A Wish on a Full Moon

The One That Got Away (Part 2)

Cleo: and Emma leans closer to the computer to prevent Charlotte from spotting the webpage they were stalking. One of choice and one not so much of a choice. "'The fire, which was caused by a person or persons unknown, was started in the art room.'" Cleo straightens up with her arms crossed, a smirk of victory on her face.

"What?!" Nearly the entire audience gasped, aside from Cleo, Emma, and the obvious suspects. Charlotte's eyes widened; shock and horror feeling her features just like many others around her. Unlike them, which was full of surprise and realization, hers was of fear and regret – again – of a secret she kept for so many months just like the girls that was fixing to be revealed, and it was one that was going to kill her to be brought up again.

"You didn't say that it was in the art room!" Don shouted. "If I recall, you said you were unaware of where it was started nor what caused it," Neil frowned at them, his suspicions growing like many others. "We – we didn't, we didn't know. They must've discovered the fire's whereabouts after we had left," Annette stuttered out, a panicked look on her face.

"But you would've known that it not only destroyed the school records and the office, but the art room as well. Yet you didn't mention a single thing about it. Why's that?" Sam interrogated, eyebrows furrowed. "It wasn't important," Annette tried to shut down all suspicions, unaware of her daughter hyperventilating next to her, looking side to side frantically. "A fire starting isn't important?" Lisa argued. "Where it started wasn't important," Annette argued back. "But the location of where it began is important. It narrows down the suspect list by very much, because if I had to guess with it being an elective room, and a room only certain individuals are allowed in, was by an art student," Harrison explained. "But why would an art student cause a fire?" Lewis asked.

"It was an accident!"

Charlotte snapped, shouting at the top of her lungs, and immediately clamped a hand over her mouth. Another round of gasps, this time from everyone in the room other than the redhead herself. Everyone's eyes were wide, as they realized what that meant, of her revealing the most important information to their little investigation and the big secret she accidentally revealed to all: Charlotte was the one who started the fire. "Charlotte!" Annette hissed, eyes burning into the back of her head.

"Charlotte?" Lewis looked at her in startling disbelief. "Y-you were the one to start the fire?" Emma stuttered. She felt speechless; she didn't know what to say. Whether from Charlotte's outburst or from the fact that Cleo was actually right about something ... for once.

I knew it! I knew something was up, but did anyone listen to me? Nooo, they thought it was just my jealousy – not that I was jealous, Cleo thought with a small hint of pride. She knew something was wrong from the beginning. She could feel it, she just wasn't sure what at the time.

Charlotte looked at everyone, her breathing heavy. She could see their emotions, the fright, the wonder, the concern, the anger, the sadness, the regret. But when she looked at her mother, she could see something similar: regret, sadness. But the most important one of all: defeat. And she knew what that meant. There's no point in hiding it now. Time to give in. Charlotte sighed, her head hung low. "Y-y-yes. Yes, I did it. I – I was the one to cause the fire," she admitted ever so quietly.

Murmurs began to fill the room, all around the Watsford's, so much could be heard and unheard at the same time. But they knew what they were all thinking. Why? "Well, what did you do that for?!" Ash exclaimed. "Why would you set your school on fire?" Bella asked, a slight tone of fear seeping into her voice.

"I told you, it was an accident," Charlotte sighed in defeat then turned to her mother, tears in her eyes. Annette sighed, deciding to help her daughter out. "Like you said, Harrison, it was during the finals for all of the students, and everyone has been studying like crazy for their exams. Well for the art students they had to do something slightly different." "The art teacher challenged us to make something like we've never made before. The thing is, I know so many different art styles that it was a bit difficult to find one that would peak my interest. The due date was coming up close and I still had no idea of what to make. But when I was helping mom out at the restaurant one day, I got an idea from watching one of the chefs light a match. Matchstick Sculptures. So, after planning and literally buying a bunch of matches," Charlotte said in a crackly tone, but her mother cut her off.