Arnold's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Jake and Rachel's mom walk away, disappearing around the corner of the alley. He stood frozen, every instinct screaming at him to follow them, to find out what was really going on. But his feet felt like they were glued to the pavement. He didn't understand what he had just witnessed.
Jake. He had seen him before—hanging around Rachel's house years ago. Arnold's memories of him were hazy, but there was something unsettling about him. Why would Rachel's mom be meeting him in secret? And why did she look so... anxious?
He didn't know how long he stood there, his mind spinning with questions, before he snapped back to reality. He needed to find Rachel. He had to know if she knew about this, or if something deeper was going on. The last thing he wanted was to add to her stress, but the feeling that something was wrong gnawed at him.
He turned and jogged toward the coffee shop. As he got closer, he saw Rachel still standing there, staring blankly at the ground. Her posture was tense, as though she was carrying an invisible weight on her shoulders. Arnold felt the sudden urge to run up to her, to wrap her in his arms and promise that everything would be okay. But the image of her mom meeting Jake wouldn't leave his mind.
He slowed his pace as he reached her side, not wanting to startle her. "Hey," he said softly, his voice carrying the same quiet concern he had felt all afternoon.
Rachel looked up, her eyes darkened by exhaustion and worry. She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Hey, Arnold. I didn't expect to see you here."
"I could say the same to you," Arnold replied, his voice laced with an unspoken question. "You doing okay?"
Rachel hesitated, then shrugged. "Yeah. I'm just trying to figure everything out. You know... with my mom."
Arnold didn't buy it. He could see right through her. There was something more to this, something she wasn't telling him. He needed to push, but at the same time, he didn't want to make her retreat even further into herself.
"I saw you talking to someone earlier," Arnold said, trying to keep his voice casual. "A guy. Was he... someone you know?"
Rachel's expression faltered, her eyes flickering for just a second before she looked away. Arnold's gut twisted. There was definitely something she wasn't sharing with him. He could feel it, deep in his bones.
"Just an old acquaintance," she said quietly, her voice tinged with a sadness he couldn't quite place. "Nothing to worry about."
But Arnold wasn't convinced. That was the same lie she had used when they were younger, whenever something didn't quite add up. He had always accepted it back then, but now, with everything that had been happening, he couldn't ignore the growing suspicion that there was more to this story than Rachel was letting on.
"You don't have to hide things from me, Rachel," he said, his voice soft but firm. "I'm here for you. Always have been."
She bit her lip, a shadow passing over her face. For a moment, Arnold thought she might open up, that she might let him in on whatever secret was weighing her down. But instead, she took a step back, folding her arms tightly around herself.
"I just need to get home, Arnold," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm... I'm really not in the mood to talk right now."
Before he could respond, Rachel turned and walked away, leaving Arnold standing there, feeling more lost than ever. The words he had spoken, the concern he had shown—it all felt useless. She wasn't ready to let him in. Not yet.
As Arnold watched her disappear down the street, he felt a growing sense of unease. Whatever was going on with Rachel, it was bigger than just her mom's illness. And he wasn't sure if he could protect her from whatever shadows from her past were lurking just out of sight.
---
Later that evening, Arnold lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The house was silent, and the world outside his window seemed so still, so distant. But inside him, everything was in motion. His thoughts spiraled, bouncing from one troubling thought to the next.
Jake. Rachel's mom. Secrets.
It all seemed to fit together in some way, but the picture wasn't clear enough for him to make sense of it. And Rachel—Rachel was at the center of it all, but she was pushing him away. What had happened to the girl who used to confide in him about everything? The one who had always been so open, so raw with her feelings?
Arnold tossed and turned, the unease settling deeper into his bones. He couldn't shake the feeling that Rachel was keeping him at arm's length for a reason—something she wasn't ready to face. But he wasn't going to let her go through this alone, no matter how hard she tried to shut him out.
The phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking through his restless thoughts. Arnold picked it up without thinking, his heart skipping a beat when he saw Rachel's name on the screen.
Maybe she's ready to talk after all, Arnold thought, a surge of hope rushing through him.
He answered quickly. "Rachel?"
But it wasn't her voice that answered. It was the sound of heavy breathing, frantic and rushed.
"Arnold... Arnold, it's Rachel. I need help."
His heart froze.
"What's going on? Where are you?"
Rachel's voice cracked through the line. "I don't know how to explain... Please, just come to my house. I... I need you."
Before Arnold could respond, the call dropped, and he was left staring at the blank screen, the weight of her words sinking in.
Something's wrong.
---
Cliffhanger:
Arnold grabbed his keys and rushed out the door, his heart pounding. He had no idea what was going on, but one thing was certain—Rachel needed him. And whatever it was, he wasn't going to let her face it alone. The moment he stepped outside, he felt the heavy pull of dread in the pit of his stomach, as though he was heading straight into something he couldn't escape.