Present
ARIEL SAUNTERED INTO the house, fueled by her determination to go through with her plan tonight. The fact that he so readily jumped at the idea of being with her gave her the impression that he truly was gullible. If she somehow convinced him that she was on his side, then garnering a confession out of him would be a piece of cake.
Ariel walked briskly into her room, ignoring Adele who fell in step behind her. Ariel had been planning this night from the day Parker confessed to being the one who created DOD. If anything went wrong tonight—including Adele's tampering—Tobias would remain in the psychiatric hospital and there's no saying what would come of her. The evidence that she had piled up over the past few weeks isn't solid enough to arrest Parker so that's why tonight, she needed his full confession.
On tape. . .
"Where are you going?" Adele asked as Ariel peeled her clothes off of her. "To Parker's," she said nonchalantly. Adele frowned, "why? Especially at this hour." Ariel slung her towel over her shoulder and contemplated telling her sister about her plan. For what she was about to do tonight, if she did somehow get the confession and left unscathed then she needed an alibi of some sort—someone who could attest to the fact that she was meeting up with Parker.
"We're just hanging out. Don't worry, I'll be home in like two hours." Before Adele could respond, Ariel retreated towards the bathroom to take a shower. It was past six pm, the time the sun sets below the horizon. It would be dark outside which is exactly what Ariel needed. The darker the better. When she was done showering, she dressed, grabbed her bag off the chair and left the house before either of her parents arrived from work.
Now that her blackmailer was revealed, Ariel knew Adele's safety wasn't in jeopardy. Tonight it was her life on the line. . .hers and Tobias'. Because tonight, this two-month nightmare will finally come to an end.
~~~
The door creaked open. Parker's head poked through the space between the door and the wall and smiled. It was completely pitch black outside and the fact that not many people roamed around this neighbourhood was enough for Ariel to feel confident in her plan. "I thought you were bailing on me," he exclaimed as he stepped out of the way for her to enter. His eyes penetrated through the backpack hiked on her shoulders. "Why would you think that?"
He raked his hands through his curly hair, "just a thought. Anyways, you've been to my house already, right? It was the party after we won the baseball game. Yeah, that time that asshole groped you and drenched you in beer." And Ricky forced him onto his knees to apologize to Ariel. It was that night that solidified her attraction towards Tobias. It was like a magnetic pull that she couldn't distance herself from.
And from then on he just became more of a mystery. "Yeah, I remember." When they approached his room, he motioned inside. "You know if Tobias hadn't stepped in, I would have been the one to save you. Let me ask you if I really were the one who got that guy to apologize to you. . .would you have given me a chance then?" Hell no. Ariel lowered her bag down beside his door and pivoted on her heels to face him.
The room was dark except for his LED lights flickering behind his bedpost. Ariel fought the urge to wrap her hand around her necklace where the small listening chip was inserted. After visiting Larson, she persuaded him into borrowing it to her for her plan tonight. Larson was fully on board. The moment the chip was turned on, he'd be able to record everything. Ariel sighed inwardly. "At the time I didn't like Tobias yet. We were still in the early stages of our friendship. And like I told you earlier today, I liked you way before Larson and Tobias."
She slipped her hands around his neck and brushed her lips against his. "So yes, if you were the one who saved me that night and if you had confessed your feelings to me I would have chosen you. Why do you keep looking for reassurance? You don't believe me? Do you not trust me?" As Ariel asked those simple questions, she began to move forward, forcing Parker to shuffle towards his bed. "N-no but don't get me wrong, I don't know why you'd wanna be with me. I'm not special or anything."
"You are, do you wanna know why?"
"Why?"
She pressed her hand against his chest and pushed him down onto the bed. "It's because you've been honest with me. You didn't have to confess to me about hating Tobias nor about creating Dare or Die but you did anyway. You've done in one day what Tobias couldn't do in an entire year; that's being honest. I want to know everything about you, Parker. Everything you've done, everything you want to do. . .it's the only way I can really trust you. After Tobias, I don't–I don't think I can be in a relationship built upon lies."
Parker peered up at Ariel as she swung her legs over him. "If you can't be honest then this won't work out." He swallowed hard and nodded his head in understanding as his hands fell on her hips. "What–what do you wanna know?" This was the moment of truth. What Ariel was about to do is based on a gamble. Over the course of the past week, she realized how much validation Parker wanted, especially from her seeing as in his eyes Tobias had stolen her away from him.
If she could persuade him into being honest with her at the risk of losing her forever if he didn't do so, then her plan was in the bag. Right now was based solely on theory. And that's exactly what she wanted. "There's nothing you can tell me that will make me turn on you. I know you were the one who created Dare or Die yet I'm still here. You used people for your own entertainment, Parker then you paid them to risk their lives. Don't you realize any sane person would run away from that?" She cupped his cheek in her hand and smiled, "but not me. I'm no ordinary person. I wanna be with you, Parker. But if you don't tell me the full truth then I can never move on from Tobias."
His jaw suddenly clenched. Ariel smirked inwardly. He was eating her bullshit up like a Sunday meal. She already had him wrapped around her finger, now it'll only take a small shove. "I need to move on from Tobias or I can never move on with you. I spent weeks trying to figure out if he really killed Maria and Kayla and for my sake if I'm going to forget about him then I at least need to know if it was true. I know that you know something, Parker. Please don't lie to me. Did Tobias kill Maria and Kayla. . .did you?"
The colour on his face drained. He had half a mind to shove Ariel off of him but decided against it. "The truth? You want the truth, Ariel? I-is this your way of playing me?" Ariel scoffed, "playing you!? Did you not hear what I just said!? Do you really think I give a rat's ass about two bitches I didn't know!? Do you think I cared if Tobias killed them or not? All I wanted to do was get him out because I did not care. What don't you understand from that?"
Parker lowered his gaze then his lips suddenly peeled into a smile. "So what? If I'm some kind of murderer you wouldn't care?" Ariel shook her head, "I just wanna know if you were the one who framed Tobias." Parker lowered his head down onto the headboard and peered into her eyes. "Fine, Ariel. I was the one who framed him. The night at the party Maria, Kayla, Tobias and a bunch of other people were playing DOD. It wasn't a special night but the girls refused their dares and he had to ya know, kill them? I wanted to see if the asshole was gonna do it for real so I followed him after he left with them.
Turns out he didn't do shit. After he left with them, he just got a drink, told the girls to cool out because they were freaked about the game and he left. I got pissed because for the first time I gave him a dare he couldn't resist and he refused to do anything with it. So I approached Maria and Kayla. We uh got to talking outside the house and one of them came onto me. Before I knew it. . .we were–" he trailed off. Ariel rolled her eyes, "you slept with them?"
"I mean, I don't want to get you jealous or anything." Ariel leaned down and captured his lips in hers. "I won't get jealous, idiot." Parker chuckled softly and nodded his head. "Yeah, I slept with them. No biggie. I was gonna leave it alone and let Tobias do his do. I thought maybe next time I'd get him to do a death dare for sure. But then when I was leaving Maria or Kayla stopped me. It turns out that Tobias leading them outside and us sleeping together wasn't just a coincidence.
They did that deliberately. Maria and Kayla purposely lured me to sleep with them, recorded me and threatened to show it to my father if I didn't comply with them. One of their friends got into trouble and they wanted me to get rid of the evidence since my dad was the one who investigated that specific case. I know because he had those case files at home and no one knew that except for Tobias who I constantly allowed in my father's office. I think they all played me. I-I don't know why he helped them but he did."
His lips suddenly curved into a smirk, "so you'd imagine what I'd do in a situation where my life was being threatened by two annoying bitches. I got angry. I snapped so I grabbed a tree branch—it was more like a log and I hit them over the head with it. Both of them...over and over again. By the time I realized what had happened. . .they were dead. So I acted fast. Funny enough, I didn't get any blood on me. So I went back in the house, got some garbage bags, wrapped their bodies in them, brought them somewhere, dismembered them and dumped them near the creek."
He etched his face closer to hers, his eyes suddenly growing dark. "Is that what you wanted to hear, Ariel? After all these months you now know that I did it. How does that make you feel?" She lowered her hands down onto his face and frowned, "so you really killed them? Maria and Kayla?" He chuckled, "yeah, how long do you think I'll be sentenced for? Life? Death?"
"You're lying."
His smile faltered. "What?"
"You're lying to me. You only said all those things because I told you that I wanted you to be honest. You don't want Tobias to get the credit for killing them because this is all a big competition to you. Am I the prize?" Ariel thought he surely couldn't fall for her reverse psychology bs. But the moment he sat upright, his eyes wide, anger evident on his face, she knew she won. "You think I'm lying!? You think that bastard is better enough to pull this shit off than me? I'm better than Tobias in every way. If anyone could commit murder and get away with it, then it's me."
Before Ariel could respond, a loud thud echoed through the room. She snapped her head away from him towards the area in which the sound originated. "Is someone else here?" Parker suddenly grew tense. "W-what? No, it's just us. I told you that." She swung her legs off of him and trekked towards his shuttered door closet. Something shifted inside and she immediately lunged forward and swung the door open.
A thud burst through her ears the moment the doors slid open. At her feet scrambling around like a lost puppy was Evelyn with her phone face down on the floor, peering up at Ariel in both fear and shock. Ariel took a step back, "w-what the hell is going on here?" Her nightmare was coming to past. She knew that somehow there would be an intervention tonight of some sort but she surely did not expect this. If Evelyn was here. . .then that changes everything.
Ariel was not as slick as she thought she was.
However, that didn't mean she didn't rule out the possibility that the two were working together. "Are you freaking kidding me, Evelyn!? How fucking retarded can you be. Your only job was to stand and you failed! You know what, we've already been caught. There's no point in hiding this anymore. It's not like you weren't playing me anyways, Ariel." She pivoted on her heels to face Evelyn who limped towards Parker who was now standing on his feet.
"What, I–I don't understand." Ariel stuttered, her eyes flickering between them both.
The sweet facade that Parker had been portraying earlier was suddenly gone. Standing before her, with a smirk on his lips was the guy she always knew him to be. "You're on trial, Campbell!" Evelyn frowned, "and your sentence is death." Ariel shifted on her feet, her hand itching to touch her necklace which held the recorder. But she knew despite this change of events, if she makes it out alive it'll only solidify her plan.
They were digging their own grave.
"Do you really think I'm that stupid Ariel? I knew from the moment you kissed me that this was all a game to get me to do your bidding. I'm smarter than I look you know. Suddenly you and Evelyn fall out because she blackmailed you and now you're in love with me? Come on now! I have more than one brain cell you know! Oh Parker I've always loved you. As if. You're so deeply in love with Tobias you'll still do anything to prove his innocence even if that means whoring out for other guys. And then what? I confess to Maria and Kayla's murder and then he's Scott free? You know, I'm offended. I don't only think with my dick, Ariel."
He scoffed in disbelief, "still, I got to make out with you. Feel your body. You have a nice body, by the way, I can see why every person you come in contact with falls in love with you. But anyway! We played you, you stupid bitch! We knew since you found out Evelyn was blackmailing you and I was the one who created DOD, you'd come after us! So we prepared for this moment. You fell into your own trap, Ariel. Whiles, you thought you had us we were one step ahead because you're predictable.
We knew you'd do something like this and we knew you'd make me confess to Maria and Kayla's death because you know how much I hate Tobias. So you figured I killed them and framed him. You're not as smart as you look, hasn't anyone ever told you that? By the way, where's the recording device," he motioned towards her bag, "is it in there!?"
"So you both played me, from the very beginning? Evelyn?" Without meeting her best friend's eyes, Evelyn scoffed, "now you care? I thought the last time you saw me you'd kill me. You were so brave when you were threatening me now look at you. Now I pity you, Ariel. You couldn't see how much I love you so, what else could I have done?" This was way beyond what Ariel suspected would happen.
She genuinely believed that somehow Parker was as gullible as she thought but in reality, he truly wasn't. However, Ariel did not cross out the fact that something like this could happen. It's why she warned Larson beforehand, knowing deep down that it would not be a smooth sailing boat. At the end of the day, whether she makes it out alive or not she still had his "confession" on tape whether it was fabricated or not. "Why? Why would you tell me your entire plan if you know I'm recording it."
Evelyn peered up from the floor, "because we know you're not leaving this place alive. So there's nothing holding us back. We know you, Ariel. I highly doubt you told anyone about you coming here. You don't trust your parents, you're not close with Larson nor Lewis and you always look to protect your sister. You're sitting duck in here. So, yeah why not tell you everything whilst you're still breathing and kicking? You'll just be another dead girl."
"So, you plan to kill me just because I don't love you back?" There was a dead look in Evelyn's eyes. One Ariel had never recognized before. Her best friend was long gone. "Ever heard the saying if I can't have you, then no one can?" Parker suddenly raised a hand in the air, "oh and I despise Tobias so I'm gonna take away the one thing he loves the most and unfortunately that's you." Ariel was dumbfounded. The two were so nonchalant as if they were discussing what was for dinner later.
Ariel needed to act fast if she wanted to make it out alive. Without thinking, she pivoted on her heels and sprinted towards the door. "Ariel!" Evelyn squealed as she dashed across the room towards Ariel who flew towards the metal handle of the door. Her fingers barely scraped it before a pair of arms encased her waist and hauled her back into the room. "Don't even think about running." Parker spat as he grabbed Ariel by the feet, dragging her towards his bed. Evelyn pried the door open and left the room without looking back.
With Parker now on top of her, Ariel's fight or flight kicked in and with as much strength as she could muster up, she tugged her leg out of his grip and sent it careering towards his private part. Parker suddenly seized in pain and within his moment of vulnerability, Ariel squirmed out from under his grip and grabbed the nearest item. Her fingers flexed around the lamp sitting on his bedside table and she quickly hovered it over his head and slammed it down onto his face.
"Fucker," she spat as Parker cried out in pain, his hands cradling both his now bloody face and throbbing groin. Ariel wasted no time scrambling off the bed and towards the now open door. Evelyn's whereabouts were direr than Parker's. Whatever was being done in the dark was more dangerous than what occurred in the light.
She tumbled down the hallway and towards the flight of stairs leading back down into the foyer. Parker's painful cries boomed through the house but she ignored it. Running out of the front door could be risky but useless. So with that Ariel pivoted on her heels to make a run towards the living room but Evelyn appeared before her, Parker's baseball bat hanging loosely in her hand. "You know, I'm not mad that you wounded Parker. That pig had it coming big time. But you know what really hurts me? It's the fact that despite everything I've done for you, you're still an ungrateful bitch."
"Why? Why Evelyn. Why are you doing this to me!?" Tears streamed down Ariel's cheeks as she took wary steps backwards. Evelyn who was now gripping the bat as if her life depended on it was equally distraught. "B-because I hate you! All I have ever done for all these years was love you and you only saw Tobias! NEVER ME! YOU NEVER SAW ME! I'm right here, Ariel! I'm tired, I'm sick of you always picking others over me repeatedly when I came before them. L-Larson, Tobias? I was there first and you never saw me. I'm tired of you screwing me over, so I'm gonna stop it from happening. . . permanently."
When Ariel's back finally hit the wall, Evelyn tightened her grip around the bat, "so it's time for you to say night, night." Her lips pursed, "bitch."
Then with as much force as she could she swung the bat.
~~~