The Devil In Disguise

Turning On Each Other

     The school day had dragged on painfully, each minute feeling like an hour. By the time the bell rang, Gianina felt exhausted, not just from the grief but from the weight of suspicion that had started to creep into her mind. After everything that had happened, their group was no longer the same, and it was starting to show.

The parking lot was their usual after-school meeting spot, but the energy today was different. The crisp fall air was sharp against their skin, and the sun was beginning to dip behind the trees. They stood in a loose circle, the tension between them practically vibrating in the air. Gianina stood close to Marcus, his arm slung around her waist as if trying to reassure her. Mary, Jamie, Cal, Jordan, and Rufus all gathered around, but the familiar sense of camaraderie felt fractured.

Cal, as usual, was in his playful mood, grinning as he leaned against the hood of Jamie's car, one arm around Jordan's waist. Jordan giggled as he planted kisses on her neck, oblivious to the heavy mood that had settled over everyone else. They'd always been the more openly affectionate couple in the group, but today, it felt out of place, even a little annoying.

"Seriously, Cal?" Mary asked, crossing her arms. "Now's not the time."

Cal smirked, pulling Jordan closer. "What? It's not like we're gonna solve anything by standing around moping."

Jordan laughed and kissed him back, the two of them acting like they were in their own little world. Gianina exchanged a glance with Marcus, who raised an eyebrow, clearly uncomfortable with the whole display.

"We're here to figure things out," Jamie said, his tone sharper than usual. "Not to watch you two make out."

Cal rolled his eyes and finally pulled away from Jordan, though he kept his arm around her waist. "Alright, alright, we're here. So, what's the plan? We gonna play detective now or what?"

"The police released more details," Jamie said, his voice tense. "They said the killer used her parents' keys to get into the house."

"Their keys?" Mary asked, her face pale. "So, he killed her parents first and took their keys?"

"Exactly," Jamie replied. "Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They took the time to make sure they had access. This wasn't random."

"So, someone close to her family," Rufus added, his arms crossed, eyes narrowing as he looked around at the group. "Someone who knew them well enough to know their routine, when they'd be home or not. Someone who knew about the keys."

"That could be a lot of people," Marcus said, shifting uneasily beside Gianina. "Her parents were pretty well-known. They had their own law firm. It could've been a client or someone from work."

"Or," Jamie said, stepping forward, his voice growing harder, "it could've been someone in this group."

Everyone froze. The accusation hung in the air like a storm cloud, dark and heavy. Gianina could see Marcus' glaring heavily at Jamie.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Cal said with a scoff, his playful demeanor instantly gone. "You think one of us did this?"

"I'm not saying anyone here is guilty," Jamie replied, though his tone suggested otherwise. "But think about it. Destiny's parents are dead, she's dead, and the killer had their keys. It had to be someone who knew them."

"None of us would hurt Destiny," Mary said, her voice trembling. "How can you even say that?"

"I'm saying we have to consider all the possibilities," Jamie shot back. "Look at Rufus. He was always hanging around her. Maybe he got tired of being in the friend zone."

Rufus's face hardened, and he took a step forward, glaring at Jamie. "Watch it, man. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, really?" Jamie challenged. "You were always lurking around, waiting for your chance. Maybe she told you off one too many times."

"That's bullshit!" Rufus shouted, his fists clenching at his sides. "Yeah, I liked her, but I'd never hurt her. And you're one to talk—you're the one acting all high and mighty, pointing fingers. Who says it wasn't you?"

"Me?" Jamie scoffed. "I didn't have a reason to hurt her."

"Maybe you did," Cal chimed in, grinning wickedly as if he enjoyed watching the tension unfold. "Maybe she found out something you didn't want her to know. You do have a lot of secrets, Jamie."

"Shut up, Cal," Mary snapped. "This isn't a joke!"

Cal shrugged, pulling Jordan closer again, his hand slipping under her shirt as she giggled. "Relax, Mary. We're just trying to figure things out. No need to get all worked up."

"This isn't a game!" Gianina finally spoke, her voice louder than she intended. Everyone turned to look at her. "Stop blaming each other. We don't know who did this, and accusing each other isn't going to help."

"But what if it was someone in this group?" Jamie pressed, his eyes locked on Gianina now. "You're the one trying to keep everyone calm. Why? Trying to cover for someone?"

Gianina felt her pulse quicken, anger bubbling up inside her. "What the hell is wrong with you, Jamie? You're making this worse! Why the fuck would I cover up for someone who murdered my friend?"

"Am I?" Jamie asked, his tone dripping with suspicion. "Or am I the only one asking the right questions?"

"Enough!" Marcus's voice rang out, silencing everyone. He stepped forward, standing protectively in front of Gianina. "No one here killed Destiny, and we're not going to tear each other apart over this."

Jamie glared at Marcus, his fists clenched. "You seem pretty sure about that."

"I am," Marcus said, his tone low and firm. "And if you don't stop this witch hunt, you're going to lose all of us."

Jamie opened his mouth to argue, but then he seemed to deflate, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Fine. But don't come crying to me if we find out someone here was involved."

The group stood in tense silence for a moment. Cal and Jordan had finally stopped their playful antics, sensing the seriousness of the moment. Even Cal's usual smug grin was gone as he watched the exchange with narrowed eyes.

"We need to trust each other," Gianina said softly, her voice calmer now. "If we start turning on each other, we'll never figure this out. Destiny wouldn't want us to do this."

Mary nodded, wiping away the tears that had started to form in her eyes. "She'd want us to stay together."

Rufus remained quiet, his expression dark but thoughtful. Gianina wondered what was going through his mind. He'd always been the quiet one, but now, with accusations flying, he seemed more withdrawn than usual.

"We stick together," Marcus said, his voice steady. "And we wait for the police to find more. But until then, no more of this."

Everyone murmured their agreement, but the tension lingered, thick and heavy in the cool air. As they slowly began to drift apart, heading toward their cars, Gianina couldn't shake the feeling that something was still off. The way Jamie had been so quick to accuse, the way Cal had seemed to enjoy watching the chaos—it all felt wrong.

And then there was Marcus. He had been so calm, so certain that no one in their group was guilty. But Gianina couldn't ignore the way his eyes had flashed when Jamie had accused him. The way his grip on her waist had tightened just a little too much.

As they walked to Marcus's car, Gianina glanced over at him, studying his face. He smiled at her, but there was something behind his eyes that made her stomach churn.

She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't. But the seeds of doubt had been planted, and no matter how hard she tried to push them away, they refused to leave.

Something wasn't right.

And the closer she got to Marcus, the more she realized that maybe—just maybe—she didn't know him as well as she thought.