"Tell me about the last conversation you had with Bryce Walker," The Sheriff said to me, his expression serious.
I had one serious conversation with Bryce, maybe weeks before the homecoming game. "The last time I saw him was the homecoming game," That wasn't a lie, I did say a few words to him there. So, that was a conversation, was it not?
"I've heard that you were angry at Bryce," He said to me, "Do you care to explain that?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "I wouldn't say that I was angry at him or that I am angry at him. I've been sad, disappointed. I think that's how I would explain it."
He nodded at me, "I don't think you have any thing to do with him going missing," He told me flat out. "But, maybe you know something, someone you know may know something or had something to do with it, so, if you have anything to tell me; nobody will know that you gave me any information."
"I don't know anything," I told him, which is true. I had no idea where Bryce was, why he is missing or what happened to him; if something did happen to him.
"Okay," The sheriff said, "If you hear anything," He slid over a card with his number on it. "You can reach me here, my direct line."
--:::------::------------------->◇<--------------------::------:::---
"Dawn," Bryce said to me; we met at some house that was being built, blocks away from our houses.
When he had called me, I could tell he had been crying; he was upset and doing his best to hide it. So, there was part of me that found it hard to deny him at least one conversation. After knowing him for years, it didn't hurt to at least speak to him.
"Hi, Bryce," I was nervous to meet him alone, but bringing anyone else, like Justin or Clay, even Tony- it would be a disaster and a fight.
"Look, I'm really glad that you showed up," He said quietly, "I just needed someone to talk to, I need to air some shit out."
I watched as he offered me a beer, which I quickly denied. "Uh- Look, I need to get home soon... My mom checks the Ring camera like every hour to see now... After Spring Fling," I sighed, "What's going on?"
"I'm really sorry," Bryce apologized, "I am so sorry about the people I have hurt, if I've hurt you."
I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say. There was part of me that wanted to forgive him and let that part of my life go, but the destruction that was left behind him; it was unforgivable in a way. Knowing what he did to Jessica, knowing how he lied. "I wish I was able to say I forgive you," I was honest.
"I've always respected how honest you are," Bryce admitted, "You have always been a good person- that is why I don't understand why you dated Monty out of all people. He is pure evil."
"I thought I understood him."
"I don't think you understand how terrible he is," Bryce told me.
"Now I do... Bryce, I need to go."
"I know about Spring Fling," He then told me as I was getting ready to turn and leave, "What Tyler was going to do."
I felt my heart sink, "What?"
"I saw you and Justin and Jessica run out the front doors, so I peaked out the side door. Saw Tyler waving that gun around- police interviewed me, of course. I am the rapist after all... I told them I didn't see anything."
"Thanks..."
"It's none of my business, really."
--:::------::------------------->◇<--------------------::------:::---
I was hiding the pain that I was feeling. I think everyone was.
I sat in the passenger seat of Clay's car, outside of Bryce's house waiting for Ani. "I can't believe out of all places she could live," I said quietly, "She lives with Bryce."
"Well," Clay said, "The guesthouse."
I rolled my eyes, "Whatever, it's still in Bryce's backyard..." Before I said anything else, police cars came up the road; Clay and I froze in fear as they passed us... They went into Bryce's driveway, his mother got in one of the SUVs.
"Good morning, Clay, Dawn," The Sheriff who was in charge of everything said, he leaned onto the car and, "I didn't know you two were friends."
Clay and I were, I guess, friends. Especially now, with everything going on. "Yeah," I answered, Clay was visibly nervous, "Things have been tough. I needed a friend and Clay was there for me."
The sheriff nodded, "That is understandable."
"Is everything okay?" Clay asked him.
The sheriff looked over his shoulder and back towards us, "I'm afraid not," He answered, "Difficult time here this morning. So, what brings you two by?"
"We are here to pick up a friend," I told him.
"Friend? Which friend?"
"Ani Achola."
"I see," He nodded slowly, "I don't suppose you've remembered anything that might help us out? You know, since you two last spoke with us?"
"No, sir," Clay said.
The sheriff patted the car, "Alright, take care of yourselves. I'm sure we're gonna be talking again real soon."
As he walked away, Ani got into the backseat, quickly. She seemed panicked, "What the hell?" She said, "Today is truly not the day to break the rule!" She scolded Clay.
"Okay, wait," I said as I turned to look at her, sitting there in the backseat, "What the hell happened?"
Ani took a deep breath, "They found a body," She announced, "In the river..."
"Fuck."
"Jesus," Clay's eyes widened, "Bryce?"
Ani shrugged her shoulders, "Mrs. Walker is going to the morgue to do the ID."
I felt a million different things now that it was possible Bryce was dead, "Maybe it was an accident," I suggested, "I mean, they found him in the river."
"Maybe he killed himself?" Clay asked.
"Maybe..." Ani said quietly. "they think it was a murder."
I wasn't sure what I should feel; feeling relieved was wrong, my body rejected feeling relieved even though we could stop worrying about where Bryce was. But, now we had to sit and wonder if someone murdered him. "I mean, kids don't kill kids," I said, "There's school shootings and drugs- but nobody just goes out and murders someone... That would be stupid, especially with the fact that everyone's eyes are on Bryce 24/7."
"Didn't you want to kill him?" Ani asked Clay.
"I didn't mean it!" Clay argued.
We went to school and went straight into the gym, where we met with Justin and Zach... We had to break the news to them, before anyone else did. Even though there wasn't a positive ID on the body they recovered, I was positive that it was Bryce, however. There was no way it was just some random guy they found in the river.
"Did they say what happened?" Zach asked us.
Clay shook his head, "That's all we know, that's they found the body... I just wanted to get to you guys before it hits the news."
Justin stared at us, he then rushed off and vomited into the trash can before he then rushed out of the gym all together. "What the hell," I followed him out of the building and Clay followed me.
"Justin?" I called after him, he was standing on the football field, pacing. Then I noticed that he was crying, "Are you okay?"
"No, no I'm not," He placed a hand on his forehead, "I'm fucking sad, aren't you?"
I think that's when I realized that I was a little sad. It was hard not to be sad, "Yeah," I replied quietly.
Clay looked absolutely dumbfounded at us saying this. "What? You are?"
"I've known Bryce since... Since Kindergarten," I told Clay. "Of course I'm sad."
Justin looked over at Clay, "I met him when I was eight. He was the first person who gave a shit about me, the first person to look after me, man. He was my fucking brother."
I knew Clay didn't understand, he never liked Bryce, even before all of this shit happened; he couldn't understand why we were feeling upset about him being dead. I mean, he was a kid, he shouldn't be dead. I started to wonder if maybe someone got in an argument and it went too far. Was it possible someone got in a fight with him and accidentally did it?
"I feel like he didn't look out for you two, though," Clay said.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Justin couldn't help but argue, "You don't know everything, you think you have this idea that... He was a fucking person, Clay. A human being and now he's dead."
I let out a small sigh, "Maybe the body wasn't his," I tried to think of positives, "Maybe it was some other kid and Bryce had enough and just ran away."
"That's ridiculous," Justin even argued with me at this point, he was beyond upset, "It has to be him, there's no way it's not. He's fucking dead, Dawn."
"Look, let's just wait until we actually hear the news."
--:::------::------------------->◇<--------------------::------:::---
We were in English class when the news officially broke...
"Moments ago, we received some extremely sad news from the Evergreen County Sheriff. Former Liberty student Bryce Walker was found this morning and has been confirmed dead."
"Shit," I heard Monty say from the back row, "Jesus..."
"This is the only information we have at this time, but we ask that you keep his family in your thoughts today. Crisis counseling services will be available for all students."
That was the moment I learned that Bryce was truly dead. The moment I actually felt my heart sink and I was upset; I got up and left the classroom as quickly as I entered it, rushing to the restroom where I opened the door and saw Jessica standing there looking in the mirror; looking distraught. Tears were already running down my face, "Oh," I said quietly, "Hi, Jess..."
She seemed confused, at first. Me standing there, crying after Bryce's death was just announced to the entire school. Then she seemed angry. "Why are you crying?" She questioned me, "Because of Bryce?"
I hesitated to answer, at first I wanted to walk out of the bathroom and hide. "I don't know why," I said to her, "It just- it sorta just happened."
"Has anyone even asked you how you feel about all of this?"
I was surprised to hear her ask me this, "Not really," I told her, "I rather hide the pain."
Jessica sighed, "I'm sorry," She looked over towards the mirror, "I never thought to ask you how you're doing."
"It's not your responsibility," I reassured her, "You have your own issues to deal with and they are much, much bigger than mine, Jess."
"You came to the bathroom crying, I think I should at least ask you how you're doing it."
I shrugged my shoulders, "It's all a shock; I know he was a shitty person... But, he's a kid, Jessica, he didn't deserve to die- did he?"
Jessica stood there in silence, I think I got my answer just from that. "Right," She said softly, "How close were you two?"
"We were friends since kindergarten," I told her, "Our parents were friends even before that. My mom and his mom, they're best friends."
"How is your mom holding up?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "She's okay, Bryce's mom tells her everything- of course..."
"So, what has she told her?"
I furrowed my brow, "Just that Bryce went missing and she thinks someone hurt him. She thinks Clay hurt him."