THE CRIMINAL FILES ~ Mona Lisa's Murder

T H R E E

/Hark, how the bells. Sweet, silver bells. All seem to say, throw cares away. Christmas is here, bringing good cheer. To young and old, meek and the bold. Ding, dong, ding, dong. That is their song, with joyful ring, all caroling. One seems to hear, words of good cheer. From everywhere, filling the air. Oh, how they pound, raising the sound. O'er hill and dale, telling their tale. Gaily they ring, while people sing - songs of good cheer, Christmas is here. Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas/ ~ Trans Siberian Orchestra {Carol of the Bells}

Kristen's Perspective

It took every ounce of strength in me to not grab him by the neck and strangle him right then and there.

He looked different. But again, he was gone for a whole year.

His hair had started to become more of a honey color and it was swept to the side. But his face stayed the same. He was the same. And he gave me that same puppy face he always did when he knew he did something wrong. I blotchy, red spot had began to form on the flesh of his cheek but he didn't seem to be mad. Almost like he knew he had deserved it.

Oh, he had deserved more than just a pathetic, little slap to the face.

My hand hung to my side, my eyes trailing over him. He gulped and forced himself to look up at me. "I deserved that..." I cocked my one eyebrow at him. "And probably a whole beating."

Crossing my arms over my chest I bit the inside of my cheek watching him shift on his feet. "I missed you," he whispered. His face trying to smile. "How're you doing?"

I almost laughed. "How am I doing?! Oh well, you know, my best friend who I've known for my entire teenage life totally abandoned his job, his friends and me...but, it's just another Monday morning, right?"

He looked down at his feet. Sadness overcoming him. "I-I'm -"

"Hey, Joan said she was ready," Landon entered the room. Owen looked up at him, confusion erupting among the two men. Landon noticed the way Owen and I looked to each other and I could've sworn a saw a little smirk creep up. He swung an arm over my shoulder, squeezing the other arm with his hand. Landon smiled at Owen, while Owen just sort of played with his thumbs and due to his posture - began to feel uneasy.

"Landon Parker." Landon told Owen, taking his hand in his. Landon and Owen were the same height, but Landon had slightly smaller shoulders than Owen. Owen always had broad shoulders. While Landon's face still obtained the chubbiness to it, Owen looked like he was carved from stone or something.

"Owen Faraday," he whispered shaking Landon's hand as well.

Landon let go, gave me a little squeeze and told me to meet everyone in the conference room in five before he left. It was silent in the area where Owen and I were. That was before Owen cleared his throat and dared bring his eyes up to mine once again. "Uh, h-how long have you two been, um..."

"Oh! Landon and I, no, we ar-aren't dating."

"You two seem to be pretty close," Owen said absentmindedly. He looked sad. But I wasn't going to fall for that. I was far too familiar with Owen's ways. And though I left without saying a word, it hurt me a little. Watching the way his once confident posture had grown smaller. And strangely, I began to feel something beside anger.

I had missed Owen Faraday, but...by how much?

Owen's Perspective

I can officially say it. Kristen Walker had moved on. To what extent? She only went as far as to fill that gaping hole in her heart that I had so kindly ripped out with another guy. Sure it was hard to watch him sling his arm over his shoulder, acting as if she belonged to him.

But everyone knew very well Kris belonged to nobody. She danced to the beat of her own drum. But if Kris let you into her life, it was as you had just walked through Hell to get to Heaven. On the outside she seemed dark and tough. But one the inside, behind numerous amounts of steel walls was a golden heart. And I, was the one person she showed it to.

It had started when we were beginning eighth grade. Neither of us really got along with the other. We were always too caught up in other things. {Like wrapping tape around each other's heads} And those things got in the way of actually forming a decent relationship.

But in all honesty, I wasn't the one that was dysfunctional. She was. I wanted to hang out with her, be her friend, possibly go see a movie together but she always seemed as if though she hated me. My friends told me that she reminded them of a wild dog. "She can sense fear," one of them said. I didn't exactly believe it, but the way she glared at me whenever we were assigned to be in a group, I just started to think she didn't like me in general.

Later, I had learned that she hadn't had something against me. She was mean because she liked me. I didn't get it at first, but I decided to just go with it.

She had wondered why I wanted to be her friend. I told her it was because sometimes I heard her jokes and they were pretty funny. Her art work left me speechless, but it was just...her. Of course, I didn't tell her this: but I always had a little crush on her.

We listened to some of the same music and we were both good and bad at certain topics. I taught her how to actually play basketball without possibly dying. And she taught me how to draw a decent face. But here's the catch; I had a feeling she liked me to. At least, when we were kids.

The one day I got hurt while playing soccer with a few of my friends and broke my ankle. She was there at the office with me as we both waited for my parents to pick me up. She was there for all of my basketball games and on my birthday she baked me a brownie. Everyone was pretty much convinced we were dating. And, I kind of hoped it would end up that way.

When a bunch of us went to go see a movie in theaters we sat beside each other - splitting the chocolate bars we got and sharing the popcorn when one of us began to run out. {Which always happened to be me} And at one point, I was ready. I told my dad about Kristen and my mom and him liked her so, they both said go for it.

I had made hot chocolate on the stove with mom, put it into a mug and on the side in tape I wrote the words; "will you go out with me?" I remember walking to school...well, no, running to school jumping up and down careful to not spill any of the beverage.

I had even put in extra marshmallows and bits of candy cane in it - just the way she liked it.

However, when I got one of my friends came up to me smiling wide. I gave him a confused look and he grinned while telling me that he had finally worked up the nerve to ask her out. I felt a little betrayed. I had told him I liked her, but once he had that she said yes, I felt my heart crack. He left to go join Kris and her friends. And there I was, alone in the far corner of the school-yard, snow falling around me with a full mug, and empty heart.

But, sadly, my crush hadn't gone away. Even when my friend and her held hands and kissed in front of me. I just put on a fake smile and acted like everything was okay.

Although I acted like everything was okay, I wanted to scream out if they'd ever break-up. They did. He dumped her on Valentine's Day. Jerk. The two dated for over a few months, and it was one of the longest running relationships in our grade. And while everyone was routing for them, I may or may not have been planning my idiot friend's demise.

She came to my house later that week where my mom made us popcorn as we watched movies, played board games, talked about life and made a bunch of death threat's in a book to my ex-friend. And to her ex-boyfriend. I had to contain my excitement when she slapped him across the face and warned his new girlfriend about him.

And when I planned on asking her out, my dad told me to wait. I didn't know why at first, but I had learned later on. I had to be there for her. Not as a boyfriend. But just as a friend.

No matter how crappy it sounded.

But still, over the years I thought we'd maybe start going out at some point - but neither of us made a single move.

And now...seeing her with Landon, I wish I had.