know? So he'd watched some criminal shows. This was reality! A sickening, terrifying reality. I couldn't get it out of my head that this trip was a huge mistake, but every time I spotted Zach gazing at me or felt his fingers gently brush mine, I knew I had to go through with it.
We reached North Hollywood by three and were pulling into Culver City about half an hour later.
"Which way from here?" Alex flicked a glance at me.
I was frozen in my seat as I took in the familiar surroundings. My middle school was just off the road we were on.
"Right," I croaked.
We drove past Palms Middle School, my throat constricting as I remembered walking out with an excited Maria. Giggling together as we waved goodbye to Patrick de Luca, my first real crush.
My voice dropped to monotone as I directed Alex to my street.
"This one." I pointed out the window and he braked outside a white stucco house with orange tiles on the roof. I gazed up at the second story, spotting my bedroom window. It looked so normal, so peaceful. The lawn needed a mow and the hedges out front were in desperate need of a trim, but the white front door was still the same, the forest green guttering that Dad had spent an entire weekend painting. He'd let me help. I climbed up and down that ladder passing him drinks, clean brushes, more tins of paint. I'd meticulously worked on the down pipe, making sure my strokes were even and perfect. Dad had laughed at me . It's only a down pipe, Lulu.
"Are you ready?"
Zach's soft voice made me flinch. Forcing a brave smile, I nodded and he clicked the backdoor open. We all got out quietly and walked up the path. As we stepped up to the landing, my heart took off. I thought it might burst from my chest it was racing so fast. Alex rapped on the door twice and waited, giving me a sweet smile that told me I was brave.
After a minute of awkward waiting, Alex tried again, but still nothing. Zach bent down to peer through the window, pressing his nose to the glass. "I don't think anyone lives here."
"Why wouldn't anyone be here? I thought the house would have been sold."
"Not necessarily." Alex crouched down to look at the lock on the front door. "It might be yours."
My brain hiccuped. "Excuse me?"
Reaching into his back pocket, Alex slipped out his wallet, pulling his credit card free. "Your parents probably had insurance. The house was paid off and now belongs to you. Usually these kinds are things are set up in a trust and the kids can have the house when they turn 21." Shoving the card into the crack of the door, he jiggled it up and down, trying to free the lock. "If you don't resurface before then, the house will go to auction." He stepped back with a frustrated sigh. The door remained solidly closed. "That's just a guess, of course. I don't know what your parents put in their wills, but we could find out."
He slapped my arm as he walked past me and headed for the back of the house. My mind was reeling as I jumped the fence. I waited for Zach and Elliot to land in the backyard beside me before following Alex. Flicking my thumb at the house, I watched Alex give the back door a jiggle.
"Are you saying this house is mine?"
"Quite likely."
"But I don't want it. I could never live here again after what happened."
With a grunt he stepped away from the door and gave me his full attention. "No, I get that. But you could sell it. Maybe fund your way to college."
I sniggered. "We all know I'm not going to college. I don't even have a legal transcript. I haven't officially attended high school, let alone graduated."
"Not yet you haven't." Alex winked at me then threw a look at Zach before crouching down and trying his credit card trick on the back door.
A thought suddenly came to me as I watched him struggle and I frowned, turning around and heading for the wooden table on the back patio. Behind it sat an old terracotta pot. I peeked inside and smiled, lifting up the top rock and striking gold.
"No way." I shook my head.
We reached North Hollywood by three and were pulling into Culver City about half an hour later.
"Which way from here?" Alex flicked a glance at me.
I was frozen in my seat as I took in the familiar surroundings. My middle school was just off the road we were on.
"Right," I croaked.
We drove past Palms Middle School, my throat constricting as I remembered walking out with an excited Maria. Giggling together as we waved goodbye to Patrick de Luca, my first real crush.
My voice dropped to monotone as I directed Alex to my street.
"This one." I pointed out the window and he braked outside a white stucco house with orange tiles on the roof. I gazed up at the second story, spotting my bedroom window. It looked so normal, so peaceful. The lawn needed a mow and the hedges out front were in desperate need of a trim, but the white front door was still the same, the forest green guttering that Dad had spent an entire weekend painting. He'd let me help. I climbed up and down that ladder passing him drinks, clean brushes, more tins of paint. I'd meticulously worked on the down pipe, making sure my strokes were even and perfect. Dad had laughed at me . It's only a down pipe, Lulu.
"Are you ready?"
Zach's soft voice made me flinch. Forcing a brave smile, I nodded and he clicked the backdoor open. We all got out quietly and walked up the path. As we stepped up to the landing, my heart took off. I thought it might burst from my chest it was racing so fast. Alex rapped on the door twice and waited, giving me a sweet smile that told me I was brave.
After a minute of awkward waiting, Alex tried again, but still nothing. Zach bent down to peer through the window, pressing his nose to the glass. "I don't think anyone lives here."
"Why wouldn't anyone be here? I thought the house would have been sold."
"Not necessarily." Alex crouched down to look at the lock on the front door. "It might be yours."
My brain hiccuped. "Excuse me?"
Reaching into his back pocket, Alex slipped out his wallet, pulling his credit card free. "Your parents probably had insurance. The house was paid off and now belongs to you. Usually these kinds are things are set up in a trust and the kids can have the house when they turn 21." Shoving the card into the crack of the door, he jiggled it up and down, trying to free the lock. "If you don't resurface before then, the house will go to auction." He stepped back with a frustrated sigh. The door remained solidly closed. "That's just a guess, of course. I don't know what your parents put in their wills, but we could find out."
He slapped my arm as he walked past me and headed for the back of the house. My mind was reeling as I jumped the fence. I waited for Zach and Elliot to land in the backyard beside me before following Alex. Flicking my thumb at the house, I watched Alex give the back door a jiggle.
"Are you saying this house is mine?"
"Quite likely."
"But I don't want it. I could never live here again after what happened."
With a grunt he stepped away from the door and gave me his full attention. "No, I get that. But you could sell it. Maybe fund your way to college."
I sniggered. "We all know I'm not going to college. I don't even have a legal transcript. I haven't officially attended high school, let alone graduated."
"Not yet you haven't." Alex winked at me then threw a look at Zach before crouching down and trying his credit card trick on the back door.
A thought suddenly came to me as I watched him struggle and I frowned, turning around and heading for the wooden table on the back patio. Behind it sat an old terracotta pot. I peeked inside and smiled, lifting up the top rock and striking gold.
"No way." I shook my head.
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