Rumors

Guess how much sleep I got last night?

None.

After Charlotte left I was paranoid that those dudes would come back, but I was terrified that they were going to do something to her.

I couldn't follow her even if I wanted to since I can't drive to save my life and my mom took the car since she had work.

I jump out of bed as I hear a banging a the door again.

They can't possibly be back.

I groan before I march out of my room and down the stairs before I swing the door open.

"Look assholes, I don't know-" I say before I see Kayden standing there while looking at me with a shocked expression

"I just came by to take you to school" he says as he raises his hands in surrender which causes me to look at him in confusion

"How do you know where I live? And who told you to take me to school, Charlotte always takes me" I say in confusion

"Charlotte asked me to take you to school, she also gave me your address" he says which causes me to gape at him

Why isn't she taking me to school?

More importantly, why isn't she going to school?!

"Do you know where she is?" I ask calmly but inside there's a tornado of emotions going on

"No, I don't. When she called me she sounded urgent though" he says which causes me to groan

What is she involved with?

She's never been this distant before.

"Come in, I have to get ready though" I say as I step aside to let him through

He nods as he walks through the door. I close the door behind him and tell him where the kitchen is before I run upstairs so that I can quickly pick out an outfit.

I pick out a white off the shoulder top and a pair of black skinny jeans with rips in the knee. I chose a pair of white converse to finish off the outfit.

I quickly got dressed before I put my hair in a half up half down hairstyle and applied concealer onto my cheek.

I grabbed my glasses before walking into my bathroom so that I could quickly brush my teeth.

When I was finished getting ready I ran downstairs so that I could eat before I was late for school.

I walk into the kitchen to see Kayden stuffing his face with lucky charms.

"You look like a chipmunk" I comment before I take out some fresh fruit so that I could make a smoothie

"Am I Alvin or Theodore?" He retorts with a smirk which causes me to laugh as my mom walks into the kitchen with a confused look on her face

"Where's Charlotte?" She asks with a confused tone

"I don't know yet, but this is Kayden" I say calmly since I don't want her to call the police

"Hello Miss Bailey" he greets with a smile before holding out his hand in my mother's direction which she politely shakes

My mom doesn't know how to act towards new people since she was never popular in school.

Ironic isn't it.

-

As we arrive at school I get stared at and some people start to whisper

Do I have food on my face?

I quickly walk down the hallway, with a racing heart, until I reach my first period class. I walk to the back of the class and sit in my seat only to have some people look back at me and whisper.

What is going on?!

"Hey Aspen" I hear Kayden say as he sits in the seat beside me

"You practically ran through the hall. Are you okay?" He asks with a concerned tone which causes me to turn towards him

"Yeah, I just don't like gossip" I say which causes his smile to fall as he looks at me with an apologetic expression

"Then you're not going to like this," he says which causes me to look at him with wide eyes

It can't possibly get any worse.

"Everyone thinks that you and Charlotte are secretly dating" he says which causes my eyebrows to shoot up my forehead

He did not just say what I think he did.

"What?!" I shout louder than expected which causes everyone's eyes to turn towards me. I look down at the desk as I blush from embarrassment.

"There's a video going around that shows you and Charlotte hugging while she's whispering to you before you both look into each other's eyes. It ends with her opening your door for you" he says which causes me to look up at him with a confused expression

"Do you know who made it?" I ask

"No, no one does" he says which causes me to groan

Why can't it be Christmas break already?!

"Are you and Charlotte dating?" I hear someone ask from in front of me which causes me to roll my eyes

"That's between her and I" I say since no one would believe me if I said no

This video must have made us look really compromising if people are seriously questioning Charlotte and I's friendship.

"Did you dump Charlotte for Kayden?" She asks which causes me to stare at her incredulously as I observe her

That's has to be one of the dumbest questions I've ever heard.

"Hey, don't you write our schools newspaper?" I ask which makes her smile

"No one usually knows that" she says matter of factly which causes me to smile

"If I tell you the truth, can you tell other people. I'm not trying to ruin Charlotte's reputation" I say with a sad smile

I know that Charlotte doesn't care about her reputation. I just don't want her to feel awkward around me when she comes back to school.

With her I never really know how she's going to react.

"Of course" she says as excitement radiates off of her

"Charlotte and I are not dating, we're just best friends. That video was taken out of context" I say which causes the girl to frown

"That's disappointing. I personally thought that you both would make an adorable couple" she says before she walks away and talks to her friend

"See, I'm not the only one who thinks that" Kayden says which causes me to roll my eyes

"Well sorry to burst your bubble, again." I say remembering the time at lunch when he asked if Charlotte and I were dating

"But Charlotte and I will never date each other. We've been best friends for so long that dating would make things weird" I say

"I wouldn't be so sure that it can't happen" he says which causes me to look at him with a confused facial expression before the teacher walks into the room and starts the lesson

-

"I'm finally home, free at last" I say as I open my front door which causes Kayden to laugh

School was ridiculously crazy today.

In second period everyone kept asking me about the video, some even asked me if I'm dating Kayden.

I don't understand why everyone is so interested in my love life.

"How was school, sweetie?" My mom asks as we walk into the kitchen only to see her preparing spaghetti for dinner

My favorite.

"Um, it was eventful" I say which causes Kayden to laugh under his breath

"Mom, has Charlotte came by today?" I ask with a hopeful tone but immediately frown when she shakes her head

"I thought that you would return home with her" my mom says which causes me to internally panic

Shit, she's still not here.

I thought she would be back by now.

She's never disappeared before without telling me where she was going.

"Kayden and I have to go to the library" I say to my mom as I grab Kayden's hand and drag him outside towards his car

"Why do we need to go to the library?" He asks with confusion evident in his tone as we get into his car

"We don't, we're going to the police station" I say which causes him to look at me like I've grown a second head

"May I ask why?" He asks calmly

"She's never done this before. I'm worried about her" I say as my voice cracks and a tear falls down my cheek.

Charlotte was my first friend.

Everyone else never wanted to be friends with me since I was labeled as a dork.

Charlotte took a chance on me when she walked up to me and we instantly connected over our love of pizza.

"Aspen, I'm sure that Charlotte will be okay" he says which causes me to look at him like he's stupid

"She's been missing for fourteen hours" I say in a creepily calm voice which makes his eyes widen

"Okay, I'm driving to the police station" he says as he turn the key in the ignition and starts the engine

"That's what I thought" I say as I face forward in the seat and click my seatbelt into place

-

"Hello ma'am, what can I help you with?" The middle aged man says from behind the police desk as Kayden and I walk up

"Hi sir, we're here to file a missing person report" I say which causes the man to grumble under his breath

Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?

"Look here kid, why don't you go home to your mommy. I'm sure she's looking for you" he says with a fake smile before he looks at his computer and starts to type

Oh no he didn't.

We'll see who's a little kid.

I quickly slam my palm onto his wooden desk which causes everything on his desk to rattle as he jumps in his seat and faces me with wide eyes.

"First of all, I'm seventeen, not a toddler" I say with a hard tone as I glare at him

"Second of all, I'm here to file a missing person report. So guess what I'm going to do?" I say with a sickly sweet voice as I continue to glare at him

"Uh, w-what?" He asks before he gulps nervously

"I'm going to fucking file a missing goddamn person report," I say as I slam the desk again

"Even if it's the last thing that I do" I say in a menacing voice which causes him to jump out of his seat

"I-I'll go get a p-police officer f-for you" he says before he rushes off into the back of the building

"Okay Charlotte 2.0, lets go sit down before you break his desk" Kayden says calmly before he places his hands on my arms and guides me towards a seat

Where did all of that anger come from?!

I'm not usually such a violent person.

"I'm fine, I wasn't going to do anything" I say with an eye roll as I cross my arms

"Really?" He asks incredulously

"Because you looked like you were about to separate his head from his body" he says matter of factly which causes me to scoff

"We're in a police station, I would've never gotten away with it" I say which causes him to laugh as a younger looking police man walks up to us

He smiles before telling us to follow him into a investigation room.

He closes the door behind us before telling us to have a seat on the opposite side of the table.

"So, What can I help you with?" He asks as he looks at me with a observant look

"I would like to file a missing person report" I say which causes him to nod before he excuses himself and closes the door behind his retreating body

"He was totally checking you out" Kayden says as soon as we hear his footsteps retreat

"No he wasn't," I say in an obvious voice

"And even if he was, it's illegal for him to date a minor" I say which causes him to smirk at me

"It's only illegal if you two get intimate" he says as he wiggles his eyebrows which causes me to fake gag

Ew, gross.

That police officer is at least twenty seven.

"Gross, plus he's not my type" I say before I could stop myself which causes his eyes to widen

Thanks a lot mouth.

"What's your type?" He asks excitedly which causes me to roll my eyes

Funny, He thinks I'm going to tell him.

"I'm not saying" I say but the smile doesn't drop from his face

"Does your type involve long silky blonde hair and bright green eyes?" He says which causes me to smile as a blush spreads across my nose and cheeks

He's describing Charlotte.

Wait a minute...

He's describing Charlotte.

"Did you really just indirectly asked me if I liked Charlotte, again?" I ask but before he can answer the police officer comes in with a stack of papers.

Great.

I'm going to be here all night.