CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH A MURDERER?

Wanted Criminal?

Dylan Erickson's p o v:

I made my way into the bar, taking a seat on the corner stool, and ordered the bar tender for a beer. My mind was still processing the news my father had disclosed to me. I still couldn't figure out how that was possible. As far as I knew, one couldn't shorten the term to be served for a suspected murder, especially because he had confessed to it. How the hell could he have managed to do it then?

There were only two alternatives, either he escaped, or he was let out. Seeing that there were no posters of him around the city or in the papers as "WANTED CRIMINAL", meant that he had been let out. How was that even possible? I hadn't ever heard of such a case.

Except,  for that one time where the criminal had agreed to assist in finding the real culprits. But, if that remotely was the way we had escaped, then we would be behind the bars by now, which clearly was not the case.

This kid was more trouble than I had ever imagined him to be. He was damn brave. But, I always knew that, other wise he could never have done the task of taking the blame for a murder and be ready to serve it in a rehabilitation center for 2 years at the mere age of 15. Some love he must have had for his sister, Danielle.

Poor, stupid, naive Danielle.

I heard a screeching sound of the stool beside me. I turned my head to come face to face with Andrew Thomas.

"Thomas", I greeted him by raising my bottle.

"Erickson", he ordered one for himself.

"You almost got us caught today. Why the hell did you bring that girl along? She could have spotted you!", I shouted remembering about the scene at the ice-cream parlor.

"Relax, she didn't recognize me. And as for bringing her there, I have my reasons. Firstly, I needed a ride and secondly and most importantly, she was seated inside a car with Nick."

"So?", I tried figuring it out, but failed miserably.

"I'm trying so hard here. Trying so hard, to get her to like me, to get her to believe, trust me. Because that's the only way, she'll ever let me in, tell me about Nick and his secrets.", he rattled on,

"And the only way for her to like me is if Nick is not around, because other wise her mind is occupied by him. I try so hard to keep them apart, away from each other, but somehow Nick manages to get close to her, without even trying. Damn it!", he punched the table, letting out his frustration. He continued,

"Millions of girls, millions of girls have fallen for my charm. But Elena, she's just not caving in. Nick has her wrapped around his finger, without doing anything, without even kissing her."

"Actually, Nick did kiss her.", I butted in.

"Ha! Can't even say, I didn't expect it. Common man, I took her on a stupid romantic lunch, to a dumb ballet show. What else does she expect me to do? Go to the moon or sing a song for her?"

"Thomas, cool down. You seem like a desperate lover."

"If that's what it takes, to make her like me, than I'm ready  to become one."

"Ok, now, you're sounding like a whiny teenage girl."

"Stop giving me names. I don't think that's the reason you called me at this hour of night. So why did you call me here?"

"Well, I have some breaking news for you.", I spoke up.

"Spill it then.", he took a gulp from his beer.

"Nick had come out within two months of his capture.", I took a pause to measure his reaction.

"What? How the hell?", he exclaimed.

"I think he's helping the cops.", I told him my theory.

"As in?"

"'As in' is what we have to figure out. Have you spotted him with somebody not from school or his age? A Cop maybe? ", I asked him.

"Never. He's mostly with that friend of his, what's his name?", he tried recollecting, "Riley and rest of the time he's either at home or with Elena", he snorted.

"So nobody uncanny. Any new visitors?"

"Apart from that day when I had spotted Danielle in his backyard, no. How did that end?"

"Well, we've found  out where she stays when she visits this town. But we couldn't track where she lives otherwise."

He nodded his head."Well, that's a start for somebody who seems to vanish like thin air.", he smirked and got back to his beer. Both of us fell into silence. I decided to ask him about the question which was bugging me.

"So, this Elena girl, is she...", before I could finish my statement he cut me.

"No, she is no threat.", he spoke up warily. But I didn't miss the desperation. Anybody could tell that he did have feelings for her, feelings which had no place in our lives.

"Thomas, be careful, you know that there is no scope for feelings in our life right?.", I warned him because I had had past experience about this.

"Yes, Dylan, I know.", he spoke up getting a bit irritated.

"Do you like her?", I blurted.

My words caught him unaware, but they seemed to put him to thought, and he took his own time in responding,

"No, 'Love' has no place in my life.", he spoke up loud and clear. 

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I hope it stays that way."

"I hope so too.", he mumbled. This was not good. If he stayed any longer with that girl around, he could really fall for her, and that wouldn't be good at all. I had to do something, before things could get worse.

"Listen mate, I got to go. I'll give you a call if I see something fishy.", with that he stood up paying for our drinks. He turned around and walked away without gining me a second look.

I stood up from my stool, and made my way to my car, heading to my apartment. I was too exhausted to do anything else, so I laid down on my bed, thinking about the same dream that I always dreamt off, the one that I wanted badly to turn into reality, the same one which I knew was always going to remain a dream.

*****Author's note*****

Another small update, but a very crucial one. In next chapter, I'll be back to  Elena's p o v, so it will be long as usual.

So now what do you think of Andrew? What do you suppose Nick is upto?

Tell me your theories.

Please comment and vote, if you liked this. I'll be posting the next chapter mostly by this weekend.