Wronged Loss

A Confession Turned Deadly

Chapter 2- A Confession Turned Deadly

First-person view (Jake)

As I woke up from my sleep, I felt like I hadn't slept in days. The memory of Sara still haunts me... I killed her like it was nothing...  I couldn't believe what I had done. The weight of my actions pressed heavily on my chest, suffocating me with guilt. The memory of Sara still haunts me, a weight on my shoulders that seems to grow heavier with each passing moment. The thought of her, the reality of what I had done, consumed me entirely. 

As I readied myself for another day, the mundane routine of getting into my mother's car belied the turmoil within me. "I heard about what happened... on the news," my mother's voice pierced the silence around us. I was frozen, my mind a turmoil of conflicting emotions. "Y-you do..." I stammered, unsure of how to face the situation that awaited me. "Yes, son, Jake," my mother's words were gentle yet firm, "when you get to school, I want you to pay your respects to your classmate, okay?"

"Yes, I understand" I replied. As I started at the school grounds before me, a place that once felt safe but now felt like a battleground, every gaze was a potential accusation. As I bid my mother goodbye and stepped out of the car, when I entered the school, the murmurs and whispers of fellow students danced around me, a relentless reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded. It was obviously about Sara Chilese's death.  My heart started to race, I felt like all eyes were on me. As I head to class I try to calm down. "Hey Jake, have you heard about what happened to Sara..."I jumped in fear, and when I turned around I saw Hana and Evelyn. "it is really sad what happened to her-" 

"OMG, can you two stop for one second!!" I yelled, the strain in my voice evident. Hana and Evelyn were spooked. "sorry... just got a lot on my mind right now.." Hana felt sorry and tried to cheer me up. A few minutes passed and class started, I tried to calm down but I felt a chill down my spine, when I turned around, there I saw, Ze looking at me with eyes filled with rage. This was the first time Ze, even looked at me with such eyes. This was a look I had never seen from her, a look that spoke volumes without a single word.

When the class finally ended, I made my way to my locker in a daze, seeking a moment of respite from the chaos. "YOU A$$!! YOU FUCKING EVIL FREAK!!" before I knew it I was cornered by the popular clique, Jacy, Emily, and Ze. "YOU FUCKING MONSTER!!! I KNOW YOU DID IT!!" yelled Ze. My body was shaking uncontrollably, my legs felt like noodles, my heart started to race, and I felt like I was in a cage of three angry lions. "I... I don't know... what you are talking about," I muttered. "BULLSHIT!! I KNOW THAT A LIE!!!" The tirade of insults and threats surrounded me like a relentless storm.

Everyone was staring at me, like a pack of hyenas or wild dogs, the popular clique in the school... Jacy, Emily, and Ze, are dangerous, it is risky to get on their bad side, they could do anything to you, they will ruin your reputation, sue your family for anything, and even, ruin your life, making you homeless."Ze, It is a waste of time to yell at him to make him tell the truth. He is going to keep lying," stated Jacy. "Yeah, maybe we should force it out of him." Before I knew it, Ze pushed me against my locker, she balled her fist, and pulled her arm back, ready to swing a devastating blow, I closed my eyes in fear. 

POW! I heard the punch but it didn't land anywhere on my body, when I opened my eyes, to my surprise,  I  saw, Joshua, a silent observer until now, stepping forward and intercepted Ze's hostile strike. Taking the punch, that was meant for me, it wasn't my body that absorbed the force—it was Joshua's arm that took the blow. "What the... how dare you-" Before Ze could respond, she was cut off. "Just shut up!! Why do you even suspect him? he is incapable of doing that." Joshua responded. Ze was speechless,  the hallway filled with an eerie silence. Joshua, out of all people, intervened and protected me from the blow. 

"Get lost, Ze," Joshua demanded. Ze, Emily, and Jacy were shocked. Then later, into anger, but they did not want to pick a fight with Joshua. "I am so sorry for this, Joshua... I didn't... I-"

"You did absolutely nothing wrong Jake," Before Joshua got to finish what he was saying, Ze interrupted him. "HOW DARE YOU JOSHUA!! WHY ARE YOU PROTECTING A MURDER-" Before Ze could finish her sentence, Joshua got into her face.

"I swear to fucking god, Ze, if you don't buzz off right now, I will do something I will regret." Ze when silent, and then her silence turned into rage, she was about to attack Joshua, however, Hana and Evelyn went in front of her. "Don't you dare hurt my friend, Ze!!" Hana yelled. Hana and Evelyn showed up. "Ze... I swear to you I didn't-"

"Shut your trap," Ze's glare, cold and piercing, was aimed directly at me, filled to the brim with contempt. She looked at me as if I was the vermin beneath her feet. Suddenly, she took a deep breath in and then out. "Fine... you think you can fool me, you bastard? You are lucky today... but mark my words, you better watch your back from now on.." Ze left, with Emily and Jacy following behind her. 

The atmosphere was tense and thick. I chill went down my spine, I started trembling in fear, however, my fear subsided when Joshua put his arms around my shoulder. "I believe you didn't do it, Jake," said Joshua. Hana and Evelyn also jumped in saying that they believed I wasn't the killer, and that they would protect me from anyone who would try to accuse me.

The weight that was on my shoulders now felt like. Im so happy that I have friends and people like them to save me, however, this made me feel more guilty that they did all of this for me, even knowing the dangers of doing this, just to protect me, but little do they know I was the one who did it.

The End of Chapter 2