FrAcTuReD (Part One) (Completed continued in Part Two)

Chapter. 23

"Matthew?" Alex said while trying to think on the name.

"Matthew Braun," Fox said. "He's a guy in our class, real skinny kid and dark brown hair like a mop. He was the guy that you," he indicated to Charla. "Saw us trying to talk to when you met us, we were just trying to get info as to who was doing that to him but he misinterpreted the action thinking we were going to hurt him. Although with Joel's demanding demeanor I kind of don't blame him." he said that last bit softly which Joel heard clearly.

"What was that Fox?" he snapped. "Want to say that to my face?"

Fox merely gave a nervous laugh but Sarah gave Joel another angry look practically silencing the remainder of the group.

Not long after Charla headed to the library just like she said she would with school books in toe as she headed to back of the vast place. The library itself was connected to the main building of the school but was rather large in size and even had a slightly raised second floor which had an abundance of windows looking out to the forest area of the school.

The library was a place that Charla could relax and feel somewhat at peace without the pressures of being constantly stared at. Alex had to go back to class, or more specifically being dragged back by Jason, telling her that she can't keep skipping unless she wants her Dad to be angry, which Charla was fine with, since she rather enjoyed the solitude that the library could bring her.

Her hazel green eyes looked out the window to the trees with its vibrant colours of reds, yellows, oranges, browns and golds. Something about how it looked on the trees made them somehow look more alive even though they were going dormant for winter. Pulling her eyes away from it, Charla began to do some of her school work only to pause in between studying and grabbing a drink from a nearby vending machine. She came to a halt when hearing a number of students were now talking to themselves about the recent events of what was happening in the town, though it was of only from students passing by it made her feel rather uneasy. She placed her headphones with music on low trying to ignore it going back to where she was studying only to find herself staring out the window like before, with the music it helped calm her uneased nerves, as if the music was flowing through the leaves in the wind. She had become so transfixed by the leaves that she hadn't noticed someone sitting across for her until he spoke.

"You did say that you'd be here." she turned, removing her headphones, to see Mordecai standing across from her. "You don't mind if I sit here?"

Charla went to look back out the window. "Go right ahead, not like I own the place." He offered a half smile before she added. "Don't you have class?"

"On Wednesdays I always have the last period blank, so I tend to come here to study on my own." he said as he opened one of his notebooks. "No one tends to bother me here."

Charla knew that in some cases a student would have at least one blank space in their classes, meaning that depending on what time a student could show up later, have a longer lunch or just leave school early without having any repercussions, unless they were dealing with awful teachers. Which was the case at her old school, but not here as it seemed. "Not even that girl?" Charla asked giving a sideways glance. "She's in your class right? Long pale blonde hair, blue eyes, wears way too much makeup in my opinion."

"That's Stacy Vander, and yes she doesn't come here. Too boring she says."

No appreciation for quite. "Vander... I think I met her brother, Joel, know him?"

"I know of him. When did you meet him?"

"Yesterday, though it was only momentary when I went to get some fresh air, though I got to know him more today."

"I see..." he said before noticing that she was now working on her own assignments so he began to work on his as well.

Though after a while thinking over the events of what took place with Alex and the others began to slightly bother her. "I don't get it..." she said allowed.

"Are you stuck?"

Charla shook her head. "That's not what I mean, before, after you left and when I was talking with Joel one of his friends, a native American boy, began freaking out, acting all happy over the fact that I'm a Liebert. That's never happened to me before."

Mordecai leaned back in his chair. "It's a normal reaction, you tend to get used to it after a while. Although, it is something that bugs my brother to no end with his job, people keep saying that the Winchester family has a big influence on the police department and now that my brother is a detective it makes people even a little more... adamant about it."

"So people give you that reaction too?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes, but when you live in this town long enough, and get to know its people the whole hype tends to die off..."

Charla cringed. "That just sounds creepy; I wonder if this is what high profile celebrities have to go through on a daily basis."

"Well you've only seen it once, if it kept happening what would you do?"

Mentally Charla could picture herself fighting them off with her self-defence while holding signs that read: "Leave me alone!"

"I have some ideas..." she said dead-pan. "But if it kept happening I'd just hide in my room, safest option right there, well, for the most part."

"True," Mordecai agreed. "But it's not a common question to ask, from what my brother tells me your father was the same."

"What? My Dad was like that?"

Mordecai nodded. "Yes, and even your uncle too, at least to some degree. Though from what my brother's told me, which isn't much, he was against having to go along with the family but he did anyway at some point, never spoke as to why."

I never knew... Charla thought. But then again, how could I have known? It's not like I would have to begin with.

"By the way," Mordecai spoke drawing Charla out of her thoughts. "I meant to ask this earlier, but your not angry with me are you? about the fact that I knew your brother and hid that from you when we first met."

Charla frowned at him. "Why would I be mad about that? I couldn't remember much of anything after the accident, and you've said it yourself that you mainly interacted with my brother not me. He was your rival after all..."

"So you remember that,"

She shot him an unamused look. "You told it to me when I ran into you on my jog my first week here." she took off her headphones and placed them on top of the table, her fingers running over the rose emblem. "Look, I'm not mad; I wouldn't be since I couldn't remember. And I'm sure if my brother was still here he'd probably introduce me to you like it's the first time we've met."

Sounds like something Carlin would do. Mordecai thought before looking to the headphones. "You always wear those. Were they from your brother?"

Charla nodded. "It was a birthday gift, something he planned all on his own; it was his first... and his last."

Mordecai felt like he knew what she meant but before he could even confirm it, a sudden commotion came from the first floor; both Charla and Mordecai looked to each other before heading down to see what the noise was all about. "What's going on?" Mordecai asked a male student who couldn't seem to hold his surprise.

"Mordecai, you won't believe it, but a triple murder just happened last night!"

Everything in Charla turned to ice.

Mordecai frowned. "What? Where?"

"In the caves by the mountains, police are keeping quiet but people are speculating it might be the same guy in the city, can you believe that?!"

He said nothing in response; instead he looked to Charla who hung back from the crowd. Her whole body was shaking, hands over mouth, eyes wide with fear.

No... was all that came to her mind. Not again... no... Damnit all no!!