Still Waters Run Deep

Chapter 18: Lessons

Chapter 18:

Lessons

Two days later Emily was back at school. Things in the underground had been dormant ever since she had been attacked. It made her antsy, because she knew that there was someone lying in the shadows waiting for another opportunity to strike. A snake waiting to catch its prey off-guard.

Despite the evidence they had stacking up they were at a standstill. Maurice had narrowed down where the wire in the teddy bear had been purchased from to two different places. He was trying to shake people down to see who knew what.

They were still waiting on the word about the shredded piece of clothing that had been stuck in Jett's teeth, but there had definitely been traces of blood on it. They were looking through suspects with records to see if any DNA matches popped up, but since they didn't have a police laboratory at their disposal the process took a little bit longer.

They were also keeping an eye on the kid who was under house arrest for the car wreck. They'd found that his parents came and went, leaving him unattended quite a bit. The ankle bracelet that he had to wear kept him in pretty close proximity to his house though. He didn't do much aside from watch TV and play video games and sling drugs to other teens that came by.

The waiting was the hardest part. All it did was wind up Emily's anxiety. She knew that going back to school wasn't the best idea. In fact, Maurice didn't seem too keen on the idea, because it was harder to keep a low profile while keeping an eye on her at school. He understood her need to protect her family though, so he left the choice up to her. He assured her that they would figure out a way to make sure she and her family stayed safe.

The school was always eerily quiet in the early hours of the morning. Ali and Emily had dragged Lily to Rosewood High before the rest of the world seemed to be awake. Most teenagers would complain about having to go to school in the wee hours of the day, but Lily didn't mind. She was usually already up anyway.

When Lily came to school early she liked to take the time to enjoy the peace and quiet in the library. She felt at home surrounded by books. One of her favorite things to do was find a good classic novel and then go to a little hidden nook and read her favorite passages over and over. The morning her mom came back to school was no different. She muttered a sleepy 'bye' to her moms and then made a beeline for her sanctuary.

All the lights were off in the library. The librarian wasn't there yet. But that didn't matter because Lily had spent enough time volunteering at the library before and after school that she basically had free rein. She turned on a few lights and then drifted through the stacks, picking up a few books to get lost in. She found her favorite little corner tucked away where no one could see her, but where she could see everything.

The spot had a window overlooking the courtyard and a view of the library through a row of books in which a few titles were missing. She plopped down on a beanbag chair, which had actually been Grace's suggestion, and then buried her nose in some of her favorite fictional worlds.

She was so lost in her fantasy world that she completely let go of the real world. It was easier for her to pretend that her fantasies were real than for her to face the real world without her sister. So she shut her body down and let her mind wander. She got so lost in fiction that she didn't hear the library door creep open, nor did she hear the approaching footsteps. It was only when she saw a shadow looming over her that she realized she wasn't alone.

"Jesus!" She almost jumped out of her skin. "Harper, you scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Harper laughed.