling was Nick and I wasn't prepared for all his questions. I called Lorraine instead to let myself out. 

"I thought I was going to die," I said to her. No one was home, which was perfect because I didn't want my dad to worry more. "I think I fainted from the scare because I had no scratch of a car! But still, there was no way the car couldn't see me...Lorraine...what if someone was trying to kill me?!" 

"Why would somebody want to kill you?" Lorraine simply responded. "You are getting kind of paranoiac ever since you found out you were a suspect..." 

"No...no, I don't think so, Lori, they were definitely following me!" I said shutting the blinds, was I getting paranoid? It definitely felt as if someone was following me. 

"You know what, Jules? Call me when you're...when you're not this crazy..." Lorraine said walking to the door only to be greeted by my dad and a woman who had an un-familiar face to me.

"Lorraine! Hi! Jules, honey, I thought you were going to be out with Nick..." 

"I-I, no...I had homework so I came back early" I nervously laughed, good thing my dad is an expert at  the examination of corpses, not emotions.  "Hi! I'm Julianna,  Mark's daughter, nice to meet you..."

"Marie! Marie Honoret, I'm working the case with your dad" She awkwardly said while smiling at my dad, yeah sure,"working the case" , anyway she seemed like a pretty nice lady and she might have information that my dad would never reveal to me. 

"Um...I better leave now...Bye!" Lorraine said quickly shoving herself out of the door and shutting it. 

I decided to leave my dad and Marie for some time and went into my room. I tried to calm myself and convince me that everything would be fine and that this would be over any day now. But, a part of me also thought, that everything was barely starting. 

Suddenly the ding  from my phone really startled me and got me back to earth. I read the text, it was the new kid, Edwin. He said he wanted to meet up right now to talk about all that had been going on, poor kid, he's very first day and all of this happens, now that I think about it...it's actually a weird coincidence...Lorraine is so right, I need to chill. Anyway, I answered with yeah, come over to my house, we'll order pizza and obviously, my location. 

Several minutes later, I was still standing by the porch waiting for Edwin.  The pizza was getting cold, but my dad and Marie seemed to be enjoying it from the view I got. A black car parked at the sidewalk, the sight of the lights on my face was still pretty traumatic but I shook the thought of and instead welcomed Edwin inside. 

"Dad! My friend's here! We'll be in the kitchen" I said to him and Edwin waved at my dad and Marie but stopped briefly after. 

"Mom?" Edwin said to Marie. Of course! The new kid is also the cop's kid, what a terrible cliché for this type of situations. 

"Edwin! Sweetheart, I wasn't informed you were getting out of the house to visit your friend" Marie said quickly standing up from the couch. 

"I wasn't informed either that you were going out after work, mother..." 

"I'm an adult, Edwin, I can take care of myself" 

"In that case, me too." Edwin simply said walking out of the hallway and into the kitchen leaving his mother speechless. 

"I don't really think that was...umm..." 

"Appropriate?" 

"Yeah..." 

"Well, she needs to treat me like an adult, I'm going to turn 18.." 

"I mean, I guess, but with everything that's been going on, I get why she would want to know where you are"

"Getting into that topic..." Edwin said grabbing a slice of pizza. 

Edwin and I stayed talking for hours about all the history between all of us and how we all were somehow connected to Ryland. It was late at night when Marie and Edwin left. 

"Don't make so much noise, David's asleep" I told my dad as he opened a bag of chips. "So, you and Marie?..." 

"So you and Edwin...?" He said trying to avoid my question. 

"He's just my friend, dad. You know Marie seems like a nice lady and it's been pretty long since you and mom, you know" 

"Yeah, I guess. I just don't know, if I'm ready to get back on the game, you know? Right now, you and David are my priorities and adding to that a girlfriend, it's just..." 

"Look dad, I've been crazy with everything that's been going on, right now, and I just want you to be happy, okay? David and I are safe and everything is and will be fine" 

"If everything is fine, then why did I receive a call from the school's psychologist saying that you were being investigated for the murder of Ryland?" My dad said, he was playing dumb all this time, not saying anything. 

I was shocked.