The Girl Who Chased Justice

Chapter Three The call

Chapter Three The call

As I pulled away from the house, the Mustang engine poured beneath me, smooth and confident.

I wish I felt the same.

Instead, my mind kept replaying the brown car.

The camera.

The way it sped off the second Dad started walking toward it.

And then there was Derek.

The way he had asked me to dinner after graduation.

“Was it a graduation dinner to celebrate or is it a date” I thought.

“No, it’s not a date he doesn’t like me that way.”

“but”

The way he had tucked that loose strand of hair behind my ear.

Just thinking about it made me smile.

I shook my head.

Focus, Tara.

Right now, I needed someone who was not wrapped up in all the chaos.

Someone who always made everything feel lighter.

Rose.

"Hey Siri, call Rose on speaker."

"Calling Rose on speaker."

The phone rang twice before she answered.

"Hello, Bestie!" Rose chirped, her cheerful voice instantly easing some of the tension in my chest.

"Hey."

"You sound weird," she said immediately.

"I do?"

"Yep."

I laughed softly.

"Maybe a little."

"So... what's up?"

"What are you doing right now?"

"Waiting for Owen to get here so we can walk to the bus stop together."

"When he gets there..."

I hesitated.

"...stay there."

Silence.

"Why?" Rose finally asked.

"Just trust me. Please."

Another pause.

"...Okay."

She never questioned me.

Not like that.

So, hearing the uncertainty in her voice made my stomach twist.

Just then, a horn honked in the background.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Are you driving?"

"...Did you get a car?"

I could not help but smile.

"I'll show you when I get there."

A knock echoed through her phone.

"Oh! Owen's finally here."

"I'll see you in five minutes."

"Okay."

The call ended.

As I turned onto Rose's street, my pulse thumped in my ears.

Everything looked...

Normal.

Kids rode bicycles.

Sprinklers sprayed across green lawns.

Someone was mowing their yard.

A dog barked in the distance.

It all looked so ordinary.

Too ordinary.

Like something dangerous was hiding just outside the frame.

"Hey Siri, text Rose and Owen."

"What would you like to say?"

"Come outside."

"Sending 'Come outside.'"

I pulled Rose's driveway.

Before I even turned the car off, the front door flew open.

Rose and Owen ran outside.

Rose stopped dead in her tracks.

Her mouth dropped open.

"Oh my gosh!"

Owen's eyes went just as wide.

"No way..."

Rose screamed.

"TARA! YOU GOT YOUR DREAM CAR!"

The two of them sprinted toward me.

I climbed out, laughing.

"Surprise."

Rose practically tackled me with a hug.

"It's beautiful!"

"Thank you”

"Who bought it?"

"My dad and Jethro."

She looked back at the Mustang.

"They actually did it."

"They did."

Owen folded his arms with a grin.

"I bet your mom loved that."

I laughed.

"Oh... she absolutely did not."

"What happened?"

"They started arguing."

"And?"

"I yelled at everyone."

Both froze.

Rose blinked.

"...You yelled?"

I nodded.

"I've never seen you yell," Owen said.

"I know."

Rose tilted her head.

"How'd it feels?"

I thought about it for a second.

"...Honestly?"

I smiled.

"Kind of amazing."

The three of us laughed.

We sat on the edge of Rose's driveway for a while, talking.

I told them everything.

About the Mustang.

About the argument.

About the mysterious brown car parked across the street.

About the man with the huge camera.

About Dad, Jethro, and Derek chasing after it on their motorcycles.

Neither of them interrupted.

They just listened.

When I finished, Rose looked concerned.

"That's really creepy."

"It was."

Then my smile returned.

"Oh... and Derek asked me to dinner after graduation."

Both gasped dramatically.

"Ooooh!" they said together.

Rose grinned.

"You and Derek are finally going on a date!"

"It's not a date," I protested.

Owen raised an eyebrow.

"He literally asked you to dinner."

"It's a graduation dinner."

Rose laughed.

"Keep telling yourself that."

I rolled my eyes.

"You two are impossible."

"We're right," Owen said.

"You'll see."

They spent the next few minutes teasing me until my cheeks hurt from laughing.

Eventually, the conversation drifted back to the brown car.

"What do you think they wanted?" Owen asked.

"I honestly don't know."

"But Dad knew something."

"I could tell."

Rose nodded slowly.

"And that's what worries me."

We sat quietly for another minute.

Then I checked my watch.

"Oh, no."

"What?"

"We're going to be late."

"You two ready for school?"

"No!" they shouted together.

I laughed.

"They're juniors," I said. "Next year it'll be your turn."

They both groaned.

"I'm sorry."

Rose smiled.

"It's okay."

She stood up.

"Let's go."

We climbed into the Mustang.

I lowered the convertible top.

The warm Idaho air rushed around us, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and early summer.

For a moment...

Everything felt perfect.

Then that feeling returned.

Heavy.

Like someone was watching.

As I backed out of the driveway, something moved in my side mirror.

A dark figure slipped behind a parked pickup truck.

Gone before I could get a good look.

My stomach tightened.

"Everything okay?" Rose asked.

"Yeah."

I forced a smile.

"I think so."

We drove the rest of the way to school.

The second I pulled into the student parking lot, heads turned.

People pointed.

Whispered.

Stopped walking.

The Barbie-pink Mustang practically glowed in the morning sun.

I could not help smiling.

I parked, put the convertible top back up just in case, and climbed out.

Rose and Owen followed.

The first bell rang just as our feet hit the pavement.

"I'll see you guys later."

"Good luck," Rose said.

"Don't trip on stage," Owen added with a grin.

"I'll try."

Laughing, I turned toward the cafeteria, where the seniors were already gathering.

I had no idea my life was about to change forever.

I also added a stronger ending with "I had no idea my life was about to change forever." It creates a stronger hook leading into the next chapter.