Deadly to Love by Mia Hoddell

answer a question but I didn’t hear a word they said. The whole class’ attention focused on me caused my eyes to tear up a few times and in one lesson I had to run out, just making it to the toilets before I broke down.
    That’s where Chloe found me at lunch. She had heard from a girl in my class about what had happened and came looking for me as soon as her class had finished.
    She rushed to my side when she saw me huddled in the corner, head on my knees. “Rea what happened? Did Ian try something again?” she said as she knelt in front of me, her hand lightly trying to push my chin up so she could see me better. For once I wished I was having something as simple as guy problems.
    “No I don’t see him until last lesson. This is so much worse but if I tell you, please can you not tell the others until the end of the day?”
    She nodded in agreement so I continued.
    “Okay, it’s my dad. There was a fire in the wood behind my house last night. I don’t know if was on the news or anything but Mum and me are now staying at my aunt’s. Dad never came home that morning though... He went out for a walk in the woods and the later that day someone...someone from the emergency services phoned saying they... had found a body and it was fitting his description.” Tears were flowing freely down my face as I finally got the words out.
    “Oh my god Rea. I’m so sorry.” Her arms flew around my shoulders, embracing me tightly. “Do you really believe that it’s him?”
    We were so alike, I could hear in her voice that she still believed there was a slight chance.
    “I didn’t at first, but Chlo it’s been a day now, he only said he was going out for a few hours and he’s not answering his phone or anything. He should have found us by now, so I’m not holding out much hope anymore, no matter how much I want to believe it wasn’t him.”
    She wrapped her arms around me as she moved to sit beside me. “I’m so sorry Rea,” she whispered as she held me and I cried on her shoulder.
    A few people came into the toilets while we were there, but after taking one look at us they quickly left. We sat in silence until my tears finally dried.
    “Do you want to eat something? I can go get you something if you don’t want to see anyone,” she asked eventually.
    “No I’m not hungry, but thanks,” I said as I leaned my head back against the cool tiled wall, closing my eyes as I did.
    “Chlo do you mind covering for me this weekend?” I knew it was an abrupt change of topic but I was all cried out and needed a distraction.
    “Sure, but what are you doing and how long are you meant to be with me?”
    “Um just until the end of the weekend, I’ll text you if it’s earlier,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t notice I had failed to answer her first question but of course she did.
    “OK but what are you doing? And the fact you ignored that part makes me think it’s something I won’t like.” She folded her arms over her chest in a stubborn gesture but her eyes were full of worry.
    “Yeah you’re right, but please don’t freak out. I was online with Kai when I saw the fire and when he heard about it he logged off instantly, saying he was coming here.”
    She was just staring at me in surprise.
    “I met him last night as I needed to get out of the house and we are meeting up again today so he can tell me everything.”
    Chloe’s face changed into a stern line. “Um OK, but shouldn’t you be, like mourning your dad’s death or something, not meeting up with your boyfriend? I mean what about your mum?”
    I frowned at her comments, she had just seen me balling my eyes out, how could she say I wasn’t mourning?
    “I need a distraction Chlo, the more I think about it the more I end up like this and even though grieving is a natural process I don’t want to be like this everyday. He’s picking me up here at the end of the day, so you can interrogate him then if you want.”
    She smiled a little at the thought of