Class Of 96': 1994 (BxB Mystery)

Chapter XXVII - "What happened?"

 " . . . " This was the first time I've seen Innes in a couple months. She was wearing a tight grey wool long-sleeve shirt which reached up until her palms. Her eyebags grew deeper as I noticed . . . she had more bandaids now. Like she was beaten or mugged.

I nearly jumped in alarm. "Innes, a-are you okay?"

Cold and harsh, she replied: "No."

"O-oh . . . "

She looked at Ollie and then at me. She was expecting someone more. "Where's Molly?"

Ollie sighs. "She's parking the car."

"Alone?"

"Yeah. Should we be concerned?"

"Yes." Her Russian accent has sprouted stronger. I wonder what happened while she was gone . . .

I awkwardly shift my weight foot to foot. "Well . . . can we come in?"

"No." She merely responds. "We can't come in without Molly."

I can't help but wonder: "Why?"

"Old man might think I'm bringing home boys."

"Which you are." Ollie blankly adds, a tone of annoyance melting in his words.

" . . . " Innes eyes us both. "Why the fuck are you two holding hands?"

I stammer to meet Ollie's gaze. He clears his throat and forces a sarcastic smile. "Stephan almost got murdered. Cut us some slack."

She scratches her head and winces in agitation. "Happens to me every day. Stop being pussy."

He scowls.

"When's Molly gonna come anyway?" Innes steps out the door and leans on the balcony. She seems even more skinny than last time.

I pause. "Innes . . . what happened?"

She rubs the back of her neck. There was a pain reliever patch stuck on her. "A lot."

"Are you hurt?"

"Very."

Just then, we heard loud footsteps and panting.

"Goodness . . . fuck . . . " Molly holds her knees and bends down to catch her breath. Yet the moment she saw Innes, she lit up like a buzzing firefly. "Innesa!!!"

Yet after everything, that's the moment when Ollie snaps his hand away from mine.

I look at him, almost hurt. He held my hand up until now. Why did he let go?

Molly runs to Innes and hugs her tighter than ever. Innes saw it coming a mile away. She hugged back.

"I swear, I've missed you so fuckin' much!!! I've always thought about visiting you but I didn't cuz' of your privacy or whatever! Ah, I missed you!" Molly beams, letting go to get a good look at Innes' face. Her happy disposition faded into worry. "Innesa . . . what's wrong? You're all bruised!"

She faintly chuckles. "It's nothing."

Wow . . . her response from me to Molly was so much different.

"Nothing?!?" Molly checks her up and down. "Did someone jump you?!?"

"No—"

"Who did this to you?"

Innes sighs in defeat. "Luka's dad."

"Shit!" Molly jumps, covering her mouth. "Seriously?!?"

"Yeah . . . "

She lays her hands on her hips with a grim yet concerned expression. "Well . . . let's go inside."

Innes purses her thin lips. "You guys need to be quiet."

She slowly enters her apartment as we anxiously follow behind. The moment I set foot inside, the reek of alcohol stung my nose like a truck.

She gently closes the door and walks through the small dim apartment only lit by a single white-stained lamp.

A strange feeling of isolation and rejection sunk the bottom of my gut. It was cold. Everything was grey. It was an emotionally empty place.

I caught a glimpse of a tall man. He had his back on us and his face covered. I wearily tilted my head. Who was this man? But Innes snatched me by the collar before I could get a glimpse.

Once we reached her room, which was much brighter than the entrance, she quickly snapped her door shut. "You can't be seen by him!" She lowers her voice to a whisper. It was clear she didn't want to be heard by . . . him.

I didn't know how to respond.

I look around the room in terror. It was desolate and . . . faces were everywhere.

Pictures of Jane, TBB, and Luka hung around. They were school photos. Lav, Naomi, and Hana. Astra and Neon. Pandora, Seth, and Tyler. Ollie, Molly, Innes, and Me.

Innes has fallen through the hole of madness.

"What in the Sherlock Holmes . . . ?" Molly gasps. The room was a mess. Innes' bed was undone, newspapers were scattered everywhere, her clothes were everywhere, and not to mention the extra bed on the floor. Her room was probably half the size of mine. "Damn bitch, you live like this?"

Innes awkwardly puts her hands in her pocket, pursing her lips. "Welcome to poverty."

The Blossoms pause in the thought of response. They were rich and still wound up in a public school. Innes always saw it as a waste. Now they're stuck with people like her. Yet instead of the Blossoms feeling like the odd one out in this school, it was Innes.

"Uhm," I try to break the ice. "Well . . . we saw Luka!"

"You too?" Molly tilts her head. "I just saw him rushing down the stairs like he saw a rat or something."

"Oh."

Ollie teasingly grins. "I saw him smoking."

"What?" Innes pauses, looking confused. "He quit." And she goes back to her photos.

"But we saw him. Smoking at the stairway."

She seemed like she didn't believe us. Or maybe she just trusted her brother too much. "He doesn't smoke anymore."

We all stare at her. Luka was a nice guy and he didn't deserve what happened to him, but he still knew how to lie.

Innes narrows her eyes in skepticism. "How did he hold his cigarette?"

"He pinched it." I admit as my eyes land on a photo of Luka.

She sighs, clearly disappointed. "And he says he isn't addicted."

I recall the way he pierced his gaze through me like a stab. Just the image of him in my head sent my chest tight. I take a breath. "And he was looking at me . . . all weird. As if he thinks I'm suspicious."

She dismissively plays it off. "Yeah. He has this new thing where he just, uh, looks at everyone's stomach."

"Y-yeah." That was my main question. Why was he looking at my stomach like I attacked him? "Did . . . he and The Hazard have anything to do with—"

"He exploded a firecracker in The Hazard's stomach. So he just checks everyone to make sure." Innes interrupts, slowly pointing at me. Almost expecting me to do something. Or say something.

I furrow my brows. I guess I can't help but feel . . . betrayed. "But he's known me since I was fourteen. Doesn't he trust me?"

She gives me a certain . . . look. Like she expected me to know more.

Why are the Alexeevs acting so weird toward me? It honestly makes me feel cumbersome in my own skin. And I hate the feeling.

"Moving on," Molly interrupts, stopping my thoughts and plucking a photo of herself off a small desk. She made a sour face, clearly disturbed. "How can we be of . . . help?"