Confessions About Colton (Wattpad Books Edition)

prologue

Whenever Colton Crest told me a secret, I did everything in my power to take it to the grave. That was how our friendship was.

There was an eerily trustworthy quality about him. He had the kind of charisma and charm that almost hypnotized you. It was as if he had given you a key to the universe and it was your sole responsibility to protect it. And it was a comfortable feeling knowing that Colton would return the favor. He would be the most understanding person, no matter how vile or poisonous the secret was, and lock it securely in his memory.

We told each other everything, knew every ugly detail. Well, that's what I had thought. But one thing Colton never told me was why he disappeared.

It stirred a hell of a lot of commotion. Hampton High was the worst, like you'd expect any high school to be. Students started rumors, teachers gave out false information, parents gossiped. Some said he went to jail, others announced he was abducted.

For a brief period, a Facebook page was created, solely dedicated to many conspiracies surrounding Colton's disappearance. A whisper would bounce across the walls of study hall and the story would be posted by the final school bell. It was absolute rubbish, but people were addicted to it, refreshing their browsers to soak up fabricated nonsense.

Colton had such an active role in the community that it was almost impossible to find a resident that didn't know about him. He was an honor student, part of the school leadership team, president of the science club, captain of the cricket team. On weekends he would volunteer to deliver hot food for Meals on Wheels, and he started a campaign to reduce local littering and promote recycling. He was a model citizen.

No one knew where he had gone.

Not even Colton's family had a clue about their son's whereabouts. Whenever they were asked to address the issue, they dismissed it and repeated the same monotone explanation: he was visiting relatives. But you could see the distress in Mrs. Crest's eyes, the haunting shadows that were tattooed there as her motherly instincts told her to prepare herself for the worst.

When Colton's disappearance reached a month, it was still the same. Rumors continued to spread like wildfire, residents greedily feeding off false tales like leeches.

Someone told me he was scouted by an agent and they flew him from here in Australia out to Hollywood to film a multimillion-dollar movie.

I heard he's on the run because he beat a guy up so bad that the guy almost died.

Apparently somebody kidnapped him, and the reason his family hasn't notified the police is because the kidnapper is threatening to kill Colton if the Crests tell anyone. There's a huge ransom and everything.

This continued for yet another month, but by this time, the Crests seemed a lot calmer. They had obtained some information, but they seemed unwilling to share. This didn't particularly bother me at the time. He was my best friend, and I trusted that he'd take care of himself. If his folks were calm enough, then I was calm too.

The days continued to pass. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

I went to school; I did my homework. I went through my normal routine and did my best to be patient. I knew Colton would come back.

It was a Sunday the day Colton Crest came back to town—when I heard the unexpected knock on my door . . .

"Hey, have you got a beer?"

I stared at him as he shrugged off his jacket and went into the kitchen, raiding my fridge like he always did. The fact that he'd just turned up at my place like he hadn't been missing for two months was unbelievable. But alas, there he was. He hadn't shaved in a while, and he was missing his usual smile, but he seemed to be physically unharmed.