11:09pm
THUMP THUMP CLAP
Trigger warning: murder
Au
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"My last words would be the name of my murderer" Mel grinned at her best friend, Virgil, who leaned against a tree, staring at his phone screen. He snorted at her words, shaking his head. "What makes you so sure you'll know their name?" He responded, looking down at her face, her head resting in his lap. She shrugged, glancing away into the distance. "I'll just know"
"Whatever you say, Mel"
"Oh hey, look" Mel stretched her arm across the field, pointing to their head teacher who was yelling at a few younger kids. "Fucking Annabelle" she muttered - everyone in the entire school hated the head teacher, even Mel, who rarely ever expressed bad feeling towards someone. Her name isn't actually Annabelle, but Virgil and Mel began calling her that because they both hated the possessed doll (Annabelle).
"I'll only truly be happy again when we out live her" Virgil sighed, averting his eyes from the woman he despised so much. Mel chuckled breathily, turning back to face Virgil. "Hey, V?" She gained his attention once more, "I love you" she beamed, and Virgil smiled in response, for he couldn't help but smile when she did. "Love ya, too, M"
That was the last time Virgil saw Mel. The bell had rang, and both had different classes last period. Virgil texted Mel a few times when he arrived home, but she didn't respond, so Virgil assumed she was busy. The next day, when he was pulled into a room and told Mel had been killed, he didn't know how to react. At first he was speechless, staring at the head master who had tears pooling her eyes. Then, he became angry, and a few teachers had to drag him away before he attacked the woman sitting opposite him. Surprisingly, the head master brushed that aside, for he was going through a rough time, and didn't need any more hassle.
It's been a few weeks since the announcement to the school, as soon as Patton heard, he rushed out the room and found Virgil collapsed in the hallway, surrounded by a few members of staff. All Patton could do was hold his friend and let him sob - because no words of reassurance would make him feel better in that moment. Everyone in the school new how close Virgil and Mel were, and nearly everyone sent their kind regards to the boy in hopes of making him feel better. Patton and Virgil had been friends for awhile, so Patton never left his side once, otherwise Virgil would be alone, and Patton didn't want to think about what he might do.
They waited until Virgil was fit to come back before they held a ceremony. A few of Mel's closest friends stood at the front, along with Virgil who was closest to the head master. The police still hadn't figured out who the murderer was yet. He held a glass bowl full of the heads of different flowers Mel adored - every day she would have a flower in her hair, and a flower pin in her top - she knew everything and anything there was to know about them, and always had a different, random fact each day.
Virgil tried to stop thinking about it.
"They're still on the hunt" the head teacher explained, referring to the police. "But, they have asked me to ask you all for help" as she spoke, Mel's favourite song played in the background and Virgil almost broke down into sobs. Patton, who was sitting in the crowd, watched him intently, debating to go up there and hold him, or wait. "A rather odd piece of evidence was found at the crime scene" the head carried on, and held up a picture - it was floor covered in leaves, a word roughly spelled out across it.
Virgil's eyes were glued to the ground, so he didn't see it.
"The word reads Annabelle"
And, for the second time in Virgil's life, everything stopped. His eyes widened, but didn't move from the floor for what felt like years, his ears almost becoming deaf, only hearing his short gasp, and laboured breathing. Colour drained from his face until he looked like a ghost, finally lifting his eyes up to stare at the head master in horror. In that moment, their gaze met, and fear spiked through his body, forcing his arms to drop the bowl, it fell in slow motion, almost, the glass shattering across the wooden ground, along with the flowers that scattered along with the sharp shards.
The room crowded with an eerie atmosphere when they saw the look Virgil was sending to the head. The police - who stood by the doors - noticed and whispered to each other.
"Annabelle.." he whispered, now focusing on the picture. "Annabelle.." he repeated, taking a few steps back, hands shaking. "It..." he drifted, unable to comprehend the fact he was standing in front of Mel's murderer. "It was you" he spoke, loud enough for everyone to hear, and gasps rang across the room.
"Me?" The head narrowed her eyes, "Virgil, I understand you may not like me but-"
"It was you" he repeated, inching back further and further, "you killed Mel" he carried on adamantly, finally stopping when Patton curled an arm around his waist in comfort. "You murdered my best friend" in a flash, his voice surged with malice and hatred. "You MURDERER!" his scream echoed around the room, and the head teacher didn't know what to do - what could she do? She was caught...but would they believe him? A grieving boy?
From the crowd, a student stood up, and pointed accusingly at the head who stared with fearful, yet furious blazing eyes. "You murdered Mel!" He yelled out like Virgil, "you killed my friend!" Someone else spoke, and someone else, and more and more until everyone in the room was yelling, screaming, over and over, 'You murdered Mel!'
And, you know what? They were right.
—
11:34pm