Mind Games.

chapter 16: Question upon question.

My study hall began with me enjoying a simple Alfredo and working on my homework. I also thought a lot about Heather. Who's next? I asked myself. Why did he choose her? Did he know her? I asked myself.
My thought process was interrupted by someone sitting at the chair across from me.
"Ok, tell me what the hell is going on." Madeline demanded. Her mascara was smearing on her face and her eyes were red and puffy. She crossed her arms around her chest and stared at me. I set down my paper and folded my hands on the table in front of me.
"I wish I knew, Madeline."
"Oh, don't give me that. You knew she was next!" She pointed a finger at me. I held up my hands and said,
"Madeline, you won't bring him to justice by yelling at me, calm down." Her face softened and she sat back,trying to hold back more tears.
"I'm sorry, it's just...Heather is my best friend."
"I know, Madeline."
"I just can't believe someone would do that to her..." She trailed off, taking out a tissue and wiping her eyes, smearing her makeup more. I looked at her and said,
"Madeline?"
"Y-yeah?" She half sobbed half said.
"I know you're going through a lot right now."
"Yeah."
"But you need to answer all the questions I ask you, ok? No matter how personal."
"Why?" She snapped her head to look at me. I stared at her and said,
"Because I'm trying to make sense of this." I continued staring at her. She looked down at her plate, then nodded and looked back up at me.
"Ok, go ahead."
"Ok, does she have any significant others in her life?"
"No. She dates on and off, but nothing really serious."
"When was her most recent date?" I asked her. She knitted her eyebrows together and thought.
"About a month ago."
"Has she said anything about him?" I asked.
"No, nothing."
"Has she been acting strange lately? Was there anything you noticed that was off about her?"
"No." She replied.
"Nothing at all?"
"No. She told me she was going out last night to see her mom, but then this morning..." She lost it and cried into her arms. I walked around the table and hugged her. She resisted at first, then let herself cry into my hands. A few people looked at us funny. One person even pointed at us. I glared at them and they looked away almost immediately.
After she had calmed down enough, I sat back down in my chair. She breathed slowly and shook her head.
"Thats about all that I know."
"Ok, but can you do one more thing?" I asked. She looked up and nodded.
"What?"
"May I have Heather's mom's phone number?" She nodded and handed me a piece of paper and scribbled the number down. I nodded and smiled politely.
"Thank you."
"Yeah, no problem. Alice?" She asked. I looked up at her and nodded.
"Yes Madeline?"
"Call me if you learn anything, ok?"
"I will. Have a good day." She nodded and continued walking away into the crowd.
I wasn't quite sure what would be going on in psychology that day. Gosh, I hope he won't lose his job, I thought. I understand the importance of homework and the students responsibility to complete it, but I didn't see a reason why he should lose his job over it.
The x twins were laughing over something no one except for them understood. When Connor strolled in the room, he stopped mid way to his seat and looked up at me. I stared back. He smirked in an evil, conniving way. I didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me shudder, but he made my pulse quicken. He walked off to his seat, seemingly satisfied.
Libby came in, but she seemed a little on edge. Something wasn't quite right. She came up and took her seat.
"Libby, are you ok?" I asked her. She snapped her head at me, then looked down quickly.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied. When I looked at her head, she was fumbling with her fingers, trying to keep her mind off something.
"Libby, what's wrong-"
"Alright class, time to begin," we all heard Mr. Marsh say. Libby looked over at me and whispered,
"Meet me in the hallway after class." I nodded my head and looked in front of us. Mr. Marsh had done a complete transformation from last night. Last night, his starry eyes were all blood shot and his temple was bleeding. Now, his hair was neatly combed across the spot, but you couldn't tell. He wore a pair of dress pants and a black button up dress shirt with the top few buttons undone. He leaned against the table and sighed.
"Well, I assume everyone knows why miss. Smith is missing, correct?" Everyone nodded their heads. He nodded too and continued, "yes, quite unfortunate. Now, I expect everyone to take extra precautions, especially the young ladies in here." He looked slightly in my direction, but he kept it very subtle. He then began class without making another reference to Heather. I kept glancing over at Libby. Nothing seemed to be physically wrong with her. All of her piercings were in the same place. She didn't have any new wounds that I could see. What is she so nervous about...
"Alright, class dismissed, remember to be careful." Everyone started to leave. Libby grabbed all of her things and went outside to wait for me. I started down the steps, but Mr. Marsh walked up to them,
"Alice, can we talk-"
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Marsh, my friend needs to talk with me, I have to go."
"Oh, I see, after school, then?" He asked.
"Yes, after school!" I called behind me as I ran out of the class room. She waited around the corner for me. I approached her and set a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Libby, tell me everything-"
"I, uh, can we grab something from Debbie's car quick?" She inquired, pleading me with her eyes. Part of me said, this is too shadey for my tastes. But the other half was like, shut up, stupid, it's Libby! I shrugged and gave her my most polite, reassuring smile. She seemed to calm down just a little. I nodded,
"Sure, Libby. Whatever you want." She sighed a sigh of relief. We started walking across the campus, sticking to the sidewalks. Today was cloudy, and sprinkles of rain went off every now and then, but I didn't mind.
Rain and snow had always been my favorite types of weather. I loved the thought of rain falling from so high above everything, only to become part of us.
Libby sighed and asked me,
"So....are you going to be in the talent show?" She stared at me with hope. I bit my lip and shook my head.
"No."
"Why not?" She asked. Her hands were still fumbling with each other. I looked down at them.
"I dont see any reason to."
"Why?" She asked again. I looked up at her and frowned.
"Why are you so interested?"
"No reason, I just want to know." She stated. I sighed and thought for a few moments.
"The first reason is because I don't need the money, so I don't see a reason to try and take the opportunity from someone else who may actually need it."
"And the second reason?" She asked quickly, staring up at me. I hugged myself and shrugged.
"I really don't have a good talent."
"Can you dance?" She asked.
"No," I laughed, shaking my head.
"Can you do gymnastics?"
"I think I'd break my back if I tried," I said, giggling.
"Well, can you sing?" She asked. I stared at the parking lot while I thought.
"I don't really now." I replied. She took out a set of keys and started towards Debbie's car.
"Well, could you try?" She asked, sticking the key in the car and unlocking it. I shrugged and stood by the side of the passenger door.
"I guess I could, why?" I inquired, crossing my arms. She bit her lip, then looked away.
"Alice, I need you to remember that Debbie isn't a bad person..." She trailed off and sniffled. Oh god, I thought, what did Debbie do?
Libby took in one slow, deep breath, then she looked at me. "What I am about to show you needs to stay completely confidential, ok?"
"Why does it ne-"
"Ok?!" She asked again, staring into my soul. I looked down at my feet on the ground, surrounded by pebbles and dirt. A silence surrounded us while she waited for my answer. I finally nodded.
"Ok, I promise not to speak a word." Another tear left her face as she nodded her head.
"Ok, Debbie is in trouble with some very powerful people."
"Trouble?" I asked. She nodded,
"Yes."
"What kind of trouble?" I questioned. Then, Libby reached into the car and down to the glove box. When her fingers found the underside of the latch, she pulled upwards, making the gears inside Click!. When she opened it, she let the door fall, revealing the contents. There, inside the glove compartment, laid three square bags. They were all filled with a white powder. Cocaine.
I stared at it with wide eyes. Holy crap.
Libby sniffled again and stammered,
"I-I know it's wrong, and I've tried to make her stop before, but-"
"Libby." I interrupted. She stopped and looked at me.
"Yeah?"
"Let's sit down." I said it because my legs felt like jello. She nodded and we took a seat on the steps outside the dorm room. After we had both gotten settled, I sighed and rubbed my eyes.
"I want you to start from the beginning." I told her. She folded her hands in her lap and bit her lip.
"It all started last year. Debbie and I had just started dating. She asked me to bring her something to her house, but when I got there, I found her sitting in front of her desk. She had assembled a gigantic pile of coke on it. She was shaking all over and her eyes were all puffy. I told her to get help, but she wouldn't listen. I tried to leave, but she tried to kill herself when I did." Libby's shoulders were shaking. She took another deep breath. I patted her back.
"Its ok, Libby. I'm not judging you."
"Alice, I need to ask you for a favor." She said, looking up. I nodded and smiled at her.
"Anything, Libby."
"I need you to try and win the first prize in the talent show for me." She looked at me through her tears.
"Why do you want me to-"
"Debbie's in serious trouble. She didn't pay her supplier last month, and she needs that money to pay him off."
"I don't know if $1,000 will-"
"We have to try, Alice. He's threatening to kill her..." Her head collapsed in her hands. My heart reached out to her, and I caved in.
"Ok, I'll do it. I'll do the talent show." Libby wrapped me in a tight hug. Her huge arms met in the middle of my back, suffocating me. I patted her back and gasped,
"Libby, can't. Breath." She sniffled one more time and sat back, wiping her eyes.
"Thank you so much, Alice. You're a great friend." Libby made me smile, then. She had never known what my life was like, or the truth about why I was there, yet she accepted me completely. I sighed and rubbed my temples.
"Dont worry about it, Libby. Everything is going to be fine." She nodded and got up, picking up her bags to get to her classes. I sighed and checked my phone screen for the time. Oh my god! I'm late!!!! I picked up my bags and started sprinting to the other side of the campus.

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Hopefully you liked it, enjoy the next one, bye! :).