The days that followed unfolded like a melancholic melody, each note weighed down by grief and unanswered questions. Alaine enveloped in her sorrow, moved through the funeral preparations like a wraith, haunted by the specter of her father's untimely demise. Her mother would every so often make an appearance but it was clear neither mother nor daughter came to terms with the events that had transpired.
A persistent curiosity tugged at the edges of my thoughts. Daniel's actions had my instincts urging me to delve into uncovering the truth. I had to know more, if not for myself then for Alaine. I wanted to have everything in hand when telling her. Every proof, every lie, and every reason he could have possibly had to hurt her. I wanted to know it all. And when I accomplished my goals, I would only add another to the list, to harm him. I wanted it to be known to the world what the consequences of hurting her were.
A few evenings after the events in the woods, and as the sun dipped below the horizon while shadows stretched across the town, I found myself seated in Francine's extravagant living room, surrounded by Vincent and Cole. Maxine, absent from our gathering, was at the hospital, visiting Daniel. My bitterness toward her choice to be with him during such a delicate time was palpable. Still, I chose to keep my emotions in check for now.
The air was thick with unspoken words as we discussed the complexities of the situation. Cole speculated, "Maybe Alaine's father was the murderer of the jock and the girl at your party too."
I shook my head, dismissing the notion. "No, it can't be. There's something more to this story. I can feel it."
Vincent's gaze met mine, his eyes reflecting a shared uncertainty. "But we've agreed it was self-defense. Danny won't be getting arrested either way. Unless... surely you don't want him to get arrested?"
My jaw clenched in a silent protest. "I don't buy it. There's more to this, and I want to find out what really happened that night. Why did Daniel kill Alaine's father?"
"You need to be careful about how you phrase things, it was self-dense therefore manslaughter," chimed Cole. "Even you got to know that in situations like that the lines get blurry. Hopefully, unlike Danny, you don't ever get put in that kind of situation in the first place."
My gaze fell to my hands. "Fine. Just promise me you won't tell the others, those who aren't here to hear this, the truth of the matter."
Francine wore a discerning expression. "Why did you tamper with the evidence in the first place?" All eyes shot at her, even mine. "I mean, the tech is available to the cops too, why did you go to those lengths yourself to test the DNA?"
"W-we said we were going to figure this whole thing out ourselves, you know the same way you find out about Jordan-"
"I found out about Jordan because she was targeting too close to comfort. Why are you going after Danny? He is our friend, he wouldn't hurt us," she scoffed. Then a discomforting smile appeared at the edges of her mouth. "Unless... oh really? You couldn't find a better reason to help weasel your dirty queer way into her heart? Was it only possible by defaming him? How the mighty have fallen." She smirked.
"Am I the only one who has not the fucking foggiest about what she's saying?" asked Vincent.
"Nope, I'm just as lost," sighed Cole.
"Don't worry, I was just teasing, I think we're done here though," smiled Francine, right at me. I gritted my teeth so hard I was worried powder might begin to form.
"Can we please just agree, no telling Alaine, Daniel, or Maxine. Please?" I pleaded one last time. Clinging to straws would be easier than whatever the hell Francie was putting me through right now.
Finally, Vincent spoke, "Okay, Lydia. We trust your judgment. But be careful. We don't want to make things more complicated for Alaine."
The exhale of relief may have been too big of a giveaway on my side but it didn't matter. I just wanted time away from this. Francie... fucking Francie, always getting to the closer side of things. I didn't want to be caught alone with her or it would only tangle things up even more into a mess.
As we concluded our meeting, I slipped out of the room with Cole and went to my and Laney's new bedroom. I didn't even notice when I plopped myself onto her bed instead of mine. It felt like instinct. Her lingering scent drew me in and I felt at home. My eyes drifted into a longing sleep.
