Chasing a Broken Butterfly

Chapter 13:

I finish tying the oversized, black garbage bag before sitting down next to Mikey on the black leather couch that faces the sliding door.

I check my phone for the time. It's 8:20.

The minute we both stepped through the door to clean up the leafy mess, we already kind of knew that we weren't going to be there for our first period class. I ended up telling Mikey everything I knew up to this point, making sure not leaving out a single detail. I guess I was a little too anxious to wait to tell him on the way to school, especially now that we're kind of late anyway. After hearing it all, he had suggested that we skip school altogether to find Lacey and somehow figure this whole thing out.

I can tell he's scared for me. He hasn't told me, but his eyes say it all. He's just sitting there, staring out into space. Either he's thinking really hard on how to solve this whole thing or he's just as spooked as I am. I'm hoping it's the former and not the latter, because I really need a support system. I'm already freaked out enough as it is.

I push myself off the couch so I can take the trash out before my mom comes home. Apparently she had gone out with some coworkers for breakfast this morning and had texted me she'd be home around 8:30. Any other day and I would've scolded her for not coming home to get the rest she desperately needs. Today, I'm glad she wasn't here to see the mess because then she would've put me under interrogation. She would've freaked. Which would lead to even more sleepless nights. I can't do that to her.

I pick the bag off the floor and start heading outside. I'm only halfway to the garbage bins when I feel a pull on the bag and look behind me. When I see that it's only Mikey, my nerves settle down a bit.

He musters a small smile before picking up his pace ahead of me. I stand there for a moment before I continue walking right behind him. When we reach the bins, which are situated right beside the tool shed, I notice something that I didn't notice before. We have two garbage bins, a blue one for recycling and a black one for all other wastes. The blue one has somehow fallen down on its side, with the top closed and pressed up against the fence that lines the yard. If I didn't know any better, I would say that it's almost as if someone had deliberately placed it that way so as to trap whatever is inside.

Going off my instinct, I walk right over to the fallen recycling bin right as Mikey is placing the garbage bag in the black bin. I try to grip my hands on the bottom wheels of the blue recycling bin so that I can pull it away from the fence, but I can't. There's something inside that's not allowing me. Either it truly is a deadweight or I really do have the upper body strength of a child.

"Mikey, can you help me pull this away from the fence so I can see whatever the hell is inside that's making it so damn heavy?" I try one last pull before looking up at Mikey and throwing my hands in the air in utter defeat.

He chuckles at my puny strength before dragging the bin. He made it look as easy as pulling blankets off a bed.

"Well, I obviously helped loosen the ground for you," I cross my arms defiantly.

"That's not even possible, Elle. Not even close," he counters back with a humorous look in his eye. He knows I play dumb when I don't want to face the truth. Even for the little things like not being strong enough to pull a freaking garbage bin.

"So you think," I retaliate with a devilish grin. I know it's the weakest comeback, but it's all I have at this point. I make my way around him and towards the top lid of the garbage bin. I unlatch the top and kneel down to peer inside.

The whole world seems to stop spinning when I see what's inside.

"Lacey..." My voice comes out in a hoarse whisper.