Trouble in Tiltown

Conspiracy theorist

Laurence's POV, Two weeks later.

My feet slid into the slippers as my hair fell in front of my eyes. Dragging my feet to the door, I opened the door and there stood my best friend, Jerrick. His hair neatly brushed back, but his eyes were covered with red rings. Although I felt annoyed with him still, I couldn't help but feel concerned.
The winter breeze hit my cheeks, causing them to turn a peppermint red.
"What happened?" I inquired him.
"I'm figuring things out." He simply says before rushing past me and toward my room. My feet followed him and he was sitting on my bed, looking down at his lap.
"What are you on about?" I specified my previous question.
His eyes met mine but those eyes weren't his. Something was different about him. His eyes weren't him.
"I'm so glad you're not grounded anymore. I have grown," He hesitated for a moment, "suspicious I guess you could say."
I sat next to him, "Of who?"
"My mom, my dad, well, everyone really." He admitted.
"What did you get up to these past two weeks?" I spoke as my eyes studied him. He attempted to make himself appear small, as though he's become insecure about his new but poor appearance.
"Too much." He shook his head. I expected a laugh or even a cheeky grin, but he kept his serious tone and expression.
"Okayyy, So you wanna tell me why you are suspicious of everybody?" I asked him.
"Nobody will even believe that West-
"The radio man?"
He continued, "The radio man. Nobody will believe he even exists, but when I ask people if they know him, they all act like they don't know him!" He began raising his voice with distress clear in his tone. He stood and stared into my eyes, as if I was supposed to agree with him.
"He's a very private person, I wouldn't be surprised if they were all telling the truth." My shoulders raised and dropped pathetically.
His eyes widened at me, "You are so brainwashed just like the rest of this town." He plopped his body down next to me once again, taking my arms and holding them.
"You're freaking me out man." I said through an uneasy laugh.
"He is so very real. And everybody here knows him but they've been keeping it a secret. So my only question is, why?" He rambled on. He searched for an answer that I didn't have, in my eyes. The feeling of fear I had instead went to concern for Jerrick.
My lips turned into a frown, "oh. I don't know what you're on about but I think you need to stop. These wild theories you have aren't good for your mental health." I inform him with deep regret in my voice as I soften my expression. Instead of calming himself down, his face twisted into a rather angered scowl.
He rises to his feet, violently pushing me away from him. Truth be told, it hurt me. However, I kept my posture straight and emotionless, though confusion was just a touch.
"My mom knows him and I know she knows him. Why? Why does everyone keeping push him down further into our past?" He rushes down the hallway with me, attempting to catch up.
"Where are you going?" I questioned him as I land at my front door. He stops at his car door and looks down, ignoring my stare.
He breathes in the cold air, as if it were to help him think about his response.
"Hmm, perhaps wander. I'm not sure yet." He answers before getting into his car and driving off. My best friend came and gone just like that. He's still here but he isn't. That man ain't my best friend and I wish I knew why. I couldn't help but stare out the door until his car was just another vehicle in the road. My mother walks into the kitchen, knocking out all the thoughts that raced through my mind at the moment.
"Get dressed, we have to visit the grocery store." She states as she slangs her purse onto her arm.

As I walk through the aisles on my own, I turn the corner to bump into a man.
"Oof, sorry." I apologize quickly before looking slightly upwards at the man, recognizing the man almost immediately.
His mouth turns into a lopsided grin, "That's alright, kid. Or should I say, Laurence." He reveals his eyes to me by just barely sliding his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose and then hiding them again.
"Right." I said before my mother bumped into my butt with the grocery cart. Startled, I jumped before sliding over for room for my mother to continue her driving. However, she didn't. Her eyes trailed up to West who was still standing there.
"Howdy." My mother greeted him with a small smile.
He nodded, "I should get on then." He walked passed me. Feeling his eyes watch me closely, I squirmed and moved over once again. His presence made me feel sick. My mother and I continued shopping and once we finally got to the cashier, we made small talk.
"So, do you know him?" I asked her as I handed her items as she put it on the conveyor belt.
"Well, I don't know." She laughed.
I stared at her in the eyes and pouted out my lips.
She laughs again, "He looked familiar but I couldn't tell. I mean, the guy did have sunglasses on." Jerrick may have been right about one thing.. It seems as though she didn't know him. Either she knew him and lied to me, or she truly couldn't figure out if she knew him. My eyes trailed up and spotted West in another aisle who seemed to have been already eyeing me and my mother.