A murderous summer

Chapter 3

She woke up early the next day. She didn't feel in great shape. After waking up, she had big difficulty falling asleep again. She went down to the kitchen. Her parents were already there, talking quietly drinking their coffee. Her mother looked up at her daughter. Her brother appeared behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You should stay in bed," he whispered in her ear.

She just sighed without answering. Gilbert opened the refrigerator to get the orange juice. He reached into the cabinet before turning to his sister to offer a glass. She nodded, approaching the counter. She sat on a bench. Her mother asked her if she was feeling okay. Joelle shook her head again, looking away. She wouldn't tell them about her dream. She only wanted to forget it, move on. She wanted to convince herself that this was only a dream, erase the strange impression she felt.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed that the TV was open. She began stranding, hypnotized by the screen. She approached to hear well. The presenter was visible only a few seconds before giving way to a journalist on the beach. Frowning, she increased the volume. He explained that the body had been pushed on the bank. Joggers had made the gruesome discovery earlier in the morning. In the background, a white sheet covered the body while the police were busy all around. Joelle felt her legs give way suddenly. Her brother caught her and helped her settle on the sofa.

"What is going on?" he asked her.

Behind her brother, she could see her parents approaching. They seemed very concerned. Joelle looked up at Gilbert. Her lower lip trembled and tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Peggy... They found Peggy..."

* * * * *

The identity of the body was confirmed earlier on the afternoon. It was indeed Peggy. In all likeness, she committed suicide. Her three best friends met at the dairy bar where they used to go when one of them needed comfort. After received their orders, they had settled on a bench at the far end to talk quietly. They couldn't monopolize a table without consuming anything. They remained silent for a while, sobbing their separate ways. Joelle never left her milkshake from her sight. She tapped her straw, wondering if she should tell them about her strange dream. She sighed deeply.

"Somebody should say something," she whispered, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

Christine sniffled, wiping her cheek with her hand.

"To say what?"

"I can't believe she's dead..." Laurie sobbed, bowing her head. "Why... How was she able to do that...?"

"She wasn't selfish," Christine said, looking up to her friend.

"So why not tell us what was wrong?"

"Perhaps because she was incapable," Joelle said quietly, touching her straw again.

Laurie snorted, looking up at the ceiling. Obviously, she didn't believe it at all. Even Joelle wasn't sure to believe her own theory. It had to be trust. She nodded before giving her new hypothesis to her friends. Christine raised her eyebrows, thinking for a moment.

"She didn't trust us?" she finally said. "We were all friends! How is this possible?"

Laurie bit her lower lip and shook. She sniffed, sitting up slightly.

"And if she didn't," she began leaning on her elbows, "why not simply confront us?"

"She's right," Christine nodded, shaking her head. "Peggy has never been afraid to confront us before. So why not now? She wasn't the angry type, but she didn't bother to tell us our truths!"