23
C A S S E T T E
"Well, go on then," Renée huffed impatiently, scarfing down a packet of chips on Mia's sofa in the living room. Mia really had to hand it to her, the girl really could eat and maintain her body weight. Just two minutes ago, she had a chocolate bar in her hand. It was unnatural how Renée was always eating.
"Go on what, exactly?" Mia demanded, plummeting to the seat beside her with a heavy sigh. The plush of the sofa calmed her beaten muscles and she wished she could sleep off this nightmare, but Renée insisted to come over after hearing Mia's parents were at work. She felt rude telling her not to, but now, she sorta wished she had.
Not only did she need some rest, but Mia missed the normalcy of her life. She might have played detective, but she was still a teenage girl, in her Junior year, and she really needed to put her head on straight. Do some homework, join a club, study hard for the exams, go costume shopping for Beverley's fundraiser. If it wasn't for Beverley, the biggest stress Mia would go through right now would be what superhero she'd be: Catwoman or Gamora.
Renée gazed at Mia incredulously. "Um, I don't know, let's watch the only thing you salvaged from that bright idea of yours?"
Perfectly aware of the cold attitude and sarcasm laced in her tone, Mia winced. Any other day, she'd snap back, especially under the circumstances; but she decided to cut Renée some slack. She hadn't told her about those images of the naked girl. How a strand of hair in the picture showed it was blonde. How the girl's body was angled like it was a photo shoot and she was the ravishing model. And she was, really. Jeffrey's camera surely loved her. How do you tell that to a girl who had most likely been cheated on?
Mia coughed, clearing her throat. "Not my fault I didn't know where the key to the darkroom was," she lied with a firm tone. "You didn't even tell me there was one!"
Eating the last chip of the packet, Renée raised one shoulder and dropped it. "I didn't think it'd be useful information," she stated. "I didn't know where Jeff hid the key and also, I've only been in there once, all it consisted of was Yearbook photographs." Renée concluded, before what seemed like realization dawned on her features. "And anyway, where did you find that cassette in the first place? He locks them up in the darkroom."
Busted.
All there was now, was the truth. Wincing, Mia admitted, "Okay, so I lied -- but I have a reason!"
"What the fuck are you talking about, Mia?"
Well, this didn't go to plan.
"I did find the key to the darkroom," she admitted with a shaky sigh, holding up the cassette. "And this wasn't all that I found."
Mia didn't know the girl in front of her well, so she had no idea what her reaction would be. Would she get mad, and scream at her? Or would she mistrust her? Those questions were answered when Renée gave her a blank look. "I thought we were supposed to trust each other," she shot at her.
Mistrust, it was.
Mia felt guilty, but she knew she didn't have ill intentions. "I didn't want to tell you because," Mia braced herself, sucking in a deep breath before releasing it. "There were photographs of a naked blonde girl in there."
Renée didn't look too surprised, but that trace of hurt and betrayal in her eyes made her features melt. "I knew it," her voice broke slightly, and so she cleared her throat before continuing. "Did you see who it was?"
"No," Mia said, which really wasn't a lie; but the look of disappointment on her face told Mia it was just time to tell Renée her suspicions. Renée deserved at least that. Plus, if they did watch the film, and it validated Mia's suspicions, Renée would connect all the dots and mistrust Mia even more which she did not want.
"But I do think it could be somebody," Mia spoke up, feeling unsure but relieved at the same time to have it out in the open. She didn't wait for Renée to answer, the girl's eyes were wide with suspense. "I think it could be Beverley."
At first, Renée showed no emotion, just processed the information; let it seep into her pores and repeat itself in her mind. Jeff and Beverley. Jeff and Beverley. Mia felt horrible, in a silly way, she felt almost at fault; because it was her best friend that could have possibly been the third person in Renée's relationship; screwing with the guy that she had actually loved.
She knew Renée loved Jeff; in the way, she cried for him, in the way her eyes shone when he was actually around, before everything. Mia couldn't possibly imagine what it was like to open your heart like that to a person only to have them stomp on it and not have the decency to own up to their actions.
For a stupid reason, Mia thought of Matias. Not because they were ever in a similar situation -- but when she thought of that kiss in the pool, and his name appearing on her phone screen, she thought that maybe she'd be able to open her heart to him, too. A silly thought, dumb timing.
"Beverley as in your angel other-half?" Renée spat with malice, her mood changing drastically to fury. "How long did you know about this?"
"I don't know for sure," Mia said truthfully. "Which is why I'm doing this."
"So ... you think Beverley, your friend, could have something to do with Jeff's disappearance, too?" Renée didn't sound convinced.
"Why?"
Mia flinched, but she holds up the cassette. "Let's just watch this."
• • •
After finding her dad's ancient film player, and sliding the cassette in, Mia sunk back into the sofa beside Renée as the screen started to flicker.
"Were you at this party?" Mia inquired, her memory might have been hazy that night but she definitely did not remember seeing Renée there. Maybe she wasn't paying attention.
Renée's features visibly darkened. "Nope," she answered. "Jeff and I were broken up here."
Now Mia regretted asking, but they dropped the subject, sitting in silence.
Finally, the film started to play on the screen. The first thing Mia could pinpoint was that it was Jeff's house, and then his voice started to ring from the speakers. "September 17h, my grand back to school rager!" He began to film around the house, and it looked tidy, too tidy. The sun that filtered over the furniture like a cloak told Mia it was still day. His excitement is buzzing through the screen, and he filmed around the house, showing off the kegs and alcohol bottles he had scored for the night. The bowls of snacks on the tables, the speakers that pumped music, his outfit in the reflection of the hallway mirror; all whilst speaking.
Mia glanced at Renée, to see if any of this was affecting her. His voice, his reflection. She seemed fine, watching in silence, but still, and very tense. A different kind of excited. One filled with dread to carry on watching.
The sound of a doorbell ringing made Jeffrey twist the camera, and film his face. She could feel the movement of Renée flinching from her seat on the sofa and she herself stiffened. He had a smile on his face, blaring a set of white teeth. There was stubble on his jaw and his hair tickled the tops of his ears. "And that, my dear friends, is the first person to arrive for the night! Let's get this party started!" Jeff said into the camera, and then nothing. The screen goes black.
For a second. Two. Renée and Mia exchanged looks of confusion. But then, again, the film started again; this time, Jeff was recording the people around him.
Kelly Baliérre walking in with Josh Henderson. Some of the lacrosse players started circling Jeff, clapping each other on the back, making dumb faces at the camera. Kyle Walkins called out, "Jeff, you really can't live without that thing, can you!?"
To which Jeff replied with, "This is my life, bro!"
And it was. He filmed his life, memories he'd never lose. Mia hoped he'd return to continue doing so.
The second half wasn't really all that important. Just people from their school getting wasted, dancing the night away, making millions of mistakes in said one night. It all got rather boring, actually.
Mia had come in fashionably late that night, as always. She always thought she had a celebrity status but she could tell people had fun with or without her in their sights. A self-absorbed thought, but hey, she was only human.
Not like she'd be able to identify who she had fun with at that party. That whole night was a complete and utter blur; must have been the Jack that numbed her senses and diminished any rational thinking. But she did remember one thing. Hands in the night. Rough, yet tentative. The taste of alcohol on a lovers' lips.
Matias.
Maybe on this film, she'd be able to clarify if what had been coming back to her really happened. Because it was hard to look at Matias when all she pictured was kissing in the dark and not remembering a thing. She tried to ignore that possibility. This film could clarify a lot of things. It better had delivered.
Five minutes later, finally, there was something. Fresh in Mia's mind, too.
Jeff ran out to the porch following the back of Derrick Taylor; who, shortly after, toppled over the porch and started emptying out his stomach's contents on a pretty bush of flowers. Mia grimaced as the whole thing was caught on camera. "For fuck's sake, Derrick, my mom is going to murder me!" Jeff exclaimed, his voice barely a buzz amongst the music and laughter from his peers around him.
Soon, his camera found a new subject. Mia and Beverley. She felt weird watching herself on camera. They really did look like an angel and a devil. It didn't take a geniua to figure out who was who. With Mia's sooty black eyes, wine red lipstick, black combat boots and leather jacket, she was obviously the devil. Beverley's smile had just screamed angel.
The two girls looked into the camera with a smile before rolling their eyes and glancing away. He zoomed a little closer, voice loud and clear, "Mia and Beverley, so nice of you to grace us with your presence."
The camera stuck to filming Beverley's face, who coyly smiled, and looked at it from the corner of her eye; before switching back to Mia who smiled. "Is that sarcasm I'm detecting?"
Jeff zoomed out, filming the two girls and the chaos around them. "Hell no! The party just started now that you're here!"
His tone almost seemed ...flirtatious, and it made Mia feel tense sitting beside Renée.
In the film, Mia walked deeper into the house, but the filming didn't stop there. He put his camera down, filming Beverley's white converse. "Did you do it?" He asked her, a whisper in the night but loud and clear on film.
No response. "Did you break up with Toby?" Jeff rephrased.
On the film, Bev moved closer to him, letting party goers walk by without bumping into her. "No," she told him firmly.
"What the fuck, Bee? You said you would! Y'know, I'm sick of being your secret!"
"Lower your voice," she hissed.
The camera captured his hand folding over her forearm. "I broke up with Renée for you and now you're stringing me along, as always!"
Renée remained silent as ever.
"I didn't tell you to do that," Beverley snatched her arm from his grip. "I want to be with Toby."
"Really?" Jeff scoffed. "That fucking punk?"
"Don't call him that."
"God, you're so fucking twisted, Bee. You defend him, parade him, all the while you're in my bed." Their was blatant smugness laced in his tone.
But then, on the film, Mia called Beverley back to her, who stalked off, and the camera followed their backs as they went into the dining room of the house.
The next five minutes afer that was useless information but Renée finally broke the silence. "Well, there is your confirmation," she gestured to the screen. "Saint Beverley was fucking my boyfriend."
Mia winced. "Yeah," she responded. "You okay?"
"I will be," muttered Renée with a scowl. "Once I yank her hair from her scalp."
Pausing the film with the remote, Mia spun to face her with alarm. "No, you can't!" she exclaimed. "She's dangerous."
Renée scoffed. "Yeah, right."
"I think she killed Jeffrey," Mia blurted out. "The night he went missing, she came to my house covered in blood. I know this sounds crazy, trust me, I do," her voice was muffled by the lump building in her throat. "But she's dangerous. And she scares me. I can't lose another friend to her."
She was thinking of Kiki. Of course, she was. And she was telling the truth. She didn't want to lose Renée, too.
Now, there were tears in Renée's eyes. "This is too much," she said. "Why didn't you go to the police?"
"I was scared," Mia confessed. "I think I may be an accessory to the crime."
a/n: woah, what a long chapter. anywho, hi, how are you all? if you liked this chapter, vote and comment guys! especially comment! i want to know what you're thinking!
also, i've uploaded a new book. it's not out yet BUT you can go check it out if you'd like! but of course, it is a mystery/thriller. of course it is. guys, i see a theme here. haha. love,