Isaiah was sitting on the couch, between Drake and Trent, with Michael at the end. Officer Vega stood in front of them, looking down at them clenching and unclenching his jaw.
"When your parents get home I'm gonna-"
"No." Drake blurted out. The cop looked at him with wide, anger-rising eyes.
"What the hell do you mean, 'No'? You can't say no to an authority figure."
"Please, sir, don't tell my parents you were here. What I think you should do is-"
"You don't get to tell me what you think I should do. I don't know what you kids are trying to pull here, but I don't like it. Now, Isaiah," He turned to the kitchen area. He went to the dining area inside the kitchen and pulled a wooden dining chair over to the front of the couch.
"Why did you lie to me?"
Isaiah was looking down, not able to look Vega in the eyes. He was ashamed of lying to such a trusting adult, especially one of the law.
"Sir, I only wanted to help my friends. I only lied about not knowing them. The rest was the truth."
"And why did you lie about knowing them? Trent and Drake, that is."
Drake and Trent were exchanging glances at Isaiah and each other. Isaiah remained silent. One way or another, it seemed that Officer Vega was going to find out about the group's secret. Drake pitied Isaiah. Not only did he help him hide a murder and lie about it, but he broke his moral code and could possibly be arrested.
Drake cleared his throat, earning the attention from Jeremy Vega, "He lied for me."
"And why would he do that?"
The boys looked at each other, wary of what they were doing. Drake was almost paralyzed. He stood up and went to the door, and made sure the door was locked. He took his phone out of his pocket and sent his mom a text message. You guys should go ahead and watch a couple of movies at the theater, considering there were a few you wanted to watch. We need more time to work on our lines than we thought. I love you :)
"Kid, hey, what are you doin'?" Vega stood from his chair, while Drake proceeded to put his back against his front door.
"I want to confess here, Officer. I think you want to sit down and listen." His voice held power in it he didn't even know he was capable of at the moment.
Since Jeremy had nothing else to do but do as the kid said, he sat down, and immediately regretted not carrying his gun in with him. He underestimated what kind of weird situation he was in.
"I'll give it to you straight, Mr. Vega- That is your name, right?"
Jeremy sighed, "Yeah, that's right."
"Before you know anything, I want you to know something. Everything was for a good reason. I also want your word that none of this information will go to anyone else outside of this house."
"I can't promise you that. It's my job, and I'm expected to bring back a report on what I get from your interviews."
"Then you won't have anything to bring back for them." He went to sit back on the couch. "My parents won't be back until much later. Probably about 11 or so. So, if you want to stay and keep me and my friends hostage until then, which is probably not preferred considering you may have a wife, kids, or at least something to come home to. Also, I believe Isaiah has to get home by 7. If you want to keep us here till then, do it, we can't stop you. But no other words will come out of my mouth about your case unless you agree to confidentiality. That is the deal, sir." Drake sat back on the couch. He agreed to silence, so Vega would not get his interview.
Vega admitted to himself that Drake was a clever teenager. Surprisingly so. However, he couldn't give in to a child.
"Then I will sit here until your parents get home."
Isaiah quickly and heavily sighed, "Look, Jeremy. I-I'm sorry I lied to you. And, I know you won't agree with most things we tell you but-"
Drake cleared his throat. "If we tell you, that is."
Isaiah nodded.
"I'm very disappointed with you, Isaiah. You seemed like a good kid."
"He is." Drake intervened. "We sort of made him talk to you to get information on the case. It's not his fault, and he really is interested in criminal law. It was a win-win at the time. It still can be."
Jeremy Vega sighed. Everything about this was wrong. Drake had to have done something, that was obvious, but Isaiah really was a good kid. If he was messing around in a murder case, he would surely not only get fired, but he would go to prison. An accomplice, that's what he would be. And surely these boys in front of him were also accomplices. However, this case was the first murder case he would ever be a part of. He wanted information more than anything, and he would know what he needed for the case. Honestly, he didn't even care about giving information to his boss.
"Ya know what, fuck it. I'm technically off-duty at the moment. I do really want to know what you guys know, so I have a proposal." He cleared his throat and put his hands on his knees, "Why don't we continue to trade information. I tell you guys what's going on at the station, and you tell me now what happened. I won't tell anyone what I hear here. How does that sound to you?" He was looking at Drake. It seemed that he was the one leading this interaction.
Drake pursed his lips and looked to Trent. Trent nodded at him, simultaneously linking his hand with Drake's.
Isaiah pursed his lips, "I don't know if this is a great idea."
Vega looked at him, "What? Am I untrustworthy, Isaiah?"
"No, I just don't know if he should do this without a real lawyer present. I'm sort of 'acting lawyer' at the moment."
Trent was tapping his fingers against his knees furiously, looking down. He seemed to be thinking hard.
Drake looked to the officer and sighed. He needed to tell someone who knew more about the law than they did, which, in this case, was Jeremy Vega. He'll be the first adult to know about Luke's murder.
"Deal. I'll tell you everything I've done. Just keep an open mind, please." And he proceeded to tell Jeremy Vega the whole story, leaving nothing out. He included the blood, the band-aid, where the knife he used was, and what he did with the journal. He told him about his alibi and his lie to his friends, who now know about everything. He tried to emphasize how bad Luke was to them, but even saying it over and over again, he realized there wasn't much to be said.
Jeremy took a deep breath, processing the story of Luke's murder.
"So, you killed him because he was a prick?"
Drake shook his head once and grunted, "No, he was a threat."
"I mean, I can't really say there's a good reason for murder, but I don't think 'because they were mean' or 'because they were a threat' would hold up in court."
Isaiah raised his hand, now sitting sideways on Drake's chair, "That's what I said!"
Drake pursed his lips, "Well, nothing will hold up in court. Best case scenario, I don't get caught."
Michael cleared his throat, leaning against the couch, "Next best, you plea not guilty by reason of insanity."
Vega crossed his arms, "He doesn't seem that insane to me."
"Could always fake it. Officer, have you ever seen Primal Fear?"
"Oh, God, please don't pretend to have multiple personality disorder."
Michael laughed, "Hey, he's cultured!"
"So," Drake said, "Is there anything you can tell us that would help?"
Jeremy thought for a moment, "We got the information about Trent breaking into Luke's house in 8th grade from a kid named Blaise."
Trent groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm sorry, Drake,"
Drake pat his hand, "It's fine, T. Don't worry about it." He turned back to Jeremy, "Anything else?"
"We still have to interview the other kid, Noah. He was pretty good friends with Luke before he died, so we decided to interview him."
"Alright, um, how about any advice? Anything to cover me?"
Jeremy shook his head, "No, no, we agreed for information, not advice. If I tell you how to get away with murder, I'll never feel right again. You're on your own with that part."
"Please, sir-"
"Nope. Definitely not. I can't."
Drake clenched his jaw, "That's fine. I've been doing well these past days, I don't foresee any issues."
"You do know that investigations usually don't last that long. They usually find the murderer in a few days to a couple of weeks." Isaiah warned, and Michael nodded.
"Well, I think I'm smarter than most murderers."
"That's what most criminals think," Michael said, leaning forward.
Trent squinted, "Officer Vega, aren't we supposed to be questioned with some form of lawyer present?"
Jeremy stared at him, blank, and then smiled and shrugged, "Remember: This isn't an official interview anymore. After this, they may question you guys again, I'm not sure, but you will have a lawyer present. Drake, I recommend you tell your lawyer the asthma attack story you told your friends first.
Isaiah silently smacked his forehead, "I should've recommended that earlier."
Michael reached and pat his leg dangling from the side of the chair, "Don't worry bud, you'll know for the next murder you're involved in."
Isaiah tried to kick him but he missed. Officer Vega stood up from the kitchen chair and put it back where he found it.
"Well, kids, if we find anything else out, I'll come to ya'll. Probably Isaiah, though. I think the other officers think he's my nephew or something." He chuckled after.
He walked towards the door and turned around, "Oh, and Drake," He scratched the back of his head, "You don't plan on killing anyone else right?"
Drake awkwardly chuckled, "No, sir. Go on. Maybe implant the idea that someone else could be the suspect. I don't know." He shrugged and smirked.
Vega nodded at him and left. Trent sighed and stood up.
"Does psychopathy count as insanity in the eyes of a court?" He asked, looking at Isaiah.
Isaiah sighed and looked up at the wall, thinking. "I know it's happened before, but a lot of juries don't count antisocial personality disorder as a reason of insanity since the criminal is still clear-headed."
Trent looked to Drake, "I guess you can't make that defense."
"No, but I can pretend to see things. Preferably, it won't have to come to that." Drake looked tired, like that entire conversation with Vega sucked the life out of him. Trent looked at him worried.
Isaiah released a low growl, causing Michael and Trent to jump and Drake to stare at him concerned.
"What's uh-" Drake looked around at Michael and Trent, "What's wrong?"
"I'm pissed 'cause I thought Jeremy was a smart cop. I thought he could teach me a thing or two about law."
"And he didn't?"
"He didn't ask you if you wanted a lawyer present, he didn't give you your rights, he just-" He groaned. He hadn't been this disappointed since his dad quit his lawyer job.
They went silent until Michael cleared his throat. "Isaiah, didn't you have to leave by 7?"
He lifted his head with a blank stare, "Oh yeah." He swung his feet down to the front of the chair and jumped up.
"I'll drive you home." Michael stood up, and looked to Trent and Drake, "See you guys. Have fun alone." He winked at them, and Trent rolled his eyes. Drake chuckled.
"What about Crutchie's parts? Aren't we gonna practice?" Trent asked, standing up from the couch.
"We've got plenty of time. This way you can practice with your Katherine alone. Gotta build that onstage chemistry." He smiled at them. Even Isaiah kind of smirked into his hand.
"Bye, Michael. Bye, Isaiah." Drake rolled his eyes and lightly pushed them out of the door.
Michael laughed on his way out and he saw Isaiah smiling.
Trent chuckled, "Maybe they should get together. They practically deserve each other."
Drake smiled solemnly and sat down on the couch.
"What's wrong?" Trent sat down next to him and put his arm around him, not even really thinking.
"Maybe Isaiah was right about telling the whole thing to Vega. What if he goes back to the station and tells them. I could be locked up by tomorrow."
"Remember from Law Abiding Citizen, without a documented confession or evidence they have nothing. And we don't have to worry about any kind of witnesses."
Drake chuckled, "You and Michael really did learn a lot from those movies, didn't you?"
Trent smiled, "A bit. Plus Little Duck, I'll protect you. I'm gonna take my driving test in a few days, so we can finally Thelma & Louise it."
"Ya know, I hate to say no, but I kind of don't want to fly off of a cliff in a convertible just yet. I still have hope that this will end sometime soon. Also, we've gotta act in the musical first."
"Oh yeah! Ready to work on our lines?"
Drake smirked as Trent hopped up. He stood up with him, still grinning. "'When yer famous, the world is yer oyster.'"
Trent barked a laugh that almost made Drake jump, followed by giggles. "That's not even your line."
Drake laughed and walked towards Trent, putting his head on his shoulder. Trent smiled and put his arms around him.
"You know, it's been almost 2 weeks."
Drake squinted, "What? Since I killed him?"
"Yeah. And Michael said they usually catch a murderer from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. I think you're doing pretty well, all things considered."
Drake smiled into Trent's shoulder. "Thanks for being so optimistic."
He kissed Drake's head and rubbed his back, "That's one of the reasons I'm here."
Drake felt protected in his boyfriend's arms. So much has happened in the last week or so, and at this point, he only felt safe with Trent.
"I'm really proud of how well you handled that situation. You looked like a badass when you blocked the door."
Drake smirked, "Thank you. I'm not sure if the performance persuaded him to be quiet or not, though."
"Don't worry. You know that girl, Savannah Vega in 9th grade? I'm 90% sure she's his daughter. If he does talk, we deny it and find a way to frame his little girl."
Drake's head rose from his shoulder and his eyebrows were raised. "Holy shit, Trent. That's evil genius level blackmail."
Trent laughed.
Then Drake's phone went off. Recently, that's been a bad sign.
Drake picked it up and saw a text from his cousin. The cousin he sent the knife to through FedEx.
"What is it?" Trent asked, alarmed and trying to read over Drake's shoulder.
"M-My-uh-" Drake couldn't talk. Trent noticed he looked almost the same when he had his dream in the movie theater. Like he was paralyzed from fear.
The series of texts read:
~My mom found the knife
~I'm so sorry
~What are you going to do?
~She's calling someone right now, I think its 911
~I'm hiding in my room
~I'm sorry
~Cops are at my house
~I'm sorry
Drake felt pressure on his chest; he could barely breathe. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the ghastly Luke sitting on his couch. He waved and opened his mouth. Blood spilled from it.
Trent was trying to get Drake's attention, grabbing his face to focus on him. Drake fell from where he was standing, gripping onto Trent's shirt. They were fucked. Absolutely, totally fucked. They both knew it as soon as they saw the first message. They didn't know what would happen exactly, but nothing good could come from it. Even if Drake's cousin lied for him, they'd find the messages he sent him. Trent could feel Drake shaking in his arms.
Another ding sounded from the phone, this time from Drake's mother. His fingers trembled when he opened the message.
We're on our way home.
Drake quickly set his phone on the dining table, looking away from it. He grabbed Trent's arm, rushing down the hallway.
"Woah, Drake, wait-" Drake let go of him and opened his bedroom door.
"What are we gonna do?" He followed Drake into his room and stood watching while he hastily threw open his dresser and grabbed a duffel bag out of his closet.
"I don't know about you, but I think I'm gonna have to run away."
"The hell you are!" Trent tried to stop him from packing, but he was quicker than he imagined. He was like a white rabbit in so many ways. Trent decided to leave him alone and just watch him.
"You can't leave tonight."
"We. You mean we. And why not?" He was still throwing things into the bag. After filling the duffel bag he saw an old backpack and dived for it.
"Because we can't get a car. And I personally don't want to leave my family."
"You're the one that wanted to be like Thelma and Louise!"
"I was joking, Drake. Dammit just stop for a second!" Trent ripped the backpack from his hands and fell onto him. Pretty easily, he held his arms down on the carpet.
Trent huffed, "Drake, I love you, but I don't think we can just leave."
Drake sniffed and squeezed his eyes shut, "What the hell else can I do?"
Trent noticed a tear well up in Drake's left eye. He wondered how Drake could sometimes do things with no emotion, and then be so soft-hearted. Trent did want to run away with Drake, but there are so many more reasons not to run away.
"I'll tell you what. Tonight, we deal with your parents. Next week, I get my license. We leave the night of the last performance of the musical. After a while being gone, I will make contact with my parents and brother to let them know I'm alright. You should do the same, but I won't force you. With your parents tonight, we should find out what they know first. Then we make do with that. Is all that alright?"
Drake smiled up at Trent; he looked almost out of it. "I love you, T."
Trent smiled back and asked again, "Is that alright with you?"
"Yes, it sounds perfect." He leaned up as much as he could with Trent holding him down and kissed him. Trent slid his arms from Drake's to the ground, propping himself up.
Drake quickly pulled away, "You better pass that driving test."
Trent grinned and kissed Drake again; Drake threw his arms around his neck and sliding down his back.
"What do you think my parents would do if they found my 'Louise' in my bedroom?" Drake whispered, tugging lightly on his shirt.
Trent laughed, "First of all, you're Louise, definitely. Second of all, your parents are already bound to be angry. I wouldn't want to make them angrier."
"You don't think it will take their attention away from the knife?" Drake's voice was sarcastic.
Trent rolled his eyes and kissed him again. He stood up, helping Drake with him.
"What a shame. I thought Thelma was the sensual one."