Catching You (11 page)

“ I’ll say that his plan backfired. Ryan’s dead. Did he ever
think about that scenario?” I gritted my teeth.

“I guess not.” I could barely hear Bryn.

“I can’t hear you.”

“I said I guess not,” She spoke louder.

“Well, that’s better. I just wish that someone would have .
We all lost a friend that night.” I said. I hoped that would make Bryn think
before she did something stupid next time.

“I know and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to tell you how
sorry I am.” She said.

“I hope so.” I said angrily.

“Can I call you later? I’m in the car right now and need to
concentrate on my driving.”

“Yeah that’s fine. I’ll talk to you later.” I said, hanging
up the phone and putting the car into gear.

Nobody uses me and gets away with it.
I pulled out
onto the road slowly and drove along.

 I pulled into the driveway a few minutes later, got out of
the car, and just made it up the driveway when the front door opened.

“Where have you been?” My father came out. I glanced over at
him, the veins in his forehead looked like they were ready to pop.

“Working, I put in some extra hours,” I replied. I was
eighteen years old and I didn’t understand why I still had to tell my parents
where I was going every time I left the house.

“Oh, okay. I went to wake you up for breakfast earlier and
you weren’t there and then when you didn’t answer your cell phone your mother
began to get a little worried. After everything that’s happened, she’s a little
paranoid right now.”

“Sorry I didn’t leave a note.” I walked past him into the
house and turned. “Is there still breakfast left? I’m starving.” He nodded. I
walked into the kitchen and found my mother wiping down the table. She glanced
up when I entered.

“Lauren, where have you been? Your father has been trying to
reach you. Why didn’t you answer your cell phone?” she chided.

“I’m sorry I didn’t leave a note. My alarm didn’t go off
today, so I had to rush to work. Well, at least I thought I did. I got there
and found out that I wasn’t working today, but Ellen let me stay and make some
extra money, anyway. I must not have heard my phone when you called.” I felt
bad that I’d made my parents worry, but I was fine.

“Next time you do that, wake one of us up before you leave.
I don’t ever want to get a call from the hospital that there has been an
accident again.”

“I’m sorry. I promise that I will leave a note next time.”

“Honey, we like Nick, but I’ve noticed that ever since you
started hanging out with him you’ve been acting different. Is there something
going on you’re not telling us?”

“No. I’m the same person I’ve always been. I’ve just been
going through a lot these past few months.”

“Well, you used to let us know when you were leaving the
house. You’d call and tell us when you were on your way home. Now, ever since
you began hanging around Nick, you don’t do any of this stuff. You just leave
when you feel like it and expect us to be okay with it. Well, we’re not. I want
things to change around here. Bryn called while you were gone and I don’t know
if she thought I was you, but she started talking about a plan she had to trap
Nick in his lies. I just listened and I’m glad that I did. Lauren, Nick’s
dangerous. If he’s killed once, he can do it again. I want you to call the
police.”

“I will. Most of the evidence we have right now is of the he
said/she said variety and the police wouldn’t take us seriously. You know
that.”

“Don’t know about that. She told me that what you’re planning
to catch Nick. She told me about the park. ” She looked hurt.

“What do you expect me to do? Just sit here and let Ryan’s
murderer get away with it! I can’t do that! I have to do this,” I continued
talking,

“She lied to you about the park. All we did was kiss…a lot.
He wanted to go further, but I didn’t feel comfortable with it, so we stopped.
Do you think since I hadn’t slept with Ryan after being together four years I would
really have sex with someone after a few dates?”

 My mother sighed. “No. I guess not.”

“Can we please stop talking about this? Dad said there was
still breakfast left over and I’m starving.”

She walked over to the fridge and set out a plate of
pancakes, potatoes with peppers, and some fruit.

“Make your own plate, I’m done.” My mom said setting the
plate in front of me. I smiled and headed over to the cupboard to grab a clean
one. I piled pancakes and tons of potatoes on it and threw it in the microwave.
I waited. The microwave beeped.

“Ouch!” I exclaimed, forgetting how hot it would be. I set
it down on the table to let it cool for a few minutes before eating. I glanced
around the kitchen, saw nobody was around, and grabbed a pop. If my mother had
seen me, she would have lectured me that I shouldn’t drink pop for breakfast.

I chewed my food, thinking about what I needed to do next. Even
though I knew that it was probably a bad idea, I needed to keep on hanging
around Nick for a little bit longer. Otherwise, he might get suspicious about
things. And I didn’t even want to think about what would happen if he did. I’d
already seen proof at Ryan’s funeral. The fight that him and Derrick got in was
a warning enough for me.

I quickly finished eating the rest of my potatoes and put my
dirty dish into the dishwasher. I was planning to take a nap, but now I didn’t
feel like sleeping. I ran upstairs and slammed my bedroom door behind me. I
needed to go to the mall to pick up a few things if I wanted my plan to work.

 I quickly got up, grabbed my jacket and yelled to my
parents that I was going out for a while. I heard a mumbled reply from my
brothers’ room, so I figured that they were putting them down for their
afternoon naps. I yanked open the driver side door and threw my jacket on the
seat next to me. I sat there for a few minutes trying to catch my breath.

I quickly dialed Bryn’s number and waited.

“Hey it’s me. Thanks for calling my house and telling my
mother about your suspicions about Nick. Now she’s all paranoid and I have to
practically ask permission to use the bathroom.”

“Oh. Sorry. I called your house before I called your cell
phone. I thought it was you.” Bryn paused, “I thought that you were going to
take a nap?”

“I changed my mind. I can’t stay home right now. I was
actually heading to the mall. Do you want to meet me there?” I asked.

“Sure! I know the perfect place that we can pick some things
up.”

“I was just going to do some clothes shopping. I don’t think
it’s a smart idea to do this on our own. I think we should go to the police
instead.” I sounded like my mother.

“And what are we going to tell them? That we suspect someone
of murder? They’re going to ask us if we have any proof and if we tell them
that you overheard a conversation they are going to laugh at us. I don’t want
to involve them yet. I know the truth. Are you going to help me or not?” she
asked. I could hear Bryn breathing in the background. “Please tell me this
crush on Nick is just for show? Right after you gets him to confess, you will
end things. I don’t want him to turn around and hurt you for deceiving him.”

“Yes, of course,” I said.

“That’s good. I’ve already lost one friend and I don’t want
to lose another,” Bryn said.

We talked for a few more minutes and then I hung up the phone.
I turned the key in the ignition and put the car in gear and pulled onto the
road. This was not the time to lose my senses.
You can do this
, I said
repeatedly to myself while driving. I slowed for a stop sign and almost lost my
nerve. I glanced around looking for somewhere to turn around. I had to be crazy
to be thinking about doing this on my own.
No you’re not. You’re doing this
for Ryan. You want justice, don’t you?

My foot pressed down on the gas, I watched as the
speedometer jumped to 45, 50, and 55. The speed limit was only 55, so I eased
off the gas and felt the car start to slow, but the speedometer still said 55.
I couldn’t figure out what was happening. The mall was right up ahead, so I
carefully moved into the right lane, glancing over my shoulder making sure that
the coast was clear. Ever since the accident I’d been even more careful about
my driving.

What am I thinking getting Nick to confess on my own?

It’s because you still love me, that’s why
. Shocked,
I glanced around the car, wondering where the voice came from. I knew that I
was alone in the car, but it didn’t seem that way.

It’s me, Ryan. I’m here with you.
I shivered.

I pulled into the parking lot and circled a few times before
I found a decent spot. I turned off the engine and got out of the car. Pulling
out my cell phone, I dialed Bryn’s number and waited as the music played.

“Hey, where are you?” she asked. It sounded like she was
chewing something.

“I just got here, where are you?”

“Meet me in the food court. I’m sitting over by the pretzel
place,” she said, pausing.

I knew it. “I’ll be right there.” I hung up the phone, put
it back in the purse, and walked inside. I took a deep breath trying to calm my
racing thoughts. Surveying the crowd, I found Bryn sitting at a corner table
licking her fingers. In front of her, she had a rumpled napkin and a medium drink.
My stomach let out a big growl. I walked over to the counter at the pretzel
place and ordered a plain pretzel with cheese dipping sauce and a drink.
Carrying my food over to where Bryn was, I sat down.

“Hey. Do you mind if I eat this before we shop?” I asked, ripping
the pretzel in two. I nudged a piece towards her.

“Thanks, I was about to go get another one. My mom has me on
another dieting craze. She insists that we cut out all carbs, so what do you
think I’m doing here, eating carbs.” She laughed, stuffing a piece of pretzel
in her mouth.

I dipped the pretzel in cheese sauce and took a big bite. I
bit my lip, nervous. I wanted to tell Bryn about the voice earlier, but quite
sure she would think I was crazy. I took a deep breath. “Bryn?” I asked hesitantly.

She swallowed quickly, “What is it?”

“I know that I’ve probably asked you this a million times,
but do you have any proof that Nick caused the accident?” I said quietly in
case anyone was listening to our conversation.

“How many times do I have to tell you that yes, I have proof.
You shouldn’t have to ask me over and over again. Ryan’s dead, isn’t he? That
should be proof enough for you,” she said.

I groaned. “I don’t need your sarcasm right now. I just want
to know if we’re going to look like idiots when we go to the police.”

“Why do we have to do that?” she asked quietly. I chuckled.

“They believe that Ryan’s death was just an accident. But it
all feels too weird to me, and I can’t sit on my butt not knowing the truth
about what happened. Did you really expect me to find out that Nick killed Ryan
and not do anything about it? I couldn’t do that to Ryan, he was my best
friend.”

“Well, actually I don’t think I really thought about it at
all. When Derrick told me that Nick had cut the brakes on Ryan’s car so that he
would get into an accident I was in shock. I didn’t get why he would do
something so mean to his best friend. I really wanted to run and tell you as
soon as I found out, but Derrick told me that if I did that it would just make
everything worse and he wasn’t sure what Nick would do, so I just kept quiet.
I’m sorry.”

“I just wish someone would have told me. I don’t like
keeping secrets from each other,” I said.

“I don’t, either,” Bryn agreed.

“I do have something to tell you, but first I want you to
promise that you aren’t going to tell me that I’m crazy.”

“I promise,” she said.

“Okay, so on the way here I had something weird happen to
me.” I paused, “see I was driving down the freeway and all off a sudden I
glanced at the speedometer and it was moving on its own, like someone else was
doing it for me.” I glanced over at her. She looked pensive, as if she was
actually debating what I said.

“It’s Ryan,” she said plainly.

I cocked my head, “What did you say?” My voice shook.

“It’s Ryan,” she repeated. “He’s trying to send you a
message that he still loves you and he’s all right now.”I did not know that she
believed in the supernatural. I took another bite of pretzel.

“And here I thought that I would have to convince you what I
said was real.” I took a sip of my drink, coughing a little as pretzel got
stuck in my throat.

“No. I believe that when a person dies they stick around in
the living world until it seems that it’s all right to cross over to the other
side. Ryan can tell that you still need his help and he’s here for you.”

I shivered, as I heard Bryn’s words it felt like it was Ryan
talking. I couldn’t quite explain it, so I shook it off.

“I’m not sure if I believe it, though. Can we just get going
already? You said that you knew of a store to get supplies.”

Bryn brushed away the leftover crumbs, gathered up her trash,
and threw it away. I took my drink off the table and stood there waiting.

“Yeah, I do. Let’s go!” Bryn said excitedly, pulling me
away.

“Let me catch up.” I rubbed my arm to put feeling back into
it.

“Here it is.” She stopped in front of a store that I had
never seen before. It was called,
Getting Caught
and had every single
piece of surveillance equipment that you could imagine. She walked up to the
front counter and started talking to the clerk. I walked away looking at things.
I had no idea where to start. Bryn walked over a few minutes later with a bag
in her hand.

“I’ve got everything we’ll need to do this,” she said
proudly. My face fell, I was disappointed, I had wanted to wander around the
store and help pick stuff out.