Author's Note: This chapter was extremely long, so I broke it into more than one, which is why it may feel cut short. I have also been focused more on editing To the Well-Organized Mind for its self-publication, so not finding as much time to focus on this story. Hopefully, just a few more weeks and I'll be back to this one 100%! Thank you for continuing to read and offer feedback.
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Later that day, I sat at the kitchen table, wondering why, if I had no feelings for Ryland, I was unable to ask Hannah for his number.
I'd spent most of the day working through my school assignments—the ones I knew about, anyway. I'd have another massive load of homework once I found out everything I'd missed. Throughout all the work, I had kept glancing at my phone, as if I expected Ryland to miraculously figure out my number even though I had put zero effort into finding out his.
My focus on schoolwork seemed to reassure my parents that I was still the Faye they knew and that I wasn't, I don't know, about to abandon civilization for the forest without telling them.
By the time I stretched and put my books away in the early afternoon, I was resigned to waiting for that conversation on lost time with Ryland. Although I had a better understanding of how the In-between worked now, it would still help to hear from others having experienced it. Cale hadn't exactly been the best person to relate to my confusion and panic over what had transpired.
Then my phone rang with an unknown number, and for the first time in my life, I was eager to answer it.
But when I said, "Hello?" the voice at the other end wasn't Ryland.
"Is this Faye Wulfgaar?"
The voice didn't sound familiar at all. My mind tried to place it even as I hesitantly affirmed that I was she.
"This is Jason DeLoye with The Gendormi Herald. I wanted to take a statement from you about what happened and how you found the body in the forest."
My voice became tangled somewhere in my stomach. Why was a reporter calling me?
"If you're up for a full interview, we'd love to do a feature piece for Monday's paper about your experience."
Mom glanced over at me from where she was reading a book. Something on my face made it clear that the phone call was not what I had expected, and she grabbed my phone out of my hand.
"Who is this?" She paused a beat, then said, "No. Don't call again. We're blocking your number." She punched the "end call" button before handing my phone back to me. Then she sighed. "I hadn't even considered that. If anyone calls with an unknown number, better not answer it."
She didn't need to tell me twice.
I went up to my room and finally began to do the unpacking I should've done weeks ago. During it, I ignored three more calls from unknown numbers and tuned out the dings from text messages. So when I finally checked my phone's screen again, I had to scroll through the recent activity.
Missed call (Unknown number 507-256-4266)
Missed call (Unknown number 507-513-6729)
Missed call (Unknown number 507-256-4266)
Rhia Janowick 1:58 pm: Hope you don't mind, but Ryland asked me for your number in order to work on a school project together, so I gave it to him.
Unknown number - 963-256-4266 2:34 pm: Hey, we still on for today?
Unknown number - 963-256-4266 2:37 pm: Sry, this is Ryland.
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Paying the Piper
Teen FictionDeals with the devil are always tricky, especially when it was someone else who sold your soul to the devil. Faye Wulfgaar has always had bad luck. She figured it worked like a genetic trait: red hair, shy, conscientious, and unlucky. She never t...
