The Rift

Chapter Twenty-One: Speak No Evil

Okay this is gonna be another long chapter XD

When I was maybe eight years old, I had gotten in a fight with another kid at school. Anthony was barely six at the time.
To be fair, they were the one who was picking on me for reasons I can't remember. I don't know maybe it was my haircut?
Anyway, I had smacked the kid across the face, and he had gone crying to a teacher. The thing about bratty second graders is that they act like tough shit but they really aren't. It's kind of funny to be honest.

So, I get sent up to the principal's office, then my parents were called and they scolded me.

At the time, I hardly understood what I did wrong. I defend myself, but yet when I do I'm the one punished?
Maybe what's happening right now is just a repeat of second grade.

I sit on the dusty cot for maybe three hours, alone with my thoughts and fiddling with Grace's diamond necklace in my fingers.
At one point, I use the faucet sticking out of the wall to wash Cody's blood off of my hands.

I hear the basement door creak open. It closes and then Evan appears outside of the jail cell, wearing his signature gray beanie with a dark blue jacket and jeans, carrying a lunch tray of food.
"Hungry?", he asks, holding up the tray.
My stomach growls at the scent of of the fresh, hot food.
I sigh with a smile and say, "Hell yes."

Evan leans down and slides the tray under the iron bars. I get up off the cot and pick up the tray, smelling the fresh mound of chili and bread roll. A can of Dr. Pepper and a fork sit beside the plate of hot food on the cafeteria tray.
I sit back down on the cot with the tray of food on my lap, then chow down.
Evan digs his hands in the front pocket of his jacket, watching me eat and then awkwardly says, "So...I heard that you beat the shit out of Cody."
I drop the fork onto the tray with a clang.
Wow. Everyone must know.

"Word travels fast, I guess", I say to Evan.
"But why though?"

I breathe deeply and answer, "Cody was the killer all along."

Evan's eyes widen and exclaims, "Are you serious? And you're absolutely sure?"
"Positive. He even confessed."
"Shit", Evan breathes loudly, putting his hands on his hips and looking up at the ceiling.

"What's gonna happen to me, Evan?", I ask.

He looks away from the ceiling and stares at me.
"David...I heard Lauren mention something about...execution...while talking to Cody's parents and Lucy."

My stomach drops.

I set the unfinished tray of food aside on the cot and stand up.
"W...why? Why?", I ask loudly, clutching my stomach like I'm gonna be sick.
"I heard that Lucy talked to Lauren, and that she thinks you murdered Matt, and Henry, and all of those people."
"But that's bullshit, Evan", I snap, stepping forward and gripping the iron bars of the cell, "You know it. I am not a murderer."

"And I believe you, David", Evan calmly says to me, taking off the gray beanie from his short brown haired head, "But there are a lot of people out there who don't. I'm sure that Grace can explain all this to Lauren."

I sigh, holding onto the iron bars and say, "No she won't."

"Are you guys...?", Evan trails off.

"I think she and I are over Evan..."

"Aw man...I'm sorry."