Scream

Allister Casada

Enzo and Reyna wolfed their food down and bid us a brusque goodbye. Which was fine by me. Aero made it out that Enzo was Satan, not some charmer who'd manage to lure Reyna – Reyna of all people – into his charmer trap. Once they were gone, a weight lifted off of my shoulders, but a worry settled in me for Reyna. What was she getting into? Killing Freddie must've really gotten to her if she's hanging around Aero'sbrother.

"I can't believe Reyna," Aero says, working on a hotdog. "But at the same time, I can. I mean...we abandoned her." 

 My face scrunched up. "She abandoned Della by not showing up to her house after her mom died."

"But she didn't show up to my house when my mom died, or your house when your mom died, or Hanzo when his mom died."

 I dip a nacho in cheese. "What's your point?"

Aero rolls his pretty blue eyes. "I'm saying that the problem is between Reyna and Adelina. Face it, Al: if we hadn't pushed her away like a pack of angry dogs, then she wouldn't have gone to 4512 by herself and killed Fred."

 I know he's right – it's a sad conclusion I came to myself. But I'm trying not to dwell on it. For the sake of trying to make Aero like me, I agree wholeheartedly. "I know, I know. You're right." 

Aero polishes off his hotdog and tosses out his paper plate with a shrug. "I just hope it's not too late to pull her back to our side."

I finish up the last of my chips and throw my tray in the barrel trashcan. "Sides? I thought we were all on the same side. You know: the one that doesn't want to die."

Aero scoffs, and in his moment of disgust, he looks like his brother. "There's a murderer employing high school kids to act like bad guys, and somehow, my brother is involved." He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "He's not on our side. He never said he never will be. And we need to make sure Reyna knows that before it's too late." 

"What happens if it's too late?" I ask him, wondering what's so imminent and threatening about the situation. Reyna chooses her own path, so why should we try to control it? 

A dark shadow crosses over his face. "Nothing good."

There's a moment of silence for a couple of reasons. Aero's expression grows adorably nostalgic, and I strain to understand how his brother is evil while simultaneously admiring Aero. Everyone in my group of friends is so determined to find Makai and the killer, but we don't have any leads, so I strain to understand how to proceed with our investigation as well. We could go back to the house, where police and forensics teams confirmed the presence of Makai's DNA, but anything useful would've been reported. Unless Enzo is the monster Aero claims him to be. Then who knows what kind of evidence he could've damaged or covered up?

Apologetically, Aero frowns. "I'm sorry. I just know what he's really like. But I'm going to forget all of that now..." he releases an enormous sigh and extends his hand my way. Gingerly, I take it. "Where to first?" 

A warmth spreads throughout my body, emanating from his touch. "The maze seemed pretty fun," I offer.

The maze is exactly what it sounds like – so if you were thinking about a giant maze of thick bushes with dead ends, you're exactly right. At the entrance, you're given a timer. If you make it through the maze in under an hour, you get a prize. But, if you go to all the dead ends and collect a medallion, then you get an even bigger prize. 

This part of the carnival is a little more secluded, and because it's getting dark, they hand Aero and me a single flashlight to share. "Why aren't there any lights in here?" Aeroasks the man running the maze and handing out timers.

 He shrugs. "We did have some – you'll see the bulbs. But the power just blipped...went out."

"Do you still want to do it?" Aero questions. 

 "No power? All the more challenge," I answer. 

 "One timer, please," Aero requests. 

 "Okay," the man says, lazily resetting one for us before shoving his hands back in his pockets. He narrows his eyes and scans us up and down. "And no sex in the maze. Nobody wants to see that."

"...um, okay?" Aero says, guiding me into the maze. Immediately, we've presented with three options: left, right, or straight. "Pick a direction." 

"Right." We walk a few steps in silence before I speak. "My parents almost named me Ophelia," I blurt.

 "Ophelia? Why?"

"They're Greek fanatics who aren't actually Greek. But Dad's a historian, so he has an excuse," I explain as we come to our next choice. "Your turn." 

 "Turn?"

 "Now you pick a direction and tell me something about you," I clarify, looking up to him expectedly. 

 "There's not much to tell," he sheepishly says. 

 "Yeah, right," I protest. "You're nice to everyone and talk about them all the time, so no one really questions if they know you. Trust me, Aero, I'm a social machine. I know these things."

 "Alright, Ophelia, I'll spill." He looks at our options and contemplates them. "Left." Our feet crunch across the stiff grass. "I was an accident."

 "Like...you being born was an accident?" 

 Aero grimaces. "Mhmm."

"Well, you weren't an accident, despite what you think. Obviously, some greater force or being wanted you in this world."

A caramel brown of his perches up high. "Oh, really?" 

"Everyone has a purpose," I assure.

"Even Enzo?"

 "Even your brother," I confirm. We come to our next set of options. "Your turn."