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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Whispers of the Heart: Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

225 Kabanata

Health Department Visit

Owen insisted on coming with me multiple times but I assured him that I would be fine going by myself. There wouldn’t be anything for him to do but hang out in the lobby. He didn’t see a problem with that until I explained that everyone in this town knew who the quarterback was.The wildly popular, star quarterback sitting in the lobby of the health department meant only one of two things. He either had an STD he was needing treated or he knocked someone up. At least, those would be the only two viable options that anyone would come up with. Considering how much money his parents had, people would quickly deduce that any disease testing or treatment would be done privately leaving an unplanned pregnancy as the only reasonable conclusion.The rate that gossip spreads in Wood Haven, by noon every single person in town would firmly believe that Owen and I were expecting a baby. It would create nothing but problems and give his mother yet another reason to not like me and insist that I was

Confusing Confessions

The visit took a little over an hour. The urine sample was for a standard pregnancy test, which was negative. The nurse I was assigned looked to be in her early thirties. She was really nice and easy to talk to, which I was thankful for. I declined the STD panel , explaining what I knew about Owen’s past relationships and that I was confident he was clean.She checked my iron levels with a single finger prick. My iron was a little low so she insisted I take a daily multi-vitamin. The exam itself was a little uncomfortable but nothing too terribly bad and with a nice nurse that took her time and made sure I was relaxed and comfortable, it went much smoother than I ever imagined it could.She discussed options with me afterwards and I decided, after hearing the pros and cons, to try the birth control patch. She showed me how and where to apply it, applying the first one for me and then sent me out with a three month supply along with lots of reading material and a bag with some other fre

Grief and Guilt

“Miss Butler,” I heard my name being called and turned around to see Principal Sterling approaching. “I’m glad to see you here. I was worried you were absent today.”“No, sir. Just had an appointment this morning that I couldn’t miss.”“Good, good. We have grief counselors on hand today. Now, you may not think you need to talk to someone. I have heard that two dozen times today but I am encouraging everyone that was at the game to at least sit down with them for a few minutes. In your case, I think it is very important since you were so close to the situation Friday night.”His words really irritated me and I couldn’t figure out why. I just know it felt so impersonal, so wrong to just call it ‘the situation’. A girl lost her life. Alexis Parker was dead. Her parents were going to have to bury their child. Her family, friends and classmates were never going to have another moment with her. I gritted my teeth and bit my tongue to keep from lashing out at him due to the vast insensitivity

Worried Chatter

The missing woman, Penelope Hudson, is all anyone can talk about the rest of the day. Teachers and students alike try to concentrate on the subject matter in each class but everyone is distracted. The police are not releasing any details as it is an ongoing investigation but a quick search of her social media pages reveals more than we need to know, courtesy of our own investigative journalist, Vanessa Boyle.We have the name and that’s all she needs to start digging.We are at last break and have all huddled upstairs in the bleachers over the gym, our favorite hideaway spot for peace and quiet and space to breathe. Vanessa, Bethany and Courtney had just joined us as I had spent the last period working in Coach Lawrence’s office while Owen, Danny and Gary goofed on around me.As soon as she pulls her up on her phone, she pales a little as her hand comes up over her mouth.“What is it, doll?” Danny asks her as he pulls her closer and leans over her shoulder to take a peak. One glance up

Stuck in Trepidation

I talked with Greta until the bell rang. She talked about techniques to help me stay grounded during these times when uncertainty was the only constant in my life. I told her about the nightmare I had that first night after Alexis was found murdered. I watched as she made notes about that and she suggested that I might possibly have periods of survivor’s guilt and that was normal given the circumstances. Overall, it seemed to be a productive session and I felt at least a little better than I did before coming to see her.As always, the person that made me feel the best, the safest was waiting right outside the office for me. Who needs therapy when one look into those sexy, smouldering dark eyes filled with promises makes me forget all my problems?We walked through the halls and out the doors to the Yukon with plans to go grab something to eat together before we came back and parted ways. Friday was our first away game and it was against a tough opponent, Broken Falls. According to Owe

Gossip Central

The diner was packed as I pulled up, parking right next to John’s truck behind the building. Of course, it would be. Every person in Wood Haven knew if you wanted the latest gossip, to catch the scoop on all things happening around town, you came to the diner to eat and to share what you knew with others. If you didn’t have anything to share, you were there to absorb it all so you could do your part as a responsible citizen and help spread the latest news further down the line.Our small town had a mysterious unsolved murder on Friday night and just two days later, a missing young woman. The people wanted to know not only what was going on but what others knew or at least, could spectulate about the given circumstances.I entered through the back, as usual. I had left my backpack in the car, knowing the heavy crowd would prevent any schoolwork from being completed. Later, after everyone had satisifed their curiosities, I could sit down and work on my assignments. For now, I dropped my

Nights Are Hard

Nighttime is when we are supposed to sleep, to restore and fuel our bodies for the adventures and necessary tasks of the next day. A time when the body relaxes and we can drift away, leaving our problems with the sandman.That’s impossible when the nightmares wake you up, screaming at four o’clock in the morning. Thankfully, Owen was there. As always, he was my lifeline, my saving grace. He pulled me from the darkness of my mind, letting me know that I was awake and safe in his arms.In this nightmare, I was running down a dark highway. I was being chased but every time I looked behind me, I couldn’t see anyone. Somehow, I just knew they were there and I was needing to run for my life. The only sounds around me was the clop clop of my shoes against the pavement as I ran, echoing loudly in the silence of the night. The smell of damp, decaying leaves from the woods lining both sides of the road were the only smells I could make out.It was dark, so dark. The trees were so thick that the

Helpless Aggravation

Two more days had passed and the public was growing more and more restless by the moment, myself included. The police were not disclosing any information about the investigation concerning the death of Alexis Parker nor the disappearance of Penelope Hudson. Both Penelope’s husband and the parents of Alexis were becoming regulars on the evening news, both parties desperately begging and pleading anyone with any information to come forward. At this point, the police could not even disclose whether they suspected the two cases to be related to one another or not.My days had pretty much been the same. Classes progressed normally despite everyone staying distracted. As soon as school finished, Owen and I would find somewhere to eat dinner together before parting ways. He would head straight to football practice and I would drive downtown to Greta’s office. We would meet back at the diner, work our shift together with Barb and John before going home. Once home, we would usually mess around

Wood Haven Has a Serial Killer

“WHAT!?” Owen asked loudly, quickly followed by, “Where?”“In the woods along Five Forty-Two but about two and a half miles from where her car was discovered. The crazy thing is, she should have never been on that highway to begin with. I'll explain more about that in a minute.”“So have they ruled the husband out as a suspect?” Owen asked her.“Yes, almost immediately.” She answered with her lips sets in a grim line. “Not only was he completely transparent and forthcoming, he had an airtight alibi. He has security cameras installed in their front and back yards and he chose Sunday afternoon to mow the yard while she was at the gym. He is seen on and off the cameras all afternoon and his truck never moved.”The feeling of dread I had experienced all morning came back with a vengeance, threatening to choke the very breath from me as I sat and listened. I knew there was more she was about to reveal to us and somehow I felt like I already knew what she would say.I attempted to speak but

Putting Myself Out There

We did not return to class once we left CiCi’s office. Instead, Owen and I picked up lunch through a drive-thru and drove back to the house, where we could eat and talk without any interruptions or any risks of anyone overhearing us. Barb and John had already left when we arrived, having to be at the diner at eleven this and every morning.So far, we were relatively silent, each lost in our own thoughts. Other than asking me what I wanted when he pulled up to the burger joint’s drive-thru, not a word was spoken until we entered the house and put the food down.The moment I sat the bags on the counter, Owen grabbed me and pulled me to him in one swift move and his mouth found mine. He lifted me by my hips as I wrapped my legs around his waist and carried me swiftly down the hall and into the bedroom, throwing me down on the bed and climbing in after me, ditching clothes as he did.Without a word, I understood. He could not speak to his vulnerability right now. It was too much, too raw w

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