Red Leaves Falling

Chapter Eleven

I walked back home drenched and wet with my shirt clinging to my body. Just as I slid the handle of the front gate back into place, the door flung open and mom ran out. She ambled up to me and threw her arms around my neck, enclosing me in a warm hug.

I breathed in her fresh and homely scent, ignoring the pain that pulsed through my body as her hands squeezed me tight. At the corners of my line of vision, near the door stood dad and Jacob. Jacob had his arms crossed across his chest and he gave me a threatening look. My gaze flickered to dad who looked at me with a blank expression and then quietly shuffled back inside with Jacob on his tail.

"Where were you, Collin?" mom asked, her voice laced with worry. "I thought something had happened to you-you should've called and told me if you were planning to stay out late." she said. Her voice cracked and she pulled me into her embrace once again.

For the first time in ages, I felt wanted. I gave her a small smile.

"My phone ran out of charge." I told her. "I met some friends from my old school and we decided to hang out." I lied.

Mom smiled. She held my hand warmly between hers and patted it. "I understand that the whole situation and changing schools is unfair to you but if you ever feel like talking, I'm always here."

###

After a warm shower, I sat on the bed and pulled my books out. Studying always cleared my mind from wandering off to places that were disturbing and lonely. A knock on the door snatched my thoughts. I placed the books on the bed and yanked the door open. It was Jacob.

"Where were you after school?" he asked. His eyebrows furrowed in question and he tapped his foot impatiently against the ground.

"I hung out with my friends." I lied.

"Quit the act, Collin. Bryce and his friends were talking about how they stuffed a new kid into the locker. It was you, wasn't it?" he said. I wound my fingers against the hem of my shirt nervously. My mind was conjuring over a thousand solutions to his question and I shook my head vigorously.

"It wasn't me. I don't even know who Bryce is. Besides, do you think I would be standing in front of you perfectly fine if I had been shut inside a locker?" I reasoned.

Jacob narrowed his eyes in an inquisitive stare. He took steps forward and stopped inches from me, grabbing the collar of my shirt to look for any injuries. I roughly wrenched his hand off and moved backwards, my leg hitting the boards of the bed causing the books to fall on the ground.

"Look Jacob, I'm fine. I took your advice and stopped my whining and decided to go back to how it used to be. Don't come here to confront me with your groundless assumptions." I said. Fear gripped the back of my mind. If Jacob saw past my lie, then my parents would come to know of it too. I was too scared to even imagine the shocked and disappointed looks on their faces.

Huffing a sigh, Jacob turned on his heels and walked out, slamming the door harshly behind him trying to make a statement. I fell on the bed with exhaustion all thoughts of studying dissipating. I wanted to sleep. I hurriedly piled up the books in my hand and dumped them into the bag.

But a single book caught my eye. It had a leather hardcover that looked old and worn out. It looked like a diary. I didn't remember having a notebook like that. I flipped it open and rummaged through the pages. Some of the pages were wet and the ink was soaked. And some of the pages had egg shells wedged into them.

It was the book that had fallen out my locker. And there was a name engraved in small yet bold letters at the corner of the first page.

August Becker.