ch23 chloe

"You're home late," Izaak commented when I strode in around 9pm.

"Only like an hour past usual."  I was uncharacteristically perky when I came home, content after the hour-long chat with Toby.  My feelings for him were growing.  But as I entered the living room, I realized that Izaak was definitely annoyed with me.  "What?"

"Where were you?"

I laughed.  "Okay, Dad."  Then walked off to my "room" to put away my bag and change into pjs.  I checked the hiding spot to make sure Sage's letter was still there, and it was, seemingly untouched.  Then I pulled my hair into a ponytail and went back to where Izaak sat on the couch, dry expression.

"So you're really not going to tell me where you went?"

"Nope," I responded, plopping down next to him.  "How was your day?"

He shook his head, finally cracking a slight smile.  "Long and stressful.  I bought Indian for dinner.  There's a plate in the microwave for you."

"Sweet!  How much do I owe you?"

Izaak distracted himself with watching tv to conveniently not hear my question, so I went to get the food he'd left for me.  He'd even fixed my plate.  "So how are you feeling about this scene with Violet tomorrow?"

"How should I feel?"

I brought the plate and a glass of water to the living room, sitting at Izaak's side.  

**something, idk yet**

x-x-x-x

"What happened yesterday with Mr. Winters?" Gabe questioned, closing the door behind me and coming around to the front of his desk.  

I looked into his eyes, explaining the old man's insisting on a meeting, and Violet stepping in.  I ended by tucking a lock of hair behind my ear and looking away shyly.  The submissive look really worked with him.

"What's up with Violet lately?"

That hadn't been what I expected him to ask, so I looked back at him, noting the seriousness in his eyes.  "I... don't know?"

"Is she hiding something from me?"

"I think you'd figure that out before I would..."

Gabe frowned at my response but nodded in agreement, then dismissed me.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached my desk, because I had taken a hit of the vape pen with Violet before work, and was a little high.  Izaak's warnings to lay off the drugs made me want to do the exact opposite, especially since I needed a clear head to figure out what to do.

Toby hadn't been much help.  He still wanted me to turn myself in, only barely entertaining my ideas to run away.  "You'll be running forever," he reminded me.  "It's not worth it."

But was framing someone else really much better?

Toby didn't want to help me much with framing someone either.  If we talked about it hypothetically it helped, so he didn't feel directly involved, but still every so often he remembered what he was doing and looked guilty, almost ashamed of himself.

I decided that I'd want to sneak a copy of the fake studies on someone's computer. **the fake studies are on the usb from sage's house** The person I framed would need to be someone who deserved it, but also someone who would have motive.  Probably someone who worked with him... make it seem like an inside job.

It felt like there was a bag of rocks in my stomach everytime I thought about it.  I kept hearing Toby's plea for me to turn myself in.  Kept imagining what Izaak would think. 

x-x-x-x

**scene with izaak, violet, chloe**