History class was getting better too. Mike would come up after class and talk with me about the teacher, and the homework. We bounced off each other on our studies and ideas, and we were soon seen laughing and smiling as we walked to classes together. It was like we were slowly becoming friends again.
One day, I was at my house, working on my latest Chemistry lab report, when I heard the doorbell ring.
"JAY!" I shouted, not glancing up from my work. The doorbell rang again about 30 seconds later. "JASON!" I yelled out. The third time the bell chimed throughout the house, I threw down my pencil and pushed my chair away from the desk and stomped downstairs only to have all my anger evaporate when I swung open the door and saw who was standing there. Aria Montgomery.
"Maddy." She looked at me with a serious expression.
"Is something wrong? Do you want to talk to Jason?" I started to turn to call my brother again, but she stopped me.
"No! No. I came actually to talk to you."
"Oh." Was all I said.
"About Mike." She continued.
"Oh." I said again.
"You've seen him more than anyone else has lately…do you have an idea of where he's been going lately…and what's up with him?"
"What do you mean?" I shifted uneasily on one foot.
"I mean that he's been acting odd lately. He's lying about where he is, what he's doing…he's keeping secrets."
"Just like you, my sister, and the rest of you used to do. You still do I bet." I muttered.
She blanched at me for a second, and then nervously tucked a piece of her hair behind her hair.
"And to answer your question- no. He seems happy and fine when with me. And we're not that close, we don't hang out at the bar or smoke weed in a graveyard if that's what you're getting at." My sister was starting to show up in my attitude.
I took a deep breath. Ian had murdered Ali…that's what the papers said…but why did I have this feeling that the papers were wrong?
"I wasn't implying that. You're not that kind of person to do that!" she sputtered.
"We're not friends! How would you know!" even if she was right, I wasn't about to admit that. Why did her talking about Mike this way upset me so greatly?
Seeing that she was clearly getting nowhere she said, "If you notice anything…tell me." Then she gave a small forced lip-tight smile, and walked off the porch, and I shut the door.
That night, I heard Jason moving around outside, thought it was very quiet. I was half asleep, half awake, and wondered what was going on, but I was too snuggled into my warm covers to move and find out.
The next morning, when I got downstairs to make my lunch and eat breakfast, Jason was beside me, and out of nowhere he said, "I don't want you seeing that Mike kid anymore."
"C'mon Jay, you're my brother, not Dad. Plus, compared to you, he's a saint."
"He is, but if he continues…he'll be exactly like I was."
I dropped my stuff to the counter and put my hands on my hips as I looked up to him and with narrowed, accusing eyes said, "Are you forgetting the main reason I went all the way across the country is because of you? Because Mom and Dad didn't want me around you?"
He sighed. "Mads, can we please drop it. I don't want to talk about it."
"Like you could. You can barely remember anything from that time huh? Only pieces, scattered around."
"I remember when you left…you hugged everyone goodbye…and then you looked at me, looked to Ali, she rolled her eyes and pretended to be interested in the clouds, and then you frowned, and walked away, getting into the car. You wanted her opinion on whether or not you should talk to me!"
"She was there for me! Unlike you." I shot back.
"Yeah, she was totally there for you when she dumped you with Mike." He scoffed.
"Shut up!" I threatened. "I know Ali's threats on you. I can still use them." I growled.
He glared, and then I grabbed my purse from the chair and walked to the front hall, picked up my backpack, and when he asked where I was going, I said, "School! I'll buy lunch!" then I slammed the door on him as hard as I possibly could.
Once at school, I saw Mike, and after class, I gathered my stuff as fast as I could, and got up to leave.
"Mads!" I heard him call a minute later. "Mads!"
He caught up, and touched my shoulder, and I spun around to face him. "What?" I snapped.
"What's up with you?"
"What's up with you?" I shot back. "Jason went all brotherly on me this morning, warning me about you. What's that about?"
"Nothing." He said quickly.
"Really? Because I can just go and ask your sister, and she'll tell me everything." I took a step, but he stopped me.
"Alright. I'll tell you." He looked around, then pulled me into the supply closet right there.
"Hey!" I started, but he already closed the door on us, and turned on the overheard light. "This better be good." I crossed my arms over my chest and waited expectantly.
"I tried breaking into your house last night. Jason caught me, turned me over to my sister, no police or anything."
"Breaking into my house? What? What else?" I was thunderstruck. This was the same Mike who played lacrosse like it was his life? The same one I played Candy Land with?
"I broke into Emily's garage…Spencer's place…some other places…took some stuff…"
"Have you told your parents? Or rather, do they know?"
"No. I don't want them to start fighting again. I don't want it to be my fault."
"Mike. Their arguments were never your fault." I hugged him, putting my chin on his shoulder as he weakly hugged me back. "You're not to blame. It'll be okay. I promise. Just stop doing criminal activities…and lying about everything. Your sister is freaked."
I didn't even care he had almost broken into my house. He needed a friend.
