Elevator

Chapter 26

"Meadow."

"I know what you did, Jasmine", she said firmly, her bottom lip trembling with what seemed to be fear.

"Meadow." I didn't know what else to say. I was stunned. How could she find out?

"How could you do something like this?", she pressed. "I thought you were good. Jasmine. The girl that could never hurt a fly. Jasmine, the girl that never left anybody out", she said.

I didn't know whether to cry, or try and comfort her. I've never been confronted like this, over anything. Not even stealing the last cookie from the cookie jar, as cliche as that example was.

"You were the last person I suspected to be killing somebody. The last person. How many people have you killed?", she asked, hands on her hips. I gulped.

"Um..", I mumbled, looking for an escape route. By now she was blocking the door.

"You heard me, Jasmine. I'm asking you a question and you are going to answer me for once. You aren't in charge anymore. You hear me? I can ruin you!", she yelled.

That sure took me by surprise. She would never turn me in. I was her cousin, basically her sister. Sure, we've had our ups and downs, but we were basically inseparable.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Meadow", I said calmly, trying to dig myself out of this.

She raised an eyebrow. I didn't know what else to say to her. If she had evidence, then I was ruined. She knew I was lying. What do I do?

"Oh, you know well what I'm talking about", she said through trembling lips. It seems like it may have taken a while for her to get the courage to stand up to me. How long has she known?

"Look, I think we're all a little tired here, and we just need some rest. Now if you want we can just skip the party altogether and sleep, and-"

"No, Jasmine. I don't want that. I don't want to sleep, or eat, or go to the party, or skip the party- all I want right now is the truth. You're just hurting yourself more by lying. I can't believe you took a life! Somebody was breathing, and then they weren't. Because of you!", she screamed. Her face was tear streaked, and bright red, which was weird considering she had dark caramel skin like I did. "Tell me everything- what's wrong with doing that if I already know the major parts?", she asked, wiping away a tear.

I bit my lip. She was right. She already knew that I was a murderer, and she already somehow had to have proof. Without it she wouldn't have confronted me- I know Meadow. So what should I do? Should I answer her questions?

What if she asks a risky one? I sighed, and took another step back. I would have to tell the truth before things got worse.

But then again, what really is the truth? I'm still hiding so much, so many risky things. I can't expose some things, no matter what the consequences for that are. I would face much worse by selling my blackmailer out.

I would have to keep quiet for this one.

I'm sorry, Meadow.