Grinded

chapter IX.

A flurry of police officers, journalists, worry-stricken parents, and bewildered teenagers had overrun Sunset Ridge High. With the breaking news of the death of Paul Beauregard, spreading like wildfire, the school had transformed into a circus.

Pandemonium had tightly threaded itself througout the school, and the rest of Sunset Ridge. What started as a seemingly isolated, tragic incident, seemed to be turning into something much more sinister, as whispers of both incidents being committed by the same killer passed through the grapevine of the shaken community.

The atmosphere was heavy, like an anchor of despair had sunken into the school grounds. A small cluster of students huddled together by a few quaking aspen trees, one girl within the group holding her head in her hands as choked sobs bled through the cracks in her tanned, thin ring-clad fingers. Another girl with auburn curled hair and light freckles that danced in the sunlight across her pale skin leaned down to comfort her friend, wrapping her arm around her to pull her in closer.

Reporter Yun-Jin Park strutted across the lush grass with her microphone in hand, discussing the latest killing with her cameraman. There was an edge to her voice, something her cameraman picked up on as she explained a potential intro when the cameras began rolling. The feisty reporter flicked the charcoal curls from her eyes and cleared her throat, the thoughts in her head racing, like fireflies in a jar, bouncing off one another. From what she'd heard, the police department were still scratching their heads, dumbfounded as to who was behind the slayings.

The news of Paul's death seemed to reach everyone in town, affecting everyone in some type of way. A flood of panicked phone calls clogged up the phones at both the Police Department and Sunset Ridge High, all of them demanding that the person responsible be caught. Fear had the town under an iron grasp.

Turning around the corner of the school, Freddie felt the wave of anxiety and horror flush through him as his eyes landed on the circus that was plaguing his school. He shot his head around frantically, desperate to uncover what was going on. A thought of August flickered in the back of his mind and his stomach sunk, dread washing over him.

He marched across the grass, clenching his fists nervously when he passed someone wiping away tears from their puffy cheeks, sniffling as they tried to steady their breath.

"Crazy, right?" said Thomas out of nowhere, startling Freddie. He spun around to see Thomas close behind him, sporting a grey tank-top and black jeans, looking as good as he ever did, not letting the horrors stop him from making himself look hot. "You did hear, didn't you?"

Freddie shook his head, a shaky breath slipping through the parting in his lips. All he wanted to know if August was safe. His other friends, too. But his priority was August.

"It's Paul." Thomas' head dropped slightly, itching his face awkwardly. Freddie eyed him, eagerly gesturing for Thomas to continue. "He's dead, Freddie. Well, murdered, actually."

Freddie almost choked on his own breath, his hand flying up to cover his mouth. Paul was dead? Not dead, but murdered? What the fuck was actually happening? Freddie took a beat to process the bombshell, stealing another glance around him. The tears of his peers now struck a different chord - sympathy.

"Jesus fucking Christ," he finally managed to spit out, feeling his heart punching against his chest. "What- How? Do they know who did it?"

Thomas shook his head, walking ahead before gesturing for Freddie to keep up with him. "It's a fucking shitshow, man. I mean if it were a police officer that was killed, then they'd be getting shit done with the click of a finger. But since it's just another gay teen..."

Freddie knew where Thomas was coming from; his frustrations and disappointment with how the cops seemed to be taking it easy like a stroll through the park on a Sunday morning.