Saturday, November 9th, 1:45pm
I step outside for the first time in 5 days. The air has gotten much colder since then.
"Ready to get on this bus and get home?" Ace asks as we walk over to the bus stop.
"A fun two hours on a bus and then we talk to Oscar."
"Are you sure you want to talk to Oscar today? I mean didn't the doctor say to rest your neck?" Ace asks.
"No, what he said was no fast movements with my head. So I'll be fine and if I don't talk to him today I'm going to keep putting it off."
"Okay, but after words we're going to the Café to talk with Jade and Adrian, fill them in on everything and I'm coming with you to talk to him."
I look over to Ace, "Are you sure, wont it be too much?"
"I've already been though my graving when I thought Conner killed Kian, I think I'll be fine." Ace smiles.
"Okay."
I put on a though look when I'm actually very nervous to go and talk to him, but he hasn't confessed to anything to the police yet and this might be the only way.
Ace and I get onto the bus, getting ourselves comfy in the seats even though there is so way we are able to actually get comfy in these rock hard seats. Two hours is going to feel more like five.
......
Ace and I walk up to the polcie station.
"Do we just say we want to talk to Oscar?" I ask as I open the door.
Ace shrugs and shakes her head as she walks inside, "I have no clue, maybe?"
"Girls, what are you two doing here?" Detective Lana asks as she walks up to us.
"Uh, we wanted to talk to Oscar." I say.
"No one is aloud to talk to him right now."
"Has he confessed yet?" I ask.
"We aren't aloud to share that information."
"Seriously?! We know he hasn't confessed and that he won't until he sees Maggie is okay so can we talk to him! Please." Ace yells.
I'm caught off guard by the sudden burst of energy coming from Ace, I had no idea that she had that in her. I have the urge to clap, but I think that would make things awkward.
Detective Lana takes a deep breath, "Fine, follow me."
We walk to the end of the hallway to see Oscar sitting in a holding cell. I bet he has to stay there until he confess to anything.
"You two have five minutes." Detective Lana says as she opens the cell walking over to stand in front of Oscar.
I look over to Oscar who is sitting on a bench staring at the ground. My throat becomes tight, it's hard to breathe again. The nice guy I used to know is gone.
"Are you okay?" Ace whispers.
I nod, "I'm good."
"Oscar you have visitors." Detective Lana says.
Oscar looks up at Ace and I. He stands up from the bench and comes running over to us. I want to jump away, but I hold my ground knowing that he can't touch us through the bars of the cell.
"I'm so glad your okay, you have to tell them what happened, you need to get me out of here." Oscar's eyes are desperate, almost as if he doesn't remember anything that he did.
"Oscar you strangled me, your tried to kill Adrian. You killed Kian and you want me to help you get out? "
"We're friends that's what we do."
I shake my head, it's as if the whole time at the bridge he was blinded by rage, "You strangled me."
"I never meant to."
"So then you never meant to kill Kian?" I ask.
"I did that for you, for your safety he hurt you. He took you away from me."
I look over to Ace who is glaring over to Oscar. I look down at the ground before looking back over to him.
"Kian should have gone to jail for what he did, not died."
"Your a monster." Ace says.
Oscar snaps his head towards Ace, "He was a monster! He would have hurt someone else if I hadn't done something. He would have found Maggie again and hurt her."
"Why is this all about me!?" I yell taking a step closer to the cell.
"You were my only friend, you were the only person who was nice to me. He drove you away."
"You made friends with Adrian, Oscar! He was your friend and you tried to kill him too," I shake my head, "Kian was a monster, but you are more of a monster than he ever could have been."
I turn to Ace, "Let's go."
I grab Ace's hand and pull her down the hallway.
I stop walking and turn to Ace once we reach the front doors, "He's crazy, he's crazy."
Ace nods.
"How did we not see it sooner?" I ask.
"It's like, only some things trigger it." Ace says.
"Ace? Maggie?"
Ace and I both turn to see Conner standing to the left of us. All of us pull each other into a hug.
This feels safe, normal, good. All three of us haven't been alone together since grade nine. I haven't felt this at ease in a long time.
"What are you doing here?" Ace asks as we pull out of the hug.
"I got let out, they didn't explain to me why. What are you guys doing here?" Conner asks.
"Oscar, he killed Kian and then framed you for the murder." I say.
"What?"
"You've missed a lot," Ace says, "Also I'm sorry I thought it was you."
"It's fine, don't be sorry. I understand." Conner says.
"We're going to the Café to meet up with Adrian and Jade... do you want to come?" I ask really hoping that he'll come.
"Yes," Conner nods with a smile, "I really need non-scary human connection. Jail is a place I never want to go again."
Ace and I laugh, "Can we just go, I've had enough of this police station." Conner says.
"Okay." I nod.
......
We walk into the Café and over to Adrian and Jade who are sitting at one of the tables.
"We picked someone up along the way." I say as I sit down beside Adrian.
"You don't look that beaten up for being in jail." Adrian chuckles.
Conner pulls up a chair and sits down at the edge of the table while Ace takes the seat beside Jade.
"How'd it go with Oscar?" Jade asks.
"He wanted Maggie to help him out of jail." Ace says.
"Seriously?" Jade asks.
I nod, "He's crazy."
"Can you explain to me how, Oscar killed Kian, and how he got away with it for so long?" Conner asks.
"I think I figured it all out while I was in the Hospital-"
"Wait you were in the Hospital?" Conner asks.
"Yeah, we'll get to that." Adrian says.
"Anyway, um, Kian would sneak out to Club Azure to meet up with this guy named Cal, who turns out... Kian was dating him."
Ace's mouth drops open, "What?"
"Yeah... Kian would apparently always talk about me and Oscar overheard the things he was saying and put together why I left-"
"What wait? Why you left? I thought you just left to live with your Mom because you were done with the town." Conner says.
"Kian made her leave, he forced her out of town. Kian hurt Maggie in ways." Ace says.
I nod slowly.
"Are you joking?" Jade asks.
I shake my head.
"You let me stay friends with him?" Conner asks.
"He said that no one would believe me."
"And you believed him?" Conner asks.
"...Yes, I did."
Conner and I stare at each other before I look down at the table.
"Anyway, Oscar got mad because I was his only friend and in his eyes Kian took me away from him, so he killed Kian," I explain. "He wrote the letter to Kian saying it was me, he wrote me a letter saying it was Kian... it was kind of the whole reason I came back to town."
"Then he wrote Adrian a letter telling him to stay away from me, and Conner a later telling him to watch his back."
"How do you know about that?" Conner asks.
"We had to prove you did kill him." Adrian says.
"Both of you went in my room? How'd you even get in my house?"
"We asked nicely." I smile.
"Can you just get back to explaining?" Ace asks.
"Yes..." I over to Conner, "Since Kian told Cal so many things, it's possible that Oscar found out about you doing drugs, and he framed you because it's clear you two never got along."
"Oscar got set by something, and tried to kill Adrian, but I had already found out he killed Kian, then long story short Adrian was pushed off a bridge, but grabbed the ledge and then I got strangled and almost died."
"He said he was killing Adrian because he wanted me to be safe and that he knew Adrian would do something to me."
"Jesus. You're right, he is crazy." Jade says.
"We don't know what Oscar overheard Kian talking about, we have no idea what he knows about us. All of this happened because I never told anyone what Kian did to me."
"He was forcing you not to tell anyone, that isn't your fault." Adrian says.
I bite my lower lip, "All of us should tell each other the truth about anything we lied about, we can't have this type of thing happening again. So we have to be completely honest with each other."
"Who's going first?" I ask.
Ace looks up at me, "Uh, I knew what happened with you and Kian, but I never said anything because I was scared." Ace explains.
I nod, "I assumed so."
"I guess I just lied about where I live," Jade shrugs, "I live four houses down from Adrian."
"You do? Why'd you lie about that?" Adrian asks
"I didn't want to be known as a rich kid." Jade explains
"I did steroids that Kian gave me, I stopped, but we all know how that turned out. Also I lost my scholarship." Conner explains.
Ace shrugs, "Going to jail and doing drugs and make that happen."
"Kian helped me pass science by changing my grade."
"Really? That's the only thing you've lied about?" Conner asks.
Adrian nods, "Yeah, and I'm still failing even after Maggie tried to help me."
"Maggie, it's your turn." Jade says.
"I know... uh I joined the gang because it was the only protection I had from Kian, um... everything that happened with Kian, and I was planning on leaving town after I found out who killed Kian, I was thinking about maybe visiting my brother." I shrug.
"But your not leaving are you?" Adrian asks.
"No," I shake my head, "I think I'll stay for graduation, there's no rush to leave."
Ace claps her hands together, "Yay."
"Let's make a promise that we wont lie to each other, so no one else turns up dead in the forest or so no one goes crazy." Jade says.
"Agreed, and so no one goes to jail." Conner says.
"Sticking together, no matter what." Adrian says.
Ace nods, "Yes, I don't want anyone else to die."
"I think everyone can agree with that." I smile.
Everyone nods in agreement
"Good because now I really need a tea and a calm day for once." I chuckle.
"A calm day forever." Ace smiles.
I point at her, "Correct."
Adrian stands up from the table, "All go get all of us drinks, what does everyone want?"
"I'm coming with you." Conner says.
I look over to the window. The first time I stepped foot in this place two months ago I was dreading being back, but I've never been more glad that I'm here. With the people I can trust.
I was ready for the news about Oscar to spread across town like a wildfire, I was ready for everyone in town to know the truth.
No more secrets, no more lies. Only the truth, all of us owe ourselves that.
I owe myself that.
One more chapter to go, but truly this is the last chapter that concludes most things!
Also to edit this chapter was a real struggle that I hard to explain, but just know I was stressted!
So one more chapter tomorrow then the end! Please vote on this chapter and reread the book if you liked it!
Also if you have and concluding questions feel free to ask and I will answer.