Chapter One Trouble in paradise

"Caitlin time to get up" yelled Dori through her bedroom door. She grumbled as she looked at the clock next to her bed. 7:00am the bus didn't come until 8 she thought as she staggered out of her bed to the bathroom. 35 minutes later she walked into the kitchen where everyone was sitting down at the table for breakfast. She sat down across from Jim and began to eat.

"So Griffin tells us that there's a big History exam today. How do you think your going to do on it?" asked Jim

"I don't know" Caitlin responded starting to eat faster so they couldn't go into lecture mode.

"Did you study?" asked Dori

"Um…a little" she said drinking the last of her juice.

"Caitlin how do you expect to pass if you don't study?" Dori asked as Caitlin stood up.

"Sorry I'd love to sit here and listen to you complain about my grades, but I have better things to do," she said walking out of the kitchen.

Caitlin was walking down the hall to her locker when Will walked up to her. "Hey Babe"

"hey hun what's up?"

"Nothing just dreading that History exam 3rd period."

"yeah me too, Dori started lecturing me about studying but I just kind of walked out on her." Caitlin said as she began digging through her locker.

"Yea, I don't get why we have to now that crap. I mean I'm never going to use this crap that I learned about pyramids in the real world!"

"I know…" she said slamming her locker shut and beginning the walk to her first class.

"You know if there is ways we can get out of the test"

"You mean like ditch?"

"yea, just 3rd hour go for a drive or something."

"Hell yea!"

"Cool, meet me at you locker then after 2nd hour."

"alight bye." They shared a quick kiss before going there separate ways.

After 2nd hour Caitlin approached her locker to see Will waiting for her. "Hey you ready?" he asked as she opened her locker to put her books away. They walked out to the parking lot and got into his car. "So where do you want to go?" he asked as they pulled out of the school parking lot.

"Where is there to go?"

"Well I don't think it would be safe to stay in town so I think we should just drive around for a bit."

"Yea if Jim found out I was ditching school, he'd flip." 10 minutes later they pulled onto a dirt road and parked the car. They talked and kissed for about 20 minutes before they had to start heading back to school.

After school Caitlin was walking to her locker, when her 3rd hour history teacher saw her. "Ms. Seeger may I ask why you missed my exam today?" He asked.

"I was sick" she lied

"So you got sick after 2nd hour and better before 3rd hour? Amazing. Well if you don't get your absence excused by tomorrow, you won't have a chance to make up that test," he said before turning and walking away.

After going to her locker Caitlin was heading out to the parking lot to meet Griffin for a ride home when Will saw her. "Hey babe wanna hang with me tonight?"

"sure, we just need to find Griffin to tell him I don't need a ride." They walked out into the parking lot and found Griffin and his friend Eric. "Griffin, I'm going with Will tonight so I don't need a ride." she said as she began walking away.

"You know your going to get in trouble for not telling mom or dad where your going." Griffin yelled.

"So tell them that I'm going out with Will." She yelled back getting into Will's car.

Griffin and Eric got into Griffin's beat up car and headed towards Eric's house. "I don't get what she sees in that kid, he's just trouble. He's been arrested so many times and he's just trouble" said Griffin.

"Its probably familiar territory for her, I mean she's been in her share of trouble too. " replied Eric. They continued the rest of the drive just listening to the stereo.

When Griffin got home he was relieved that neither of his parents were home. He didn't want to have to deal with their questions of where Caitlin was. His happiness was short lived as his mom drove up the drive way. "Griffin, Caitlin I'm home." she yelled as she walked in the door.

"I'm in here mom" he yelled from the living room.

"Where is Caitlin?"

"I don't know, she got a ride with Will after school." he said as he went up to his room to avoid further questioning.

Two hours later Caitlin walked in to see everyone eating dinner. She walked up to her room, set her bag down and walked back down to the kitchen. "Caitlin where have you been?" asked Dori.

"I was out with Will I told Griffin to tell you"

"That's not how it works around here and you know it. If you want to go out you tell me where and with who you are going out with"

"We went to his place and hung out for awhile, happy now?"

"Caitlin loose the attitude" Jim said sternly.

"Whatever I'm going to my room" she stomped up the stairs. Checking to make sure no one has left the kitchen table she picked up the phone and called Will.

"Hello?"

"Hey"

"Oh Hey babe, what' up? Miss me already?"

"Yea that's why I was wondering if you could come pick me up?"

"Um..yea I guess I could, why what's going on?"

"I just need to get out of here. But do me a favor and meet me at the end of the driveway."

"Oh sneaking out I see. I'll be there in like 15 minutes."

"Ok thanks" She hung up and started packing some clothes. Checking again that everyone was still at the table, she opened her window and climbed out onto the porch roof. Quietly crawling to the edge she threw her bag down and jumped. Listening to make sure no one was coming to see what the noise was she ran to the end of the drive way.

After the dishes were done Dori sat next to her husband at the table. "I think I'm going to go check on Caitlin." She walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. "Caitlin?" She knocked again before walking in to find the room empty. "Jim is Caitlin down there?" she yelled down the stairs.

"No she hasn't came down since dinner."

"She's not here" she said as she sat herself down next her Jim again. "I don't know what's gotten into her lately. I thought she was straightening out, then this. Do you think its Will?"

"You know how I fee about Will. I've had him in the back of my squad car so many times he could call it home. I didn't' want her with him in the first place, but the more we say no the more we're going to push her away and she's going to run to him. Eventually she will see him for who he really is, or she will join him."

The next day at school Griffin saw Caitlin at her locker. "You have no idea how worried mom and dad are! Mom wanted dad to call in a missing person's report but you have to be gone for 24 hours before they consider you missing. Where were you?"

"I was at Will's."

"You have to come home tonight or they are going to consider you a runaway."

"If I was a runaway would I come to school?" she said as she walked away.

The rest of the day went by quickly and soon Caitlin was sitting in her 7th hour Trig class. She was staring out the window when she heard the teacher call her name. She looked up to see the principle standing at the door waiting for her. She got up grabbed her things and walked out. "Ms. Seeger there is someone here to see you" he said as he walked her down to his office. When they walked into the office she saw Jim waiting there for her. "Thank you Mr. Larson I'll take it from here," said Jim. They started walking back out the door.

"What are you doing here?" asked Caitlin.

"I'm here to make sure you make it home tonight."

"Why so you guys can yell at me some more? Thanks, but no thanks I think I'll pass." she said turning and walking the other way.

"Caitlin you can do this the easy way or the hard way, its your choice but either way your coming home."

"I need to go to my locker I'll meet you at your car."

"I think I'll go with you just to make sure"

"School is almost out and the last thing I need is for everyone to see me being escorted by a cop." she said looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Fine 5 minutes or I'm coming to get you" he said as he walked out to his car. Caitlin ran to her locker as the bell rang and got everything she needed. She ran to the parking lot to find Will.

"Will we need to go now." she said getting into his car.

"Okay babe, what's the rush?

"Jim is looking for me." At hearing this he nodded and peeled out of the parking lot. 5 minutes later they were far away from the school. They were driving along listening to the radio, when Will saw flashing lights in his review mirror.

"Shit." He said as he pulled over. The officer came up to the window. "Is there a problem officer?"

The officer looked into the car. "Caitlin Seeger?"

"Yea" she said.

"Please step out of the vehicle." he said walking to the passengers side of the car. "Put your hands on top the of car" He walked behind her and grabbed one of her hands pulling it behind her back and placing a handcuff around it, followed by the other. He quickly searched her pockets before leading her back to his car, and placing her in the back. Once she was in his car, he walked back up to Will and asked to see his license.

"What did we do wrong sir?" asked Will.

"Nothing but there was a missing person's report put out and she was last seen in this car" he handed back his license, and told him that he was free to go. Will drove off leaving his girlfriend behind.

Once they got to the Lowe Ranch the officer helped her out of the car and walked her up to the door. Jim answered. "Hey Joe. Good you found her."

"Yea driving down a back road." he said as he took the handcuffs off.

"I'm going to my room" said Caitlin as she walked inside.

"No your going to wait in the Kitchen and I'll be there in a minute." said Jim. "Well thank you Joe, I'll let you get back to work now."

Caitlin was sitting at the table drinking coke when Jim came back in. "I told you it could be easy or hard. You could have just come with me and I would of let you sit in the front, but you choose to do it the hard way." he said sitting across from her.

"You shouldn't have to sent the cops after me!"

"You shouldn't have ran off yesterday when you were already in trouble for not telling us where you were in the first place, you shouldn't have skipped school yesterday!" He said his voice rising.

"Well I'm sorry to have ruined your perfect family!" she yelled standing from her chair.

"Caitlin Seeger sit down now, we are not finished here." she paused to way her options before sitting back down.

"Your grounded for 3 weeks. No phone no going anywhere other than school, no computer."

"Whatever, you done now?"

"Go to your room we'll talk more when Dori gets home."