I was escorted out the same way I had come into the police station, my questions about the whereabouts of my grandfather being met with vague and unhelpful answers. The detectives told me they would have a police car take me to school, I'm sure, just so they could keep an eye on me. I was about to protest my police escort, not wanting to leave, when the familiar sight of Casimir caught my attention and my heart leaped. I rushed over to him, wrapping the young man in a hug as soon as he got close.
If he was embarrassed by my forwardness I'd never know, but eventually, his arms raised up to hug me back, patting my back reassuringly. My cheeks flushed as he held me. I enjoyed being close to him for reasons I couldn't quite explain.
"I probably should have mentioned that you don't have to talk to the police without a lawyer present," Casimir whispered, pulling away from our hug. He glanced at the pair of cops, waiting for us near their car.
I felt my heart sink. "I'm guessing that's code for I should have kept my big mouth shut."
Casimir sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He had pulled loose his necktie and unbuttoned the top few rows of his dress shirt which seemed positively sloppy for the young man.
"We can talk about it when we're alone," he said softly, walking toward the waiting car.
"Why are we leaving? Shouldn't we stay with Grandpa?" I asked, hesitating to follow as I glanced over at the police station.
"No, he'll be fine," Casimir insisted.
"Fine?! He's been arrested," I shouted, a little too loudly.
The officers waiting on us glanced curiously in our direction and I cast my eyes down, embarrassed by my outburst. Casimir just shook his head and got into the car so I followed.
I was irritated as I sat there, not wanting to make eye contact with either of the policemen as they drove us the short distance to our school. We had timed our arrival almost perfectly, the bell for lunch ringing just as we pulled up to the front gate. My plea to be dropped off a block away from school had been ignored and now every student heading down to lunch would see us getting out of a police car and arriving late to school.
"Here ya go kiddos," the driver said as his partner laughed. I opened my mouth to say something but Casimir cut me off.
"Thank you for the ride, officers."
I shot an angry glare at the policemen as Casimir ushered me away, heading down the path towards the front doors.
"I can't believe they expect us to go to school after everything that has happened," I grumbled. "Like I'll be able to concentrate on anything while Grandpa is in jail."
"He's been arrested on trumped-up charges," Casimir insisted. "The cops don't have enough evidence to really make anything stick. They were hoping to find a murder weapon somewhere on the farm but haven't yet. They were also dependent on getting you to confess to seeing the attack."
"B-but-"
"The only reason they are letting you go so easily is so that you can lead them to the murder weapon or more evidence," Casimir explained, as we walked up the front steps of the school.
"How do you know all of this?"
Casimir tapped at his ear with a small grin and I groaned.
"Of course, super hearing," I mumbled. "So did you hear everything going on in my room?"
"Yes," he admitted.
"Did you know about all of those creepy photos Burke had of me?!" I questioned, stopping just short of the front doors. I was still weirded out by all of those, especially the ones of me half-dressed. I glanced through the glass doors, watching the students make their way to the cafeteria for lunch.
Casimir's face fell a bit, he seemed upset. "I knew the enemy was watching you, but I never saw any of those photos when I swept Burke's apartment before."
"Oh," I muttered. "That's good, I guess."
"No, it's bad. That means either I missed them when I was there the first time, or someone planted them later, I'm not sure which," Casimir grumbled.
He pushed open the door and we walked inside. We both grew quiet as we merged into the crowd of students. A few people looked at us curiously, wondering why we had come in from outside I'm sure. We filed into the cafeteria, walking quickly towards our usual table in the corner. I was beginning to notice more people looking at us and it made me nervous. I stared at the entrance doors, wondering where our friends were as we stood next to our lunch table.
"So what do we do now?" I asked, trying to look casual.
"We meet up with Azar and Maayan, then we make plans to destroy the remaining evidence the police have," Casimir said plainly. He glanced around him, making sure there was no one near to overhear him.
"Really?!" I laughed at his statement and he looked up at me quizzically.
"Really."
"You can't just destroy evidence, Casimir!" I scolded him in a hushed tone. My eyes flicked around the cafeteria nervously. I really wasn't keen for anyone to know about my Grandfather's arrest.
"Diana, please realize that this 'evidence' is all fake," Casimir lectured, his tone serious. "Someone is trying to separate you from Master Enki, probably the minions of the Dark King. We can't let them plant information like this and get away with it."
"Well, I figured someone was trying to set him up," I insisted, crossing my arms angrily over my chest. "Otherwise how does a dead body magically show up when..." I trailed off realizing that it was probably magic that created the double of Mr. Burke. The reasons behind it, although becoming clearer, were still somewhat baffling. I glanced up at Casimir, who had opened up his phone to text someone, presumably Azar or Maya. "Wait, there has to be an easier way to separate me from Grandpa, why go to all this trouble?"
"It's actually kinda genius," Casimir said quietly, tucking his phone back in his pocket.
"Really? It seems convoluted and just too complicated to me," I complained.
Casimir shook his head sadly. "What is smart about it is that they know Master Enki won't jeopardize his earth identity or harm any innocent humans. So, by pinning this murder on him they have gotten the police to lock him up, kicking you out of the most protected place we have as well."
"But you said the charges won't stick," I pressed, suddenly worried.
"We won't let them," Casimir reassured, placing his hand on my shoulder. "But we need to be very careful for the twenty-four hours until Master Enki is released." Our conversation ended there as I heard a loud gasp and the sound of my name being shouted. Zola, Sunita, Azar, and Maayan were rushing towards us, their faces looking dire.
Maayan flew towards me, beating the others to wrap their arms around me tightly as they spoke. "Happy Birthday Diana, and I'm sorry your Grandpa is in jail!"
"Diana, are you okay?" Zola blurted out.
"I'm so sorry!" Sunita added, her face near tears. Both my Zola and Sunita reached in to join Maya in our hug, engulfing me in a rush of emotions, mostly worry, pity and fear. I hugged them back, glancing at all of my friend's faces in confusion.
"How did you know?" I whispered. They pulled away, looking slightly ashamed.
"Girl, everyone knows," Zola replied in a hushed voice. "Somebody has been spreading it all over the school."
"What exactly do they know?" I asked, my voice strained. I peered over my friend's shoulders, noticing how many of my fellow students were watching us. I saw Elizabeth over at her table, glaring in our direction. She gave me a nasty smirk before leaning in to whisper to the girls closest to her. I returned my attention to my group, who had led me to the table, surrounding me as we sat.
"Just that your Grandpa George got arrested for murdering Mr. Burke," Zola said hastily. "But that can't be true, there is no way..."
Zola trailed off as she saw my face. My cheeks had gone red, tears brimming my eyes as I remembered how Grandpa was carted away by the police. I used the edge of my sweater to blot away my tears.
"Oh, Diana..." Sunita whispered, placing her hand over mine. When she touched me I could feel her fear, I wondered if it was for me or my grandfather.
"I can't believe it's true," Zola muttered.
"He didn't do it!" I responded a bit too harshly, Zola flinching at my words.
"I know that!" she snapped back.
"Sorry," I muttered. "I'm just a bit on edge."
"We get it," Azar said, drawing my attention to him. He gave me a small nod, his normally aloof expression was gone, replaced with genuine concern. "Don't worry about it."
I was stunned by his demeanor and I fought back the urge to cry once again. I opened my mouth to thank them and my stomach growled in response.
"I-I forgot my lunch," I said weakly, laughing as I spoke.
Everyone quickly spread out their food, sharing with both myself and Casimir until the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of the period. I was grateful to have such understanding and supportive friends but as we traveled from the cafeteria back to our homeroom I was beginning to realize they were the few who were on my side. I could hear not-so-quiet whispers calling me a slut and my grandfather a murderer as we made our way upstairs to class. I kept my eyes down and my lips pressed tightly together.
So much for innocent until proven guilty, I thought. Who knew Mr. Burke was so well-liked by the students, not me, that's for sure.
We waved goodbye to Sunita as she left to join her new friends in the elite class, promising to meet after school was done. As I was turning to enter my own classroom I linked arms with Zola, who glared back at any person staring at us. I was trying to ignore the onlookers and nasty whispers when peals of loud, obnoxious laughter caught my attention.
"Oh man, she actually showed up to school," Will said, chuckling harshly.
"Careful, she might hit you next," Scott snickered.
I looked over at the pair sitting atop a set of desks near the back entrance, grinning like hyenas. My glare deepened as I spotted Zachary in between them, his usual smirk plastered on his face. He pushed back his blond hair in one swoop, looking me up and down as he spoke.
"Sorry to hear about your Grandpa, Massey," he said, sliding off of the desk to stand at his full height. I felt Zola's grip on me tighten and I looked over at her. Her eyes warned me to ignore the bully. I had just come off a four-day suspension and would be looking at a possible expulsion if I continued fighting, especially with Zachary.
"Thanks for your concern," I spat back sarcastically. The three boys broke out into more uproarious laughter and Casimir stepped in between us, glaring harshly at the trio.
"What's your problem Reynolds?" Zachary snapped, glaring down at the young man.
"He's just mad that he's gonna lose his job since his boss is a murderer!" Will piped in, laughing viciously.
"He is not!" I spat out. Both Zola and Maayan were now holding my arms, keeping me from lunging at the boys. The classroom had gone silent, all watching our interaction with bated breath.
Azar slid up behind Casimir, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Just leave them, man, they're not worth it," he said plainly.
Zachary leaned in close, dropping his voice to a low whisper. "What's wrong Reynolds? Mad that Massey would rather screw her teacher than have anything to do with you?"
There was a moment of silence and the swirl of rage and shock I felt from the room engulfed me. I thought for sure Casimir was going to hit Zachary but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Maayan rush forward, putting themselves in between the pair.
"Stop saying all these terrible things about Diana!" Maayan shouted, their voice breaking the tension in the room. "Why would you spread rumors like this? Diana never did any of these things, and her Grandfather wouldn't either!"
Zachary glared down at the watar fairy, stepping back slightly from their verbal onslaught. "Stay out of this," he said lamely. "What do you know anyway?"
"More than you!" Maayan insisted, puffing out their cheeks, their hands placed firmly on their hips. The classroom all began mumbling to themselves, most seemed shocked that the eternally cheerful Maya would become so forward. Our teacher Mr. Campbell entered the room at that moment, glaring over at our little gathering in the back.
"What's all this then? Why are you not in your seats?" he barked. Mr. Campbell was the math teacher, with dark balding hair, a thick mustache, and almost no eyebrows. He loved to teach math but unfortunately suffered from chronic bad breath, so asking for his help on anything was never pleasant.
Everyone scrambled to return to their assigned seats for the start of class. As I sat down at my desk I took a moment to glance down at Zachary's feet and sure enough he was wearing the same sneakers from the video. A new rush of rage flowed through me but I forced myself to look forward, attempting to concentrate on my studies.
Zola was kind enough to let Casimir and I borrow some writing supplies so we could take notes and participate in the classroom lecture. I noticed a few of my classmates glance over in my direction from time to time, casting me varied looks of pity or disgust. I looked down at my paper, scribbling a small thank you note in the corner before folding it up. Once I was sure nobody was looking I tossed it onto Maayan's side of the desk. The fairy snatched it up quickly and I could feel their joy as they read it. They turned slightly to smile at me and it warmed my heart.
A wave of annoyance came from the front of the classroom and I glanced up to see Mr. Campbell shooting me a sharp glare. He had just begun his explanation of yesterday's homework, the pile of collected work in his hands.
"Ms. Massey, pay attention," he shouted, causing me to jump in my seat. A wave of giggles floated across the room. Somehow I doubted it was just my lack of attention that he was mad at. I was guessing he heard the rumors about myself and Mr. Burke. I remembered vaguely that the pair of teachers seemed to be good friends, as they were always chatting happily whenever I saw them together. I once heard them lament the fact that Math and English had no crossover so they couldn't work more together.
He had passed back the homework to everyone except myself. I knew I had completed it, even during my suspension but I was afraid to raise my hand and ask. I stared at him, debating if it was worth the trouble. Casimir noticed my fidgeting and shot me a look, glancing down at the empty space in front of me. He went to raise his hand and I stopped him, shaking my head violently.
"Is there a problem Ms. Massey, Mr. Reynolds?"
"Yes sir," I answered, pulling my arm away from Casimir. "I didn't get my homework back."
Mr. Campbell stared at me blankly. "Well, I handed back everything that was turned in so..."
"I turned it in for her," Casimir informed. I could see his hand tighten in frustration.
"Oh, that's right," Mr. Campbell responded dryly. "You were on suspension Ms. Massey, correct?"
"Y-yes," I replied, embarrassed to have to say it out loud.
"Well, I don't accept work from suspended students anyway. So it appears you've just wasted your time," he declared, shrugging carelessly. "If you did finish it that is."
I sat there, astonished at his tone, trying to ignore the snickering coming from my fellow students. From the feelings he was broadcasting I could tell he was pleased with himself.
Yep, another person who hates me, yippee. This might be the worst birthday ever.
But the day was not over yet.