Chapter 9

"Really? Pierre became an FBI agent? How is that possible?"

"Hahaha...it sounds surprising. But that's his decision."

"Is that so?"

"So, where have you been all this time? Pierre has been busy looking for you. He suspects you moved to Canada, but he doesn't know what city you live in."

"Pierre is looking for me?"

"Since you and your family moved 10 years ago, no one knows where you went. Pierre really misses you."

"Really? But-" Ruby didn't know what to say. She didn't know anything about this city and what happened after she left. Since her mother forced her to move with her and leave her father, her mother cut off all contact with her past life.

Mrs Erika gently touched her face which looked sad, she felt guilty because she had told her something that she shouldn't have said.

"Just stay in this house, those people won't come again to look for your father. Now this house is empty and neglected."

"Okay, Auntie."

"If you need help, let me know. I will definitely help you!"

"Thank you so much."

***

"FBI agent? That's impossible, didn't he say he was going to be a football athlete?"

Ruby sighed, even though she was very excited to clean up all the trash and dirt in this house. But every time she thought back to her conversation with Pierre's mother this morning, her focus shifted.

She sat limply on the floor, her mind starting to fill with surprise after surprise. This house feels very quiet and a little scary considering that this house has been empty for several years.

From the side of her house, she saw the boy who had taunted her this morning when she had just entered the house. She didn't know that the child lived in the same house as Pierre's house. She remembered that Pierre had a younger brother who was born when they entered high school.

"Could it be that that naughty kid is Ricky?" She thought. She had been daydreaming and muttering so much all day that she forgot to do something important, she was very hungry and she hadn't eaten anything since she arrived in this city.

She decided to get out of the house that people in this town considered to be a haunted house and went to the nearest fast food shop near the shopping center.

"Welcome?" Greet a female employee standing behind the cashier's desk.

Ruby glanced at the female employee briefly, her face felt familiar. She has red hair and a freckled face.

"I think I know her," she thought. The woman smiled kindly at her when she unconsciously kept glancing at her.

"What do you want to order?" Asked the woman kindly.

"Hmm...maybe a burger with extra cheese and cola."  She said while continuing to pay attention to this female employee whose face was very familiar to her.

She tried to read the identification tag hanging around this woman's neck.

"Barbara Atkins?"

"Are there any other additions?" Asked the woman.

"Sorry, may I ask something?"

"Yes, sure?"

"Are you Barbara Atkins who used to go to Saint John High School?"

"That's right, what's wrong?"

"Oh my God, it's true, you're Barbara. Don't you remember me?" She asked with a big smile, hoping this woman still remembered her.

Barbara looked at Ruby closely, trying to recall the figure of the beautiful woman standing in front of her at this moment.

"Do we know each other?"

"Barbara, I'm Ruby, Ruby Cohen, your high school classmate!"

"Ruby? You're Ruby?"

"Ahaha...yeah, that's right!"

"Ruby? Oh my God, this is impossible." Her doubtful expression turned hysterical after remembering Ruby, who had not been seen in this city for a very long time.

"You remember now? How are you? Long time no see,"

"I'm fine, but didn't you transfer during the summer of 11th grade?"

"Yeah, I came back to town this morning. Do you work here?"

"Yes, that's it, have you met Pierre and Jacob?"

"I haven't met them yet, but this morning I met Pierre's mother."

"Pierre and Jacob live in Carson City. Henry too!"

"I don't want to know about that bully Henry! Tch, who cares about him?"

"Hahaha...you still hate him? Even though it was 10 years ago, right?"

"Even if ten or a hundred years pass, I will never forgive him for what he did to me and Leo-" remembering Leo's name, she immediately fell silent as if that name was a reason for her to return to this city.

"Ruby, what's wrong?"

"No, do you know where Leo lives now?" She asked doubtfully.

"As for Leo, I don't know. But there have been a lot of bad rumors about him circulating for the past few years."

"Bad rumors? What bad rumors?"

Barbara looked around her just to make sure no one would hear their conversation.

"I don't know whether this rumor is true or not, but what I heard is that Leo has joined the most dangerous mafia group in Las Vegas."

"What? That's impossible! Leo doesn't-"

"I told you, I don't know whether the rumors are true or not. But some friends at school once saw him enter a casino in Las Vegas and he was accompanied by several bodyguards."

***