bury a friend; a wlw murder mystery

CHAPTER ONE: START OF SCHOOL

I've always been fascinated by the moon. Growing up, I would frequently fall asleep while staring at the moon from my bed. This became a habit for me, and I still do it anytime I can't sleep. One of my favourite things about the moon is the moonlight it can cast. In the moonlight, everything gleams. The stars and moon are still visible when I hear a car honk at 6:30 a.m. exactly, which lets me know Jax is here.

As I was finishing up getting dressed, my mind strayed to the first time Jax and I met.

Jax and I have known each other since preschool, so we have basically grown up together. He introduced himself and declared that, like his father before him, he would play professional soccer player. "They are going to be knocked out of their socks," he said when referring to the imagined scouts that would watch him when he was older. I laughed at this and continued to listen to him ramble about everything and nothing because I enjoy seeing people become enthusiastic about what they like. Jax was, and still is, quite the talker.

The second honk snapped me out of my thoughts. I finished by taking one more look in the mirror above my door.  My complexion is dark, with smooth skin and semi-big lips, which I like considering I'm terrible at applying makeup. My little over the shoulder curls still look good even though it's been a couple of days since I've washed them. My hair wash day was last friday, and just thinking about how many hours I spent using that hairbrush and an absurd amount of conditioner and hair masks underneath the shower makes my arms feel weak again.

Then I consider my attire, which consists of a large white shirt that I've cropped at the back with a hair tie, my pants, which are fastened with shoelaces, and my extremely worn-out black Converse shoes. I figure why wear anything else when I can still move around in these? I mean have I glued the sole of my shoes because it fell out? Yes. Are the sides turning grey because of how many times 'i've worn it? Yes. And can I finally slip in it comfortably because the back is stretched out? Also yes BUT-

"Haywood, hurry the fuck up! I've been waiting forever now" Jax yells, honking his car several times more, knowing my neighbours will be irritated and tell my parents. My parents both work in nursing homes, which means they are out of the house by 6AM and back by 4-5PM depending on the day.

So, fortunately for me, they didn't hear Jax rouse half of our city. I can't really call it a city because there are only a few hundred people who reside here in South Dakota. It's not actually a handful, but it feels that way. The issue with tiny communities is that everyone knows everyone else. They are always aware of each other's schedules and where everyone is at all times. Which is highly inconvenient for teenagers who want to go out or do something fun since their parents will find out.

I wouldn't know since I wouldn't be invited anywhere. People rarely ask me, but when they do, they tell me to bring Jax, Lizzie, or Levi. And I'd just stand on the sidelines, awkwardly watching them blend in with the crowd. They've all tried to get me to join in the fun, but I wouldn't know since I wouldn't be invited to anything. People usually only ask me, but they will tell me to bring Jax, Lizzie, or Levi. And I'd simply stand there awkwardly watching them blend in with the crowd from the sidelines. They've all tried to get me to join in the fun, but it just doesn't come naturally to me.  For people to actually like me for me, and not the people I surround myself with.

Snapping myself out of my thoughts for the second time, I grab my tote bag off the white desk and head downstairs. Upon entering our hallway, I passed my cat Nai just as I turned the corner. She is a short-haired black cat that is older than most of my teachers.

And that's saying something..

I pet Nai and open the front door with my keys in hand. As I close the door behind me, Jax is seated in the black Jeep he received as a gift for passing his driving test. As he looks at something on his phone, he laughs to himself.