I Can’t Get Her Out of My Head

“So… Marcus still doesn’t know anything about it?” I ask Josh, unable to hide the disappointment in my voice.

My cousin shakes his head, absently fiddling with a photo frame in his hands.

“No, Chris. Remember, he’s grounded for a whole month. There’s no way he can look into anything right now.”

I curse under my breath, feeling the disappointment sink deeper into my chest. I try to mask it so I don’t look too obvious, but Josh has probably already noticed.

Suddenly, he huffs and throws his arms out to the sides in frustration.

“Damn! A month? He got off easy compared to us.”

“Yeah… and whose fault is that?” I shoot back, a hint of irony in my tone.

Josh rolls his eyes and pulls a face, clearly annoyed. I can’t help but laugh. Truth is, I’m not really mad about us getting into trouble—I just enjoy messing with him.

“Come on, man! You said you wouldn’t throw that in my face anymore. And besides… what are you even complaining about? You never go out! You’re such a damn grump. I’m the one who’s gonna suffer these three months. I’m missing out on endless parties.”

He rolls his eyes again.

It’s unbelievable that that’s what he’s worried about, though part of me actually feels bad for him. Three months are going to kill him—Josh can’t sit still even if you tie him down, and I’m definitely not putting up with him for that long.

“I didn’t need any more confinement than I already had,” I mutter, my tone edged with frustration. “I can’t stand being stuck here all day doing nothing.”

It sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. Being cooped up makes me more anxious now, and besides… I’d gotten used to spending my afternoons at school with him and my best friend. I’m scared I might slip again if my routine changes even a little.

“Grandma just wants to keep you out of trouble, man,” Josh says, his tone calmer now. “Stop being so childish.”

He crosses his arms, leaning his weight against my bedroom door. I don’t respond. There’s no point in trying to make him understand that I don’t need this anymore. Annie and Josh just think I’m being impatient and stubborn. Sometimes it feels like they’ll never stop treating me like a little kid.

A sick kid…

I feel ridiculous just lying here, doing nothing. All these days stuck in bed have made me lazy. Well, that’s my grandma’s fault—she’s the one who insists on keeping me here. I don’t need to rest anymore, but she’s just as stubborn as I am.

Guess that runs in the family.

“Hey, don’t get all serious on me, Chris,” Josh says softly, pulling me back to the present.

I hadn’t even noticed I’d gone quiet, staring off into space. Still, I don’t answer. Not because I want to keep arguing—I just don’t see the point if he’s not really going to listen.

Josh sighs and walks over, sitting on the edge of the bed. It dips under his weight.

“We’re not doing this to mess with you, you know. We just want you to be okay.”

“But I am okay now, seriously! I can even walk properly again.”

Josh groans in frustration, rubbing his face with one hand. He always does that when someone gets on his nerves.

“You’re so damn stubborn, Smith. I feel bad for the doctors who have to deal with you—you’re exhausting.”

“I’m just sick of being stuck here and not knowing anything,” I explain. “What happened still has me on edge. What do you expect me to do?”

“Stop acting like a spoiled kid and just deal with it! It’s only the rest of the week—it’s not that long.”

“But I can walk just fine now! I’m wasting time here,” I insist.

Josh rolls his eyes and runs a hand through his dark brown hair.

There’s no point in arguing anymore. Annie and him are never going to stop treating me like this. I can deal with that—but what really gets to me is how they keep brushing off everything I say.

“For God’s sake, stop being so stubborn! You need to take care of yourself, okay? You almost lost your foot!”

“That’s not true!”

“Well… no. Okay, I overreacted—but it was serious, man.”

Idiot.

I shove his shoulder, making him laugh. Not a single day goes by without him saying something stupid like that. He’s way too dramatic—and way too protective. Turns out we have that in common too, but honestly… I’m grateful for it.

He always manages to brighten my day. It’s amazing having someone who can make you smile when you need it the most—and Josh does it without even trying. I don’t think he even realizes it.

It’s been over a week since that horrible day in the woods. I’ve missed all that time at school because the doctor ordered me to rest. And in all that time, we still haven’t gotten any explanation about what happened out there.

None of the detectives who were supposed to handle the fire investigation have contacted us again. It’s… strange. Before, they wouldn’t stop pushing—and now? Nothing. No follow-ups, no questions. It’s hard to believe they’d just drop the case after such serious accusations.

Everything about that accident in the woods is still a mystery.

One of the strangest things that’s ever happened to me… second only to my brother’s death.

Did someone really try to hurt us?

That thought still fills me with fear—and it’s exactly why I’ve become obsessed with finding out anything. Anything at all… just to prove it was an accident and not an attempt to—

Something worse.

“So… why do you want Marc to look into it?” Josh asks, curiosity laced in his voice.

I sit up, resting against the mattress.

“I just… want to know if she’s okay,” I say with a shrug, trying to sound casual—but it’s nearly impossible to fool Josh.

“I haven’t heard anything about her since I left the hospital. The last time I saw her was when they put us in the ambulance together,” I add, sighing as I look away. “I didn’t even get her name.”

I’d give anything just to know her name.