Simpler Things

Part 5: How Do You Define Lying?

Megan tugged on my shoulder. She said,
"What're you doing?" I stared blankly at the now folded piece of paper. Slipping it into my pocket I said,
"Come with me?" She nodded and said,
"Okay, but why?" Smiling she studded my face.
"Are you okay?" Worry leaked into her dark eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine. We just need to talk." I could see she didn't believe me, so I smiled. It probably didn't look convincing. I grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door.
"This time, let's go to your house. I miss Dodger." Smiling, for real this time, we walked to her house.
"I haven't cleaned my room. Yet." She added when I scoffed. Pushing the door open, her room was spotless. She hopped onto her cleanly made bed whispering,
"I missed you." I plopped down onto her chair. Dodger ran in his tail wagging furiously,
"Hey!" I rubbed his ears and kissed his head.
"So..." she waved her hand,
"What is it?" Yes. Your right, the police did ask me to keep this information to myself.
"James... is, well, um-" I looked up at her. Second guessing myself.  "He's dead." Her eyes widened.
"H-how?" She asked, her eyebrows creased.
"Some guy found him." I said. Keeping my voice emotionless. Dodger lied down, resting his head on his paw. She responded,
"Oh." She looked down at her hands.
"He's in a better place now." I didn't believe it. I didn't believe in much.
"A man... dropped this on our table," I handed her the note.
"He met the description the forensic team said." I ran the image through my brain over and over. Trying to remember. I had to find out who this was. Not for me. For James.
"You remember when every called him 'J-Dog' after he transferred." A tear rolled down Megan's face. She didn't know him, but she still got so emotional over anyone passing.
"We can't tell anyone-" she cut me off,
"What does this mean?" She said gesturing to the note.
"I don't know. The forensics already know the murder weapon." She handed me the note, wiping a tear. She said,
"That's not what it means. It can't be."
I gave her a questioning look, she continued,
"That's too obvious. I did get the social studies award." Rolling my eyes, I responded,
"What do you think it means, then?" She didn't take a breath before responding.
"The note says, 'I know how James Cameron died.' But that doesn't necessarily mean 'how?'." She got up and walked to her computer, pushing me out of the chair. Dodger jumped up onto the bed, tail still wagging. I sat on the bed, criss-crossing my legs,
"I'm not following." I said, petting Dodger absent-mindedly. Megan started typing.
"The killer might have meant it as a 'who, what, when, where, why, how' kind of thing." She said, a little too enthusiastic.
"Why would he do that?" I questioned. She shook her head.
"It'd be easy to identify the murder weapon, like you said. That'd be too obvious." I shook my head. This all seemed so... strange.
"We aren't the police. I should give them the note." Megan snapped her head back to look at me,
"God NO!" I almost fell of her bed from the suprise.
"Why?" My eyebrows creased.
"Why?" She mocked me.
"I don't sound like tha-"
"WHY. Because, aren't you just a little curious." She stood up. Dodger wined from the bed.
"He's dead. Megan, we can't think of this like a school project." I said, ignoring Dodger. She looked at me.
"I know. But what if..." she trailed off. Sitting next to me on the bed, we talked, she finished her sandwich, and I finally decided to go home.
It was nothing. This death just happened. It didn't happen because of you. I told myself. Step by step I made my way home.
James had gone to the morgue, the forensic team had gone. My father sat on the steps. As I walked up he said,
"Where have you been, kiddo?" He said.
"Out. You?" I asked, sitting down next to him.
"Oh, you know, the usual. That boy, his name is James Cameron." He said, looking to me for a reaction.
"Oh." I tried to sound shocked. He looked away smiling.
"You knew-"
"I did not-"
"Are you lying to a federal agent?"
"Depends on how you define lying."
Dad scoffed. I wish him and mom never broke up. Thinking back, I don't know why they did.
"Megan's. I was at Megan's." I said as he looked over.
"Glad you still have friends." He mocked.
"Um," I said, punching his shoulder.
"And that's my queue to leave." He groaned as he got up.
"Why were you just sitting here?" I asked.
"Just... thinking." He said.
"Where's your hot shot partner? Lee was it?" I said, he scoffed. Having treated me like a mindless child, I didn't know how I felt about Lee.
"I'm actually leaving now." Dad flashed his perfect smile.
"Love you," I called after him, "Don't crash!" he smiled as he stepped into his car. I had no idea what would happen, but I wished he didn't have to leave.