Chapter 24

Today I walked into school. I went to my locker and saw a boy trying to open it.

"Hey this is my locker." I say

"Locker 350, no it's mine." He says

"Are you new?" I ask

"Yeah." He says

"That's why, I'm Adena Parker your locker partner." I say

"Hi I'm Jackson McGarth." He smiled

"Can you help me open this then because it's being a pain in the ass!" He says

"You just have to jiggle it a little... See." I say as I open it

"Thank you." He says

I take a good look at Jackson. He has a nice jaw line, brown hair that parted to the side, he had glasses on but they suited him, and he had this hipster kinda style.

He looked at me too. Maybe he was doing the same. I felt weird for staring. I looked at the locker and got my books.

"What classes do you have?" I ask

He handed me his schedule. I looked at it only fourth hour which was algebra II with Mr. Scott. I hated that class but Mr. Scott tried to make it fun.

I went throughout the day until lunch. Lola sat down next to Mandy and I.

"Where's Julian?" Mandy asked

"He's still in line." Lola says

"Oh." Mandy says

I could feel the smile on my face form as I thought about Jackson.

"What's that for?" Ben asked

Mandy looked at me.

"Is that a smile I see?" Mandy asked

"Yeah... I guess so." I say

"What's it for?" Mandy asked

"Is it a boy?" Lola asks

"Maybe." I shrug

Although it completely was.

"Was it that cute boy I saw at your locker this morning?" Ben asks

I blush.

"Hands off!" I shout at Ben

He shrugs.

"Bitch I don't need him." He said

"It was, wasn't it!" Mandy shouts

"His names Jackson McGarth, I don't know much about him but he's really cute." I say

"You think he's cute?" Lola asks

"You have a boyfriend I don't expect you to think he's cute." I say

"I don't have any classes with him, can you show me him." Mandy asked

"I don't see him." I say

I looked around I saw him come from the lunch line. He looked like he was coming to our table. He sat down across from me.

"I don't know anyone else... Is it okay it I sat with you?" Jackson asks

"Yeah, it's fine Jackson... This is Mandy and Lola." I say

Julian comes from the lunch line and sits next to Lola.

"Who's he?" Julian asks

"My locker partner Jackson." I say

"I just started today." He says

"Where did you move from?" I ask

"Wicked hollows." He says

"That's where we live." Gregg says

Mandy turned to Jackson.

"Why?" Mandy asked

"Well this is where my family is at so my father and I moved here." He says

"Oh, so you live with your father?" I ask

"Yeah, I never knew my mom she died after I was born." He says

We all sat speechless.

"It's fine." He smiles

My mother always says the most broken people smile the brightest. We all continue to eat. Julian speaks up.

"So where do you and your father live?" Julian asks

"We live just down the road from here." He says

And with that the bell rings. The rest of the day went by slow. I got home and laid on the couch until I got an alarming call from Lola.

"Principal James was attacked at school apparently the attacker is still in the school my dads going to the school and I'm really worried what do I do?" She sounded panicked

"What does your head say to do?" I ask

"Go to the school and figure out what the hell is going on there." She says

"Let's go." I say

"I didn't think you'd agree Julian and Ben coming too." Lola says

I get my shoes on and headed out the door. I take my car and drive to Lola's house to pick her and Julian up then we go to the school.

All the lights are off. The three of us approach the school. I open the door a little and walk in Julian and Lola follow. We meet Ben in the hall.

"See anything?" Julian asked Ben

"No, I literally just got here." He sassed

"Hello? Mrs hill? Mr jasper?" I call out

No response. I walk around. I see blood splattered on the walls.

"This must be where Principal James was attacked." I say

"DAD!" Lola called out, "Dad where are you?!?"

Any time sheriff Erwin has a case like this Lola completely freaks out. She gets so tense and nervous... She hardly rests until she knows he safe at home. She even waits for him when he's out late. Truthfully I think half the time he's pilled up with forms of cases he didn't solve.

Sheriff Erwin could maybe even lose his job. Maybe that's why Lola is always so hellbent on helping her dad with his cases. She even has a radio to intercept his calls and she's got copy of all his cases which he has no clue about. Lola has a secret bulletin board behind her poster of the band All Time Low.

She organized the whole thing. Things that do with the supernatural and just your run of the mill murders. Orange for the solved... Which is hardly ever on there. Green means she halfway gets it and yellow means she needs major help... Which is when we intervene and help her father keep his job. He tries but I guess it gets really stressful.

I always tell Lola my mom will always help her and her dad out if it ever came to that. She was never was okay with that idea.

I tried to stay focused on the fact we needed to find Ethan but I couldn't. All I could think about was Lola's reaction if she found her father dead. I shuttered at the thought.

We kept walking through the school. We heard foot steps. Lola stayed close to Julian. I was in front of the two of them. Ben stayed by me making sure I was okay. Then someone walked toward us they where holding a flashlight.

"Lola? Adena? Julian? Ben? What are you guys doing up and out of your homes?" Asked deputy Carter

"I'm looking for my dad." Lola said

"So am I, you kids get home." Deputy says

"Kids? And deputy I'm not going home until my dad is found." Lola says

"Lola... Fine but if I get in trouble I'm blaming you." Deputy says

"What's the worst my fathers gonna do to me? Ground me from my phone... Been there done that." Lola says