Lost Heart

« Skylar's POV »

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"Oh my God, Chicks!" I exclaimed in surprise. Partly horror.

How would you feel if you just came back in your apartment after a long day of classes and couldn't find your cat? And when you call out for it, your cat responds with a single meow. From over the tall kitchen cabinet.

How the hell would you react?

I almost screamed in horror.

"How in the hell did you get up there?" I asked out loud, suspiciously. She just eyed me innocently.

This cat was crazy, for real. There was no way she could've gotten up there. Unless she climbed up the walls.

"I swear to God, Chicks, if you're possessed by some demon, I have no time to deal with it." I murmured, pulling out a dining chair in front of the cabinet. "I am so darn tired today."

Standing on the chair, I reached out for her with my outstretched hands. She mewled in response and surprisingly, lunged for my face.

And you already know what must've happened next.

I jumped back, the chair tumbled forwards and both of us fell down on the floor with a loud thud.

"Ouch." I groaned, closing my eyes shut.

I heard a door opening and closing again. I didn't have to look up to see who it was.

"What just happened?" Nora, my not-so nice roommate asked. But I wasn't complaining though. She literally took classes and worked at a part-time job all day. I couldn't blame her if she wasn't chatty with me all the time.

"Guess yourself, Nora." I groaned again. Meanwhile Chicken just licked my face as if apologizing for that little act.

"If I had a cat like that, I would've dumped her ages ago." She pointed out before crossing over my legs and opening the fridge. She had her dark brown curls up in a bun.

Nora was beautiful. Especially with the tanned skin and her honey colored eyes. She was the same age as me. It had been kind of her to offer me a place in this apartment. However small it may be. I actually didn't care.

This place was so much better than those crappy dorms in my college.

Sometimes, I missed my home back in New York. Sometimes, I didn't. Mainly because whenever I came back here in my apartment, it always reminded me of my empty, lonely house in New York. Nora and I were never here at the same time. She woke up extra early, before me. And usually came back late at night.

Unlike her, I didn't have a regular part-time job. I worked only if anyone needed me. Which wasn't...regular. And if I got short on money, well, my parents were there for this exact reason.

"I can't dump her. She's like precious to me." I tried explaining it to her. She poured herself some apple juice and sat down on one of the chairs.

"I heard you're helping Josh with the photography thing?" She asked. Josh was a friendly guy at our college. Nora and I studied at the same college.

I was surprised we were having this conversation. We rarely had conversations more than two sentences.

"Yeah." I mumbled before passing a glare towards Chicken, who was still busy covering the side of my face with her drool.

"Don't go out late at nights." She said.

I narrowed my eyes at her and sat up. "Why not?" Thankfully, Chicken finally perked up and went away.

Nora got up and placed the glass in the sink. "Dad told me about a criminal on loose. And well, I've heard a lot about you attracting trouble."

"Excuse me?"

"No offense." She added with a shrug.

"How was that not supposed to be offensive?" I asked. Nora's dad was among the police department of Pennsylvania. So she knew a lot about...the past incidents.

"I don't know. It's just a friendly advice, okay?" She said with a hint of mocking. I rolled my eyes but nodded eventually.

"Anyways, your phone was ringing like crazy. Why don't you take it with you?" She asked, walking back towards her room.

I stood up and headed for my room.

"I forgot to take it today."

"Well, goodnight then." She said before going inside and shutting her room's door behind her.

I went inside mine and opened the lights. Chicken followed behind me and hopped up on my bed. Which not surprisingly, was filled up with art supplies. Paint brushes. Few acrylic paint tubes were scattered. Not to forget the Polaroid photos and the stacks of photographic films.

My messed up room explained my newfound love for photography. And art in general.

It was so much better than Physics.

I pushed the photographs aside and sat down on my bed, picking up my phone. Switching it on, I saw total five missed calls. I rarely got calls from people other than Alex. He felt the need to check up on me everyday.

More than my parents. Or Caden.

Alex had moved in Pennsylvania, just like me after my so much persisting. I couldn't bare the thought of leaving my boyfriend and my best friend. So, I made sure to drag him with me. He, on the other hand, was in a different college. And his college had way better dorms than mine.

I opened the missed calls and was surprised to see that three of them were from Caden. The rest, of course, Alex.

I called back Caden first. Since it had been days I had last talked to him. Even if New York and Pennsylvania weren't that faraway, Caden seemed so faraway.

I placed the phone on my ear and laid down on my bed. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Chicken jumping over my laundry basket and toppling it over herself. I made no move to rescue her. I was trying my best to hold a grudge against her. For lunging at my face earlier.

The other end rang and rang. But he didn't pick up. Frowning, I ended the call and rolled my eyes.

Why was it so hard for him to answer a single call?

Caden didn't go for any college, unlike me. Instead, he chose to stick with his gang. Sometimes, I tried asking him the reason for that. And all those times, he refused to tell me. He just simply waved that topic off.

I dialed Alex's number next. And he answered on the first ring.

"I'm guessing you left your phone again?" He asked.

A small grin formed on my lips. "Yup."

"Not surprised." He muttered in a tone which clearly told me how he was rolling his eyes.

"Why are you so grumpy today? I should be since I was the one studying all day." I pointed out.

He just mumbled something in response. Which I couldn't hear properly.

"Are you going through your phase of mood swings?" I asked with a laugh. Teasing him through this gave me life.

"Did you know that Caden's here in Pennsylvania?" He asked.

The smile on my face fell in surprise. "What?"

"Yeah, he didn't tell you?" He asked.

I blinked in surprise. Caden was here? "Are you sure, Alex?"

"Nope. I was just messing with you." He replied. It was him who was laughing now.

I narrowed my eyes. "Fuck you, Alex." I stood up and finally went towards Chicken, picking up the basket from the top of her. She mewled and licked her paw.

"Anyways, that's not the reason why I called." He said.

"Why did you call then?"

"Well, I'm hoping Caden already told you about this–"

"I didn't talk to Caden since a whole week." I interrupted. In a gruff tone.

He gave out a fake cough. "Oh. So he didn't tell you about anything?"

"No."

"Not even Blake?"

"Who's that?" I asked sarcastically. With an eye roll.

"He–" Alex's voice was interrupted when I heard a loud shrill scream.

A very horrifying one.

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Xoxo,

Crystal 🌿