Golden Murders

II.

Mythras POV

23rd October, 2015
11:40 AM

"Thank you for your cooperation," the investigator said as I finished explaining. He kept a straight face the entire time, it was unreadable. I gave a weak nod, shouldered my bag, and made my way to the door, sliding it open without turning back once.

Everything seemed to have returned to normal, but the few students who had witnessed the murder were still quivering. It was an unpredicted event, everyone was struggling to come to terms with it.

Yesterday, after Hazel's scream, only a few students had heard it. The next day, the school had threatened us not to disclose anything to the media or the other students, fearing that it would ruin their prestigious reputation and interfere with the students' studies. Little did they know, rumors spread like wildfire.

The authorities appeared to brush off the incident, insisting that it was a case of suicide. While it wasn't confirmed, it did make sense considering the troubled state Mr. Cromwell had been in for the past few days. They decided to hold off on making any conclusions until they could hear the full story. The official interrogation was scheduled for tomorrow.

"Mythra" Alexi called out, rushing towards me with Hazel close behind. I raised my head to meet their worried expressions.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Hazel's eyes were filled with concern as she spoke, it made me crack a slight smile. I nodded and managed a small laugh.

"Of course they wouldn't hurt me." I chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood, but the worried expressions on their faces didn't fade. "I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me." I reassured them, my voice as genuine as I could make it. Slowly, their expressions relaxed, and I let out a breath I felt I'd been holding since I entered the office.

——*——

"I still don't understand why our school doesn't have a separate hotel where we could eat food prepared by the school cafeteria." Hazel said sitting across from us with her mouth full of delicious food. Alexi and I burst into laughter at her nonchalant attitude. Hazel never seemed to care about anything, whether it was her grades or her appearance. It was probably one of the reasons why she was so effortlessly beautiful.

Hazel's voice was muffled by the food in her mouth as she spoke, "We're so lucky to go to a school with a cafeteria that actually serves decent food." She stopped to chew. "Like, this food is just..."

Alexi added, "Yeah, it's probably because this school costs an arm and a leg," as she swiped a chicken nugget from Hazel's plate, earning a scowl from her friend.

"Ey! That's mine you dumbass." Hazel stood up, reaching over the table for the nugget, but Alexi just snickered and held the nugget up in the air.

"It's mine now." She stuck her tongue out for a second and then threw it in her mouth while Hazel pouted. I couldn't help but reach over and grab a nugget from Hazel's plate too. She scowled once again.

——*——

7:54 PM

The frigid air stung our faces as we walked outside the school doors. Since we had remedials, we had to stay back another hour after school. Goosebumps prickled my skin and a shiver ran down my spine as the cold breeze swept over us. I glanced at Hazel and Alexi, who were rubbing their hands together to keep warm. "Are you sure you'll be okay walking home alone today? It's pretty late." Alexi asked, concern evident in her eyes.

I let out a sigh. "You guys worry too much about me." I was used to it by now.

"Your house is farther than ours, though." Hazel pointed out. "We seriously don't mind coming with you." I couldn't blame them, especially after the recent murder at the school.

"I'll take the bus so it'll be quick."  I replied, slowly walking in the other direction. Just before I stepped out of the school gates, I heard Hazel call my name.

"Be careful!" Hazel screamed. "If I find you dead tomorow morning, I might kill you again myself."

Chuckling, I turned back, smiled reassuringly, and gave them one last wave before I disappeared through the school gates.

As the bus came to a stop, I reluctantly gathered my things and stepped out into the chilly evening. The walk home felt like an eternity, each step bringing me closer to the place I had been avoiding all this time. Before I knew it, I was at the main door.

I kicked off my shoes and hung my coat inside the house. My parents, who were sitting in the couch, were waiting for me, their expressions a mix of anger and concern.

"WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?"  My dad's voice boomed through the room, his words slurred from the alcohol. I didn't stop to explain nor look at them. I went upstairs, trying to ignore the muffled yelling from downstairs. I didn't dare to look back.

"...COME BACK HERE-"

Throwing the bag on my bed, I shut the door behind me and let out a heavy sigh. The weight of the evening pressed down on me.  I sank to the floor, the events of the day crashing over me in waves.

——*——