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❝ you had the audacity to repair me,
and then leave ❞
"I HAVE IT," Imogen waved a limp sheet of paper in front of Archer's face in the cafeteria. It's been three days and her mind has scoured every possibility. Suspects.
"Have what Im?" Archer tangled his hair in his fingers, the only hint of his exasperation. Imogen glared at him. Just because he was a year older didn't mean he always had to treat her like she was a younger sister. They were in the same grade, it wasn't her fault she started school early.
His friends were smirking. Friends who were friends of Liam's, "Yeah Arch, what does she have, hm?" one of them teased suggestively.
"His baby," another muttered under his breath.
"God, Liam just died and you're already making jokes about me moving on? Get a life Jacques," Imogen rolled her eyes, sticking her most important finger at him, telling him to shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
Jacques puts his hands up in surrender, backing away from the bombshell, "Yeah, of course Immy, no offense," he said carefully. He knew they were all walking on eggshells, Liam's death was a shock to them all, and it seemed that Imogen was the one taking it hardest.
She was so over immature prep school boys.
"Arch? Remember, the thing?" Her face flickered and for a brief moment she considered how insane she must sound to him. To everyone. Would they just measure her as another grief stricken face?
"Seriously Imogen? Right now? That's just a stupid pet project," Imogen schooled her face into one of perfect boredom. A face she's had years of practice perfecting for her mother. Still, his words stung. Just like every other time. She thought he had believed her but she was just an outlet for his grief it seemed.
"I-You know what, never mind," Imogen decided, she didn't need Archer anyways. So she closed off like she always did.
"Imogen!" she heard his voice calling at her back but she continued striding away, her shoes clicking on the floor.
She didn't need him anyways.
✦ ✦ ✦
She stormed away, seeking solace in the library, her safe haven, before pulling out the list from before.
SUSPECTS.
Imogen thought about how silly she seemed. The only girl in the world who believed murder could happen in Rennwood Was she stupid, perhaps mildly insane? Had she read too many books, like Archer said? Maybe she should just give up, was it worth it all?
She thought she had known Liam but maybe she didn't know him at all, just another person she only knew at a shallow level.
All the same, she wanted so badly to believe that Liam hadn't jumped, that he hadn't committed suicide, that he hadn't decided that she wasn't something to live for. She wanted to believe he would have fought for her, stayed with her. Not left her like this.
