Blood Bandits

24.

I watched as Kenny watched me. The bad was still in his hands as he never took his eyes off me. At this moment, I wanted to know what was going through his head. I crossed my arms and debated on what I was going to say but by the way he was staring at me, I'm sure he already had his answer.

"Kenny, I can explain." I started. But his face showed no interest in what I was going to say.

"Ok, explain. Go ahead and tell. Tell me how your blade, which I know so well ended up in the same crime scene of my dead girlfriend, Amina! Tell me. Make it make sense too me because I don't fucking understand." He yelled, making his point.

I knew he was upset but I never heard him shout. Ever. Out of all the years that I knew him, Kenneth didn't shout. My hands got clammy again, as I began twisting my rings around my fingers. I didn't flinch, I just closed my eyes to.

"Kenny it could have been anyones." I murmured not even giving him eye contact.

He chuckled and shook his head, "Really? I have know you since were kids. You have carried the same knife since we were thirteen and you want me to believe that this isn't your blade."

Sighing, I bite on my thumbnail and begin to walk around the room. My thought were reeling as silenced reigned between us. I wasn't sure what to say. I'd never been in this situation before but I knew that I should have been. This conversation should have happened along time ago. I was lucky because I should have been in prison long before now. And I knew by the way this conversation was going, I was probably heading straight to the slammer.

"You know Amina, I knew that you had issues. I knew that you had anger and was standoffish. There was always some screws loose with you but that was ok because I liked you. I actually loved you. There was even a time that I thought that you and I were going to be more than friends. And I was going to look over all of your strange ways. Your dark humor, you crazy adventures that you would take off and go on. I just thought you were different. But I know now that this wasn't some phase. --" He chuckled humorlessly. "This is you. You're a murder and I should have known that then. I probably did but I didn't care." He was looking at every place but me. Scratching his eyebrow with his index finger, he shook his head.

I listened as he spoke. Facing him now, I could tell that there were rears in his eyes. In this moment I knew that I lost my best friend. He was gone and there was no coming back. This was the thing that could hurt me. Losing Kenny was a deal breaker. That was something that I didn't want to happen.

"You know Kenny, you have every right to be mad at me. And I--"

"I don't want to hear anything that you have to say. When I found your blade out there in the clearing, I almost decided to ignore it. Tuck it away as if it where never there. Automatically protecting you as always." He started out. His right hand gripping the bag even tighter.

"Why?" I asked, wanting to know.

He sighed and shook his head, "Because you were my friend. And It was impossible for you to have been there. Then I began to think about it. Something wasn't right."

I nodded, I knew where he was going with this. And it wasn't a place I wanted to tap into right now. He was full of anger, sadness and regret. Possibly disappointment in me.

"When you said that you found evidence on the scene, this is what you were talking about wasn't it?" I asked, timidly, already knowing the answer.

He licked his lips and sniffled. "I didn't want to believe it. So, I sent the blade to forensic testing. After battling with myself but I just had to be sure. I had my doubts but I so wanted it to be negative. But then--" He stopped and sniffled more and turning his back to me.