Fortnight Field Academy

Chapter 20

I've never been one to buy into those crazy conspiracy theories. I believe that we actually landed on the moon, no aliens ever came to Roswell, and Elvis is really dead and not living on an island somewhere obscure. But now, as I was sitting in the living, I was the one trying to convince my roommates of something completely insane.

"Just think about it," I said for the hundredth time. Drew and Maggie sighed exhaustedly, again. "Who would want Goodman? Who has enough power and influence to make it look like an accident? I'm telling you, it's her."

After the fear and panic calmed down, the school began an investigation on the attack. They determined that somehow, a pack of wild animals had gotten into the building and went on a rampage. We took a week off of school to grieve or whatever, then we jumped right back in like nothing happened. At first, I didn't question the explanation they gave, but then I started thinking about what Aimee had said an hour before the attack, about how Goodman wouldn't get away with punishing her and that she wished she would drop dead. That couldn't be a coincidence.

Now it was the Sunday before school would start up again and here I was, on our brand new coffee colored Lawson style sofa with Drew next to me and Maggie on the floor, repeating what I had been saying all week long.

"She's a mean, stuck up, snooty little bitch, sure, but do you really think she would go that far over some community service?" Drew asked.

"She's not even smart enough to pull something like that off," Maggie added.

"No, but she has people to help her. You guys don't understand!" I was getting frustrated, so I jumped off of the couch and boiled water for tea. While I waited, I sat on the kitchen counter, hugging my knees.

I reviewed that moment in the woods with Aimee in my head one more time. Every word she said played over and over like an annoying song. They saw a watched pot never boils, and as I stared at that kettle on the stove, another thought came to mind: a revisited memory never changes. I was going to have to actively seek out evidence if I wanted to find it.

Maggie came to stand by my side. "The school is getting a new Headmistress or Headmaster next week. Then, you can bring it up with them. Maybe they can help you."

"Alright I will, but until then, I need to build up my case. And the only way to do that is to follow Aimee around and see if she reveals something suspicious."

"You want to spy on her?" Maggie shrieked.

"I think that's a good plan," Drew intervened. "Even if she didn't do it, it would be nice to have some dirt on her."

"That's a horrible invasion of privacy! I will not have anything to do with it."

"You won't have to. I can talk to her friends and see if they can spill something. And Drew, you don't have a class while we're in math. You can go to her dorm and snoop around."

"What about her roommates?" she asked.

"You met them at the party. They like you. Act like you're there for them and look around when they're not paying attention."

"Okay deal. But if I get caught, I'm blaming everything on you. Now make me some of that tea."

Although Maggie begrudged our idea to investigate Aimee, she still sat and drank with me and Drew as we honed our sleuthing procedure. "I'll text you when Aimee comes to math. Then you'll go to her dorm, talk to her roommates and try to go through her room."

"Then, you text me the second class ends so I can get the hell out of there."

"And after that, the police come and arrest you both for stalking," Maggie added in one of her rare moments of sarcasm.

z~%