In The Scenes

Twenty-First

WARNING: May be mentions of abuse, panic attacks, trauma, blood, etc. If you are sensitive to these topics, please don't read.

Alex POV:

My ex-foster parents, Lia and Jane's stepfather, and Dr. Owl all had 15 years of prison time for playing a part in the murder of Asha and Mattheo. Since Lia and Jane's stepfather and my ex-foster parents still had 11 years to serve, they will be in maximum security prison for the next 26 years.

"Finally," Lia said, reading us the text from Officer Eel.

We went to a nice restaurant for my birthday. There was me, Mindy, our parents, Lia, Jane, Debbie, Bryce, Bianca, Micah, Paul, Brian, and Officer Eel, better known as Noah. We were sitting around and talking when Debbie hit her water glass with her spoon.

"We're not big on speeches and we don't really know most of what happened but we just wanted to say a little something about all of you."

Paul and Brian stood up first.

"Let's start with Micah. You're the sunshine of the group. You are fair and know whom to blame in difficult situations," Paul started.

Brian continued by saying, "you've learned to cope with loss, something I've never learned. I love how you can adapt to situations and make everyone around you smile. Make sure you never lose that part of you."

Mom stood up next.

"Mindy, you are a beautiful young woman with a fearless attitude. You are not afraid to put yourself in danger for the greater good. I envy you."

Next was Bianca.

"Bryce, you are the oldest and definitely the most mature." We all laughed. "I don't mean it as a joke. You take charge in hard situations and comfort everyone around you. I'm glad you're my brother."

Debbie went next.

"Jane, I've seen you grow up from a crying baby to a sassy toddler to a shy kid to a sarcastic teenager. I love your spunk and how you would take one for the team in a heartbeat. I'm proud to call you my daughter.

"Lia, you have had many obstacles these past years and you have overcome each one with such strength. You rise stronger than when you fell. You are one talented woman and I can't wait to see what you have in store for the future."

Dad went last.

"Last, and definitely not least, Alex. When I first met you, you looked vulnerable and I felt like I needed to help you or you would die. Looking at you right now, I could never tell that I was thinking about you. You are a strong, independent man and you have raised higher than anyone who has pushed you down."

Officer Eel finished off the speech.

"All of you have given justice to Asha and Mattheo. They are looking down at all of us right now, making sure we are safe and happy. If you ever feel alone, just know that they're up there. Thank you."

We all applauded and began eating. For the first time, I was really hungry. I ate and ate and ate until I couldn't eat anymore. I leaned on Lia and listened to the conversations around me. Slowly, I fell asleep. When I woke up, we were leaving. The six of us decided to walk to the park before going home. We sat on the grass and looked up.

Lia POV:

"And so the original five and Micah sit, contemplating their existence," Bryce said in a deep voice.

"How come I'm not one of the originals? I was in the discord since the beginning," Micah said.

"True. I guess we're all OGs," I said.

We sat in silence. Then, Alex stood up.

"I need you guys' help again." We tensed. "Don't worry. It's not another plan."

We stood up and followed him. He pulled out a pen and six notebooks from his bag.

"I want to write down what happened. Everything. From August 2021 until now. September 2022."

So we sat and wrote. It took us about two hours but we finally wrote everything. When we were done, Alex put everything in his backpack and started digging. We didn't know what he was doing but we helped him. Once the hole was big enough, Alex put the bag in and started filling the hole up. We continued helping him. Once we were done, he turned to us.

"In case anything happens and one of us . . . dies, I wanted all of this documented so we can look back on it."

I felt bad for Alex. Asha and Mattheo's death really affected him. I hugged him and he leaned into me. Micah and Mindy linked arms while Jane and Bryce held hands. 

"Thank you," I whispered into his ear.

We walked back to my house and decided to have a sleepover. We all crowded around and watched Fuller House.

"You know, we might have kids someday," I told Alex.

He freaked out.

"We're eighteen. Chill," he screamed, pushing me away.

"I don't mean now. I just mean that someday, sometime, we might want to have kids. All of us might. What would you name your kid?"

We thought about that for some time. Alex answered first.

"Ashley for a girl and . . . Taylor for a boy."

I loved those names. Jane went next.

"What about Cameron for a boy and . . . "

Bryce stopped her.

"Woah, woah, woah. If we have kids, we're only having one. If they're anything like me, you'll be sick of them by the time they can talk."

Jane laughed and nodded. Micah went last.

"Blaire. It was Asha's middle name. It would only be fitting . . . "

Mindy hugged him.

"I love it," she said.

We sat in silence. Peace and quiet.