A Mystery Novel

~ČĤÁPŤĔŔ 28~

"Oh no," Jacqueline groans, "don't tell me they want to question me again."

"Wait, again?" Xander asks, "you woke up only a few hours ago."

"I called them after she woke up," Xandra says.

"How many people did you call?" Xander asks.

"Everyone on my contacts list."

"So you could call all those people but didn't think to wake me?"

"You look cute when you sleep," Xandra says like waking him up is equivalent to stepping on a puppy's tail.

"And if you didn't wake up in a room full of people talking, crying and laughing then you have a problem," Xandra points out.

"Jacqueline, how're you feeling?" Detective Jones asks as he and Detective Cooper step into Jacqueline's room.

"I'm tired of answering questions," Jacqueline says.

"We're not here to ask questions, we honestly just want to know if you're feeling okay," Detective Cooper says.

"I'll be fine if you can tell me why," Jacqueline says.

"Why what?"Jones asks, sharing a confused look with his partner.

"Why was I attacked and kidnapped and starved and tortured and-" she stops as her voice starts to crack and tears roll down her face. "What did I do to him?"

"Its not what you did," Cooper says, "its what she did," she motions to Xandra.

"I didn't do anything this time, I swear," Xandra says to Xander.

"Mr. Foster was after you," Jones explains, "he was drunk, the alley was dark, he mistook Jacqueline for you. He said she walked like you and talked like you so even though he didn't see her face clearly, he attacked her."

"But the surveillance-"

"It showed Mr. Foster going in the alley and a few minutes later, you and Jacqueline came out of the restaurant, Jacqueline got a call, wanted to go home and entered the same alley," Cooper says.

"We checked for anyone suspicious coming out of the alley but we didn't find anything, that was because after Mr. Foster attacked Jacqueline, he passed out," Cooper continues.

"When we checked the Saturday's surveillance camera, we saw Mr. Foster coming out of the alley with a huge box. He still thought it was Xandra but when he got home and opened the box......"

"So, I went through all that just because I walk and talk like someone? How is that my fault?" Jacqueline asks.

"No one's saying its your fault," Xandra says.

"Right, its your fault," Jacqueline says.

"My fault?"

"Yes, your fault. You're the one going around sleeping with people's husbands."

"We should leave," Jones says to his partner.

"No, I wanna see where this goes," Cooper says but Jones drags her out anyways.

"I'll have you know that I only slept with one person's husband," Xandra says, "but you're right, its my fault. I'm really sorry. It seems like everyone but me is paying for what I did."

"You're just realizing that now?" Xander asks.

"Yes, I'm just realizing that now."

"At least one good thing came out of this," Jacqueline says, "my parents don't hate me anymore, they just realized that they don't wanna lose another child. They lost me a long time ago but they don't need to know that."

"You're taking this surprising well," Xander says.

"I may be scarred for life but its a small price to pay for finally getting my mom to love me again. She talked to me, like actual talking. We had a conversation!" Jacqueline squeals like she still can't believe it. "Not just a conversation, conversations! We talked about everything we never got to talk about, school, promise, graduation, friends, boys."

Jacqueline blushes when she says the last word. "I told her about us! She likes you. My dad doesn't act like he does but I know he does, he's just trying to play the 'no man's good enough for my daughter' dad. I think my moms going to invite you for dinner, she's going to love you even more when she gets to know you better-"

"Jacqueline, I don't think your lungs getting enough air, you should stop talking," Xandra says then turns to Xander. "You are so right, we're exactly the same. I've never met anyone who talks as much as I do. I'm so glad we're friends, we can talk each others heads off."

~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~

"Savannah! You came," Xandra says, hugging Savannah, "with Paige, yay," she doesn't say the last part with as much enthusiasm as the first one. "Are you stalking my brother again."

"Yes, because I have nothing better to do," Paige says sarcastically.

"I called her," Jacqueline says.

"You invited the girl who is trying to steal your boyfriend?" Xandra asks slowly like she's trying to understand.

"Was, actually," Paige corrects, "I'm over it."

"Are you really?" Xandra asks incredulously.

"No," Paige admits, "but I'm willing to let it go. I already had my chance with Xander. Even though it was cut short by a certain someone."

"I don't believe a word of what you just said," Xandra says, stepping closer to Paige and glaring a hole into her skull. Paige is doing the same, they're in some kind of showdown.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Paige asks, "I'm the one who got wronged, I should hate you instead. Did I do something to you?"

For a few seconds, there was silence and Xandra's glare seemed to get more intense.

"It was first grade," Xandra starts, "you told me that no one would ever like me because I'm a loser. And then you broke my crayon". Xandra sounded like she was traumatized by that.

"Are you kidding me?" Paige asks, infuriated, "I was six! The hell am I supposed to know what I was doing? I don't even remember any of that, hell! I don't even remember what I had for breakfast. That was more than ten years ago, how the hell do you still remember that?"

"I remember it because I was the victim."

"Okay, I'm sorry that you're so immature and unforgiving," Paige says derisively.

"That's all I wanted to hear," Xandra says, "I forgive you." Xander hugs Paige who awkwardly pats her back.

"You know what?" Xander says, "I deserve an award for putting up with Alex for the past eighteen years and not losing my mind."

That statement made Xandra go into a whole speech about Xander's annoying habits.

Xander smiles as he looks around the table at his friends. They had grown apart after Xandra's 'death' but after all the shit they've gone through, he couldn't image his life without them.

~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~·~

And we have gotten 2 d end of out journey. It was a wonderful ride with you guys but now it is time 4 u 2 disembark and climb aboard another novel train.

But remember, its not d destination, its d journey.............yeah, so......bye

Hopefully, I'll see u in another novel.

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