I sit on a bench outside the store with Henry talking to the coroner. The wind blows harshly, and I hold myself, knees shaking. My eyes are red and puffy from my crying, and I briskly wipe remaining ones away. The crowd has thinned out, only people who know my mom stayed. Some come up to me and try to reassure me, but I send them away.

I rub my eyes with the balls of my hands, and I hear the crunching of the snow as more than one person nears me. I quickly wipe my eyes and look up. Matthew and Xaiver stand before me with their hands in their pockets. I frown and stand to my feet.

Crossing my arms, I look at them. "What are you guys doing here?" I ask, none to kindly.

"We heard about your mom, so we wanted to come see you, make sure you're alright," Matthew answers softly. Xaiver stays silent but looks at me with sad eyes.

"Well, I'm fine, so you can leave now," I tell them, narrowing my eyes.

"Our dads work here, Cal. We can be here too," Xaiver says gently. Frustration boils inside of me, and I turn on my heel and walk over to Henry's car.

Matthew and Xaiver chase after me, and I sigh loudly.

"Callie, wait!" Matthew calls.

"I don't want to wait!" I yell, turning to both of them. They stop in their tracks, eyes wide. "I'm tired of waiting! I just want the killer to be caught, and I want my mom back!"

Tears fall down my face, and the boys look at me sadly. I look away from them, hurt, angry, upset, you name it. My mom's been freakin' kidnapped by the killer, and I'm lost like a child at the grocery store.

I take in a shaky breath and look down."I just want my mommy," I whisper.

Suddenly, I feel two bodies on both sides of me. Arms wrap around my small frame, and I get a whist of men cologne, making me dizzy. Xaiver and Matthew just hold me, not arguing, not fighting, not glaring, just holding. Sobs escape me, but they never let go. They just hold me tighter, and I cling to them like my life depended on it. It does.

Once my sobs die down, an unknown determination fills my being. I look up at the boys, and they slowly untangle their arms from me. I scan both of their faces, and they both confirm they're here for me.

"I'm going to find my mom," I confirm with a strong voice. "You're either with me or against me."

Matthew clenches his jaw. "It's dangerous, Callie," he warns.

I clench my fist. "I can handle it."

Matthew smiles. "I never said you couldn't."

I smile and release my fists. I look over at Xaiver, and he stares down at the ground, lost in thought.

"Xaiver?" he looks up. "You in?"

He stares at me for a moment.

"I'm in."

~~~~~

Henry ends up taking me in, until they get my mom back. We get to Xaiver's house, and I glance over at mine.

"Can I get my things?" I ask Henry. He runs his jaw and nods at Xaiver and Matthew, who insisted on "hanging out with his best friend, Xaiver." I've never seen Xaiver so red in my life.

"Go with her."

They nod, and we head over to my house. I unlock the front door and walk inside. Then, I stop in my tracks.

Where's Scooter?

"What's wrong?" Xaiver asks, looking at me.

"Scooter. He didn't run up to the door," I answer, feeling anxiety build up in me.

"Who's Scooter?" Matthew asks, scanning my living room.

"My dog," I answer, walking deeper into the house.

The only sounds is the sounds of our shoes squeaking on the floor. The door closes, and I call for Scooter. I don't hear the sound of his paws or breathing. My heart starts to race. Then, I walk into my room.

I scream.

The boys come running, asking what's wrong, but quickly shut up. My room looks as though a tornado and a hurricane had danced together. Drawers have been thrown across my room; their contents scattered. My sheets and pillows are torn and ripped. Everything's a mess.

But, that's not why I screamed.

Laying on my bed in a pool of his own blood is Scooter. My Scooter.

"Scooter!" I scream, running over to his body.

Blood drips from his teeth, nose, and a huge gash in his side, where he's been shot. I see blood on his claws, knowing he put up a fight.

"Scooter..." I whisper.

"Callie...we need to get out of here," Xaiver warns with anxiety. Crying, I look up at him.

Matthew and Xaiver look as pale as ghosts as they stare at my wall against my bed. Slowly, I look.

"Callie, Callie, I'm here." are the words I read. It's written in Scooter's blood.

All color drain from my face, then, there is a loud crash from my mom's room. I push past the boys, but they quickly drag me back. Matthew shoves both Xaiver and I back into my room and closes the door softly.

He pulls out a gun from the back of his pants, and my eyes go wide.

"Do you just randomly carry guns with you?" I ask, whispering loudly.

Matthew glares at me, and I quickly shut up. He turns off the light, and I press into Xavier's side. I feel his heart racing but not as bad as mine.

The intruder treks through my house carefully. They're on a mission. They work their way through my house like they've been here before. My eyes widen.

I know the intruder.

"Calliebear, come out, come out," the intruder coos.

I clamp a hand over my mouth, breathing heavily. No, no, no! Not him!

"I found you," he taunts.

Before any of us could react, my door swings open, and a gas starts filling my room. Gun shots go off, and there's shouts. My vision starts going blurry.

A person wraps their arms around me, and I can't do anything to fight back. My body is numb.

"I got you, Calliebear. Your daddy says hi."