The Psycho Is Innocent | ꪜ

Chapter 21: The Alleged Game

A  R I E L

SUSTAIN ALL THE crazy ideas that somewhere deep down, I'm some sort of psychopath hiding underneath a head of red locks and a preppy smile. No, I'm not crazy, I'm angry. Hell, I'm always angry. It's as if ever since Tobias was arrested, I've reverted to my old self. All the years of anger management classes and therapy have now gone out the window, and I've found myself growing increasingly irritated as the days go by.

I feel like a moving train barreling down a track, blaring its loud horn as toxic fumes spurred out from the chimney unable to slow down. As the train accelerates down the track, it takes no notice to the people standing in its way or on the sideline, the only clear objective is to arrive at its destination. And sadly enough, unbeknownst to those people the train cares less for them and more for the person it's trying to reach. So as their arms are out before them, hoping to have that train slow down, their limb is simply ripped away from their body without a second glance.

The train doesn't see when they fall, and even if it does it has little time to ponder on the pain it has caused. No one knows what goes on in my mind and most times I find myself equally as confused. I can be happy right this second but snap to the point where I imagine your head stuck between the sliding doors of a train, unable to move as it speeds down the tracks and your limp body crushes between the metal and concrete.

That's how sinister I can think when I don't have a steady grasp on my mental health in regards to my anger indisposition. So as I sat on my red convertible, hands shoved down my pocket as my eyes watered from the ice-cold breeze sweeping across my face: I knew I had no choice but to stop fooling around and get the answers I'm in desperate need of no matter the consequences.

          I need to be that train.

I looked up from the icy patch of snow on the ground, my gaze finding the entrance of the school, waiting till they stepped out of the building one by one. I texted Lewis and Larson to meet me when class was done but there was one person I needed to tackle before I leave. Maybe I can get some answers out of him whilst also reaping the benefits of having the upper hand.

"What are you doing here so early?"

"What are you doing here so early?" I asked, brows arching upward as my gaze followed his every move: the way one hand was shoved down his washed-out blue jeans pants and the way the other tightened around his leather jacket even though it was freezing outside. "I don't know and I asked first if I may recall."

"You already answered so I win."

"Didn't know it was a game," he snapped. I held back the urge to ram his head against the boot of my car and instead mustered up a tight-lipped smile, "I need to ask you a favour." He leaned against the wall, "that depends on what the favour is and what I get out of helping you." Theo made it pretty clear that he thinks I'm stupid yesterday but I hit him with a counter-attack, letting him know that I could read him as easily as he does with other people.

He called me crazy, implying that I have a secret thing going on with a group of people he referred to as "them." 'I'm not sure what he was babbling about but it clearly has something to do with Tobias, Maria and Kayla. He may have appeared to be strong and macho yesterday but for a fleeting second before he told me to not trust anyone I saw the fear and hesitation on his face. He knows something that he shouldn't be discussing with anyone, especially me.

And what way do you get someone to believe you know something that they know? You play into their deluded suspicions. "I know your secret, Theo." As expected, his lips dropped into a thin line and a fearful look cast over his face. He can't hide it even if he tries. Theo is smart, he knows that I may be bluffing but I could tell that he was surprised to see that I saw right through him yesterday. Because of that, he won't truly know if I'm being genuine or if I'm bullshitting him.