Chapter Five

" Are you crazy? The Navarro kid is dangerous and I find you sitting next to him sipping tea? " Dad asks the second I walk through the door.

I huff and fold my arms. " Dad I've been friends with him since ninth grade. He's not going to hurt me. "

His face burns bright red with anger at my admission. " You what? "

" We're friends. " I say again.

The fact that I'm so calm really throws him through a loop. " You're grounded for a month. Two weeks for fighting with your sister and walking out. Another two for keeping such a huge secret. It goes without saying that you won't be seeing him again Victoria. " He says with finality.

" I think I've earned the right to choose my own friends. I know Eli a lot better than you do, dad. He's important to me. I can't just ignore the way I feel and leave him alone. " He never really did, to begin with.

Now I've never been one to be outright rude, but he should trust the way he raised me if nothing else.

" Go to bed Victoria. " He says with his head hanging down.

Four Weeks Later

I wake up with a smile on my face. My month of isolation is finally over. Getting out of bed I do a fancy little jig before going to shower. Sweet freedom.

Deciding to be girly today I choose a white and pink floral print dress with pink sandals to show off my freshly eggshell painted toes. I leave my crazy curly hair down and pin it to one side.

Veronica and I walk out of our rooms at the same time meeting face to face. We haven't been speaking, but it isn't deliberately like last time. Neither of us knows what to say so we say nothing and head into the kitchen.

" There's my girls. " Dad says without looking up from his news paper as we shuffle in.

I grab my tall coffee thermos and fill it up and add cream and sugar. I know dad hates the morning silence but I don't really know what to do about it. The house has been way too quiet the last month, to say the least. Dad and I haven't really been on the best of terms either since the night he grounded me. My refusal to obey his orders has us butting heads like you won't believe.

" I hope that isn't going to be the only thing you have before lunch. " He says gesturing to my coffee.

I shake my head and pour myself a small bowl of cereal to appease him. Veronica takes an apple from the fruit bowl and bites into it. Once I'm done I rinse my bowl and then grab my bag and keys.

" I'll be late today. " I say before walking out of the door.

I'm heading to lunch when Madison Sinclaire steps in my way with a smug look on her face. Oh, how the God's have frowned upon me. I've been having a pretty okay day until now.

" Can I help you? " I ask with an attitude.

She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes. " Yeah if you and your sister could magically disappear that would be great. "

I roll my eyes. " I don't know about all that but let me see if I can change your personality. " I say waving my hands in front of her face. " Abracadabra! Nope... You're still a bitch. " I say rudely pushing past her.

I hear her scoff after me. " Bitch. "

Sorry but I'm not the young girl who let you push her around anymore. Australia really did me some good. Maybe it was because the girls were scared of me there. I learned to speak up and stand my ground since I was the only American in that school.

It was shepherd pie day which makes me glad that dad made me eat before I left this morning. Grabbing an orange juice I go out to the quad and throw the nasty food away. I go to turn around and head to Veronica's table when I run right into Eli... Literally. We're so close it makes my hands clam up instantly. He still has the ability to do this to me after all of this time.

Smelling musk I run my nose up the side of his neck. " Watch it, baby, a man could take this the wrong way. " Eli says, reaching behind me to throw his own food away.

I snap out of my trance and look at him with mischief in my eyes. " I think you took it the way it was supposed to be taken. " I say walking away without looking back.

Okay, I don't know where that came from but it feels damned good. Looking around I see pretty much everyone on that side of the quad staring at me. Including his boys. Oh well, I can't take it back. Lifting my head high I walk straight to Veronica and Wallace's table.

" You do realize that that dude literally had me duct-taped to a flagpole just last week? " Wallace asks.

I nod. " Look I really do see where you're coming from, but I've seen a different side of him. He's rough around the edges but once you get to know him... " I leave hanging.

" Yeah, I get that... Plus you're not bad to look at so I see what he sees in you. " He says causing Veronica's jaw to hit the table. When he notices he blunder his face flushes bright red. " I mean that and you're a decent human being so hopefully, it rubs off on him. " He says stuttering.

I laugh at his horrified expression. " I understand Wallace chill. "

He nods but spends the rest of lunch in awkward silence. Hey, it happens. It'll pass in a few days and he'll get back to normal. The bell rings and we all part ways to go back to hell, I mean class.

I spend the next three classes replaying mine and Eli's encounter at lunch in my head. Everything that has happened in the past two weeks actually. As I sit in my last class I decide to be the bigger person and try to get everything in my life back in order. Starting with mine and Veronica's relationship. Pulling out my phone I discreetly send he a text.

' Movie night? '

I slept in until noon after me and Veronica watched all three Screams after dinner. After I wash my face and brush my teeth I grab my guitar and go to play by the pool. I sit in one of the lawn chairs and strum the cords gently at first.

Then as I get in the mood I play the notes strong and loud. By the time I get to the last note, I hear clapping from behind me. Looking over my shoulder I see my dad standing there with his arms hanging over the gate.

" That was beautiful honey. You think you could take a break and help me and Veronica at the office? It seems Mrs. Navarro has been arrested for credit card fraud. " He says with a slight frown.

I don't really want to and he knows it. But for Mrs. Navarro, I'll make an exception. " Yeah sure. I'll just put this away and meet you there. "

I walk into Mars investigations to see Veronica working at her desk. I can hear Cliff, the good folks of Neptunes if you can't afford a lawyer, lawyer.

" Listen to this list of charges on the card. A half dozen video games, limo rides, magic mountain tickets, motorcycle gear... It goes on like that. I sincerely doubt my client Mrs. Navarro suddenly decides to steal from the Echolls after ten years of loyal service just so she could get a new piercing from puddytats. " He says looking at the charges.

Me and Veronica get closer to the door and listen closely.

"It's gotta be the kid Eli Navarro. What do they call him? " He asked us.

I narrow my eyes at him but Veronica answers. " Weevil. "

" Clearly it's Weevil. Lamb doesn't think it's Mrs. Navarro but the P.O. BOX that the merchandise was sent to was in her name. Plus she was wearing a diamond broach bought with one of the credit cards. " Cliff says.

I can't believe what I'm hearing. They've decided that he's guilty before they even have any proof. " Lamb could have set Eli up he hates him you know? "

" Honey I started picking up Eli Navarro when he was twelve years old. " Dad says as if making his original point about us being friends.

Veronica puts her hand on my shoulder. " He just helped us out of a bind that's all. "

Cliff stands up and gathers his papers. " Look I'm sure he's a mensch but I have a grandma in jail and I'd like to get her out. "

He and my dad shake hands. " We'll dive in it, Cliff. " My dad promises.

Dad waves us closer to his desk. " He goes to your school do you mind taking point on this for a few days at least? I'm working on something. "

I look at Veronica and then back at him. " She can but I refuse this manhunt. I know Eli and he would never risk his grandmother's job or freedom. " I say walking out of Mars Investigations without another word.