Elemental: We are all murderers #2

Chapter Sixteen

Nick

"So let me get this straight, what you're saying is you and Aurora Steyn look like the exact same person?" Mike asks for the thousandth time. "Yes, yes that's exactly what I'm saying. It was so weird and for some reason the library lady didn't let us take the yearbook out of the library. I mean, who does that?"

Azania says, walking back and forth in the same spot in her room again. "I was with her, she's not lying." Sky says. Trying to be as helpful as possible. "Well, maybe we should all go to the library together." Grayson suggests.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. That's probably our best bet." "I don't know. This kind of makes a lot of sense, but makes no sense at all. What if the secret that X was talking about or whoever had the secret was Aurora?" Sarah suggests. "You're totally right. I mean it was so weird. It was like everybody at the party was staring at me and I couldn't figure out why. But this makes sense is because I look like her."

"Exactly like her. It was kind of freaky." Sky says. "That is the understatement of the century. The only thing I'm happy about is that I managed to get a milkshake afterwards, not that it was really enjoyable with what I just witnessed." Azania says.

"Well, I think we've got new our suspect." "I mean, can we really the suspect a dead person?" "I think in this case we can. I mean, just because she's dead doesn't mean that she doesn't have a secret that could affect the entire state. After all, she is Steyn's daughter." Natalia says. She seems way better than she did when she told us her background.

At that time she looked unlike herself. Like a scared little girl. With her teary eyes, black mascara running down her face. She looked so shaken, broken. Human. "Alright, tomorrow we all meet at the library at four o'clock sharp. That should be before all of our activities start up." Azania says.

"Yep, that sounds like a plan, when you texted us saying that this was an emergency and for us to meet in your room the next day. I must say I expected a lot of things but not this." Sarah says. Completely shocked. "Has anybody gotten any texts from X?" Sky asks. "No, none recently." Sarah says, looking a little bit guilty.

"No, I haven't gotten any messages from X." Mike says. He's telling the truth. Grayson, Nate, Natalia and Azania say no. I also say no. The only one of us who was lying was Sarah. "I haven't gotten any messages either. I was just wondering if anybody else. Got one." Another lie.

Sky and Sarah were lying and I don't know why. I don't say anything because it's best to keep quiet with these types of things. People lie for a reason and they'll tell the truth when they want to. "Hey Nate can I talk to you outside for a second?" Azania says Nate looks surprised at that, and they leave the room and talk outside.

I don't know why, but Nate reminds me of someone. Someone that I used to know. I just can't put my finger on it. "So, what are we gonna do now?" Sky asks. "I think we should stick to the original plan of finding Emily before we move on with all of this other shit Emily first." Natalia says, and I understand where she's coming from.

"Yeah, Natalia is right, Emily first and then all of this X slash Aurora stuff." Sarah says, completely agreeing with her best friend. "Well then I guess we'll all meet tomorrow in the library at four o clock, otherwise somebody is going to go on a murder spree and hunt you down." Mike says while hopping off of the bean bag he was sitting on.

"Where are you going?" I ask him. "Nowhere in particular. I just figured that this meeting was over." "It is not over until we all say it's over, so sit your ass down." Azania says, walking into the room again, and Mike follows her instructions without complaint. "Alright before this meeting is really over. We need to go over what we found out and what we're planning on doing next so that nobody here in this room leaves confused."

Azania says, and she's completely right, we have no idea what to do next. We need to figure it out. Because our lives are on the line. Her life is on the line. "Ok, so Emily was taken away. That was the first thing that happened. And then X started sending all of us messages. That was the second thing that happened.

And the third thing is we find out that Azania has a doppelganger who is dead. Who is also Steyn's daughter Aurora, who has a cold case. Oh yes, and how could I forget about the creepy shadow guy who was behind the photo that Emily took?" Sarah says. "But maybe X did this to finally get our attention." Azania says.

"Maybe, but we don't know for sure now that we've listed all of the things that has happened so far. Well, at least a summary of them. Besides the maze. What are you gonna do next?" Natalia says. "I don't know, maybe just watch out just in case X does any weird tests. For you, just like you did for me." Azania says, and she has a point. We all need to look out for that, especially if it's just as brutal as her one was. "Nate, do you have something to say to everybody?" Azania says, looking straight at Nate.

Not looking like she's giving him much of a choice. "Yes, I do." All of us eagerly turn to Nate to see what he's about to say. But to my surprise, he looked straight at me. "Nick. Nicholas. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you this before. We wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible, but I was sent here to make sure that you were safe." "What are you talking about?" "My name is not really Nate Freely. It's Nate Volkov. I'm your cousin." For that moment, all of the dots connect and my entire world stops. Why he looks so familiar? Why his voice was so familiar.

Why I recognized him but didn't know why. It was because I have always known him. Why he forgave me so easily. It all makes perfect sense now. "Why?" Is all I can manage to say. "Because. You may not have remembered this, but before the car accident we were best friends. We used to do everything together and when

you moved here to Steyn City and felt like it was impossible to live and grow up to be in the mafia without you. So they sent me here. Half a year ago. To make sure that you are safe and ok. I missed my best friend and I had to see you again, but they had to make sure that you wouldn't recognize me, so they gave me another identity. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this before."

I turned to Azania. "How do you know?" "X me a message talking about it. At first I didn't believe him. I didn't want to believe that it was true, but it was. And as much as I hate you. I know that this is a really messed up thing to find out. I tried to keep it in as long as I possibly could, but I couldn't do it anymore. I have to let him know that I knew. And that he needed to fess up and tell you. Before it's too late." I couldn't even explain how I felt in that moment. Numb is the only real way I could describe it.

Feeling all of my emotions at once. How could I have not known this before? How could I have not noticed? The other's look just as shocked as I feel. "Well, I think it's safe to say that the meeting is over." Azania says. And I can tell that she's very uncomfortable with the situation. I don't blame her. I need time to process this alone. "Yeah, it's definitely over. I'll see you tomorrow." I say stand up and walk out the door.