Chapter 22

Britney's POV~~

I quiet down the engine and leaped out of the car, slamming it shut right after weeping my eyes out back on the mountain top. I strolled towards the door and I heard loud noises coming from the house.

“Why is she still not home then” I listened to my dad.

“ How am I supposed to know that” my mom retorted back.

“Well, thank God I still have some loyal friends who tell me what happens around, and you know what, I was enlightened she came into your office and you guys had a huge fight”

“It was nothing serious, just some little misunderstanding!”

“Well let's hope your insanity has not let her run off somewhere!!”

After having heard enough of their fuss

I sighed heavily and opened the door, the first person I saw was my dad, he had an angry look and frustration was engraved all over him while supporting himself with the sofa. I looked over at my mom, she had her hand on her forehead and her other hand on her waist while standing behind my dad at a little far back.

“Hey honey, where have you been? You got everyone worried” dad said, rushing over to me. He clutched me in a tight hug, almost squeezing me. I wanted to tell him he was strangling me, but I felt I deserved it and more. My tear duct became hefty, wanting to drop tears down my cheeks.

“Where have you been?” He said, cutting the hug and placed both his hands on my shoulders while looking at me with an uneasy look. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming from upstairs and I looked to my side and saw Nathan, my little brother standing there looking at me with a grim yet relief look. I flashed him a smile and veered around to face dad.

“I had to clear my head, lots of things to worry about at school,” I asserted, forcing a weak smile from my lips. I looked over at my mom and I saw the spooked look on her face. She also had a relief look as if happy I was back home and that, I have decided to keep her little disgusting secret. I frowned at her and looked back at dad.

I have to go and wash up” I declared to dad. “Sure ...sure but never scare us like that again okay! “ My dad said and I nodded gradually.

Without giving mom a second glance, I made my way to my room. I bypass Nathan who was still standing on the stairs and walked into my room. He looked at me suspiciously, and I knew what was next. I burst into tears the minute I entered the washroom and opened the taps.

After having a bath and getting relieved off some of my distress I collapsed on the bed and engulfed myself in thoughts about the future.

*knock...knock*

I heard knocking on my door, I rolled the blankets over my face, shut my eyes and pretended to sleep. “I know you are not sleeping” Nathan's voice echoed in my ear. “Hmmmhp” I snorted and rolled the blanket from my face and looked at him. He knew something wasn't right with me.

“Hey, is everything all right with you,” he asked while taking a seat on the bed next to me.” Yup!” I nodded.

“You know, you can delude mom and dad but not me, I know you all too well”

I sneered “Some things are better left unsaid okay”

He looked like he was not quite sure if he should let it go or still not back down. “I wanna rest, do you mind” I said imposing the blanket over my face again. He sat there for a while before getting up.

“At least I tried ...goodnight” he said and walked out shutting the door behind him. I let out a sigh. If I had proceeded with talking to him, I might spill mom's secret without even knowing it, and it was gonna ruin his relationship with her, thus the cold demeanor towards him. I sighed yet again and drooped my face into the bed.

*****

Scarlet's POV ~~~

It was getting late, and we stood behind one of the blocks in the school. We had loitered around the school until there was no sight of anyone around the school before appearing here. The message we had all received earlier said Britney was here.

After so much contention, we decided to come to the exact place we were instructed to come by the copycat. We knew if the individual didn't have Britney, we would still find something that would lead us to the copycat, so here we are.

“How do we know this loser is not toying with us. why the fuck are we even here, heeding what the freak said?” Dylan kept on and on while scouring the whole place and moving further away from us. He was one of the few who didn't want to be here, explaining we were giving the copycat something to be dignified off.

In some way, he was right, we had no idea what the psychopath is trying to pull.

“Hey, did you hear that?” Eric suddenly said, swatting Ian on his shoulder.

Everyone became quiet making the place seem like a boneyard as we wavered to hear the noise again. The fear of Eva's face was priceless with Ian standing beside her. Selena and I were clutched against each other while trying to hold our breath.

Then “BOOM!” a loud noise came from where Dylan was and before we even had time to realize what was going on, we all came scampering to the ground.

One minute we were all standing attempting to listen for any commotion and the next, we were all on the floor trying to breathe. The explosion had come from a barrel that was close to us the whole time which we didn't take note of.

Smoke filled the air, dark pall of whirling mass, like a current spreading upward. It looked very intimidating with no sign of it slowing down.