searching for her purse, but couldn’t find it. Hannah went out to her car, but didn’t find it there either. After hesitating, she called Donna, who said Bob had already picked up the garbage and didn’t find a purse. The only thing left to do was to call Matt. Bob gave her Matt’s phone number and she wrote it on a corner of an old newspaper.
She nervously held the scrap of paper in her palm, but was angry as she dialed. When he answered, her mood smoothed.
“Hey, it’s me—Hannah.”
“Hi, Hannah, what’s up?” His voice was scratchy, as if he just woke up.
“I was wondering if I left my purse there last night?”
“Um, red thing, small, long strap?”
“Yeah, that’s it.” Great, Hannah—of all fucking places to leave your purse.
“Would it be alright if I came over to pick it up? I really need it.”
“Yeah. Remember where I live?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool. How about in an hour or so?”
“Okay. Um, maybe we could talk about last night as well?”
Matt paused, “Sure. Sure, whatever. I’ll see you in an hour. I gotta go jump in the shower now.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Later.”
Hannah was frantic to get ready. She didn’t know what to wear, and she still had to fix her hair. Matt only lived a few blocks from her, so she had almost the full hour to get ready. Before she left, she wrote a note saying she was going to his house and stuck it in her freezer. If something did happen to her while she was there, at least they’d find the note after she turned up missing. The freezer was the perfect place—if Matt did do something and came back to her apartment, he’d never look there, but eventually someone else would.
CHAPTER 7
A Souvenir
Jared stood on Matt’s porch, a backpack slung around his shoulder, and a chocolate bar in the opposite hand.
“What up?” Jared said, but Matt stared back at him dumbly. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”
“Err…how did you know where I lived?”
“Doug Dubaey—from transitional living—the group home…remember him? I’m out now man, they stuck me in there and when I said I was from Oakmont, Doug asked me if I had known you. What? Are you that surprised to see me?”
“No, no…listen, come on in. Sorry about that. I was, um, expecting someone to come over and I thought you were them.”
Jared didn’t sit; he took himself on a tour of Matt’s downstairs, peeking into rooms and picking up random things, examining them.
“So, how long have you lived here?”
“About four months or so. They put me into the group home when I first came out too. It sucked, so I got out as fast as I could.”
“Yeah, bunch of fat bitches telling me what to do isn’t my idea of fun either. I’ll be looking to get out ASAP as well.”
“I didn’t expect they’d let you out of Oakmont so soon.”
“Huh?” he said, scanning the titles of Matt’s VCR tapes. “Yeah, my mom got her lawyer on it. Plus, being a juvey helped. They can’t hold shit against you for too long. But then again, you know that.” He smiled sadistically at Matt.
A knocking sound caused them both to look at the door. Matt exhaled and hung his head. Perfect fucking timing. He opened the door and Hanna stood there, cautiously peeking around him at Jared.
“Is this a bad time? Do you want me to come back?”
“Uhhh…” Matt stalled to answer her while Jared stepped forward.
“You aren’t interrupting anything, please…don’t go away on my behalf.”
Matt opened the door and Hannah walked in. “Jared, this is Hannah. Hannah—Jared.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said with a shy smile and a slight wave.
They all walked into the living room.
“So, Hannah, how do you know Matt?”
“We grew up by each other—you know, a long time ago.”
“Oh, neighbors. How nice. Do you live around here now?”
“Yeah—just over on Linton Street, in the condo apartments. Do you know where that’s at?”
Stupid girl. Matt couldn’t
She nervously held the scrap of paper in her palm, but was angry as she dialed. When he answered, her mood smoothed.
“Hey, it’s me—Hannah.”
“Hi, Hannah, what’s up?” His voice was scratchy, as if he just woke up.
“I was wondering if I left my purse there last night?”
“Um, red thing, small, long strap?”
“Yeah, that’s it.” Great, Hannah—of all fucking places to leave your purse.
“Would it be alright if I came over to pick it up? I really need it.”
“Yeah. Remember where I live?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool. How about in an hour or so?”
“Okay. Um, maybe we could talk about last night as well?”
Matt paused, “Sure. Sure, whatever. I’ll see you in an hour. I gotta go jump in the shower now.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Later.”
Hannah was frantic to get ready. She didn’t know what to wear, and she still had to fix her hair. Matt only lived a few blocks from her, so she had almost the full hour to get ready. Before she left, she wrote a note saying she was going to his house and stuck it in her freezer. If something did happen to her while she was there, at least they’d find the note after she turned up missing. The freezer was the perfect place—if Matt did do something and came back to her apartment, he’d never look there, but eventually someone else would.
CHAPTER 7
A Souvenir
Jared stood on Matt’s porch, a backpack slung around his shoulder, and a chocolate bar in the opposite hand.
“What up?” Jared said, but Matt stared back at him dumbly. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”
“Err…how did you know where I lived?”
“Doug Dubaey—from transitional living—the group home…remember him? I’m out now man, they stuck me in there and when I said I was from Oakmont, Doug asked me if I had known you. What? Are you that surprised to see me?”
“No, no…listen, come on in. Sorry about that. I was, um, expecting someone to come over and I thought you were them.”
Jared didn’t sit; he took himself on a tour of Matt’s downstairs, peeking into rooms and picking up random things, examining them.
“So, how long have you lived here?”
“About four months or so. They put me into the group home when I first came out too. It sucked, so I got out as fast as I could.”
“Yeah, bunch of fat bitches telling me what to do isn’t my idea of fun either. I’ll be looking to get out ASAP as well.”
“I didn’t expect they’d let you out of Oakmont so soon.”
“Huh?” he said, scanning the titles of Matt’s VCR tapes. “Yeah, my mom got her lawyer on it. Plus, being a juvey helped. They can’t hold shit against you for too long. But then again, you know that.” He smiled sadistically at Matt.
A knocking sound caused them both to look at the door. Matt exhaled and hung his head. Perfect fucking timing. He opened the door and Hanna stood there, cautiously peeking around him at Jared.
“Is this a bad time? Do you want me to come back?”
“Uhhh…” Matt stalled to answer her while Jared stepped forward.
“You aren’t interrupting anything, please…don’t go away on my behalf.”
Matt opened the door and Hannah walked in. “Jared, this is Hannah. Hannah—Jared.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said with a shy smile and a slight wave.
They all walked into the living room.
“So, Hannah, how do you know Matt?”
“We grew up by each other—you know, a long time ago.”
“Oh, neighbors. How nice. Do you live around here now?”
“Yeah—just over on Linton Street, in the condo apartments. Do you know where that’s at?”
Stupid girl. Matt couldn’t
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