The academy is back open and our plan to sneak inside the Restricted Section is going to action. And that plan is horrendous.
Molly being the distraction, Innes guarding the door, and Ollie and I checking The Restricted Section out for ourselves.
"Hi!" Molly smiles at the librarian, Ms.Sage.
Ms.Sage stares at Molly, her eyebags darker than usual. " . . . "
Me, Ollie, and Innes ducks and sprints to The Restricted Section. Innes stops and looks around, hands clasped with her balance swinging side to side.
"What do you want?" Ms.Sage spits.
Molly leans against the wooden counter. "Can I see the borrow receipt from last month?"
"No."
She pouts. "Aw. Please?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because."
Molly peeks over the table. "Hm. It must be here somewhere . . ."
Ms.Sage pushes her head out of the way, clearly annoyed. "I know what you kids are up to. You want to go to The Restricted Section and see what happened."
"What?" Molly furrows her brows. "How? I just want to see the borrowed receipt."
Ms.Sage looks our way before Molly yanks her face away. She staggers as she grabs the first thing she sees. She snatches a glass bottle and smashes it on her head, water, and glass splashing down her.
"Ahh!" She dramatically wails in agony and covers her face. "Ms.Sage!"
Everybody looks at her and starts whispering, scaring Ms.Sage's reputation.
Molly cries fake tears as Ms.Sage panics and tries to calm her. "H-hey!"
Innes covers her mouth in embarrassment as Ollie watches her in amazement. Sometimes, I don't know what's going on in Molly's brain. That girl is smart in all the wrong ways.
I catch a glimpse of Neon, Astra, and Luka standing side by side. Their prefect badges glistened. All three of them looked concerned and paused in thought for a moment. Neon opened her mouth in awe, trying not to laugh out loud, while checking her friend's reaction before they rushed to help.
Me and Ollie ran into The Restricted Section while a huge commotion unfolded behind us. Molly took the distraction too far . . . now I'm worried for her.
The room is filled with bright yellow caution tape and evidence cones. This was serious.
I bring out my camera and snap some shots.
I notice scratch marks on the ground, seems like he was dragged across the floor.
We sneak around the room and the more we linger, the more we feel TBB's presence.
I snap a picture of where his body was found, on top of a shelf. It's almost like I can feel TBB behind me.
"Do you feel that?" Ollie asks me, his voice slightly scared.
I sigh. "Him?"
"Yeah." He looks around. "I can feel him. It's like . . . he's here. With us."
In the corner of my eye, a hazy figure stood. Brunette hair, brown blazer, brown pants, white shirt. I turned my head but . . . nobody was there.
The door suddenly creeks open.
And when I tell you my heart dropped.
Ollie and I anxiously and quickly hid behind a shelf in panic. Who could possibly be at the door?
"What the fuck . . ." Well, well, well. The murderer always returns to the crime scene. Seth walks in, his voice filling me with anger. I clutch my fists until they grew pale.
Another voice follows. "You've got to be kidding." Pandora warns, her tone shivering. "We're screwed."
I shoot a warning glance at Ollie as he shakes his head. He knew what I was going to do.
I come out from the shelf and before I knew it, I had punched Seth.
"Ah!" He bleeds. He deserves that.
I grab him by the collar, feelings taking over me. "Doesn't feel so good, does it?"
"Steph!" Pandora shouts, panic in her face. "Bro, what the fuck was that?!?"
I look at her, no more love in her presence. "What the hell, Pandora? I was there. Yes. You punched TBB and locked him in The Restricted Section. Right here." She freezes, not knowing what to say. "You killed him, didn't you, Pandora?"
"What?!?" She trembles, her eyes flickering. "No! Why the fuck would you think that?!?"
I almost laugh at her, my fingertips going numb. "You locked him in here! You! Because of you, he's dead! He's dead!"
"I didn't kill him!"
Seth scoffs. "He ain't even dead. And if you were here, why didn't you let him go?"
I collect my senses and release Seth, my lip twitching. I push him out of the way and leave. I could feel her gaze follow me up until I was gone. I may have done what I've always wanted to . . . but now I regret it.
Ollie runs up beside me as Innes joins us.
"Well?" Innes asks, trying to keep up with my speed.
Ollie giggles. "He punched Seth!"
I sigh even louder than Innes, who seemed like she didn't believe Ollie's words.
"Jesus Christ, Steph." I try to ignore her. I know she's the most disappointed because she knows I would never do that. I don't even know why I even did that. "What the fuck."
Ollie laughs. "Where's Molly?"
"Clinic."
I rub my face in stress. I feel horrible. And I can't even imagine why I didn't help TBB. "I need to go to the bathroom. I need to get to my senses."
"As you should."
***
I splash water on my face and keep my hands there, the warmth sticking to my skin. I hold the sides of the bowl, leaning into the mirror, and look at myself. My damp face, wet hair, and an ashamed expression. I can't believe myself.
I didn't mean to come out so aggressive. I don't even know why I just . . . snapped. I feel horrible. The love-fluttering sensation whenever I think of her was replaced with the crushing weight of guilt.
I stay where I am, letting the feeling sink in when I hear faint sobbing from a stall. I can't bring myself to ignore it. I've already done something cruel. I need to at least make someone feel better if I can.
I slowly approach the stall and softly knock. "Hey, are you, uhm, okay?"
They stay quiet.
"Of course, you're not okay . . ." I swing side to side. "What's the, uh, matter then?"
"Shut up." Someone hisses from inside, his voice weak.
It was Touma.
He must be a mess because of what happened to TBB.
"Oh, Touma." I grit my teeth as I quickly feel awkward. I've never actually talked to Touma before, but I guess that changes now. "I'm sorry about what happened."
I hear him sniff, probably looking up to blink away the tears. "You shithead." He pauses. "Everybody thinks he's dead. He's not. He's just . . ." He cries, this time not holding back. "It's just- . . . I don't even know why I'm talking to you."
The clogged sink fills the room with the sound of water dripping, forming a pool of liquid. I think of what to say. I don't want to screw up again.
I take a deep breath. "That's great then. He's still alive."
"I don't even know if he's still alive! But they took his fucking eyes! He's blind! They stabbed him, a-and-" He shivers, trembling. "There were m-marks all over his eyes! Like fucking bruises!" His voice raises. Both in agony and anger. "I saw him!" His voice cried with pain and agony. "I saw him!!!"
They . . . took his eyes. Oh my God. You've got to be kidding. My gut twists as the door bursts open with Ollie wide-eyed.
"Stephan!" He yells. "Another Gossip Wave . . ."
Oh no.
"TBB was found at the Library with hollow eye sockets and a stab to the gut!"
***
I sit with Molly in the clinic with her head mummified with gauze.
She nods her head in a daze after Ollie explains what just happened. And for the first time, she reconsiders.
Innes stares into nothing, taking everything in one word at a time. "This . . ."
"Jane first and now TBB." My leg bounces up and down as I bite my nail. "What if we're next?"
We all stay silent. The Blossoms aren't making jokes anymore and reality is starting to sink in. What if we are next?
"Don't say that." Ollie knots his brows. "Don't even think about that. We aren't next. We didn't do anything wrong."
We didn't do anything wrong. Maybe I did something wrong.
I didn't help TBB.
I think about what I said to Pandora. I think of how I punched Seth. I think of how they're the prime suspects. I don't want to think that but . . . sometimes, you can't help it.
"Who do you think the attacker is?" I ask.
"Seth and Pandora." I was hoping Ollie wouldn't say that.
Molly sighs. "Lav."
"Lav?" I ask again. "Why?"
"Just a hunch."
"A teacher." Innes blurts out, catching all our attention. "What?"
"A teacher?" Molly slowly repeats syllable by syllable.
"Yeah. I doubt a student could even pull that off."
I comb my hair back with my hand, noticing how I'm horridly trembling. "Let's ask other people about what they think . . ."
"Why?"
"What if they slip up? I-I'll record them."
We all stay silent.
"Sorry." Now I realize how stupid I sound.
"No, no. Let's do it." Ollie glances at Molly, who seems exhausted.
"Why?" She repeats for the second time.
"Come on. Stephan is right! Maybe we could get enough evidence to solve this crime . . .or tell the police."
"Telling the police sounds more appetizing." She sighs, drained of her attitude.
"Then let's tell the police." He reassures her. "But let's start off with people we know are safe to interview."
"Like?"
"Luka? Neon? Maybe Astra?" I shrug, my Cassius Post reflexes seeping in.
Innes nods. "Fine. Let's start with Neon. Not my brother."
"Why?" Molly asks for the third time.
"She found Jane. And . . ." She slouches in defeat. "My brother would get mad at me if I tried to intervene."
"Let's do this then! Molly jumps up, fire in her eyes. Her attitude was back. "Let's catch The Hazard!"
(YESSS WOOHOO!!!)