Ripple - [COMPLETED] [Undergoing Editing]

Chapter Twenty-One

Annie took the key out of her purse and walked into her childhood home. Her mother wrote her a letter, it was short, but included the title of the house. She said she had no interest in returning to this town and said Annie could do as she pleased with the home. It took a little back and forth with a lawyer, but the house was finally hers. Finances limited her to selling it, but before she hired people to pack it up she needed to visit Katie's room. The house was eerily quiet and dark. She made her way up the staircase and crossed into Katie's room. She looked around. The covers on the bed still thrown aside from when she woke up the morning of the shooting. A small bear Evan had given her for valentine's day laid on its face on the corner of her bed. She had a pin-board with all sorts of notes for a story she was working on. Annie walked around and saw schoolbooks, journals and several loose papers scattered across the desk. A notebook was open to a page called "Five Years from Now." It was just bullets, it looked like one of her outlines for a school paper. Annie sat down and read it.

- Be graduated from college & celebrate with Evan and Linette

-Evan have proposed

-Linette be maid of honor

-Annie bridesmaid

-Annie's *hopefully* girl be the flower girl

-Annie be pregnant or trying for her second child

-Have published at least one story

-Starting own family with Evan

-Visit Niagara Falls

The page was stained with teardrops. Annie soon realized they were her own. She shut the book and sobbed into her hands. She had been trying to stay strong, trying not to let herself fall apart, but Katie had so many plans for her life and now she'd never get to do any of them. Five years was an easy goal for her, she knew what she wanted and by the sounds of it, it sounds like the next five years would have been amazing. She looked up at the wall above the desk. It was covered in photos. Photos of her, of Evan, Linette and just others she blessed with her presence. There were also photos Evan drew for her and notes that Linette wrote. Annie stood up and pulled off a picture of her and Katie. She stared at it and felt her tears worsen. Her sob s so loud she choked on the air she struggled to breathe.

This shouldn't have happened. She went to school, she was supposed to be safe. Annie allowed herself to cry. She laid on Katie's bed and sniffed the pillow, trying to get a whiff of her usual scent. Trying to feel her, but nothing helped. She needed to distract herself. She reached for her phone and texted Evan and Linette.

[I'M GOING THROUGH KATIE'S STUFF. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT ME TO SAVE FOR YOU? LET ME KNOW.]

She placed the phone down and sighed. Reaching for it a moment later seeing Evan replied.

[I SEE YOU SENT THIS TO ME AND LINNETT. YOU NEED TO TURN ON THE NEWS.]

Her stomach sank. She wasn't sure why he worded it like he did, but it was enough for her to jump out of Katie's bed and rush down to the living room. She struggled with the television for a moment before changing it to the local news station.

"For those of you just joining us we've learned that local hero, Linette Doxie was found in her room unresponsive a few hours ago. She was rushed to the hospital and was deemed dead by the time she arrived. Linnet's death has been ruled a suicide based on evidence and a note that was left behind. Linette struggled with the death of classmate and long-time friend Katie Merryn who was murdered in the Greenville High shooting."

Annie muted it and sat on the couch. She saw her phone light up and saw Kevin's name displayed. She couldn't bring herself to answer. She hit ignored and pressed one of those automatic text responses that she couldn't come to the phone right now. She knew Linette did this because of Katie. Annie knew she was struggling, but didn't really the extent of it. Should she have? Guilt built up inside her. She had feared for Evan because of the way he spoke, but the entire time it was Linette who fell down a path she couldn't bring herself back from. The phone lit up again, Kevin's name displayed again. She sighed and picked it up.

"Hello? Yeah, I just heard. I'm okay, just wish I paid closer attention, maybe I could've. No. Yeah, I know. Okay, I'll come home."