The Smith's Reasons (13RW)

Catching the Creep

The next day, I told Jeff the happy news during breakfast. "I can't believe he finally asked her out!" He gave me a fist bump. "Nice job, little sis."

"He owes me. Big time! It has finally happened and I want to take all the credits," I said as I washed my plate.

"And you owe me," he said as he grabbed a packet of Reese's from the cupboard.

"Hey! That's mine!" I tried to grab it from him but he held it up high so that I couldn't reach it. He always finished his share early and whenever I saved mine, he stole them!

"I'll buy you two today."

"You never do! Please do not take my Reese's from me. They're all that I live for!" 

In the end, I grabbed it from him and let him buy his own snacks.

In school, I couldn't stop talking about how happy I was for Clay. I told him that I was pinning for them since the beginning and so was Jeff. "I knew it!" He looked a little flustered once we sat down at our table.

We started talking about how I was going to watch the new horror movie when Hannah walked up to our table. "Hey, guys!" 

Clay, as expected, knocked over his bottle of water and it fell down but I caught it before it hit the ground. Thank God the lid was closed. "Thanks," he said as I handed him the bottle.

"Nice reflexes!" She told me and sat down with us. Clay and I shared a look. "I hope this is okay, right?" 

"Oh yeah!" I said and sipped my water. Then began the third-wheeling. Or, that's what I though. Hannah actually included me in conversations. That was very sweet of her.

After school got over, I went to Monet's. Surprisingly, Hannah came over as well. "Hey!" She sat on the counter, next to the register.

"Hey!"

"Can I get some hot chocolate?" She paid for it and remained seated there. She drank her chocolate in silence but I could feel that she wanted to ask me something.

After her drink was over, I asked her whether she wanted anything else. "Maybe some of the mushroom quiches? They're pretty good!" I had to make small talk somehow.

"I need your help." She finally blurted out what was in her mind.

"My help?" Maybe she needed help with her studies? I could ask Skye to come over as well and that was exciting! Hannah was finally beginning to trust me.

"I don't know how exactly to ask this, if I'm being honest." I nodded. "Someone's watching me." 

"What?" I must've looked disappointed because of Hannah's next statement.

"What did you think I was going to ask?"

I had to be honest then. "Your Mom told me that your grades were slipping. I thought that maybe you would've wanted a study partner."

"Oh," she said. "I do need a study partner actually." She admitted. "Maybe some other day?"

"Sure." But before I could ask whether Skye could come over as well, she started explaining why she felt that she was being watched over.

"I can hear breathing outside my window. Sometimes the branches creak loudly. It couldn't have been because of the breeze, right? Why would the branch break?" She started telling me and paused when someone came over to pay for their food. "I just feel really scared to be home right now. My parents are out of town and I don't know who else to ask." She pursed her lips together.

"Do you have rope at home?" I asked, forming a plan in my mind.

"Uh, yeah, I think. Why?" 

"Because we are going to catch this creep." 

I gave her a list of things that I needed from my house and told her to get them to her house. I rode over to her house after my shift ended. "Why do you need these things?" She asked me as we were standing in her garage, which was empty except for my things on the ground.

"A long time back, Clay thought that....wait. Don't tell him I told you this." It was a little embarrassing for the both of us but I didn't mind getting embarrassed. I needed Hannah to trust me. "He will not forgive me if he knows I've told you embarrassing stories about him, even though, technically, that's my job."

She zipped her mouth. "Nothing leaves this house." 

A smile spread across my face as I remembered this day clearly even now. "He thought that a vampire sat outside his windowsill every night. He got nightmares over it. One day, he confided in me like you did today and I made a plan."

I told her the plan and she seemed to like it. "Will it work now?" She asked as I set up my equipments on her front lawn.

"Hopefully." I turned them on and they seemed to work.

We walked back inside to her kitchen. She gave me options for ice cream. "Vanilla or mint chocolate chip?" She held one in each hand.

"Vanilla. Any day." I took it from her.

"Really? I didn't think you were a vanilla person." 

"Hey, can I ask you something?" I asked as we started eating.

"Sure!" She said and took a bite of her ice cream.

"Why did you ask me and not Clay?" She stopped eating. "I know about you guys. It's pretty obvious."

"I just feel that he'll think that I'm being paranoid," she said and played with her ice cream, making it melt even more now. "And....also because, I'm not sure if he won't betray me. I know it sounds stupid, but I don't want to get hurt over and over again."

"Why did you trust me, then?"

"Because you have helped me whenever I have lost hope." She gave me a small polite smile.

Right then, the alarm went off. I looked at her and we ran out of the house. The creep was dangling upside down in the rope that I had tied over into a trap. The lights went off and they seemed to be hurting him.

"Tyler?" Hannah exclaimed.

Tyler was trying to free himself and he was screaming because the lights were hurting him. I called the police, forgetting that his father was the Sheriff. I switched the lights and the alarm off and we waited for the officers to get here.

He was arrested for trespassing and was taken down to the station. I looked at Hannah after the cars went away. "I guess that's it then."

"I can't believe it was Tyler!" 

"Some people are not how we perceive them to be." I gave her a polite smile. Thank goodness she understood what I was talking about, or who, to be more precise.

"You're talking about Clay, aren't you?"

"Maybe." We laughed.

"Thank you so much, Natasha." She hugged me.

"Oh, you're welcome." I hugged her back.

"Now." She put her arm around me. "Let's finish that ice cream then."

The plan was actually like this. I set up shooting lights on the ground. My Dad was interested in photography during his free time. I connected the lights to the rope. The minute Tyler's leg got stuck inside it, he was dangled upside down and the alarm went off along with the lights.

I know. I'm a genius.