Placebo Effect: [Zane X Reader]

Six- Beastly Beauty

Plandiv let out a breath through his teeth and he shook his head. "It's such a shame what happened to him, sweet pea. I really am sorry." He fell silent for a few moments and I heard him shuffle in his seat a few times before clearing his throat. "I'm sorry, but I still have a few more questions."

I took in a quick breath and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "Oh, of course." I grumbled, taking in a shaky breath.

"Where were you all day Wednesday?" He asked. I knew what he was implying. I knew I had to be ruled out as the murderer. It still made my stomach churn that I was suspected. I knew it was coming and still the question socked me across the jaw and made me want to hurl all over the pristine cold space.

"I am afraid I can't answer that." The quick answer came and Plandiv recoiled. The sheriff blinked the confused look away and met blue eyes.

"Julien, you are aware that this is a murder investigation, right? I'm afraid I'm going to need an alibi, son."

The ninja shook his head, blond hair swaying with the movement. "I go by Zane now, sir. My whereabouts on Wednesday are classified."

"I was stocking the shop all day."

"Was there anyone there with you to confirm that?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir. Jay Walker and Kai Smith were with me. My dad also got security cameras last year installed in the store room. I can get you the tapes to prove I was in the shop all day, too."

Plandiv leaned closer to the boy, eyes narrowing and Zane didn't flinch.

"Well I hereby unclassify that information." His southern tone dropped an octave, harsh and cold.

Zane shook his head again. "Only the ninja are allowed that information, sir."

"And what about your new friends? And... the prodigal friend?" Plandiv raised a brow at me and I frowned, confused.

"Julien? And his friends? What about them?"

"We have reason to suspect that Zane might have something to do with this."

"Then you are officially a suspect in this investigation, kid. Stay in town."

I was released from the questioning another hour later. I provided as much information as I could and hoped that it could help in any way. My bones felt like jello as I walked from the precinct and I tripped over my own two feet multiple times. My knees were bruised and bloody from where the sidewalk had grazed them as I stumbled. My mind raced a million miles an hour, gone off in four different directions. I knew that they were wrong. They had to be.

You haven't seen him in years. He could have changed.

How long does it take for someone to become a murderer? Is it something that happens over night or does it take years? Is someone always a murderer? Could I have seen signs from our childhood?

He shows up unannounced for the first time in years and you don't know what happened to him or what he's done in that time.

But I know Julie. He's kind and caring and he held me tight after I found out dad was dead.

Why wouldn't he give an alibi to Plandiv? That's suspicious.

"Get your chin off your chest, idiot. You look like a slumping 80 year old."

A voice snapped me from my trance and I jumped out of my skin.

Oh.

"When did you get home?" I pushed past my twin sister and into the shop. The door jingled and Mavis pawed at my feet as I made my way in.

"What do you care? It's not your business, jerk." Dani hissed, and I'm sure behind me she propped her hands up on her hips.

I seethed, spinning on my heel and facing her. "Why are you acting like this? How could you? Our dad is dead and you're still being a pest." I shook my head.

She gave a wicked grin and shoved me, hands flinging me backwards into that ugly sea shell lamp. I gave a yelp as I tumbled backwards, the lamp shattering into a million pieces beneath me. Glass shards stuck into my thigh and I hissed through my teeth, tears welling up. Again.

Dani snickered and leaned close to my ear. "Go clean that up, Cinderella."

I'm pretty sure I flooded the shop with salty tears. The surf boards floated out the front door, the stream taking Salem and Mavis with it. Or at least, with how much I bawled just then, that should have happened.

The blood from the glass trickled onto the hard wood floor, staining it I'm sure.

I wished so much in that moment for my dad. Dad had always loved both of us, but he was always always there to fix the mess Dani made when she came crashing back into my life. He was there to sooth my tears, or get me a piece of frozen meat for my black eye, or clean my cuts, or hold me tight when I was just so scared. I wished and I hoped and I prayed for him then.

He never came.

Of course, I knew this. I knew that he was gone and that he would be gone forever. That nothing could bring him back. I knew that. That didn't really stop me from begging the universe for my dad back, though.

As you imagined, he never came.

And so the sun set and rose again and I never moved from my spot on the cold hard floor. I waded in and out of sleep and crying. I waited and waited and my eyes always were always glued to the door. I left it unlocked for him. In case he left his keys at home.

I pretended and sat in my pool of blood and denial willing myself to believe my dad was fine and that he was just out at the grocery store. That this all was an elaborate prank and he would come and scoop me up, patch me up, and take me for icecream. Any minute now, he would plow through the doors, singing some old 80s song and carrying on about a new ship wreck he found while diving.

But alas, all that came through the door was the harsh light of morning and the harsh reality that my wishing would never get me anywhere.

And so, I picked myself up. I pulled the glass and broken pieces of shells from my skin. I wrapped myself in warmth I could only pretend was my dad's hug and shoveled down an entire carton of icecream.

No one else was going to do it, so I decided I should.