Disclaimer: Not mine, title's inspired by My Favorite Things from the Sound of Music.

Author's Note: Sorry about the horrendous delay guys! I was bed-ridden for a couple days after getting my wisdom teeth out. Updates will hopefully be much more frequent after this! Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 8: Rooftops on (High)Rises

My father had always woken up with the sun, and he was forever teasing my mother for her dreary bedside manner. She could comfortably sleep until noon but once she started her boutique, her sleeping hours shifted considerably and she started rising before my father. He'd often wake up and she'd be hunched over her desk, working away.

So he'd creep over to my room and wake me up and together we'd make mom breakfast. Every morning when I was younger, but as the years went by and I started going to bed later and later due to painting or homework the tradition shifted to Saturday mornings. However even after they moved away, my father made it a point to get here on Friday so that every Saturday morning my mother would have her breakfast in bed.

Today I awoke with the sun but my father was absent. I blinked blearily around the room but his quiet shuffling footsteps were nowhere to be found, instead the house was empty, completely silent except for the dull creaking of the wood as it expanded with the rising dawn.

I shifted over in my bed and tried to quell the wave of disappointment that flooded over me. Part of me had been hoping that somehow my parents would be here today.

I got out of bed and made my way slowly to the bathroom, taking time to condition my hair and shave my legs slowly for once. I spent almost half an hour in the shower and by the time I left, my fingers were well pruned. I wandered around the room in my bathrobe for an hour, tidying and carefully selecting an outfit for the day. Girlfriend or not, I was spending an entire day with Jared. I couldn't just wear anything.

I settled on light blue skinny jeans, and white Mediterranean-esque stilettos that had a several concentric rows of white beads that encircled my ankles. On top I pulled on a simple cream colored off the shoulder cashmere sweater. My hair had dried almost completely and so I French braided my hair in halves, my hair parted slightly asymmetrically, a few curls falling loose immediately.

I dusted my lids with mahogany eye shadow and ran a stroke of mascara across my lashes. Finally a dusky rose lip-gloss and I felt presentable.

I enjoyed my wardrobe. My mother, somewhat of a fashion icon herself, ran an incredibly popular boutique and thus her own constant perusal of the latest trends paid off for me. The two of us spent lazy Sunday afternoons flipping through magazines and visiting new shoe stores to check out the competition. As such my wardrobe was filled with heels upon heels, coats upon dresses but my school wear tended to remain fairly conservative to avoid attention. No one at school even knew where I lived.

But it was only eight o'clock. We had decided that I would pick them up around nine at the end of Geometry and so I had about an hour to kill so I figured that I'd run the regular checks for my parents and make a few phone calls to finalize my visits for today before double checking the art supplies I'd packed last night.

I finished everything and was in the car out front, our wonderful driver Frank, as chipper as ever. He had not seen my parents but I asked him only if they'd confirmed their ride to the airport for tomorrow morning, which they had not but he offered no further information. I decided not to press on either, there was no use worrying more people.

We pulled up to the corner around Jared's house; his street was too narrow for the limo to turn around in so I hopped out to go grab him.

"Thanks, Frank!" I called out behind me, wrapping on the window lightly as I passed.

I knocked on the door, wiping my palms on my jeans as they started to sweat a little, perhaps we should have picked Nina up first, after all; at least then she'd be around to break any awkward silences around Jared.

But we were here and I'd already knocked so I focused on the positive, that I would have him all to myself for a few minutes.

And then the door opened and Jared walked out, pausing for a moment to run his eyes down my figure and I felt my confidence take a jump. He noticed! He noticed!

His eyes scanned back up to my face and I waited, hesitantly for what would happen next. But before he could say anything, Nina peeked out behind the door, her hair mused and her lip gloss smudged just a bit, and I felt my high spirits deflate at the image she presented.

"Nina! You're here, how…convenient; though, we would have come and gotten you." I said in surprise as she followed him out the door.

"Oh I spent the night." She said breezily as she passed me, and remaining high from Jared's appraisal suddenly dropped and I sucked in a breath. Of course they had sex. I should have known that. But suddenly I felt slightly sick, and a bit betrayed which was absolutely ridiculous. However, I comforted myself with the fact that I didn't know they had sex, just that Jared was an incredibly attractive teenage boy, and that Nina Russet wasn't known for her self control. She was perfectly lovely, otherwise, I reminded myself. Perfectly lovely.

I heard Jared whisper her name warningly and she shrugged before rolling her eyes at him.

"So where's our ride?" She looked in my direction, an eyebrow jutting up. I smiled at her then, I was excited, I'd never had friends to spoil before. Today would be enjoyable in its own right.

"Just around the corner." I clapped my hands lightly and Jared shot me a smile but Nina just nodded and motioned for me to lead the way.

"I hope you guys enjoy it, I just wanted to thank you for helping me out."

"Sick. Do we seriously get to take this to Seattle?" Jared shot a gaze back at me, his face excited and visibly impressed. I felt a small pulse of pride at the fact that I had made that face happen. Even Nina seemed impressed and offered me a smile but hers was a bit tighter. I smiled brightly at her, hoping to ease her tension but she just looked away.

"Yeah, she's ours all day. Oh and of course, guys meet Frank. Frank, this is Jared and his girlfriend Nina, my models for the day."

They exchanged greetings, Jared making a few comments about the limo before assuring Frank that we could get in on our own and opening the door for us himself.

I moved to get in but Nina jumped in ahead of me and I stepped back into Jared, almost pressing my stiletto into his foot but side stepping at the last moment to avoid it.

The heat from his form seeped across the thin, cold air and smothered me like a warm blanket and I had to fist my hands to keep from allowing my momentum to carry me back into him.

"Sorry about that." I turned back sheepishly to apologize but he was waving it off before pushing me into the limo and climbing in himself.

The door shut and we were off.

Seattle was a caffeinated city, it's walkways and corridors filled to the brim with coffee carts, independent vendors and of course Starbucks. We circled passed down town and drove into the outskirts of the business district.

We were going to make an impromptu pit stop at my parents' condominium first for me to "grab some supplies", or at least that was what i'd tell them rather for me to check the place out but they didn't need to know that.

Jared grabbed his jacket and was just pulling it on when I stopped him.

"We're just pausing for a sec, I've gotta run up and grab some stuff, but you guys can stay here if you like." I watched them confer before Nina relaxed her socked feet, resting on the seat beside her.

"I'll stay here if that's okay Kim, I've been dying to check out the limo."

I nodded.

"Sure! Anything you find is yours to drink or eat. But after this we can stop somewhere for coffee or something, if you like." She nodded. Jared winked at me and pulled his jacket back off and relaxed beside her; a firm arm pulling her against his side. Ah gross, they were probably going to make out.

"Sure you're cool going up alone?"

"Yes, definitely." I smiled at them, my voice perhaps a little too eager. He looked at me curiously but shrugged it off. I didn't want to be disturbed while I was upstairs.

"I'll be right back but…uh, and Frank will wait with you guys." I flicked my eyes up to the dividing screen that started going up.

I offered a quick goodbye before stepping out and running up to the doorman.

"Hey Rob, can I get up there?" He paled slightly before, shaking his head.

"Sorry kiddo, the police have marked it part of the crime scene." I staggered back from him at those words.

"Crime scene?" My voice was shaking but all I could think about was what he had said. So they were dead?

"No no, it's just what they're calling it, they don't know anything for certain. If you want, you can go in and talk to the officers in the lounge."

"Ye-yeah. Yes. I think I will." I blinked rapidly before nodding up at him.

"Thanks." He relaxed before letting me pass.

"Miss, I'm sorry but access is limited to residents today." I looked up at the policeman who had tapped my shoulder.

"I am a resident." I said slowly, and watched as his face turned in pity. He must know who I was.

"Do you know anything about my parents?"

"You'll have to check with Detective Lucas."

He gestured to a tall man with sandy hair and brown eyes, a little wider in the middle than he was in the top but he seemed amicable enough.

Detective Lucas took me aside and sat me down in a plush, beige armchair with elaborately carved arms.

"Sir, my parents-"

He cut me off with a patiently raised palm and I quieted instantly.

"I can't tell you anything." He grimaced lightly before continuing.

"Yet, I can't tell you anything yet. But I do need you to go back to your home on the reservation and maintain a low profile-"

"Does that mean you've found them?" I could barely keep the excitement out of my voice; they had to know where they were. Which meant they were alive, if they were dead, they'd have to tell me.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could explain, but for now we need you to leave Seattle."

"I can't." He looked up at me curiously.

"I'm doing a project for school, I'll only be here for a few hours and I won't be alone."

"Fine, but make sure you leave before sunset."

The limo pulled up to the exterior of my father's law firm. Technically his name wasn't on the outside, but the building was passed down to him on his father's side. It was large, there was no other word for it. The firm spanned nearly half a city block and towered at a staggering 27 stories. Our destination was the rooftop where a wrought iron balcony awaited. There the view of Seattle was incredible: skyscrapers rose on all sides, stretching their tips into the clouds while the much more conservatively sized department stores and boutiques dusted the streets far below.

I couldn't wait to show Jared.

"Alright, guys, we're here." I tugged the doors open and while the two of them pulled themselves lazily out of the limo, I wrapped on the trunk. By the time Frank came around back to help me, I'd all ready pulled out everything I needed including my easel.

He shut the trunk with a quiet click and then turned to pick up my bags.

Jared, surprisingly, beat him to it.

"I got it." He smiled at the older man before turning to me.

"Do you need help with the-that?" He asked, gesturing to my easel but I shook my head.

"I'm fine." I paused. "Thanks for helping me carry stuff up, it's kind of a lot, I know."

"No problem." He motioned for me to lead the way and Nina, having nothing to carry, followed gracefully behind Jared, making odd remarks on the building every now and then.

I snuck around to the back, and opened the service elevator with my father's spare set of keys.

"In here." I motioned with my head before dumping the easel in the corner to hold the door open. They stalled by the opening.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Nina asked, her voice dubious but I just smirked at her before nodding and beckoning them in.

"Yeah, don't worry, my dad takes me up this way all the time." A knowing expression came over her face and she moved forward with Jared.

As they passed me to the back I heard her whispering to him.

"He must be a janitor."

"Nina, we came up here in a limo."

"Right." She was quiet after that.

I shook my head in amusement before letting the doors close.

"Where are we going?" Jared asked, his voice a bit gravely. His eyes were alight; he seemed to be enjoying this adventure.

"To the roof, of course." And his answering grin made this whole day worth it; maybe friendship was in the cards for us after all.