When I Scream, It’s Her Voice
~Prologue~
“Alex, wait up!” screamed Paige after her fleeting friend. “No! We are going to be late for the bus! God, why do we have to live out of town?” Alex yelled over her shoulder. Paige felt her breath burn through her nose. “Just wait!” she yelled, loosing her breath while at it. “NO! I am not going to have you miss the bus on your first day of your 6th grade year,” said Alex. Soon her pace slowed so Paige was next to her. “Well you have to. Just to get the whole experience. You are home schooled,” laughed Paige. Alex gave Paige a hard look, which made her laugh even more.
As they make it to the bus stop, Alex wrapped her arms around Paige. They shared a quick hug as the bus pulled up. Paige waved good bye and climbed the steps of the bus. She sat down and looked out the window. Alex was waving as if the wind took control of it. Paige smiled and the bus started with a jerk. As the bus slowly drove down the road, Alex was running next to the bus. Her golden hair was in ripples behind her. Paige’s eyes widened and turned to the bus driver. He didn’t seem to notice. Soon the bus was at its regular speed, leaving Alex behind it. Paige settled in her seat and let out a slow breath. She could already predict that this was going to be the best year of her life.
But that was before she had to move…
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
Paige pulled her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door. She grabbed her keys and helmet, and locked the door behind her. She pulled the helmet on top of her head and took her bike from the porch. Soon she was pedaling down the street, passing through the traffic like a swift current. As she flew by the street lights and the roar of engines, she finally arrived at East Chapman High. Paige sighed and she locked her bike on the rusty rack and headed through the back doors.
She passed the halls. Going around and in between students, until she felt some one pull her back by the back of her shirt. She quickly turned around, to be picked up rather quickly. Spinning as if she was on a merry-go-round. “Morning!” said a fairly taller boy. His bold green eyes shined as he set Paige down. “Hey Cabel!” shirked Paige as he bent down to give her a quick kiss on the lips. Cabel smiled and flicked his jet black hair back to the side. “I haven’t seen you since……the last day of summer!” he exclaimed. “Oh wow. That was yesterday night.” Paige beamed have him burrow his face into her autumn brown hair. “That was a long time, I can’t stop crying when I’m not with you,” he sniffled while wiping an invisible tear from his cheek. Paige laughed and he gave her a mad glare. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. “Put me down! Cabel! Stop it!” screamed Paige. Cabel chuckled and suddenly Mrs. Woodberry stepped in front of him. “Please put Ms. St Cloud down, Mr. Carters,” she said in a rush tone. He slow set her down once again and stitched his fingers with hers. As they pass Mrs. Woodberry, Cabel whispered “I think she meant Mrs. Carters,” in Paige’s ear. She giggled as they made their way to their first block class.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
Paige was stumped on an Algebra question, until a paper frog was thrown at her face. She looked up to see her best friend, Sadie, smile at her. Sadie was so artistic. She could make anything beautiful. Paige opened up the origami frog and read the note:
Pagers,
How was you summer? Did you spend every minute with ‘The Cabester’? Hey, are you doing anything tonight? I really need help in Chemistry 2. And I know you are the Einstein of your class. Love ya girl!
Sadie
Paige smiled at her friend and mouthed, “Yeah, sure. Is 7:00 alright?” Sadie nodded and turned back to the board. She stuffed the frog note in her back pocket, and started to solve the new problem on the board.
After 3 whole blocks of going over rules, and doing review from last year, lunch finally came. She grabbed a tray and entered the line. Soon she was later joined by Sadie who seemed to be enjoying a small note. “Hey there, Buddy. What does that say?” she asked standing on her toes trying to see over her shoulder. “Nothing, something I found in my jacket pocket, from a friend. Nothing important. He…She wanted to know if I was going to join Odyssey of the Mind this year. Should I?” Sadie said rather quickly. Paige got off her toes and started to move closer to the counter of food. “Yeah, you should. You did such an awesome job on the Greek building. If I had to paint it, it would look like a smashed box from Hell,” exclaimed Paige. Sadie laughed and they finally got their food.
They sat down on an empty table, near the window. Paige looked at her lunch. ‘God, tuna sandwiches. On the first day of school?’ thought Paige to herself. Soon she was startled by two hands which covered her eyes. “Guess who!” yelled the voice. Paige pretended to think. “Hmm. Let me think. Johnny? No, Bill. Wait its David!” Paige said in a cheeky voice. Sadie started to laugh as Cabel removed his hands from Paige’s face. “No it’s me. Cabel. Your boyfriend!” he whined. “I know! I was just joking,” laughed Paige. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and started to eat her carrots. As the bell ringed for 4th period, they all threw their food out, and head for the door. Cabel rushed to the door and held it wide open for Paige and Sadie. “M’ ladies,” he said in the worst British accent. “Well, thank you, my lord,” Paige said perfectly. She stood on her toes to give him a kiss but he turned his head so she only kissed his cheek. “Hey, not in public. It’s weird having people watch me when I kiss you,” he smirked, while Paige rolled her eyes.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
It was 7:34 and Sadie was still not here. Paige started to tap her nails on the table trying to keep a beat. She failed. Suddenly her phone vibrated, nearly making her fall out of the chair. She grabs it and flips it open. Sadie sent her a text:
OMG! I am so srry! I had a last min thing 2 do wit my mom. I promise nxt time I WILL b there. So Srry! Plz 4give me!
Sadie
Paige sighed and texted her that it was okay. Then she fiddled with her cell. Soon she slid the keyboard out and started to text Cabel:
Hey, wht r u doing? Want 2 hang out 2 nite?
Paige <3
As soon as she sent the message, he replied:
:( Aww. I can’t. I have 2 do some chores for my Dad’s shop. Got 2 get the shipment of nails and all that crap. Srry. Wht bout 2morrow? Want 2 grab dinner?
Cabel ;)
She sighed again and said okay. Then she stuffed all of her school stuff back in her bag and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. All that waiting made her hungry.
She was in the middle of making herself a sandwich when she heard tapping on the back door. She turned and saw no one there. `It must have been the wind. Nothing is there.” She thought. After she sat herself down with a 3 layer turkey sandwich she heard knocking on the back door now. Paige started to freak out. She carefully set the plate down on the coffee table. She grabbed an umbrella from the coat rack and slowly approached the back door. She saw a silhouette of a person waiting there. She wrapped her hand around the knob and started to turn it. When she flung the door open, she was about to swing the umbrella at the person’s face; until she saw who it was.
“Alex?” Paige gasped. Alex smiled and wrapped her arms around Paige and gave her a deadly hug. “The one and only, Girly!” Alex shirked. “But…what? How? Why are you here?” Paige was able to chock out when Alex let her go. Alex put her hands on her hips and snorted. “I don’t even get a decent ‘Hello’ from my best friend. Who I haven’t seen since…ever!” she screamed in shock. Paige quickly smiled back and grabbed Alex’s arm; pulling her inside the house. They started to chat and catch up on what they missed the past 6 years. “Well since I am going to be in town I might as well tell you why I ran away,” Alex said out of no where. “You ran away? Why?” shrieked Paige.
“I was going to tell you! Don’t you listen?” said Alex.
“What? Yeah! Tell me now.” Yelled Paige.
“Okay, okay. So let me see. Okay, I was at home and you know how my parents are dead and I live with the quote, un-quote Hippie family?”
Paige nodded.
“Well, they gotten us eat all vegan, instead of vegetarian now. And you know how much I love my milk and cake! So I was like ‘NO WAY’ and they finally wanted to act like real parents and they were like all “You have to. It’s for the Earth”. Well screw the Earth and all its animals! I want some ribs right now!” Alex screamed with such anger, Paige felt the earth growl back at Alex’s statement.
Paige nodded again.
“So I took the stupid bus all the way here so I can stay in the same town as you! And we can go back to best friends now! Isn’t that great!”
Paige loved the idea, but wouldn’t her foster parents look for her at least?
“That’s awesome! But what about you foster parents? Aren’t they going to look for you?” questioned Paige.
“Well yeah. So I am going to stay at a hotel in the city. It is called The Court View Hotel. Visit me some time! I’m in room G7. Also make sure that you warn me if your parents are home, when I’m here. I don’t want them to call ‘The Hippies’.”
Paige nodded again and looked at the clock it was already 11:29. Alex looked at her wrist watch and said “I got to go. See you later. Just call the Hotel when you want to talk. Bye!” And she headed out the door.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
The next day Paige was excited. She was going to visit Alex before she went out with Cabel. As she entered the double doors, Sadie jumps in front of her. “I am so sorry, Paige. I promise the next time we make plans that I’ll be there!” she said in a rush. Paige put her hand on her frantic friend’s shoulder and said “Calm down. It’s ok. Take it easy.” Sadie started to relax until Cabel came from the parking lot.
“Hey beautiful. Umm…h-h-hey Sadie,” he chocked out.
“H-hi Cabel. I-I got to g-g-go. Bye!” Sadie said fleeing down the halls.
Paige looked up at Cabel and he looked a little unsettled. “Is very thing okay?”
“What? Oh yeah. So are we still on tonight? 8:00 okay?”
“Paige looked at him. “Okay.”
“Great! So ready for Social Studies? We got that test today. God, Mr. Auburn can be a pain.”
“Yup!” Paige said all cheeky, “Did you study?”
“Pfft! No, you know me babe,” he said rolling his eyes. Paige laughed and kissed him lightly on the nose. They started to make their way to 1st period.
At lunch, Sadie decided to go study in the library. So it was just Cabel and Paige. Plus David and Adam, few of Cabel’s friends. They were talking about the latest songs by Three Days Grace and how they are going to get all the equipment for their next gig. Cabel was the lead guitarist, David the drums, Adam singer and bass, while Aiden was on the second guitar and back-up vocals. They were “Sin’s Gift”. Paige loved it when he would play the guitar. But his singing is so vile; it could kill all the pidgins in New York City. She remembered the first time he sang to her. It was her 16th birthday. He was trying to sing “how old are you?” and he failed. He failed every lyric. From beginning to end. But she loved him, and he loved her too.
So she thought.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
“I’m telling you, he is cheating, I got this feeling Paige. I am dead serious!” Alex’s voice boomed through Paige’s cell. “Okay, what ever. He would never cheat on me! And if he did, which he wouldn’t, I would of found out before you did. Anyways where did you get a crazy idea like that from? Cabel would never cheat on me. Especially with Sadie. My 2nd best friend!” Paige said. “I don’t know. It is just this weird feeling in my tummy, okay? Plus you said they were acting weird today. And only when they were together. It is a sign Girly. I damn sign!” Alex said over filling Paige’s head with these stupid ideas. “Ah! Sure. Think what you want. Anyways I’m gonna visit you at the hotel so like BYE!” she screamed, and shut her phone closed. Paige laughed at what she just did to her friends and grabbed her keys.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
As Paige made her way through the lobby’s door, she looked at her cell. It was 6:52. She had time before she had to meet Cabel. She went up to the counter and asked “Hello, can you please tell my where I can find Alexis Fitcherd.” The manager typed into the keyboard and looked at the screen. “I am sorry, but there is no one here by that name Miss,” he said politely. Paige was puzzled. She nodded at the manager and went to the elevator. She pressed the G button and the elevator doors closed. After a few seconds, she was at the G floor. G1, G2, G4, and…Yes! G7.
She knocked on the door. After a minute or so she knocked on the door again. Soon a girl opened the door. Paige’s eyes widened. The guy behind the girl looked at the door way towards her, and his froze in place. It was Sadie who answered the door. Tears started to form in the edges of her eyes. “Paige…I…we… Oh god.” Sadie stammered out. But Paige didn’t pay any attention towards her. She was still focusing on the guy behind her. His wet black hair dripping and his bold green eyes were glowing behind it. “Cabel…?” Paige chocked out, having tears now stream down her face. Cabel made his way toward the door way but stayed behind Sadie. As though she was his shield, just in case Paige might swing at him. “Paige, I swear. We…nothing happened and…damn. Paige please…” he said, leaving the end floating around them. Swirling around Paige’s head.
She shook her head fiercely, having tears spraying out. She started backing up. She wanted to leave. She wants to get as far away from this room, this place, and this life as fast as she could. She bolted toward the elevator. Cabel screamed her name, but his body didn’t follow. He wasn’t going to chase after her. She pressed the button of the elevator. After a few seconds she headed for the stairs. As ran down the steps. After the first couple flights, she tripped and fell a few steps down. She didn’t get up. She just lied there. After a few moments of gathering herself, she pulled herself to the corner under the stairs. Away from the doors and from the windows. She pulled her knees to her chest and bawls out. With her eyes clenched closed, she tried to think of what just happened. And how much her life had just changed in a small hand full of moments.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
As Paige climbed her front steps, she felt like the world fell on top of her; crushing her soul and body. She pulled her keys from her pocket and started to fiddle with them. She would it from time to time. After a few minutes a pair of warm hands pulled them out of her grasp. Alex pulled out the right key and inserted it into the lock. She push the door opened and gestured Paige to go in. Paige does so and walks in. As Alex closed the door and locked it, Paige stood in the middle of the living room; not knowing what to do any more. Everything changed. Everything she knew was now unknown. Alex sat on the couch and patted the space next to her. Paige sat next to her and she just let everything go. Alex pulled her closer and Paige buried her face in Alex’s shoulder. It felt nice to have someone hold her.
Suddenly Paige sat up straight and looked at Alex.
“Where were you> you weren’t in it. Sadie and C… Where were you?” Paige didn’t dare say his name. She was so mad. So sad and dead.
“Well?” she prodded.
“After you hang up on me, some guy who worked at the hotel told me that I had to leave because I couldn’t pay for the room any more. He said that my card got canceled and that I had to leave. So I did and came here. I waited for like 3 hours until you came. But anyways, how was dinner with Cabel. And why are…well, were crying?” Alex said calmly.
Paige stiffened. “Umm, about that. You were right. He was cheating on me. With Sadie too!”
Alex froze. “What? He did? OMG, I knew it! Oh, sorry Hun. Are you okay? How did you find out? Did he tell you? Did she tell you? OMG I feel like I’m on Dr. Phil!” she exclaimed.
“Well, it is kind of a long story and…” Paige left off.
“Well, I have all day and night. Plus I need to crash at your place if that is alright with you. And with out your parents knowing either. You know the whole running away from the Hippies thing. So go on!” Alex said in such a rush, that Paige thought she was speaking Chinese.
“Okay and of course you can stay. So this is what happened…” Paige said, leading on to the whole story.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
The next day Paige was about to leave until she remembered that Alex was hiding in her room. She ran up the stairs and went into her room. Alex was there looking out the window into the woods. “Alex, okay. If my mom or my dad comes in here than hide in my closet, okay?” Paige said in a rush walking back out the door. Alex nodded and looked back out the window. Paige shut the door behind her and locked the front door getting ready for the day ahead of her.
She slipped in the front doors of East Chapman. As she made her ways through the halls, she knew that everybody already knew about her and Cabel. Everyone looked at her.
Suddenly she noticed something. With out Cabel or Sadie, she had no friends at school. The only “friends” she had were Cabel, Sadie and their friends. They were never hers. The world seemed colder at that thought. Then she remembered that Alex was waiting for her at home and that she is one of her true friends. This made her smile and gave her enough courage to continue down the halls.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
When lunch came around, Paige felt like she was going to faint. Pretending not to be hurt about the break up and to be happy, made her hungry. When she pushed herself through the cafeteria doors, she eminently saw Sadie and Cabel sitting together with their friends laughing and chatted like nothing happened. Like it was supposed to be that way. This made her fell sick to her stomach. She walks out the cafeteria and walked into the library. No one was there. Not even the librarian, Ms. Hue. She sat herself down in a cushy chair near the magazine section and relaxed.
Lunch hour seemed to last for years and years. Then the bell rang and she ran out of the library. She started to walk down the Middle East wing, when she saw Cabel and Sadie walking in her direction. She quickly turned around and went the long way around the school. She wouldn’t risk an awkward moment with them. When she arrived in Chemistry 2, she was late. Mr. Stein gave her a detention slip and she took her seat. When she got her notebook out, a crumpled piece of paper landed on her desk. She opened it slowly to find that Cabel had written it:
Are you ok? We need to talk. Please? I know that it looked really really really bad, but I promise that it was all for a good reason. I hope… But please text me after school. Or detention. When ever you have time. Please…
Cabel :’(
Paige was speechless. She wanted to talk to him, but she wanted to avoid him too. She folded the piece of paper and dropped it to the floor. She will never have time. Forget him. She was great before him and she will be even greater after him. She looked behind her shoulder, seeing Cabel catch her eye and then he looked down.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
When the final bell rang for school, Paige waited until everyone was gone. Then she got up and walked down toward Miss. Willard’s class. Paige didn’t know why Miss. Willard was the teacher for detention. She was so sweet and she let everyone use their phone or iPods during the hour. When she entered the room, there were only a few people in there with her. She took an empty seat. She got her workbook out and started her math.
She was in the middle of the last question when miss. Willard stood up and cleared her throat. “Umm. Hello, your detention time is now over. I hope not to see you next time,” she said cheerily and walked out the door. Everyone headed out and Paige started to walk out home. When she arrived home, her parents were at the breakfast island and they both looked up. They shared smiles and she headed for her room. She walk in, Alex was sitting under the window reading “Glass” by Ellen Hopkins. Alex looked up and said “Where were you?” Paige flopped on her bed burying her face in the soft sheets and mumbles “Detention.” Alex nodded and turned her attention back to her book.
After dinner, Paige slipped Alex a few slices of pizza and entered her room. But when she got there, Alex was on the bed sleeping. Paige smiled and got ready for her nap time. She laid down next to Alex and pulled the covers to her chin. She turned the lamp off and was lulled to sleep by the soft noise of Alex snoring.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
Suddenly Paige’s mom bursts through the door and shakes Paige awake. Paige gets up and turns her head. Alex is gone; maybe she was in the bathroom. She looked at the clock and it was 2:37 am. She turned to her mom who was shutting her cell close. “What’s wrong?” Paige asked. Her mom sat next to her on the bed and wrapped an arm around her. “Umm, well Honey. I don’t know how to tell you so I am going to say it right out. Sadie is dead.” Paige’s mom said, having her voice crack at the end. “Wha…?” said Paige. She was confused. She shook her head a little and looked at her mom again.
Her mom now wraps both of her arms and hugs her tightly. They stay like that for a while crying and sobbing together.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
The next day at school everyone was wearing black. Paige guessed that they all got the 2 am call too. She was the only one not in black. She was wearing Sadie’s favorite color. Yellow. As she walked down the halls, everyone gave hear glares. She knew what they were thinking that she killed her or why she was wearing such a bright color during a sad event. As she turned the corner, Paige noticed someone who wasn’t wearing black either. But yellow. It was Cabel. He looked at her and smiled a little. She smile back and walked up to him.
“Are you okay?” she asked. He nodded yes and they walked the halls together. The stares started to ease a little and Paige turned to Cabel. “What happened?” she asked. Cabel looked at her and chocks out, “She was murdered. But nobody knows who. She was stabbed 3 times in the chest. The police said that she died around 1 in the morning. I didn’t get the call until a few hours ago,” he said rather to formal. Paige sighed and touched his arm. He smiled and they parted their ways to class.
The whole week seemed to become blur of events. From everyone starting to wear yellow to the day of Sadie’s funeral. Paige lays down a long black dress on top of her bed and put a pair of black heels on the foot of the bed. Alex looked over her shoulder and sighed. “Sad how someone can be gone just like that,” she said snapping her fingers. Paige turned around and said “I know right! God, I can’t believe she’s…dead.” Paige looked at Alex and then remembered something. “Where were you the night I found out about Sadie’s death, you weren’t in bed when my mom came in?” “Oh, I went out to get some air,” Alex replied quickly. Paige nodded and turned back to the dress and started to get ready for the ceremony.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
The funeral was long a remorseful. Paige couldn’t find one person who didn’t cry. Even all the stoner guys and skaters cried. It was really touching. There were yellow roses everywhere and a beautiful picture of Sadie from last Spring Break over the casket. There were so many people, that the church had to add folding chairs in the back to let everyone sit. After the funeral everyone stayed until 8:00 at night to light lanterns in the air for Sadie. It was quite breath-taking. All the lights in the sky getting smaller as the go up higher.
When Paige and her parents got home she went straight to her room. She opened the door and flopped on the bed. She turned to the window but Alex wasn’t there. She got up and looked in the bath room. She wasn’t in there either. Paige started to panic. ‘Where could she be? Where could she be?!’ she thought to herself. Suddenly she knew where. No one ever knew that it existed. It was an abandoned dinner that closed down ages ago. It’s just off the highway. Alex and Paige used to go there to hang out and play when she used to visit. Alex never liked to go to her house because of Paige’s parents. Paige grabbed her mom’s keys to the jeep and headed out the door.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
Paige was buzzing down the old highway. Hardly anyone uses it anymore. Especially after the city built I59, since it connects to the city and almost all the towns around it. Soon Paige made it to the small dirt road and pulled up the dinner. She slowly slipped it and called out Alex’s name.
“Alex. Are you in here?” Paige’s voice rang through the empty space.
“Alex? Hello?” Suddenly Paige heard a loud clang of metal. Paige made her way to the kitchen and found Alex with fallen pots and pans around her. Alex looked at Paige and started to burst out laughing. Paige was confused. “Oh my God, you should have seen your face. You looked like you were going to enter a murder house!” Alex said between laughs.
“Why did you leave? I thought you were going to wait for me so we could hang? I was worried sick!” Paige said hurt.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just so board all alone in your room so I decided that I could come here,” Alex said.
“Okay, I’m sorry too. Want to go home so I can change and grab some thing to eat?” asked Paige.
“Okay, but I just want to stay home and order pizza if that’s okay with you.”
“Yeah,” Paige said hopelessly. And they got into the van.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
It now has been a week since Sadie’s funeral. People didn’t wear black anymore or didn’t give Paige any strange looks. But the police didn’t find out who had killed Sadie. Paige and Cabel started to be friends again. Leaning on each other when Sadie’s death gotten to one of them. Now they acted as if nothing happened. Paige felt good being friends with Cabel. Even though they weren’t dating or anything. But it felt nice. To have another friend instead of Alex. For some reason it felt…safe…
When Paige got home, she went to the kitchen and fixed two PP&J sandwiches for Alex and herself. She started to climb the stairs and open the door. But then she saw Alex. She found Alex on the foot of her bed. She was shaking badly. Paige closed the door and went over to her side, placing the sandwiches on the night stand.
“Are you okay?” Paige asked worried. Alex looked u at her and nodded. “NO, I’m not fine…I-I did s-something bad. Very b-b-bad, Paige. I’m s-sorry,” she said she voice trembling. “What? What did you do that was so bad, Alex? Please tell me, I’ll try to fix it,” coaxed Paige. Alex looked up at her again and said “I killed Sadie.” Paige froze.
“You what?”
“I said I killed her,” Alex said now getting up on her feet.
“No, I heard you the first time. But why?”
“She was sleeping with you boyfriend. That’s what friends are for. She made you heart break, I wasn’t going to let that pass! I did what any good friend would do,” Alex said with a stronger voice. Paige couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She shook her head.
“So a good friend would kill her!?!? No, no, no. Alex, we need to tell someone. The police, Cabel, Sadie’s parents. We need to tell someone,” Paige said pacing back and forth.
“No! We are not going to tell anyone. If you do I am going to jail and then they are going to send me home!” Alex screamed at Paige.
“We have to. You killed someone for God’s sake,” Paige screamed back.
Alex stepped up to Paige and slapped her hard. Paige staggered back. Clasping her cheek. Alex pulled on her boots and walked out the door. Paige grabbed her phone and dialed the first number she thought of.
“Rinnngggg….ring….ring. Hello?”
“Cabel, I know who killed Sadie!” Paige yelled into the phone.
“What? Who? How do you know?” he asked doubtfully.
“It was Alex, my friend. She told me that you were cheating on me with Sadie. At first I didn’t believe her. But then I saw y’all in the hotel. Then she told me that she killed Sadie just now because she broke my heart when she stole you from me,” she said in a huge rush.
Cabel was silent then he said, “Okay, do you know where she is? If you do then we can call the police and go get her.” Paige thought for a bit and then she remembered a small abandoned diner of the highway. “Yeah, I know. Meet me at the police station in 10, okay?” He agreed to meet her there and Paige quickly changed her clothes and head out the door.
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
As Cabel, Paige, and the two officers pull up next to the old diner, Paige saw Alex slip behind the front door. They inched toward the door and entered. They made there way to the kitchen and Paige turned to Cabel and the officers. “Let me go first, don’t worry you guys will be right behind me.” They nodded and Paige advanced her way further in the kitchen until she saw Alex’s gold hair glow from the sunlight.
She looked at Alex’s face and her makeup was smeared. It made her look many years older. “Alex, can you please turn yourself in. they might cut a few years off it you corporate,” Paige said lightly. Alex looked at Paige and she frowned. “No,” she said flatly.
“Come on, Alex. Please?” Paige begged.
“NO!” screamed Alex as she banged the metal counter. Paige jumped, but then made her closer to Alex.
“Please Alexis; I won’t let them send you back home. But you will have to go to jail, because of murder,” Paige says trying to calm Alex down. Alex backs up a few steps and she starts crying.
“I thought you were my friend Paige. I thought you would like that I killed Sadie. That bitch stole Cabel from YOU! And now look how you are repaying me. By putting me in jail, Paige? By thinking that if I am locked up that I won’t come after you later on. Huh? HUH! Tell me Paige. I would every so likely want to know,” Alex roared. Paige jumped again.
“No. you know I would never do that to you for no reason. I love you. You are my best friend! I am just trying to help you out,” Paige said. Alex snorted and started to walk around Paige.
“Okay, so say that I do cooperate. Will you thank me for killing Sadie?”
Paige fidgeted. “No, I can never thank you for what you have done. But I can pass it. And we can forget about it,” Paige said.
Anger rose up in Alex’s eyes. “Wrong answer.” She says. And then she lunges herself at Paige. Paige is now on the ground. She pushes Alex off and Alex makes a run for it. Paige followed her out the back door. Cabel and the police follow her. As Alex runs across the moonlit dirt, Paige points her out to the police and Cabel. But they don’t move. They look confused.
“GO! She is right there! Look, she is getting away! Look!” scream Paige. But they still don’t move. The officers exchange a look and then they each grab one of Paige’s arms. “What are you doing?! She is right there! You are letting her get away! What the hell is wrong with you people? GO!” she screams. Cabel looks at her. His expression broken. The officers pull Paige into the car and close the door. She is screaming and yelling at them.
~Epilogue~
She is in a room with her parents and a cop. The cop’s name is Officer Robin. Her hair is dark brown and her eyes are pale blue. “Now, Mr. & Mrs. St. Cloud. Can you please tell what you have to say about you daughter’s actions.” She says lightly. Paige’s parents fidgets and then her dad is the one to speak.
“Well, Officer…Robin, our daughter has this special brain disorder. She tends to pretend a lot. Ever since she was 6 she had this imaginary friend named Alex or Alexis. At first we thought it was harmless. But then she still had her friend, Alex, with her when she started the 6th grade. That was when we started to worry,” he looks at his wife. Paige rolls her eyes as her dad goes on.
“That was when we decide that we should move, and try to start over. At first it was hard on Paige. But then she slowly got into the routine, and met Sadie. After that, she was fine. Until 4 or 3 weeks ago, when Alex came to visit Paige. And then it led up this,” he finished and Officer Robin nodded. “What about you Paige. What do you have to say about this?”
Paige snorts and then says “Well, first off I am not crazy! Second Alex does exist! See-“she pulls out her cell. ”I have her number right here.” Officer Robin takes the phone from her hand and looks at the number. She hands the phone to Paige’s parents and her mother lets out a small sob. Her father gasps. “Sweetie, this is your number. You have must have been texting and calling yourself. See?” he says showing her text and call records.
He was right. That was her number. Paige couldn’t believe it. She is crazy. She is crazy…
~∫~∫~∫~∫~∫~
Paige is in a white T-shirt and gray jogging pants. The nurse leads her down the hall of white walls. Everything is white. The walls, the clothes, and the floors. Everything. When they reached a door labeled “G7” the said “Ms. St. Cloud, this will be your room. We don’t know if you will have a room mate or not. But you will find out soon,” and she opens the door. The nurse leaves down the hall and Paige enter the medium sized room. There are two beds and a window and chair in the middle of them. Paige sit in the wooden chair and looks out the window. Later the door opens and closes again. Paige doesn’t mind look, she does care about who her room mate was.
“Hello, Paige,” the girl said. Paige turned her head and her eyes widened. The girls long gold hair fell down to her elbows. “I think this is going to be the best year of our life,” Alex says with a smile. Alex started to laugh. But Paige only heard her own voice instead. And then Alex sat on the bed next to Paige…
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