LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Two

      Rachel peered over her shoulder as she ran down her block, checking to see if Benji was still following. She was scared and out of breath. She had never run so fast, or as far, as she’d run tonight.

      As Rachel neared her house she saw the flashing blue-and-red lights of a police car in her driveway. When she looked closer, she saw her parents standing at her front door with the police. Now Rachel was even more worried and scared. Why were the police at her house?

      Rachel stopped and watched as her parents stood there, gesturing to the police officers. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they didn’t look happy. She stood there watching, as she caught her breath. She composed herself, and began to walk towards the house.

      As she neared the front lawn, the motion sensor light lit up her face. She stood there like a deer in headlights as the police officers and her parents turned their heads and stared right at her.

      “Is this her?” one of the policemen asked.

      “Yes, this is Rachel,” her dad said.

      Rachel’s heart began to beat faster, and all she could think about was turning and running in the other direction. She didn’t want to deal with this situation, whatever it would bring. She couldn’t understand what the police could possibly want with her.

      Rachel continued walking towards the front stoop, as the two police officers stared her down.

      “Rachel Wood?” the police officer asked, as he looked down at his papers.

      “Yes,” Rachel said.

      “Do you know anything about a Robert Greene?”

      The two police officers stood there and waited for her to respond.

      “Um… yes,” Rachel said in a quiet voice. “He goes to my school.”

      “Yes, he does go to your school. We know that. We want to know what you know about the fight tonight. Witnesses said you were in the middle of it.”

      Rachel didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to answer. She was in the middle of it, but she didn’t want to confess everything that she had found out tonight. She was just beginning to process it all.

      “I wasn’t really in the middle of it,” Rachel said back, “but I did see it.”

      “We need to know all the information you have on this. A few football players at AHS are in very serious condition at Westchester North Hospital.”

      Rachel felt her heart sink. She didn’t know what to do.

      “We need to know who beat them up. Can you tell us who you were with?”

      Rachel couldn’t lie to the police.

      “Benji> He’s another student at AHS.”

      The police officers looked at each other, and then one began to write in his notebook. She saw him write Benji’s name.

      “Where does Benji live?” the officer asked.

      Rachel didn’t know what to say. Should she tell them he is a vampire and lives in a castle?

      “I’m not sure,” Rachel replied.

      “You don’t know where your friend lives?” the officer questioned.

      “Well, we are not really friends,” Rachel said. “We just met.”

      The two police officers looked at her with questioning eyes. “What is the nature of your relationship?” the officer asked.

      Rachel didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t know what they were. Were they friends? Enemies? Boyfriend and girlfriend? She didn’t know.

      “I said we’ve only just met. We were becoming friends, but I don’t think I want to be his friend anymore,” Rachel answered in a sharp tone.

      “Why not?” the police officer asked.

      “Because he’s not who I thought he was,” Rachel replied.

      The police officer shook his head in agreement, as if he knew what she was talking about. “Do you know anything else about the fight?” the police officers asked again.

      “No, I don’t believe I do,” Rachel said.

      “Thank you for your time. If you hear from Benji call the station right away. We have a search team out for him. All we have is one blurry cell phone picture of him, but can’t make out his face. Oh, and if you think of anything else, please let us know,” the officer finished.

      “Ok,” Rachel said, feeling worried.

      “Thank you officers,” Rachel’s dad said, a serious look on his face.

      “Come inside Dear,” Rachel’s mom said. “I think we need to have a little family meeting.”

      *

      Rachel’s heart was thumping out of her chest and her hands were sweating. She followed her parents into the living room and sat down on the couch.

      “Who is this Benji character?” her dad asked, as he made himself comfortable on the couch across from Rachel.

      “Some guy I know from school,” Rachel said.

      “How old is he and what grade is he in?” her mom asked.

      “Well, he’s a senior, he’s 18 I think, not really sure,” Rachel replied in a soft voice.

      “18!” her dad screeched out. “What are you doing with an 18 year old guy?”

      “I’m not doing anything with him! I told you I just met him, I barely know him,” Rachel said, defending herself.

      “You’re fifteen years old, Missy. You have no business with an eighteen-year-old guy. Especially an eighteen year old criminal,” her dad added.

      “Honey, I think you’ve taken this too far. She’s only just met the boy, give her some slack,” Rachel’s mom interjected.

      Rachel smiled at her mom and they looked at each other with knowing eyes.

      “I trust you, sweetie. I know you didn’t have anything to do with this fight,” Rachel’s mom said. “But is there anything else you aren’t telling us?” Rachel’s mom questioned.

      Rachel waited a moment, swallowed as if to hide what she really wanted to say and then said, “No, that’s all. There’s nothing else.”

      Rachel instantly felt guilty. Her mother had been so naive and trusting about the whole situation, and she hated lying to her. She wanted to tell her parents the whole truth about Benji, but after what had happened tonight, she knew she couldn’t. She figured it was better if they didn’t know.

      “Meeting adjourned,” her dad said, as he stood up from the couch.

      Rachel went upstairs to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. She stood there for a minute, trying to process what had just happened. She walked into her bathroom, put her face in the sink, and splashed cold water over it with her hands. She stayed there for a few minutes, leaning into her arms, glancing at her face in the mirror. Did that really happen?

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