Fake Me To Church

Chapter 16.1 - The Glory of Kings

- AHMED -

I left the ceremony for Mr. Clather and Madame Caroline early. James and Katherine said they both understood, but I knew they didn't fully. Sure, they knew about how Caroline had written that article about me in the Press, but they had no idea what Marissa'd said about Glenn—or how Steven and I had found his body in EdgeWay almost a month ago.

But knowing all that, I still felt somehow wrong walking out of the ceremony. Or maybe I just felt wrong that there'd even been a ceremony to begin with; maybe I felt that when it came to those two, a celebration of life was just out of place. Granted, I didn't know either of them personally, and I'd only made Caroline's acquaintance mere days before her death.

All things considered, I couldn't bring myself to think, really and truly, that they'd gotten what they deserved. But I also couldn't stop myself from thinking it.

I was pacing around the foyer, cutting through the living room, when I heard a knock at the front door. I wondered if maybe James had left the house key again. Stopping mid-pace, I spun around and headed to the door.

As soon as I unlocked and pulled it open, I gave a heavy sigh. "Steven, what are you doing here?"

"Dude, listen," he began. "I just found something crazy."

"Yeah, me too, and it's standing right in front of me." I gripped the edge of the door and pushed to shut it.

Steven forced his hand in the crevice, pushed back. "Ahmed, what's wrong with you? Didn't you hear me? I said I found something."

"Too bad. I'm not interested. I've heard enough conspiracy theories about 'the only person who likes me in this school.'" I scrunched stiff air quotes with my fingers. "Now get outta here. I mean it."

He raised an eyebrow. "Wow, someone's feeling hormonal. Don't forget to take your Midol, Judy Moody." He shoved the door wider.

"Steven, stop it!" I was almost screaming. "Get out! Go!"

"Dude, what's your problem? Just hear me out. Sheesh."

"No, Steven, I won't hear you out," I bit back. "You seriously think you can just come to my house, force your way inside, and make me listen to you?"

"Ahmed, this is serious. Why don't you try just getting over yourself—"

"Me get over myself?"

He stared down at me through the crack in the door, frustration written all over his face.

"Steven, I basically had to drag you out of your house last night. And now that you're suddenly so into solving this mystery, I'm just supposed to jump at your beck and call? Now that you finally feel like this affects you, I have to drop everything and be suspicious of Ms. Charity because she makes you uncomfortable?"

"Okay, you could seriously use some birth control right now, Ahmed. When was your last menstrual cycle?" He rolled his eyes. "Look, Charity is suspicious, and I think I'm getting to the bottom of th—"

"Great," I spat. "Call the cops next time." I shoved the door as hard as I could, felt the wood crunch against Steven's hand as I forced.

"Dude, ow!" he cried out in pain. "You stupid prick!" He rammed the door, flinging the tall-standing wood right into my head and shoulder.

I lost my balance, fell back onto the polished foyer floor with a thud and a shot of dizzying pain.

"Can you just listen for one second!?" Steven yelled from the doorway, now spread widely in the fading daylight.