«Skylar's POV»

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Opening the door and being greeted by such sight is dreamy. Almost.

When I opened my front door, it wasn't locked. Which either meant that I had forgotten to lock the door in the morning. Or, somebody had broken in the house.

Both of the thoughts were terrifying.

Slowly, I crept inside wishing Alex was there with me. He had left like always, after dropping me here.

"Hello?" I spoke out, lowly.

But to my surprise, there was no knife or gun waiting inside for me. It was just my parents.

They both were seated in the lounge. Dad was sorting out some papers while Mom was talking on her phone.

That sight would've been comforting if it weren't for me. Mom and Dad almost never came to the house at this time. Until something was up.

"Mom? Dad?" I asked with a smile as Chicken made it's way towards me. I picked her up and started stroking her light brown fur as she purred.

Mom ended her call and looked at me with a smile. She looked perfect, like always, in her business suit and her perfect shoulder length blonde hair. The same colored hair which I didn't have. I had dark brown hair, just like my dad, which were always in a ponytail.

"You're here." She said enveloping me in a small hug. Which got Chicken squeezed in between us. But she didn't seem to mind. Chicken loved hugs.

"How was school?" Dad asked as I pulled away from the hug.

I looked at him curiously before replying. "It was great. I-why are you guys here?"

It was most definitely a rude question to ask but I couldn't have contained my curiosity. They barely were in the house when I was. They barely hugged me. They barely asked me about my day.

Dad looked at me and chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't want us to be here?"

I shrugged and went on the couch beside him as Chicken made her way on my lap.

"You guys barely come here." I added.

Mom went over to her phone and picked it up. She went out, receiving it. Probably her clients.

"We just thought to stop by to check up on you. Also, we had some files to pick up from here." He replied.

That made sense. Anyways, I was happy they were here. It was always lovely to have company in this lone, boring house.

I stood up and went in the kitchen to fill Chicken's bowl with her food so she'd stop chewing on my hoodie. I saw Mom coming back, holding her phone in one hand and a bunch of letters in the other.

I wonder how she managed to walk in those heels?

"Skylar, why don't you pick out these mails? The mailbox was seriously stuffed with these." She said, sorting them out.

That was true. I never did. I was one messy child.

"They aren't mine. They are all yours." I shrugged. "I don't like mingling in your client mails."

Dad let out another chuckle while Mom shook her head impatiently. They both knew how much I hated work related to lawyers and clients.

I must've been adopted in this perfect family.

"Well, here is one for you, miss. Don't tell me you're writing to your pen pal again." She said with a frown.

I was amazed at that. I never received any letters. Except when I used to write to my pen pal, who I never even met. But that was when I was just eight. I didn't know who would send me a letter now.

"Of course not, Mom. I'm not a child anymore, remember?" I pointed out before taking the letter from her.

Chicken roamed around my feet curiously as I looked at the white envelope. Mom and Dad were looking at me too, as if I was opening a lottery ticket.

Instead of opening it, which anybody else would've done, I folded and stuffed it in my pocket. It was probably some school mail.

"I'll go change. Meet you downstairs in five!" I yelled as I ran upstairs to my room. Chicken followed behind me as I closed the door and slumped down on my bed.

"What do you think it is, Chicken?" I asked, only to hear her purr in response.

It's not like she could've replied. But her purring was sometimes much more comforting than real answers. Sometimes all you needed was a cuddly cat right by your side.

I replayed today's day in my head,

Getting betrayed for cupcakes. Slamming into the one and only meanie. Getting a big fat C in physics. Conversing with the meanie. Finding my parents at home. Receiving a letter.

Not a normal day.

Sitting up, I blew out a sigh as I saw Chicken playing with her blue ball of yarn.

"Hey Chicks, I'll take a shower and be back, okay?" I said. Without waiting for her reply, I entered my bathroom. It wasn't like she was going to say anything other than a meow.

Throwing my clothes in the laundry basket, I opened the door to the bathroom and went inside.

**********

"So, I heard it was your Physics test today?" Mom asked as I took a bite of the spaghetti.

I instantly felt like throwing it. How in the hell did she find that out? I never told her, for God's sake.

Why mom why?

"Um...yeah." I said, distracting myself with the food.

Don't ask it. Don't ask it.

"What grade did you achieve?" She asked the question I was dreading.

I quickly started rummaging my brain for a good excuse. I could've said that Mr Frank was absent today.

Or maybe I didn't give the test because I had to visit the nurse's office for...something?

"Skylar, don't try to think of an excuse."

I looked at her and let out a nervous laugh. "I wasn't thinking of an excuse." I replied. "It's just...it didn't go too well."

That would've been the end to that conversation if dad hadn't piped in on purpose. My dad loved seeing me suffer through such situations.

"C again?" He asked, trying his best not to smile.

I looked at him accusingly before looking back at mom with a sheepish grin.

"Skylar, it's the third time." She said with a frown. "When are you ever going to learn to work hard?"

I sighed and leaned back.

"It's not my fault, Mom. Physics is like a fucking hell." I replied, which was a mistake. Using bad language in front of my parents, especially Mom, was like poking a stick at a bear. A wild bear.

"How many times have I told you not to say words like those?" She glared at me. "It is your fault. You don't study enough."

The same old lecture.

"You'll fail Physics. You're not a child anymore, Skylar. You need to work hard. Harder than this." She continued.

It could've transformed into a bigger lecture if it wouldn't have been for Dad who jumped in for my rescue.

"Come on Veronica, it's not like she doesn't get acceptable grades in the rest. Just give her some time. She'll do great in the next one." Dad said.

Mom looked like she might argue. But instead, she just sighed and nodded, giving me a warning look.

And somehow, that topic was thankfully over. I'd just have to get an A in the next test to prevent my inevitable death. Not literally, but I'm sure Mom's lectures would be the death of me someday.

"Alright. Apart from your grades, we needed to tell you that we'd be going to Florida for a business trip in the next few days. You can go to your grandma's or Aunt Lydia's." Dad said, taking a spoon of the salad.

Going over at grandma's wouldn't have been bad if she didn't have those pesky neighbors. And staying at Aunt Lydia's was like staying inside a cave. She didn't even let you see TV. She loved living like people in the Stone Ages.

"I'll be fine here. All perfect." I shook my head.

It's not like I wasn't alone every other day. My parents did believe that even if I kept it all in a mess, I wouldn't ever do something dangerous.

Dad nodded in agreement as I got up, picking the dishes and placing them in the kitchen before going up in my room. I heard my parents starting a talk about one of their clients which I'm sure I wouldn't have been interested in.

Going back in my room, I looked at the pile of homework on my desk which needed to be finished. Groaning at my life, I slumped down on my bed. After two seconds, my phone rang.

"Hey, Alex." I answered.

I heard a snicker on the other end. "What happened to your cheerful self, Sky?"

I looked up at the ceiling and narrowed my eyes. "I would be cheerful if you're willing to do my homework?" I asked expectantly, only to hear him snort in response.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Chicken dragging my jeans in her mouth. I didn't know why that thing loved to eat my clothes.

"So, when will I be getting my cupcakes and those two big jars of Nutella?" I asked with a smile.

Chicken meowed at me as I looked at her.

Oh dear God, I forgot about the letter. But my genius cat didn't!

I took the jeans from her and took out the crumbled letter from my pocket. One more minute and it would've been covered in Chicken's drool.

"I'll bring it to you tomorrow, your fat highness." He said disgustedly.

I laughed as I took out the letter.

"Anyways, did he accept to come or not?" He asked.

"Who?"

"Caden, of course."

I looked at Chicken who was happily playing with her yarn once again.

"He said that he doesn't give a shit, right to my face." I replied blankly.

I heard a chuckle this time.

"Whatever, Alex. Did you know Stacey is cheating on you?" I asked.

I heard his laughter die down abruptly.

Serves him right.

"What?"

I didn't stifle the snicker this time. "I am really sorry to bestow this news upon you. But yes, she is cheating on you."

I heard him mutter some incoherent words before he ended the call. I knew just the right thing to turn him off.

Not like him and Stacey were a serious thing.

Rolling my eyes, I pulled out a white paper from the envelope and looked at the words written on it.

Meet me

behind Chriswood Street

after midnight.

- B.M

That's it. That was all what was written on that letter, leaving me confused. I didn't know who B.M was, neither did I ever go to Chriswood Street. All I knew was that street was a few miles away from our town.

I looked at it closely. Something seemed off with that letter. I didn't know if it was a prank. I was left more curious than ever. I mean after all, this letter was addressed to me, Skylar Anderson.

I never got such mysterious letters. Which was kind of exciting.

I shouldn't do this.

It wouldn't be that bad. I think.

If I needed to find out more about this, I'd have to check out this Chriswood street. And one thing was for sure, my curiosity always got the better of me.

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Xoxo,

Crystal 🌿