Seven Devils

The Aftermath

1 YEAR AGO
We all stare at one another in shock. I watch as Hayden sinks to the bottom of the water, out of sight. I can feel the bile in my stomach approaching my throat, but it's too late. I reach over to the other side of the boat and empty the contents of my stomach into the lake below. By the time I'm finished, the boat has started up again and a million thoughts swarm my mind. Why did they do this? Why did they need me anymore involved than I already was? What will I tell the police when they inevitably question us all?

"Can you please stop shaking so much? I know this wasn't easy for you. It isn't easy for anyone. But he did what he did and paid for it." Emmett says with a straight face, avoiding the eye contact of everyone on board. I look at him in disgust. I look at them all in disgust. I can't understand how they can rationalize murder. "Here's what we are going to do. Nothing. Nothing happened. We are going to go back acting like nothing happened." He says after a few moments, "If anyone tells the police anything, we all go to prison. No one is escaping this sinking ship anymore. We all dumped the body and we all are an accessory to murder now. So we stay quiet and go on with our lives."

I look across at Genevieve and see her silently crying as she tries her best to drive the boat back to the docks. She catches me staring and I look away. This all started with her and Hayden. I don't understand how Hayden could've done the things she says he did. He was my best friend. The person I trusted with my life. My better half. But she got him to admit it. He said it in front of all of us. And now all I feel is disgusted with myself and with my life choices. How could I let someone like that get so close to me. Let them in my house. Allow them to be around my family. I get so caught up in my own head, I miss the fact that Dallas sits next to me. Still silently crying as she leans her head against my own.

"I just don't get it." She says, taking me out of my own mind, "He was never like that at home." She's speaking low enough so that it's only me that can hear her. I hug her tightly and hold her until we get back to the docks. "How do I go home to them and act like nothing ever happened?" She says, looking up at me. "You can spend the night at my house if you want. Just say that I brought you over to my place after the party. And that- that we couldn't find Hayden so I just took you home."

"That's the spirit Pat. Already understanding how this is gonna work." Emmett says, smirking like the smug piece of shit he is. "Knock it the fuck off Emmett. This isn't a game. We did something horrible. Stop acting like it's some sick fucking joke." Kate says angrily. She storms off afterwards into her car, grabbing Garret and Genevieve by the hands. She drives off, most likely to her house, leaving the 4 of us alone.

"Do what you want. I don't care anymore. We're going home." I say, as I take Dallas by the hand and get into my car. Harmony runs to the passenger side window and knocks on it. After rolling the window down she says, "I'm really sorry this happened Dallas. It wasn't supposed to be like this." Dallas takes a moment, looks to her friend, and says, "I know, but it did end like this, and now we have to deal with the consequences."

I drive off after Harmony steps out of the way. The car ride is mostly silent, other than the occasional sniffles coming from the passenger side. I give an occasional glance to ensure that Dallas is okay every once in a while and once we pull into my parent's driveway, I hug her, knowing that we both needed one. I slowly open my door and sigh. "We should probably talk about what we're going to do." I say, as I have one foot out of the car, but am still seated.

She looks up at me and nods her head in understanding. "He said that he did it. I can't believe that he said that he did it." I run a hand through my hair and sigh once again in disbelief. "I just have known him my whole life. I mean, we're siblings. He's never once acted anywhere close to that to me. I guess I'm just in a bit of shock. Not just from that piece of information, but the night as a whole. I don't think everyone knows just how much this affects every single person involved. We have to lie now. To everyone we know." I nod my head along with what she's saying and put my head in my hands.

"Just promise me one thing. After we finish high school this year, you and I are going to move so far away from this stupid town and never look back. Maybe not together, but we both need to be away from it. There's just too much here for both of us. We can't handle it." I look up at her and nod my head so she knows that I agree. "The second we graduate. We're gone. No more lies, no more drama, just us somewhere else in the world."

I slowly get out of the car and walk up the steps to my house. I open the door as quietly as possible and sneak Dallas up into my room. I decide that it would be best to lay on the floor so as she is showering and getting ready for bed, I set myself a spot on the floor. By the time she gets back into my room, I am nearly asleep. Her moving around wakes me up slightly. "Patrick," She says softly, "Could you please just lay next to me? I don't want to be alone right now." I take a breath, then slowly get up and lay down on top of my covers. We hold each other's hands as we slowly drift off into sleep, worrying about what's next to come.