Bookview Valley 2

Chapter Ten: What's Wrong With A Hoodie?

Saturday, January 24th (Edited 6/30/24)

Three days until the sentence hearing...

"Okay, but I realize you haven't actually told me the plan," I say into my phone, swinging my legs as I sit on my bed.

"So?"

"Jemma, I need to know what we're doing."

"I still can't believe you chose Dean!" I hear Brianna exclaim from the background.

"Why is Bri-, no that doesn't matter. Just tell me what we're doing!" I demand.

"So, bossy," Jemma says with no infliction in her tone, "Fine. We'll go to this party, and I'll find Nick."

"Wait, Nick is going to be there?"

"How else would I be able to meet him?"

"I...actually, completely, forgot that, that's why we we're doing this..."

"This is why I didn't tell you the plan." Jemma says.

"I forgot too!" I hear Flynn call out from the back. He's there too? What are they doing? Throwing a mini party?

"Anyway, I had Brianna give him an invitation. It was easy, since he's still taking a couple classes to finally finish his senior year. Thanks to Harper we figured out that he was taking the classes, since he was gone for the rest of last year."

"Apparently, he didn't do school while he was gone," I hear Brianna say from the back.

"Lucky!" I hear Chad exclaim. Chad, too, really?

"Moving on, we gave him the invitation, and he said no."

"Then he's not going?"

"Sh, let me finish," Jemma demands, "Brianna used her magic, popular powers to convince him to go."

"How'd she do that?"

"She told him you would be there," Jemma says. Was this before or after I agreed to go to the movie with him?

"He said yes, because I would be there?"

"Actually, he said no."

"Jemma, you're very confusing. Please, get to the point."

"Brianna then told him that she has reason to believe that the killer would also be going."

"So, then he said yes?"

"Yes. That was implied."

I stifle a groan, "Okay, thanks, Jemma. So, what's the plan?"

"Right. So, after I find Nick, we'll know whether or not he's the killer," Jemma says, "The tricky part will be proving it if he is. Even if I determine that he is, we need evidence to commit him."

"That's true," I say, "I didn't actually think of that."

"This is where you come in," Jemma says.

"What does that mean?"

"Nick is going to see you with the love intere-"

"Dean," I cut her off.

"Yes, with Dean," I can practically hear her rolling her eyes, "You're going to go upstairs with Dean."

"Why?"

"Because, if he's the killer, he'll follow you. I'm betting on the fact that he actually has feelings for you. If he sees you with another guy..."

"He'll try to kill me or the guy?" I ask, furrowing my brows.

"Yes, or he'll see you and want to kill you, since you're probably his target."

"Thanks, Jemma," I sigh.

"No problem, now hurry up and get ready. We leave soon. Dean's picking you up in thirty."

"I thought I told him to meet me at the party?" I ask.

"You didn't know the plan." Jemma says and then hangs up the phone abruptly.

"Ugh, she's so...aggravating!" I take a breath before heading over to my closet, "Right, party clothes..."

...

"You're wearing that?" Dean asks me when I reach his car. He stares at me from the rolled down car window. I glance down at my jeans and hoodie.

"What's wrong with this?"

"We're going to a party. I mean, I normally don't care, but..."

"What?"

He sighs and gets out of his car, "Look, Morgan. I love how practical this is, but we're trying to catch a killer at a party. A party, thrown by popular people. If you go looking like that the killer is going to suspect something is up."

"Oh," I look down at myself again, "You might be right."

"Go change."

"Into what?"

A few minutes later we're in my room as Dean goes through my closet. I hear a knock on the door and then footsteps. I turn around to see Luci enter my room.

"I figured you might try to go to a party in that," Luci glances at Dean, who hasn't stopped rummaging, "I don't even want to know."

"Yeah, I guess this is why I wasn't ever invited to a popular party," I scoff.

"I got you something," Luci says, tossing me a wrapped box. At this Dean looks up and crosses his arms. The leather jacket he's wearing rubs together, making that weird leather noise.

"Lucian," Dean says.

"Oh, Dean," Luci says, "I almost didn't recognize you."

"I may have gotten a hair cut," Dean shrugs.

"No, it's definitely the hair color," Luci dead-pans. I ignore them and unwrap the present. I pull out a leather, black dress, and some gothic tights.

"Uh...I am not wearing this..."

"Hey, we'll match," Dean says, "But, also, you are. That is perfect for the party."

"Why do both of you have more style than I do?" I mutter as I look at the dress.

"Go change," Both Luci and Dean tell me.

"Fine," I mumble and head to the bathroom.

A few minutes later I step out of the bathroom. The skirt comes to my mid-thigh, but it feels way too short. If mom saw me in this...hey, where is mom?I glance down the stairs, but I don't hear anything.

"Mom had a thing at work and dad's asleep, so don't worry," Luci says, coming out of my bedroom. Dean follows behind him. 

Dean takes me in, and I think his face actually turns a bit pink, "Great, we should go."

"Hold on, I need shoes," I say and race back to my closet. I grab my combat boots, once more. They helped me take down a killer once, they can help again. I walk back out of my room and both boys glance at my shoes.

"Perfect," Dean nods, approvingly.

"Aren't those..." Luci trails off.

"They helped before," I shrug.

"Um, you guys have fun, and be safe," Luci says, "Call me if anything happens."

"I will, Luc," I smile as I begin to go down the stairs, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Dean," Luci says, and Dean stops.

"What?"

"Touch her, and I will kill you," Luci glares at him.

I snort, "Come on, Dean, we have a killer to catch."