Days after Billy's funeral, Oakley found himself struggling to come to terms with what had happened. He had been haunted by the image of the burning school and Billy's lifeless body. He couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that weighed heavily on his heart.
Oakley had been seeing a therapist, who had been helping him work through his feelings of guilt and trauma. But he still found himself struggling to cope with the aftermath of the fire.
One afternoon, Oakley decided to take a walk to clear his mind. As he walked through the park, he saw Mia sitting on a bench, staring off into the distance.
"Mia," Oakley said softly, taking a seat beside her.
"Hey," she replied, turning to face him.
"How are you holding up?" he asked.
Mia sighed, "I don't know, Oakley. I still can't believe what happened. It's like everything is still so surreal."
Oakley nodded in understanding. "I know. It's been tough for me too. But we have to keep moving forward."
Mia looked at him, "Do you think you can ever forgive me for what I did?"
Oakley was taken aback by her question. "What do you mean?"
Mia looked down, "I killed Billy, Oakley. It was me who started the fire."
Oakley felt like the world had stopped turning. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why, Mia? Why would you do something like that?"
Mia took a deep breath, "Billy had been harassing me for months. He wouldn't leave me alone, and I didn't know what else to do. I didn't mean for it to go that far, Oakley. I'm so sorry."
Oakley sat there in shock, trying to process what Mia had just told him. He had lost two people that he cared about in such a short amount of time. He didn't know how to move on from this.
"Mia, why didn't you come to me for help?" Oakley asked, feeling a twinge of anger.
Mia looked at him, tears streaming down her face. "I was scared, Oakley. I didn't know who to turn to. I thought I could handle it on my own."
Oakley nodded, feeling a sense of sadness wash over him. He knew that he couldn't change what had happened, but he could try to move forward and be there for those who needed him.
"Mia, I forgive you," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But we have to make things right. We have to own up to what happened and make amends."
Mia nodded, "I know. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
Oakley stood up, offering his hand to Mia. "Then let's start by going to the police."
