Arder felt torn apart, as if someone had taken a part of her. Her mother took her entire life and called it a lie, she missed who her mother use to be. This wasn't the woman who raised her. That woman would have told her a long time ago and she wouldn't have been so harsh.
Arder crossed the Cafe grabbing Lexie's attention. Lexie smiled at the sight of her and stood up. "Where were you? I couldn't find you at lunch," Lexie asked. She was clueless of what was going on and Arder debated telling her a lie. The lies were building up all around her, like infinite walls she could not break.She sunk into the chair opposite Lexie and tore a piece of one of the pizzelles that was on the table. She sighed, it was her favourite dessert and she had been craving them all week. "I went home," Arder said vaguely."Why? Did something happen?" Lexie questioned. Arder tugged her wild curls together and tied them back behind her head into a short ponytail."I talked to my mom," she admitted. Lexie stared at Arder waiting for a better reply. "About my father," Arder specified. She saw Sophie smiling behind the counter, still wearing her paint covered apron. Sophie was right in her element in the cafe, Arder hoped she would have a place like that when she was older.Lexie's eyes momentarily widened before returning to normal. "She actually told you something?"Arder watched the porch lights flicker on at the building across the street. It was darkening outside and the crowds had died down. . "I'm-" Arder paused. She didn't want to say it, if she said it then it was real. It was final and completely trueLexie grabbed Arders hand across the table. "I'm your best friend Arder, you can tell me." The sincerity in her grey eyes was clear.Arder nodded, "I'm adopted."Arder waited, watching Lexie's expression change from worried to confused. "What?" Lexie exclaimed. "But, you look exactly like your mom.""I have no idea, I'm just as confused as you are," Arder said, and she really was. She had always been told how much she looked like her mother and grandmother. They had the same wild curls and long lashes. The same short height and small nose, the only obvious difference was their eyes. Arder's were a dark brown, almost black and her mother's were the light brown you would ever see."I'm so sorry Arder, you can stay with us if you want?" Lexie offered. Though Arder didn't want to impose. She knew Lexie's parents were having problems and it would just be a bother.Arder shook her head, "I'll just stay with Sophie, it's a lot easier since I still have to work.""So," Lexie tried to changed the subject. "Was that Grey outside?""He was the one who told me my mom was lying about more than just my dad." Arder rolled her eyes, she was a lot more than angry."Well on the bright side, there's no school tomorrow," Lexie joked.Arder smiled, grateful for the change of topic. "Like I would be there anyways," she laughed. Arder smiled already feeling a bit better with Lexie by her side."Arder," a voice called out from across the room. The familiar clicking sound echoed throughout the cafe alerting Arder of their identity."Mom?" Arder span in her chair, seeing her standing a few feet away. Her usual so-called perfect mother looked oddly disheveled, with makeup smeared under her eyes and her own curls let free of their usual bun. "What happened?" Arder asked curiously."I'm sorry Ardersa, I just didn't know what to do," her mother admitted. Arder didn't know how to reply, after all this time her mother was apologizing to her."You lied to me," Arder clenched her fists. "I don't get why you did all this. You've been treating me like dirt, is it because I'm not actually your daughter?" She asked, trying to control her anger."Of course not Ardersa, is that what you really think?" Her mother's face fell, she looked nothing like herself. Arder glanced at Lexie, not knowing how to reply."I don't know mom, I just don't understand," Arder broke down. She just didn't know how many times she could go through these things before she broke. She felt Lexie's reassuring hand on her arm urging her on. "I love you, but I can't do this anymore." Arder said.Her mother nodded a single tear leaving her eye. "I just-" Aubrey paused. "I love you Ardersa." She nodded as if trying to assure Arder it was true, before walking back towards the side exit she entered through.She's still lying.Arder jumped out of her chair and ran after her mother. "Arder?" She heard Lexie call from behind her. It was too late though, she yanked open the metal door and ran down the alley to the back street."Mom," Arder yelled after her retreating figure. Her mother turned around a surprised look on her face that quickly turned to confusion."Ardersa?" She asked, walking back towards her daughter."Why was I being adopted such a huge secret? Why didn't you just tell me like most people would have?" Arder questioned. She had finally realized that it didn't make sense. Arder had friends who were adopted and it wasn't a big deal. It was just common knowledge, so why was her mom acting like this."You don't understand," her mother begged. "I don't know what you want me to tell you." Her mother pulled on her own hair in frustration. "I just don't know," Aubrey mumbled."The truth mom," Arder spoke. "That's all I want."Her mother shook her head and stood up taller. It was as if she was transforming back into the mother she had grown so used to. "I need to go fix things with Adam, I'll talk to you later." Her mother promised.Arder shook her head, she knew this would happen. She knew she shouldn't of trusted Aubrey. Arder turned and left but didn't go back to the cafe. She just needed to get away from it all for a while."I'm done," she assured herself in relation to her mother. She turned down the single alleyway connecting to the one she left her mother in. Now she knew exactly where she was going, she just didn't know why.The clouds blocked the moon creating a dark shadow, everything felt pointless in that moment. She didn't know why she was walking to the factory, all she knew was there was no where left to go. The abandoned buildings on the street looked beautiful with the shadows dancing across them. They had uneven levels that created an artistic feel to them and the glass that littered their front lawns were like the loneliness that Arder felt. She took a moment to sit on the curb next to one of them, and just watched. She could see the silhouettes of the few birds flying across the sky and a tipped over metal garbage can rustling back and forth. A woman wearing a bunched up jacket and only one glove looked up from behind it. A few gray hair strands peaked out from under the light blue hat she had over her head. Arder jumped up and continued to walk, not wanting to disturb her further. "Arder?" A voice asked, making her jump. She spun around to see Grey standing in the middle of the street.This
The weather the next day was like that single moment before it starts to rain. The window was fogged over from the small heater Sophie left in the guest room, and all Arder could see was the dark sky. "What time is it?" Lexie asked, turning over and covering her face with the blankets to block out the light. Arder smiled, thinking about how late they stayed up the previous night. "It's almost nine-thirty. We should go help Sophie," she replied. She walked away from the window, an odd feeling that she couldn't quite decipher overcoming her. She shook it off and walked into the bathroom to get changed. Choosing dark green jeans with patches over the knees and a plain white shirt to wear under her leather jacket, she yelled, "Are you up yet?" over her shoulder.Arder could smell the scent of fresh coffee wafting up from the cafe, and she quickly ushered the other girl into the bathroom to change next. "Okay, just give me a minute," Lexie said."I'll meet you downstairs." The smell of
Arder felt like she was drifting through a dream and that she would wake up at any moment. Sophie was yelling, but it was all background noise. And then the sirens came, slowly getting louder and louder, waking her up to the reality of what happened. Her mind was screaming, and her fist clenched around the knife. This was what killed my best friend. The phrase ran through her mind at a million miles per hour, and it destroyed her. "What do I do?" she asked Sophie. The flashing lights of the police cars were fast approaching, and Arder was the one holding the murder weapon.Sophie shook her head. "Just give it to me," she instructed. She snatched the knife from the redhead's hand and ran out the back door, only to return moments later. "There was no knife. You never saw it," she said, eyes wide and hands shaking. They were committing a crime, and they both knew it. Arder nodded from her seat on the floor. The image of Lexie's broken body just steps away was the worst she could think
Arder hadn't left Sophie's guest room in four days. The colour that was once in her life was gone. She had never woken up during the night because she was never asleep. Everything seemed pointless: every breath, every word, every blink of the eye. She couldn't even rely on Grey, who had never returned her call. "Arder, I'm going downstairs," Sophie called through the door.Arder didn't reply. She just sat silently, staring out the window. The sky was a light blue, and it seemed like a perfect day to be outside. At least, it was for everyone else-- not a single part of her wanted to leave the room. "Your mother's coming over today," Sophie said. Arder looked behind her at the closed door."Why?" she asked. There was no answer for a few moments, making her believe that the other girl had already left. She turned her attention to the phone on the desk in front of her. No one had called, not even Lexie's other friends."She said she wanted to check on you," Sophie finally responded. Ar
"Why?" Arder asked. His question confused her in ways she didn't want to admit. Nevertheless, everything became uncertain the second she saw her best friend lying cold and bloody in that bathroom.He shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought that if I were you, I'd feel better knowing the person who did it was locked up." The girl hesitated, her hand feeling heavy in his. She told herself that there was no need to ask anymore questions, that she could trust him. "Well, hopefully they will soon. They might have some of the killer's DNA, actually," she said. She carefully watched his expression for any signs of fear, but if he knew anything, he certainly didn't show it. His expression stayed stone cold, almost angry. He stared straight ahead. "That's good." "Where were you all this time?" she blurted out. The question had been nagging at the back of her mind for every second of those four days. It had caused suspicion, and she hated it. Arder looked down, seeing her hands shake. He to
Arder walked to the nearby street in a daze. She felt like she could no longer trust herself; what she had seen was impossible. She thought about what she could do, going through every possible option, but the only one that made sense was heading home. Maybe I've been asleep all this time, her mind suggested. But it wasn't true and she knew that. The wings had been right before her eyes, stretching out towards the sky almost like a crow's. "Dark and mysterious, like a reflection of himself," she scoffed, referring to Grey. The road back home looked cracked and jagged now that she was on foot. Arder hadn't even noticed the many potholes when she was in her mother's car, but it was hard not to now that she was walking. With the hot sun beating down on her, she started her long trek. The bright road ahead made her feel like the day was mocking her. It was perfectly sunny, the fully bloomed flowers on the side of the pavement looking lush and beautiful. Turning onto her street, she t
Waking up gasping for breath, Arder fell to the floor with a thump. The dream was still fresh in her mind, the sounds and colors as vivid as the scarlet of her hair.Was that really just a dream or a memory? her mind whispered.She remembered that day, except the way she remembered it was much different. As she recalled, her grandmother had asked her if she was okay with her mom going out with Adam. That was a day she regretted more than Aubrey knew. "Arder?" her mother called from up on the bed. With one hand on the elbow that had first hit the floor, Arder got into an upright position. "Yeah, Mom?" she asked. The closest window to the bed was left open, and the silk curtains billowed in the wind. She wondered what time it was and how long they'd been asleep. It was now dark outside, but she knew that if it was that late Adam would have come upstairs.Her mother shuffled on the bed, making it creak under her weight. "What was that noise?" she asked.Arder twisted her arm to check
“You’re going to school,” Sophie said. “I’m not going to be responsible for your bad grades.” “I thought you said we’d figure it out.” She had been in disbelief when Sophie said that the night before; now she knew that she was rightly so. Arder didn’t resent her for it, though. It wasn’t exactly something Sophie could take her word for.“We will,” the other girl promised, “but that doesn’t mean you can’t go to school. Maybe if you just talk to him you can get some answers.”Arder sighed in protest and climbed off the mattress. “We need to find out what happened to Lexie. What if he knows something?” she pleaded. Erasing that constant feeling of guilt inside her mind was all she could think of, and if Grey knew something, she was determined to find out what it was.“Arder,” Sophie murmured, voice soft. “Is that what this is about? You’re trying to find out who killed her?”The redhead silently pushed past her into the living room and plopped down onto the couch. The knife, still hidd