Stripped to the Heart

Chapter 20 - Ding Dong the Bitch is Dead

A/N

20 chapters!! OMG, I can't believe I made it this far and last I looked I had 380 reads! Also about 30 votes, that is sooooo cool, thank you. Also I think I want to make it to at least 30 chapters, it could be a long book, I'm not really sure.

 

Mornings are the worst and today was the worst of the worst, I had a funeral to attend today. I was nervous, I was wearing a modest black dress so that I wasn't going to attract attention. Most of the school was going and were there not to mourn but for Instagram. Ridiculous but sadly true.

After the funeral I left early, I didn't want to stay any longer. I only needed to be there for one certain part. Home was boring, I didn't have anyone else to talk to and I hadn't seen Leo since that night under the stars. Ever since then I've been trying to get my feelings straight, do I love him?

The car ride was silent and we arrived at the church, where the pews were packed and there were many standing around, I saw Joy up the front and I walked to her and sat down. Joy had been closer to Mia than me and I never told her about that summer, I didn't plan to either. But today I was giving a speech and it was all about the evil side of Mia, the fights she created and why.

I was sure there would be a few dirty looks but I found it amazing at how many people can look at you in disgust at once. Apparently I had magically been removed from the afterparty list and I laughed. The ceremony had been dull and lifeless anyway, but I did vow that I was sorry for being involved with that 'crowd' of people.

The day passed quickly and when I pulled up in front of my house I saw Jack, standing there in an orange jumpsuit. He was facing away from me and I was thinking of passing him secretly but he heard the car and turned around. A grin overtook his face and he came running at me, I thought quickly and locked the car doors.

Slowly I watched as he banged on the car door and yelled something at me, I peeled away from the driveway and off towards town. 'you need to stay away from him, he has had a hard time. Be as nice as you can with him" the words from Wendy, his therapist from 2 years ago were spinning in my mind.

Wendy had been fabulous and had stopped his drug-use and depression for 7 years, up until she died 2 years ago. They had been doing well and the progress was fantastic, I guess he was really affected by her death. He vowed to never touch drugs and take his medicine but like everything surrounding that boy he gave up and stopped his tablets, brought the drugs up again. That was when they had kicked him out, my parents were sick of it. They sent him off to 'college' we were never supposed to tell him it was actually a mental institution. He would never agree, so we told him it was a college, "think of the girls, your schooling and all the perks" my mother had said.

I guess I never had the courage to follow Wendy's advice, I wanted to be close to him so I was always there. It didn't work and he began to hurt me, that was why he tried to kill me in hospital. But why was he at my doorstep, maybe he didn't realise that we'd all moved. I need to go back and tell him we all moved, if he asks I was just... dropping by to pick up the last of our stuff. If he asked where we moved to I wouldn't tell him.

It did happen and he was still there and now I'm sitting in the car waiting for him to walk over, that jumpsuit is just so annoying. "Hello lil' sis, how's life out of prison and 'college'?" he asked it in such a menacing tone that I knew he already found out it was an institution. I wasn't going to be scared, just blunt and unphased.

"It's really great, I mean you know I haven't been to 'college'" I lengthened the word and looked at him, annoyed was his expression. "I also wish you wouldn't call me lil' sis, I hate knowing I'm related to a monster with depression." I just wanted him to leave me alone.

"I AM NOT DEPRESSED!!!" he practically screamed at me, his voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I was terrified 'don't let them in, don't let them see... be the blunt girl you know you have to be' I sang it in my head and altered the lyrics to best suit the situation.

"Yes, you are and you are also a person of interest in the murder of Mia Ricketts. An accessory of murder, attempted murderer so goodbye." I began rolling up the window, when he stopped me "Wait" I paused for a second before he continued "Lil' sis" I stared at him blankly and he sighed. "Fine, Anna... where did you move to?" wow sometimes he was smart.

"I'm not telling you, I don't believe you are worthy of that info. If you really want to know" I paused, thinking of some crazy place "Antarctica" I said, his eyes bulged and I laughed. How stupid he is! I thought to myself. Before reconsidering and giving him a chance.

"If you want to meet Mum and Dad then you will meet them at Le Carni-ball Wheel in two hours" with that I left, this time not looking back and heading over to Mum and Dad's house to tell them of a meeting with their 'son' before they plan something else.