Murder?

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Cassidy gasped and covered her mouth.  “She was found hanging from the giant oak tree in her front yard.  Police were immediately called and a suicide note was found in her bedroom.”

  Cassidy was stunned.  This girl had hung herself? No wonder everyone was upset.  At her old school a girl had been bullied to the point where she involved the police, but suicide…

  “Is there any reason for the new girl, Cassidy, to stay while we’re in mourning?” Cassidy looked for the speaker and located her as one of the girls bawling into a tissue with raccoon eyes. 

  “We can’t send her away, Danielle,” The teacher said gently.  “Cassidy can mourn Alexandria with us.  Though they never met, they would have been friends, I’m sure.  Alexandria will be mourned and grieved properly.”

  Danielle sniffled and wiped her raccoon eyes.  “It just feels disrespectful,” She said.

                 Cassidy slid down in her seat feeling even more awkward than before.  This girl, Danielle, wanted to get rid of her because some other girl had hung herself? That wasn’t Cassidy’s fault.

  “Danielle,” The teacher said.  “I understand you’re upset but you don’t need to be rude.”

                Danielle sniffed and brushed her eyes with the Kleenex.  “I’m just saying,” She said.

  The teacher shook her head and offered Cassidy a small smile.  Cassidy ignored it and stared down at the chipped wood of the desk.  Hearts were carved into the side and Cassidy amused herself with reading the things people had written.

                 “Would the grade ten students please make their way to the auditorium.”

  Cassidy jumped and looked up at the intercom.  She looked around to see if anyone had noticed her jump and was relieved that nobody was staring at her.  She stood up with the rest of the class and stepped into the aisle.  They moved silently out the door and Cassidy followed the kids to the auditorium.

  The auditorium was twice the size of the one at Cassidy’s old school and she followed the girl in front of her to a seat in the middle.  The girl sat down beside another girl and they started hugging.  Cassidy sat down and looked away.  Up on a make-shift stage, stood a woman in a grey suit and she had a thin purple tie.  Her hair was pulled back sharply and her eyes were red and puffy.  Beside her stood a man and woman who also had puffy eyes.  The man had his arm around a girl probably a little younger than Cassidy.  The girl was bawling into a tissue.  Cassidy assumed they were Alexandria’s parents and little sister.  They were standing in front of a large framed portrait of a smiling blonde girl.  Cassidy studied the picture and noticed that though she was smiling, she seemed sad.  Her eyes were bright, but hooded.

“Hey,” Cassidy turned, startled, to find that the girl on her right was no longer hugging her friend and was instead facing her.

  “Hey,” Cassidy echoed uncertainly.  She was unsure about whether the girl was being nice or planning on being rude.

  “You’re Cassidy, right?” The girl asked.

  “Yeah,” Cassidy said.

  “Great!” The girl gave her a bright smile that contrasted with her puffy eyes and the tissue wadded up in her fist.  “I’m Lola and this is Jenn.”

  Jenn waved and gave her an equally bright smile.  “Lola said that you said you were a cheerleader?” Jenn asked Cassidy.

  “Oh, totally,” Cassidy said.  “Cheerleading is my favourite thing in the world.”  She smiled at Jenn and Lola.