CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH A MURDERER?

Truth and Tales

Elena's p o v:

"Nick had started telling me the events of that day, but he couldn't finish the story. There was a gunshot and a loud cry right? What happened after that? Did Dylan shoot you?", I asked inquisitively. She stared at the coffee mug placed in front of us.

"I wish he had.", she whispered, tears pricking the corner of her eyes. "You know, the Dylan I fell in love with was the most amazing person in this world.", a sudden glint of happiness appeared in her eyes. Dylan and amazing, weren't these words contradictory?

She continued her story, "My first day at junior high. You know how I used to be right? Gauche, unfriendly, snarky and bitchy. So, I was walking in this huge school, lost and a bit afraid, and then suddenly out of no where he came and we bumped into each other. As I bent down to collect my books, my shirt tore from the side. It was highly embarrassing. Girls around were laughing and guys around were throwing dirty, perverted comments.", she looked at me to confirm if I was listening to her. I nodded my head, to prove my attentiveness.

"So, then like a gentleman, he lent me his jacket and that was when I started to like him. After that everyday, when I saw him, every moment I spent with him, I fell in love with him all over again. He used to be so kind, caring and loving, I still have a hard time believing that he is this same horrible demon that we see right now."

Sounded like an incredible story to me. Dylan and kind, could these words really be used together? Don't they form something like an antithesis?

"Senior year and I was officially his girlfriend and by then I was so madly and deeply in love with him that if he would have asked me to jump from cliff, I would have happily complied.", she spoke up.

"Did he ask you to murder somebody?", I asked unable to bottle up my curiosity.

Not acknowledging my intrusion, she carried on, "On prom night, I saw a few strangers follow Dylan's every move. I warned him about it, but he seemed to be indifferent. But I knew something was wrong, awfully wrong."

"Let me guess, cops?", I cut in again, my detective instincts kicking in.

Ignoring me, she continued, "Alexia had been my best friend since high school. You might have seen her around too."

"Redhead? That blabbering girl? How could you have liked her? You hate people who talk, don't you?"

"Yeah, that same one. And yes, I hate garrulous people because they are all liars, but she was different. Her candidness was the thing I liked about her."

"How did she end up dying?", I asked her bluntly.

Danielle's expression became grim and glum, guilt written all over it.

"She used to be neighbours with Dylan and she had warned me plenty of times about him and his father. But, the Dylan I saw and the Dylan she described were poles apart. I ended up blaming her for trying to ruin my relationship with Dylan due to jealousy."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Typical teenager, insecure and naive.

"Back to the prom night part, when the strangers were nowhere to be seen, Dylan manoeuvred me through the crowd and sat me in one of the cars waiting outside the school. Dread filled in me when I realized that Alexia had been right all along but it was too late because by then I was at gun point.", I yelped. "Scared and betrayed, I called the only person, who I knew would help me."

"Nick", I replied knowingly.

She simply nodded her head, sipping coffee from the mug, staring out of the big window to our side.

"Do you still do ballet?", out of the blue she asked me.

"No", I negated.

"Why? I thought you loved it.", she remarked.

"2 years ago, many lives changed. One of it was mine.", I replied staring out of the same window, looking at the cute little girls walking with their tutus. "Why do you hate me Danielle?"

My question drew her out of her thoughts. She stared at me with a surprised look, her mouth closing and opening like a fish.

"I never hated you Elena, never. I was jealous of you. While you had the perfect family, loving parents, a great best-friend, amazing dancing skills and a lovable nature, I had nothing, nada. I had a dad who wasn't particularly fond of me, a brother who cared more about you than me, no friends, no skills, witchlike nature.", she sighed.

"Nick never put me in front of you. You were always his priority.", I spoke up. After a long pause, she smiled at me for probably the first time since my birth.

"I know.", the smile went away as quickly as it came, switching back to the story telling mode, she continued the tale, "So, before I could tell Nick about my location, a huge burly guy snatched the phone from me and slapped me hard on my cheek causing a cut. He pulled me by my hair and dragged me into the white mansion, Dylan's house. Somehow, Alexia caught sight of me in trouble and the good friend that she was, without giving it a second thought she ran to help me. That was when Dylan's dad shot the bullet right through her head.", she completed a part of the story. I was sitting at the edge of my seat by then, my heart thumping a bit faster than usual. Her face softened.

"I feel so guilty. I killed her. I should have died that day, not her. She didn't deserve it", Danielle whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks, eyes glistening with water formed in them. I didn't know how to react. I didn't know, how I could console her. I felt sorry for Alexia, but I felt more pity for Danielle, because she would have to live all life with the guilt of being the reason of her friend's death.

"Danielle, it wasn't your fault. You were in love, you had just lost your sense of judgement. Happens to the best.", I tried comforting her, recalling the words of Nick.

"In love with the wrong guy.", her face contorted with anger, hatred and disgust.

"You can't help who you love.", I muttered.

"If only", she mumbled. The Danielle I knew was so different from the one sitting right in front of me. She used to be strong, bold and brave and now all I saw was a sad, vulnerable and guilty mess putting up the front of being nonchalant and impassive.

"Donald Erickson was the most cruel and shrewd and evil person one could ever come across. You could search the dictionary and yet not find a word to describe his devilishness. He couldn't bear the idea of anyone being happy, including his own son.", she shook with fear at the mere thought of him. If Dylan himself could make my heart stop beating due to fear, I would probably die by heart attack seeing his father.

"I have a question", I interrupted her, "For whose murder was Nick supposedly imprisoned?"

"Dylan's mom and sister.", she replied instantly.

"The framing must have been impeccable. What gave way that Nick wasn't the murderer?"

"Ricoh's spy cam.", she answered. I nodded my head grasping all the details.

"Sorry, but I have another question. Why did Dylan try to kidnap you?"

"It wasn't Dylan who tried to kidnap me.", she stated, "It was his dad."

"But why?"

"Because I knew few things I shouldn't be knowing.", she added.

The sudden vibration of my phone in my jeans pocket almost caused me to let out a bloodcurdling scream. Composing myself, I slowly slid it out and checked the caller ID. Riley? Why was he calling me? I looked apologetically at Danielle, before pressing the green button.

"Hey Riles!"

"Elle...", Riley spoke up, his sounding very meek.

"Are you ok?", I asked him, worry filling me.

"It's Rick", he spoke up between sobs. Rick? What happened to him?

"Rick! Please tell me he's fine!"

"He's been kidnapped."

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

Ok, back from an extremely long hiatus. I'm sorry for making you guys wait so long. But, thanks a lot for all the reads an likes. I really appreciate it. I hope you like the chapter.  Please comment and vote <3