Midnight Angel [Jenlisa FF]

~'~'~ Chapter 17 ~'~'~

"No, you couldn't have known what would happen," Lisa agreed, speaking up after having allowed Jennie's friends to add their support. "But we're not going to let them get away with what they did," she finished defiantly.

"What-what do you mean?" Jennie asked.

For a brief moment, Lisa hesitated. What was she getting herself involved in, she wondered? This wasn't one of the crime novels she loved to read. This was real life. And the people she was getting ready to go up against were not good people. They'd covered up a rape, and likely had paid someone – since doing it themselves would be above them – to murder three people. She had to be insane to get involved.

Looking up into Jennie's sad eyes, Lisa knew she was insane. she would do anything she could to help her. In the short time she had been in Cambria, and the even shorter time that she had known Jennie personally, she had worked her way under her skin without even knowing it. And she wasn't ready to admit it yet, but she had also worked her way into her heart.

"I've got a friend who works for FBI here in California. I think I can get him to take a look at case...everything from the rape to the murders," she broke out of her thoughts and told Jennie. The expected alarm on her face didn't come unexpected. "Don't worry," she assured her. "He's a good guy. I trust him, and I don't have any intention of telling him that you are really alive until I know he believes you are innocent."

Seeing her reluctance, Jin squeezed her shoulder. "It's the right thing to do, Jennie."

"I agree," Jackson chimed in as he stood and walked over to Jennie. He gave Jisoo a look and a slight jerk of his head, silently asking her to move. She complied and Jackson looked at both Lisa and Jin, also asking them to give him some space. They obeyed.

Jackson took Lisa's seat on the stool and took a deep breath. "First off, Jen, I want to apologize to you," he began. "I wasn't a good friend to you. I should have stuck by you after the rape, and I didn't. I'm sorry."

"Oh, Jack." Jennie said with a slight sniffle as she took his hand. "I know things were hard for you. I always understood that."

"It doesn't matter. I should have stuck by you," He repeated firmly. "But I'll be there this time. This all has to stop, Jen. They need to pay for what they've done to you, and who knows what they could do to some other innocent victim."

Jennie wanted to cry. She wanted to throw her arms around Jackson and hug him. Yes, it had hurt years ago when he'd backed away after the rape. But she hadn't lied when she said she'd understood. His future had been on the line. And in the end, it hadn't mattered. He had lost a chance at a college scholarship by getting kicked off the swim team because of his association with her. Another thing the rape had ruined.

But were they right? Should Lisa talk to her friend? Part of her wanted to scream out 'no!' and run back to her attic rooms and hide. That part of her didn't want to deal with any of it. And what would happen if something went wrong? What if she was arrested and put in jail like her father believed she would? What if Cameron's father found out she was alive and did something else to her? Or worse, to her father, her friends? Or Lisa. She couldn't bear anything more happening to them because of her.

There was another part of her, though, that wanted them to pay for all they had done to her. Cameron had gotten away with violating her, and later tormenting her with his friends. And if Lisa was right, Cameron's father and his father's friends, including Mayor Sonner, had murdered her family. Could she let them get away with that?

Jennie didn't know what to do. Jisoo, Jin and Jackson thought she should fight back. Lisa thought she should fight back. She trusted them, and Lisa, didn't she?