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Once I stopped beating myself up over being such a little shit, I hurriedly checked the clock to see how much time I had to get out of the house. 9:35am, damn, Mom and Shawn really let me sleep in... But that didn't leave me much time to find a way to get out and to Starbucks by 11:30. I'd have to act fast; firstly I should start by getting my ass dressed.

I stepped over Shawn's mattress to my dresser and pulled out jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie. I quickly threw them on before yanking on socks and walking down the stairs.

"Hey." I greeted casually, sitting down at the table next to Shawn.

"Who was that on the phone?" My mom asked, packing her laptop into her computer bag.

"Matt." I lied. Hey, I wasn't lying to Shawn, so this wasn't breaking any rules.

"Really? It didn't sound like Matt." She said with a frown.

"His voice was probably horse...He's been through a lot recently." I said in a sad tone.

"Ah, tell him that I hope he's alright and that he's welcome anytime." She said sympathetically. She slung her bag over her shoulder. "Now, I'm headed to work, so you two be sure to stick by each other and not let anyone you don't know inside."

"We won't." I replied. "We'll see you tonight." I called out to her as she stepped out the door.

"Have a good day at work!" Shawn added.

"Thanks boys." My mom said before closing the door.

Wait... shit, if she was taking the prius, how the fuck was I going to get to Starbucks later!? Whickam Ave, the street Starbucks was on, was about ten minutes away by car, and a fuck ton more minutes by foot. Also, if I got out, Shawn would have probably realized I was gone and would go find me with his fancy Porsche... His Porsche... I'd steel his Porsche. Then Shawn would have to go on foot! (and I'd be a car thief).

"What are you thinking about?" Shawn inquired from beside me. I turned to look at him. Shit, he had his serious expression on, so he was legitimately suspicious about what I was thinking...

I stared at him blankly for a moment. "Shawn, what month were you born in?" I asked as a way to get out of the question.

"September, why do you ask?" He asked, giving me a curious expression.

I shrugged. "No real reason." I said truthfully.

"Huh... what did Matt want?" Shawn asked again. Why was he asking so many fricken difficult questions!?

"Nothing really." I said smoothly. And it was true; he never called, so he never wanted anything.

"Well I might have some questions for him later on about the crime scene, so you might have to call him back later."

"Got it." I said. Damn, all these questions added to the 'no lying' rule were really tough to answer... was Shawn doing it on purpose? It didn't look like he was, but after the Mary-Sue act he pulled to get my mom's favor, I wouldn't put it past him. "I have to go to the bathroom." I sighed, standing up and walking to the bathroom. Maybe I could think of a way to efficiently steal Shawn's keys without him noticing while I was on the can...

Wait... the can. I could steel Shawn's keys while he was on the shitter! Shit, that sounded pathetic... But it made sense! I was pretty sure that the only time Shawn would leave the same room as me was when he had to go, and if he took a shit, he would be gone longer, giving me enough time to take his keys and get out!

I flushed the toilet and moved to the sink to wash my hands. Then a thought occurred to me that made my confident smile turned into a frown. What if Shawn didn't have to go to the bathroom in the next two hours? Normally, I only went to shit twice or three times a day. And what if Shawn already went this morning? Crap.

I stepped out of the bathroom and was about to turn the corner to the dining room when another idea popped into my head. Laxatives. No, we didn't carry any laxative drugs in the house, but there had to be some foods that worked as laxatives.

I quietly ran up to my room and grabbed my phone off my bedside table, quickly searching 'what foods make you poop?'. I sat back on my bed and scrolled through different results. Among the listed answers were avocadoes, almonds, figs, grapes, plums, prunes, and dried apricots. I was sure we had some of those foods in the fridge; I only hoped that whatever I fed him (if he ate it) would work fast enough.

I was about to put my phone away to go back downstairs, but then picked it up to text some of my friends briefly. If Shawn asked what I was doing upstairs, I had to be able to say something more than 'I was searching foods that make you shit'.

After I sent a few short texts to Matt and Trent, I walked back downstairs and walked into the kitchen, nodding to Shawn. I started rummaging through the fridge.

"Where were you?" Shawn asked, suspicion already lining his tone.

"Bathroom, didn't I tell you?" I scoffed. I pushed some things to the side of the fridge. Jackpot! Prune juice... when the hell did mom buy prune juice? And would it even work in time? Oh well, it was worth a shot.

"I mean after that; I heard you go up the stairs." Shawn said.

"Yeah, I texted some of my friends." I said. Pouring a glass. "Want some juice?"

"What kind? And who were you texting?" Shawn inquired.

"Fruit." I replied first, hoping that sounded more appealing. Wait, would prunes really make Shawn take a shit? Would it even work in time? Maybe I should risk escaping while he was just going to piss and try to make him drink enough to pee... Maybe I was overthinking the whole thing; the guy had to pee eventually...

"Who were you texting?" Shawn repeated angrily.

"Trent and Matt." I said. It was a good thing I used texting as a backup...

I poured two glasses of prune juice and walked back to the table, taking a seat. I handed one to Shawn.

"Thanks." He said, eyeing me warily. He took one sip and a disgusted expression crossed his face. "What the fuck is this!?"

Shit, he didn't like it... "Prune juice." I said.

"Why didn't you tell me it was prune juice?" He asked, wiping his mouth with his hand.

"You didn't ask?" I said, hoping this wasn't a red flag for him. One glare told me that it was. Fuck.

"I asked what kind of juice it was and you said fruit." Shawn said.

"Yeah? A prune's a fruit." I retaliated defensively.

"Exactly. You didn't want to tell me it was prune juice, because that shit's gross." Shawn speculated with a glare. Well, I tried my best while dealing with the fucking 'no lying' rule.

I took a sip of the prune juice uncomfortably. "Huh, it's not that bad actually." I said honestly. I then took Shawn's glass. "Want water instead?" I asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Sure." Shawn grumbled. "But that doesn't answer why you hid the fact that-"

"Are you seriously throwing a tantrum about fruit juice?" I asked critically, handing him a glass of water. I could still make him pee...

"Prune juice, and yes." Shawn replied seriously, taking a gulp of the water.

I stared at him while he drank. Yes, just a little more- hurry up and take a piss! A few more prying questions and I wouldn't be able to pull this shit off.

Shawn noticed me staring at him. He narrowed his eyes. "What?"

I looked away quickly. "Sorry." I said, not having a suitable answer for that question. Shit, things were looking bad. Why couldn't Shawn be more dumb!?

Shawn downed the rest of the water and slammed the cup on the table angrily. I'm pretty sure that was meant to intimidate me or something, but the only thought in my head was 'fuck yes now go to the bathroom'.

"Look Jake," Shawn said in a low voice. "I know you're hiding something from me. So cut the crap and spit out what it is."

Crap. There was no chance of him going to the bathroom now. I decided to keep my mouth shut, though I already knew that'd just piss him off more.

"Jake." Shawn growled.

"Just... give me some time okay?" I asked desperately, looking at Shawn pleadingly. It was dirty to use his feelings for me against him, but I seriously didn't have a choice. I had to find out who the new murderer was, and if Spike was being truthful, which I doubted yet still seriously hoped, it would help prevent more from being killed.

Shawn's glower softened a bit. "Jake, what the fuck's the matter?" Shawn asked more softly.

"...Can I tell you later? Please?" I asked, trying to make it look like it was a difficult subject for me.

Shawn looked concerned. "...Alright. But do you promise to tell me whatever it is by the end of the day?" He asked. Wow, I never expected him to actually give me space... Shit, now I felt bad. And I was only going to feel worse after I stole his car.

I nodded. "I promise, thanks." I said appreciatively.

Shawn glared at me again. "I'm only doing this because I love you." He said. He then stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom." He added grouchily.

"After drinking that whole glass of water, I'm not surprised." I said, immediately regretting it when Shawn turned to glower at me distrustfully.

He silently stepped over to where I was sitting and grabbed my wrist. I was about to ask what the hell he was doing, but I was answered when Shawn swiftly handcuffed my wrist to the chair I was in.

"What the hell Shawn!?" I yelled, frantically trying to pull my wrist out of the cuff.

Shawn smiled artificially at me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry Jakey, but when you're being so suspicious I can't possibly trust you to be alone." He dropped the smile "We both know how sly you can be." He said before walking away to the bathroom. Damn, I seriously pissed him off.

As soon as I heard the bathroom door shut I started to pull at the handcuffs roughly. I only had about a minute to get out before Shawn finished peeing. Luckily for me, the chairs in my house were cheap and old. I grabbed the joint where the frame of the chair attached to the seat and legs, pulling as hard as I could until I dislocated it.

I quickly slipped the cuff out from the frame and ran to the door; fishing through the different keys we kept in a dish by the door until I came across Shawn's. I nervously fumbled with the lock of the door before swinging it open and running to Shawn's car, throwing myself inside. I shakily pushed Shawn's key into the ignition and started the car, immediately spurring it into reverse, speeding out of the driveway. As soon as I left the driveway, I saw the front door slam open out of the corner of my eye. Damn, I cut it close. I slowed down the car after turning two corners. There was no need to kill myself and destroy Shawn's car...

I sighed in relief. I just somehow got out of serious shit...only to go into deeper shit... to come back to shit abysmally deep. And for what? For a shady lead from a shady guy. Spike had better not be full of shit or else Shawn wouldn't be the only one he had to be afraid of.

Once I reached Wickam Ave, I parked on the other side of the block from Starbucks. That way, just in case Shawn had his car tracked or something, he wouldn't know I was in Starbucks. Before I got out of the care I checked the time. 11:05am. Crap, I was going to be too early. I put my hand on the door handle to open the door, but stopped when I saw the loose handcuff hanging from my wrist. I sighed in exasperation and tucked it into the sleeve of my hoodie in a way that only an awkward bump was visible.

I pulled open the door of Shawn's Porsche and stepped outside to be met with an uncomfortable feeling on my feet. "You've gotta be kidding." I mumbled to myself, looking down at my shoeless feet. I obviously had no time to grab to grab any shoes before I left , and putting them on earlier would have looked really suspicious. I had to walk down the whole block without shoes.

I started to walk briskly along the sidewalk, trying to ignore the confused stares of the people who noticed my lack of shoes. As soon as I reached Starbucks I stepped inside and scanned the room full of coffee drinking office workers and teens. I spotted a figure in the back wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled up, and a pair of crutches leaning against the back wall. Yup, that was Spike.

I checked to see if he looked suspicious or had some sort of bag with him before I walked over and sat across from him. "Hey." I said sullenly.

Spike flinched back, immediately hissing in pain and clutching at his shoulder. Oh yeah, Shawn shot him there. "Is Card with you?" He asked in concern looking around for a sign or Shawn.

"No, he definitely isn't." I replied. He had no way to even get here.

"Are you sure? You could have brought him here." He said warily, turning to me with an uneasy look in his green eyes. He still had the spike earring hanging from his ear, and now also a bandage wrapped around his head. He looked like he belonged in a hospital...

I dangled the handcuff attached to my wrist in front of him. "We're not on good terms right now." I said.

Spike snorted. "I guess not." He scoffed with a smile. His smile quickly fell into a nervous frown again. "But doesn't he have a tracker on you or something? Couldn't he come in any minute?" He asked.

"There's one in my phone, but I didn't bring it." I said. "Could we just cut to the chase? I really need to get back before Sh-Card kills someone out of anger... I sort of stole his car too." I said.

Spike started laughing hysterically, earning a lot of stares from other people in the café. Once he was done he started coughing in pain. "Ugh, totally worth it." He coughed hoarsely. He grinned at me. "You and me both, right? Which car did you take?" He asked excitedly.

"Uh, the Porsche." I said, a little taken aback by his laughter.

He started laughing again, but a bit more softly. "That's his favorite one. Shit."

I was going to ask how he knew so much about Shawn's car, but then remembered that he stalked the stalker. "Are you going to tell me who's the killer or not?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, yeah, just enjoying the fact that you make Card's life difficult." Spike chuckled. He handed me a folder. "Here, everything about The Painter that I know of."

I blinked in surprise. It looked like Spike wasn't trying to trick me at all... In fact, this was better than I could ever hope for. "Why are you even doing this?" I asked, perplexed.

Spike smiled genuinely. "Bitch, you saved my life twice from Card, you fucking idiot. Even a killer like me has a sense of debt."

"I'm not an idiot." I grumbled.

Spike raised an eyebrow at me. "Really? I've hurt and threatened you with a knife and a gun and yet you still saved my ass. Trust me, you're a damn idiot."

"Then what does that make you? You were almost killed by Sha-Card once when you kidnapped me, and then tried the same thing again later." I pointed out.

Spike glared at me. "I can still try again you know."

"Yeah, well don't expect me to save your ass once Card finds you." I sighed, not buying his threat at all.

"What, wouldn't save me a third time?" Spike asked in mock sadness.

"It's not that I wouldn't, it's that I can't. After this stunt I'm sure Sh-Card won't trust a damn thing I say ever again." I sighed. Even if I wasn't allowed to lie.

Spike thought for a moment. "You know he's going to be ape shit once you get back, right?" He asked.

"I knew from the moment I decided to do this shit." I admitted.

Spike paused again. "Well... why don't we just run away?" He suggested. "I have a fuck ton of money, and my family name has influence- so you wouldn't need to worry about anything... I don't know, just seems better than being forced to live with a crazed serial killer."

I froze in shock, trying to absorb what shit Spike was saying. "I admit that I'm a bit of an idiot," I said with a smile. "But I'm not about to run away with someone who kidnapped me twice just to get to someone else." I said, laughing gently. "Plus, I'm not about to leave my mom alone in a house with a seething murderer."

Spike laughed. "Well when you put it that way, it does sound like crazy shit." He shrugged. "Thought I might as well try."

"Why?" I asked in confusion. Why the heck did he suddenly want to be friends or some crap?

"No reason." Spike said, waving a hand dismissively. "Now I think we should start actually talking about the reason you even came here." He said, pointing to the folder on the table.

"Oh yeah." I said, how the hell did I forget about what I went through so much trouble for? I opened the folder to see a picture of a well-built, tall brunette guy with a frown on his face. He looked about twenty or so, and also looked pretty damn familiar. "He looks familiar." I said.

"He should, he's a janitor at your school." Spike said nonchalantly.

"He is?" I said in shock. That would explain how the killer was able to get in the gym at lunch and kill the teacher without an intruder being seen.

"Yep; The Painter. He's a lot better at killing than I am- almost as good as Card. And he always does it in the same way." He reached across and flipped the page, showing a bunch if pictures of a bloody crime scene. All victims hanged with something painted in blood under them. "Doesn't he do a beautiful job? And there's always some kind of meaning to what he draws under the victim."

"Does he have something against Card?" I asked, a growing sense of dread welling up in me.

"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Shawn is on way too many killer's blacklists for various reasons. Mostly because he just gets around and is downright amazing at the shit he does." Spike scoffed. "Anyways, I've figured out basically everything. The Painter's name, alias, and a crap ton of other stuff I put in that folder. I just haven't been able to figure out the meaning of what he drew under the victim this time. I mean, I know an ace of hearts is a card, relating to the Card Collector. But why an ace of hearts?"

I debated whether or not I should tell Spike about my relation with it. Well, if I did, maybe he would have some good insight about it. "Um, it might be me. When Sha-Card, was choosing victims, he chose me to be ace of hearts, but then couldn't go through with it when he fell in love with me or some shit... but he couldn't know that, right?" I asked hopefully.

Spike widened his eyes in horror. "Jake, get the fuck out of town." Spike whispered seriously. "I'm serious Jake, if The Painter knows about you then that means he knows that you're Card's weak spot. Even with Card's protection, it won't take long before he finds a way to get to you."

I swallowed in fear. "What the hell does he want from Card anyway?"

"Like I said, I don't know, but you're about to be caught in the crossfire either way." Spike warned.

I nodded numbly. "How the hell did you even get this information?" I asked Spike, pointing at the folder.

Spike smirked. "I said my family name had influence, didn't I?" He said. He frowned seriously again. "But I mean it, you should leave the area, and if you can't, at least get prepared." Spike said.

"You're the one who should leave the area after meeting up with me." I said, forcing a laugh to distract myself from the growing terror in my gut.

"Ha, I guess so huh?" Spike said. He looked up at the time. "It's probably time for me to get going out of town." He said, standing up and grabbing his crutches. "It was nice meeting you Jake, though most of our time together involved me pointing a weapon at you. I hope we see each other again."

"I'd say the same, but I'd personally have some... mixed feelings about seeing you again." I said honestly.

Spike chuckled before turning around. "Bye, you dense idiotic fuck!" He yelled loudly enough for everyone in Starbucks before going out the back door, earning a lot of embarrassing stares.

"Asshole." I whispered as the door closed.

I waited a few moments until the stares died down before stuffing the folder under my hoodie and walking back out barefoot to Shawn's Porsche. Time to deal with the abysmally deep shit back at home...

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Next chapter Shawn flips his shit, just wait XD

Also I reached 200k reads.....I don't even know what to say at this point, I'm so damn baffled.

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