Ivan's POV:
Ivan had parked his bike aside and got off. He hadn't gone home but instead went to his and Mason's favourite little hideout. The cool wind had blown, giving relief from the hot day it had been. The sky lit up in orange hues as the sun set across the horizon. The sound of the waterfall calmed Ivan from the demons that haunted his mind. He knew he should probably speak to someone, but he couldn't. His mind kept wondering to earlier, the incident between himself and Mason. He never imagined anything like that could ever happen.
Himself and Mason often sat at this waterfall just to talk or hang out. They often swam too but lately they hadn't had time for that unfortunately. He was hoping his friend was okay after he had to leave so quick earlier.
"So that's where you are!" Mason said behind him, making Ivan almost jump out of his skin. "I went to your house, and you weren't there, mate."
"Oh, yeah. I needed some fresh air in my lungs," Ivan said with a half smile. "How did it go?"
Mason paused and sat on the cold rock beside him. "Not as expected if I'm honest. We assumed he... you know." Mason paused again. "Turns out, they think something was in the drink he had. Paraquat or something. It was weird. The detective asked who bought the drinks in and stuff."
Ivan pulled his eyebrows together. "Isn't that weed killer? Why would someone put that in a drink?"
"I asked the same question," Mason said, staring at the water in front of them. "We had to tell him that Jackson had bought the drinks in for the formal."
"I doubt Jackson would purposely put this kind of chemical in a drink. Jackson would not be capable of murder. There is no way," Ivan said, resting a hand on Mason's shoulder.
They both knew Jackson and he could never. They had been friends for about four years, so they knew each other inside out or so they thought. Mason sighed and Ivan had no idea what to say.
"Sometimes life is unfair," Mason said as he stared off in the distance.
Ivan nodded. "Yes. Yes, it is. Do you think the police would want to question Jackson?" His moved his hand down to his friends back and started to rub in small circles.
"Yes. They're probably already there," Mason answered as he dropped his head onto Ivan's shoulder. "They already questioned you last week!"
"And I have been cleared, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere. Relax a little. Stress isn't good for you," he said, trying to be as soothing as he could while he rubbed his friends back.
"It gets tiring being the strong one all the time. My sister's a mess and I'm here trying to keep everyone together. I'm so sick and tired of everything," Mason admitted with a sigh.
Ivan leaned his head over head Mason's. "You don't need to pretend with me."
"You know," Mason started before he paused briefly. "You are the sunshine, and I am like the midnight rain. You're so positive and I'm just... so gloomy often."
"No, you aren't. I love you just as you are," Ivan admitted as he ran his fingers through his friend's hair.
–
Mason and Ivan had sat for a while to admire the view before they decided to go to Jackson's house. They had secretly hoped that he would be home. Their friend had been living on his own for just over six months now. It was difficult for him at first, but he adjusted. Jackson's parents both had died after they were involved in an accident where a truck driver had hit them side on which made their car roll across the road and hit a tree. It took emergency works well over an hour to cut the car open and take his parents out. Until then it was too late. Their injuries were too extensive, and they couldn't be saved. Ivan had stayed with Jackson for a few weeks to ensure he was okay and had everything he needed. He had felt bad and couldn't imagine how upsetting it would be to have both parents killed in one hit.
After being stuck in traffic for a lifetime, they eventually got to Jackson's white fibro house. The grass was long and probably hadn't been cut for quite a few months if Ivan had to guess. The flowers under one of the windows looked like they had seen better days as they were slowly dying away. Black curtains were closed over the windows.
Mason walked ahead towards the front door and knocked. They waited before knocking again. Their friend didn't answer but Ivan had a sinking suspicion on where his friend might be.
"Do you think he's with the cops?" Ivan asked as he turned to face Mason.
Mason nodded slowly. "Well, that is a possibility but they cannot keep him so he should be coming home. They need evidence first."
Ivan nodded and sighed. "Now what?"
"We wait." Mason walked to the left of the porch and sat on one of the single metal seats that sat on either side of a small round table.
Ivan had sat on the free chair. They didn't need to wait long before Jackson appeared.
"Ivan. Mason. What are you two doing here?" Jackson asked, running a hand over his hair.
"We wanted to see you," Mason replied. "Did the cops speak to you yet?"
Jackson unlocked the door and gestured for them to come in. The interior was still as Ivan remembered. Bare walls that were on the verge of cracking. Dark carpet lined the floor. A singular photo of Jackson and his family hung in the living room above the white sofa, a tv rested on a table across from it. It was the exact same as it was. Ivan understood why his friend wouldn't want to renovate the place. It held memories and special moments that could never be replicated.
"I was just at the police station actually," Jackson answered once they were in the living room. Dark circles took over under his eyes. "They asked questions, I answered them. There was not enough evidence to convict me, so they let me go. I do have to say, I think they highly suspect me of doing it."
Mason eyed him. "Would you?"
Jackson sat up straight, his eyes went wide. "No! Why would I? I'm not ruining my entire life. No way."
Mason nodded. Ivan could cut the tension with a knife. He really wanted to leave but he couldn't in fears that his friends would jump each other.
–
Ivan sat on the edge of his bed. His friends didn't kill each other, and they had gone back to their homes safely. He was glad for that. The night was beautiful to him. The moon in the night dark sky, the stars looked like glitter. He had another idea. One that would give him the same buzz it did the last time he did it. The first time. He hadn't been caught so he was happy about that. The blonde girls frightened screams were music to his ears. He quickly closed the window, cutting the air that came in and closed the curtains.
His basement was like a graveyard. He barely used it and just stored things in it occasionally. It was pitch black until he flipped the switch, and a light dimly lit the room. A wooden desk laid on one side of the room, a second one with draws right next to it. Several large floating shelves decorated the walls with all sorts of stuff on them. He didn't use his basement much unless it was for tools or chemicals.
Slowly he made his way to the wooden bench where a folder lay. He opened it, flipped a few pages and stopped at the third sleeve. A photo of Jackson looked back at him. His friend was handsome. It was too bad he wouldn't last very long. Ivan closed the folder again and looked up at the clock. Jackson should still be awake. He had been sneaky before and he could probably do it again. No one would see him. Jackson's neighbours were very far apart, and they all slept around 7pm.
He put on some gloves and slid open one of the draws where several small black bottles lay. He raised one of the bottles and looked at it. Paraquat. A weed killer that was very dangerous if consumed. Jackson was a good dude, but Ivan knew he had to get rid of him. He pulled out a white vial and a syringe. The green liquid filled the vial, and he closed it and slipped it in his pocket. Excitement washed over him. An energised buzz.
Jackson didn't live too far from him so he could easily walk over. There was a dead street behind his friend's house that he could walk on and sneak into the house like he had done the last time during formal.
–
The main roads were bustling with life as people walked every which way, going in and out of the different stores. Laughter and chatter filled the otherwise empty air. Many of the stores didn't close until 9 pm so it was ideal for anyone who worked to catch what they needed. Ivan had to weave in between people who walked between the different clothing stores. He didn't mind crowds but at the same time he wanted to get past them as quick as possible.
He eventually got past the main road and was well on track to his plan. The dark back alley was blocked off by huge bushes but that didn't stop Ivan from slipping between it and the fence to get access to it. He had made sure no one had seen him before he did so. It would have been disastrous if he had been caught.
It was a full moon in the dark sky with the cold air gently blowing. The grass on either side of the concrete path was tall, as if it hadn't been cut in months. Ivan slowed his walk, trying to not make much noise. His friend's house was approximately five doors down.
A little while later he had reached the back of the house. It looked just like the front. Run down, on the verge of collapsing. The grass in the backyard was dead. There was no saving it at all. He crouched down behind the huge wooden shed and peered past it. The back two windows were wide open and were calling Ivans name. It was a good thing he had decided to wear all black to avoid being seen. The light was open on the left window but the right side was off, so he assumed it was safe to go into that room which was the spare living room which doubled as a storage room.
Jackson's shadow loomed over one side of the brightly lit room. He was bending down to pick something up it seemed. Ivan took this opportunity to quickly sneak through the small yard and into the other dark room. A sofa laid in front of the wall across the door, so he took refuge behind it. His hand rested on his trousers pocket. He was relieved that the vial was still in his pocket. All he had to do was open it into Jackson's drink then plant the chemical somewhere.
He saw Jackson's shadow move past the room he was in towards the front of the house. After a small while he heard his friend's footsteps again, this time they stopped, and a door closed then the sound of water running sounded. The pipes were screaming for their lives as the shower had run. Ivan walked out of his spot and into his friend's bedroom. He knew the layout of the house like he knew the back of his head. A black frosted glass rested on the bedside table. As Ivan got closer, he saw the glass was still quite full, so he fished out the vile and emptied half of the contents into the glass. He then walked over towards the kitchen and saw another glass on the black tabletop. He poured the rest of the vial inside of it then went back into the dark room and hid. All he had to do now was wait so he could place the bottle of the poison somewhere.