Tetelestai

Chapter nine: Remember.

        November 23t, 2019
                                2:22am

"Where the heck is it..?" I whispered to myself.
I'd been in there for hours and hadn't found anything just some stupid USB.

I didn't even know what I was looking for I just being there.
Probably something to do with Salmon Arms past.

My flashlight kept going off because it was running out of battery. My glasses were slipping off my nose because of the sweat running down my face from the stress.
I was looking book after book but nothing.
There was nothing but the sound of the dust from the shelves flying with every movement.
I was alone, or so I thought.

          October 27th, 2019
                             20:04pm

"I mean, we don't have enough time..." He said, with his voice calm.
"You're not explaining why to me though." I replied, remaining angry.
"You won't understand, but it's something you know in your heart."
"You keep saying the same thing "You won't understand." and "Never mind." Without even going into the process of explaining what the fuck it is that I don't understand. Am I that stupid?" I burst out in a huff.
"I didn't say that..." He replied.
"Then what did you say exactly? That's right, you didn't say anything, that's the problem. You don't say and you just expect me to know what the hell is going on inside your head." I continued to vent.
"Stop it, Lyn." His tone now sharper.

Did he just call me Lyn? Only my sister has called me that way.

"First you're in the hospital telling me you want nothing to do with me and now this. Actually, I have no idea what we're doing in here together. I'm done with you."
He braked sharply and pulled the handbrake.
"Fuck you." He turned to look at me and was dumbfounded.
I didn't know if I had said something wrong or if I had misunderstood something.
I stayed for a while looking at him in wonder. Why?
"Get out." He commanded.
"No." I refused.
What did he want? To treat me like immaturely and then just get out?
"Get the fuck out! Get out!" He kept saying, but this time he was yelling.
"I don't want to! I won't do what you say!"
"We're outside your house, you idiot! Get out!" He yelled and I turned to look behind me and sure enough we were right in front of the front door of my house.
He didn't even got to tell me what he wanted.

{-}

It was Monday, it would be the first time we would face Leo since the attempt and he wouldn't remember anything about Marcus' murder.
We said we'd tell him he was sick.
In the afternoon, Marcus' father, Mr. George asked us to go with him to the autopsy of his body because Stephanie insisted on going so we had no choice.
On Monday afternoon we were going to see our friend for the last time.

{-}

Our plan was not going as we had planned. We were going to talk to Leo as if nothing had happened but instead we were avoiding him and avoiding each other.
I was so annoyed that no one would talk to him.

{-}

We were all there...all in an empty hallway, staring at Leo for so long, who hadn't been spoken to yet. We were afraid to look at him. We didn't know what to say to him.

We were all scattered in different spots of the hallway.
He abruptly closed his locker and it was heard throughout the school.
"May I know what the hell is wrong with you guys?" He yelled and we all looked at the floor.
"Did I do something? I know I'm not the best and I know I've made mistakes in the past but I've tried fixing them. Haven't I Celyn?"
Why me? He could have picked anyone else.
"Yes..." I answered hesitantly.
"As soon as I got out of the hospital not a single person sent me a fucking text. Not even Marcus who won't even pick up his phone and tell me where he is. Thank you for helping me when I had my epilepsy episode but I don't deserve this!" He was annoyed and with good reason to be.
"Calm down man!" Jun replied.
"You want me to calm down!" His tone sharper than before.
"How the fuck do you want me to calm down! Huh? If you tell me I will calm the fuck down? Nobody is telling me what the hell has happened, you're all avoiding me, Marcus is dead and..and.." He put his hand on his chest and fell back against the lockers.

He remembered.

He knew.

He remembered.

"Marcus is..." He said in a panic. He sat down and started sobbing and we all ran towards him.

I sat next to him, hugging him. He squeezed me even tighter as his crying got even louder.
"Please, Leo..." Mia said.

"No, it should have been me...it should have been me..." He said and pushed me.
"Leo.. What are you talking about?" Levi asked stressed.
He tried to calm himself down.
"It should have been me." He said calmly this time and stood up.
"You shouldn't have." Sebastian said.
"It shouldn't have been either of you Leo." He continued Theo.

"It should have been me because, I told him to do it. He had just told me about his relationship with Stephanie... about their fight and I told him to try to do something crazy with her, something that would get his adrenaline pumping. He said, "What could I do, you asshole." laughing and I told him sex in the woods by the river which is completely dark. He then asked me "Where am I going to get the chance to do that?" and I said to him, "Ellie's birthday after the surprise." "

We were speechless.

We didn't want to admit it but we all thought Chris was somehow guilty of Marcus' death. If he hadn't suggested it, maybe Marcus would have been there with us.

"It's your fault!" Stephanie shouted furiously as she cried.
"I'm sorry..." Leo said sheepishly.
"Your damn apology won't bring my boyfriend back! Shove it up your ass!" She yelled and punched Leos chest.
"It's your fault! It's all your fault! You killed him! He died because of you!" While keep on punching him.

He stood still staring at nothing as she continued to beat him.
Ethan and Peter approached, taking her off him.

"Fuck you! Fuck you!" Stephanie shouted as they pulled her away.
"Die!" She continued.
Leo stuck himself in the position he was in before with his eyes fixed on the void and filled with tears he was trying to hold back.

"Guys! What is going on here? What's all the fuss about?" A teacher came out of a classroom.
"Go to your classes immediately!" She commanded.
I could understand Stephanies outburst, but I couldn't understand what might be going on in Leos' mind.

What if he made another attempt? Successful this time.

Who would be considered a murderer then? Leo for suggesting something to Marcus who was later found murdered or Stephanie for wishing death on Leo.
One thing was for sure, they both blamed themselves for Marcus' death.
But who was the real killer?