Chapter Two
(Two days later...)
Chloe stood in her room packing the last of her things into the black suitcase that Nancy and Craig had given her to take on the school trip. Lying to both of them was not an easy thing to do. She felt guilty for lying to Nancy, but not nearly as guilty as she felt for lying to Craig. Nancy had told her own lies to Chloe, but Craig had always been a hundred percent honest with her, and Chloe felt pangs of guilt in her heart when she had to play along that she was heading to Puerto Rico with the rest of her class.
Chloe heard a soft knock at the door. "Yes?"
She heard Nancy's muffled voice on the other side. "Chloe... can I come in?"
Chloe quickly glanced to make sure that the file on Nancy had been hidden away in her backpack, and opened the door for Nancy to come in.
"So, Chloe... you almost all packed then?"
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. Brady should be here any second. All I have to do is zip everything up and I'm ready to go."
"Are you sure you don't want Craig and I to take you to the airport? We don't mind at all."
"No, I'm sure. Thank you though. It's just I hate goodbyes and all. I'd rather do them here in private instead of in front of everyone. Okay?"
Nancy nodded and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I understand. I'm really glad you're going on this trip. I think it's such a great opportunity."
Chloe smiled at her mother. "Yeah. Me too." The doorbell rang downstairs, and Chloe looked at Nancy and sighed. "Well... that's my cue..."
"Here, let me help you..." Chloe handed Nancy her backpack and Chloe took a hold of the big suitcase and dragged it downstairs. Brady and Craig were chatting in the entryway, and Craig ran over and took Chloe's suitcase down the last few steps. Chloe took her backpack from Nancy and gave Brady a quick smile. He winked back at her, but stayed out of the way.
Nancy turned to Chloe and gave her a tight hug. "Be careful out there, Chloe. Have fun though… but be safe... and call me."
Chloe chuckled softly and let go of Nancy. "I will, Nancy. Thank you."
Chloe turned to Craig and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. "Bye Craig..."
Craig pulled back and smiled at her. "Have fun, Chloe... we sure will miss you around here."
Chloe grinned at him. "Oh, I doubt that... You two behave yourselves, please."
Craig winked at her slyly. "Always..."
Chloe laughed and went to stand next to Brady. Brady grabbed her suitcase and opened the door for her. She and Brady waved goodbye as they walked out and Craig and Nancy watched them go, before shutting the door behind them.
Once they had stepped off the porch, Brady put his arm around her and whispered in her ear. "You alright?"
Chloe nodded slightly. "Mostly... that was a lot harder than I thought it would be."
They reached the van and put her bags inside, and as Chloe sat in the front seat waiting for Brady to pull away from the house she realized the impact of what was about to happen. For better or worse, whatever she would find out on her trip would most likely tear them apart. Sometimes the truth will set you free, but she knew it could also destroy the only family she had ever known.
Brady pulled the car away from the Wesley house and headed down the road towards the highway.
"Hey Chloe... there's something in the glove box for you. Belle put it in there before she left for the airport."
Chloe reached in the glove box and found a folded up note on Belle's pink stationery. She unfolded it and read it to herself.
"To Chloe:
Good luck on your adventure. I hope that you find what you are looking for, Chloe. You deserve the truth, and I just know that you will find it. Shawn and I wish that we could be there for you, but it'd probably be pretty suspicious if we all ditched the trip to Puerto Rico. I gave Brady the numbers for the hotel here if you need to get a hold of us for any reason. Take care of my brother for me, cause I know he will be too busy taking care of you to watch out for his self. You will be in my thoughts and prayers every day. Have a safe trip, buckle your seatbelt and remember... it's only 1100 miles to Boston.
Much love and luck,
Belle"
Chloe smiled and folded it back up. She muttered under her breath. "Only 1100 miles..."
Brady glanced at her quickly and smiled. "Yeah, it sounds farther than it really is."
Chloe groaned. "I hope so... I don't want to get carsick."
"And believe me, I don't want you to either. I just cleaned the van."
Chloe laughed and settled herself more comfortably in her seat. She glanced out the window at the town of Salem passing her by. She had a feeling deep down in her stomach that when she returned here, she would never be able to look at it the same.
***
(tbc)
(Two days later...)
Chloe stood in her room packing the last of her things into the black suitcase that Nancy and Craig had given her to take on the school trip. Lying to both of them was not an easy thing to do. She felt guilty for lying to Nancy, but not nearly as guilty as she felt for lying to Craig. Nancy had told her own lies to Chloe, but Craig had always been a hundred percent honest with her, and Chloe felt pangs of guilt in her heart when she had to play along that she was heading to Puerto Rico with the rest of her class.
Chloe heard a soft knock at the door. "Yes?"
She heard Nancy's muffled voice on the other side. "Chloe... can I come in?"
Chloe quickly glanced to make sure that the file on Nancy had been hidden away in her backpack, and opened the door for Nancy to come in.
"So, Chloe... you almost all packed then?"
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. Brady should be here any second. All I have to do is zip everything up and I'm ready to go."
"Are you sure you don't want Craig and I to take you to the airport? We don't mind at all."
"No, I'm sure. Thank you though. It's just I hate goodbyes and all. I'd rather do them here in private instead of in front of everyone. Okay?"
Nancy nodded and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I understand. I'm really glad you're going on this trip. I think it's such a great opportunity."
Chloe smiled at her mother. "Yeah. Me too." The doorbell rang downstairs, and Chloe looked at Nancy and sighed. "Well... that's my cue..."
"Here, let me help you..." Chloe handed Nancy her backpack and Chloe took a hold of the big suitcase and dragged it downstairs. Brady and Craig were chatting in the entryway, and Craig ran over and took Chloe's suitcase down the last few steps. Chloe took her backpack from Nancy and gave Brady a quick smile. He winked back at her, but stayed out of the way.
Nancy turned to Chloe and gave her a tight hug. "Be careful out there, Chloe. Have fun though… but be safe... and call me."
Chloe chuckled softly and let go of Nancy. "I will, Nancy. Thank you."
Chloe turned to Craig and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. "Bye Craig..."
Craig pulled back and smiled at her. "Have fun, Chloe... we sure will miss you around here."
Chloe grinned at him. "Oh, I doubt that... You two behave yourselves, please."
Craig winked at her slyly. "Always..."
Chloe laughed and went to stand next to Brady. Brady grabbed her suitcase and opened the door for her. She and Brady waved goodbye as they walked out and Craig and Nancy watched them go, before shutting the door behind them.
Once they had stepped off the porch, Brady put his arm around her and whispered in her ear. "You alright?"
Chloe nodded slightly. "Mostly... that was a lot harder than I thought it would be."
They reached the van and put her bags inside, and as Chloe sat in the front seat waiting for Brady to pull away from the house she realized the impact of what was about to happen. For better or worse, whatever she would find out on her trip would most likely tear them apart. Sometimes the truth will set you free, but she knew it could also destroy the only family she had ever known.
Brady pulled the car away from the Wesley house and headed down the road towards the highway.
"Hey Chloe... there's something in the glove box for you. Belle put it in there before she left for the airport."
Chloe reached in the glove box and found a folded up note on Belle's pink stationery. She unfolded it and read it to herself.
"To Chloe:
Good luck on your adventure. I hope that you find what you are looking for, Chloe. You deserve the truth, and I just know that you will find it. Shawn and I wish that we could be there for you, but it'd probably be pretty suspicious if we all ditched the trip to Puerto Rico. I gave Brady the numbers for the hotel here if you need to get a hold of us for any reason. Take care of my brother for me, cause I know he will be too busy taking care of you to watch out for his self. You will be in my thoughts and prayers every day. Have a safe trip, buckle your seatbelt and remember... it's only 1100 miles to Boston.
Much love and luck,
Belle"
Chloe smiled and folded it back up. She muttered under her breath. "Only 1100 miles..."
Brady glanced at her quickly and smiled. "Yeah, it sounds farther than it really is."
Chloe groaned. "I hope so... I don't want to get carsick."
"And believe me, I don't want you to either. I just cleaned the van."
Chloe laughed and settled herself more comfortably in her seat. She glanced out the window at the town of Salem passing her by. She had a feeling deep down in her stomach that when she returned here, she would never be able to look at it the same.
***
(tbc)