Cry for me

3 Privacy violation

Staring at the name I pondered if I should pay her a visit. Alice was a waste of beauty and brains with so much potential that she'll never get to meet. Why should she be killed? She had shown me kindness when no one else would. Little Alice used to share her lunch money with me after she noticed that my 9-year-old self always went without food during lunch break. She stopped around the same time that I noticed the bruises on her frame. I couldn't help her, so I uselessly watched her eat lunch on her own in the smallest corner of the room as she refused to look at me.

Her baggy clothes were now doing wonders at hiding some of her figure, but I knew she wasn't doing much better now. A part of me didn't want to care. Surely, she must think that her education is her way out of Detroit! How foolish of her. She knew what was coming for her so if she was as smart as I thought her to be, she'd get out now. I hoped she would take the first train, bus or plane and leave as fast as she could. That was the only way she would be something other than a girl easily forgotten or replaced.

One thing that the town wasn't forgetting however, were the murderers taking place. I remember Mariam's great speech about not letting the killer win. Surely, prom must go on because so does life. It's even more comical now that she's gone, and I do feel bad for her! She was so desperate to be prom queen that she organized a whole protest. Together with her little girlfriend, they convinced the principal to have a prom with a bunch of security. Sure, the prom would be short, but it would be a lot longer than any of their dresses would've been.

Mariam and Alexia, when will you be found?

They were always snooping around with their little secrets that they promised to take to their graves and I'm sure they will. Little misses perfect with their highbrows and their I'm-better-than-you- attitudes might be missed. They were always shamelessly talking about being afraid to age. So, I guess god is fair because they don't have to worry about ageing anymore. So why in the world were people complaining about them being gone? They got what they asked for and it's still not enough? I couldn't understand the grief for people who'd peak in high school! They would be nothing afterwards and this way they could at least end on a high note.

The sound of someone climbing the stairs reminded me of my father's existence so I quickly shoved the newspaper and my backpack under my bed before taking a seat. He tried to open the door, but he couldn't. I smirked and leaned back to see how long it would take the sheriff to get into my room.

''Open the door, Kevin! You're not getting off that easy!''

I rubbed my hands in anticipation, only then did I notice that the red blood that was on the newspaper had somehow seeped into my skin. I rushed to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

''I'm in the shower!''

''And I don't give a fuck! Get your ass over here now!''

It didn't matter what I did, or how hard I scrubbed my hand, the red stain stayed. Of course, it would! The substance mixed with the blood was designed to stain anything it came in contact with. I could hear him take the door off its hinges.

It took him no longer than 30 seconds to open that damn door and I could hear him approach the bathroom, so I quickly fell to the ground, sat on my blood-stained hand and put the other hand over my head.

''What the fuck are you doing Kef!''

''Nothing,'' I made a hand tremble as I pushed my brown hair out of my face which reminded me that it was time for a haircut. I pulled my legs closer to my chest in a defensive state.

His eyes now looked worried. Good, ''Just washing away the image of- ''

There was no need for me to continue. He was already convinced so I looked away and tried to make myself appear even smaller.

He sighed before stepping into the shower and turning the water off. Thank god for that, the old man really took his damn time and I was freezing.

''I'm sorry kiddo, sometimes I just,'' he ran his finger to his hair like I had done seconds before, ''I forget that you're.... human.''

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes, we really didn't have much in common. I don't know how I got my level of intelligence with this man as a father.

''You never really expressed many emotions. That was always your sister's thing. You balanced each other out. Whenever you looked like you didn't care enough, she cared too much and I guess it made me forget that...''

It angered me that he talked like he was around us enough to know what we were like. He clearly struggled. I almost felt bad for the guy. Almost.

''I know I was never your favourite child,'' I sobbed, thanking the water drops that blended so perfectly with my nonexistent tears, ''but she was my sister just as much as she was your daughter and I'm just trying to get to the answers before...''

He nodded his head understandingly ''No more secrets?''

I nodded in agreement hiding my smile.

He smacked my leg ''good because you're not getting your door back.'' He walked out of the room and I immediately jumped up.

''I'm sorry what?! I need my privacy!''

''No, what you need is to know your goddamn place in this fucking house! You made a fool out of me in front of all my colleagues for what? So, you can show off? So, you can be something else than an embarrassment?''

He picked up the door like it was nothing.

''You want privacy? Well, you sure as hell can't get it in MY house. If you're so desperate for privacy get your punk ass out of my house.''

He let go of the door and it crashed into my carpeted floor. I wanted to kill him for thinking he could come back from the military after he abandoned me for years, only to boss me around.

I heard footsteps and knew that my mother was joining us.

''What's going on!? Erik, what did you do?''

''Ask your disappointment of a son, because I'm done playing nice.''

He started to walk off before he turned around, ''Oh and I don't make deals with criminals. The next time you get involved I'm going to be the one to put your ass in jail.''

He walked off and she followed him after giving me an all-too-familiar look.

This was only the beginning.