Secrets & Lies {On Hold}

~*Twenty-Two*~

Hello, so there is this competition going on called The Fiction awards, and I would really love it if you guys could maybe nominate me. Thank you!

"Your uncle is dead." Scarlet begins slowly, her eyes widening as she stares at Kaitlain Cassidy incredulously "And you're eating cereal."

"Your point?" Kaitlain Cassidy retorts quickly, raising an eyebrow as she takes another spoon full of cereal and puts it into her mouth while the four girls look at her stunned, each seated uncomfortably around her kitchen island. "There's enough cereal to go around really, if anyone's hungry."

"I'm sorry but unlike you, I don't feel like insulting someone's death by eating damn cereal!" Scarlet scoffs, irritated and then she gets off her seat and stands while Courtney gives her a sidelong glance.

"People die everyday Scarlet." Kaitlain Cassidy shoots back, taking more cereal into her mouth "I won't go to bed on an empty stomach just because of that."

Scarlet shakes her head in utter disbelief while Courtney stares wearily at Kaitlain Cassidy. Paige and Rachel just look at each other unsure whether or not to speak.

"The fact that you're even planning to sleep this night is beyond me!" Scarlet echoes, anger filling her veins at Kaitlain Cassidy's plain indifference over her uncle's death. She grits her teeth. "Your uncle just died and you're acting like you don't give two fucks about it!"

"Scarlet." Kaitlain Cassidy chimes, placing her spoon into her half-eaten bowl of cereal "If you're expecting me to break down and cry because he's my uncle and he's dead then I'm sorry, that's simply not going to happen." She mats her fingers together, straight face on full display "He's dead and there's nothing I can fucking do about it so leave me to eat my damn cereal in peace."

"Okay girls, girls. I think you two are both missing the point here." Courtney finally intervenes, breaking Kaitlain Cassidy and Scarlet's brutal stare off and then looking at Scarlet in a reprimanding way "Scarlet leave her in peace to eat her cereal will ya? Maybe that's how she deals with things, you know the same way you turn to alcohol any chance you get. I'm surprised you aren't drinking yet even."

Scarlet grunts in response, rolling her eyes at Courtney.

"Whatever." She mutters. "I'm just saying. It seems like I'm more emotional and panicked over the guy's death than his own niece."

No one says anything while Kaitlain Cassidy avoids everyone's eyes. Scarlet stares down at her own hands, realizing that her fingers her involuntarily shaking.

"The reporter said your uncle was murdered Kaitlain." Courtney begins cautiously, breaking the silence "He had a lead on Becca's case and he was going to brief the rest of the police force today but was shot before he got the chance to."

"You actually listened to the news." Rachel speaks up for the first time since she got here this evening "I couldn't bring myself to and switched the television off." She shakes her head, as if the memory is haunting her.

"She's in Law School for a reason." Scarlet mumbles, barely audible.

"Yes, I did Rachel. It was a murder." Courtney declares, taking a deep breath to steady her senses and then she looks over to Kaitlain Cassidy who is almost finished with her cereal "but who would want to murder your uncle Kaitlain? It makes no sense."

"The same person that murdered Becca." Paige proffers before Kaitlain Cassidy can even answer, her voice quiet.

Everyone stays silent, unsure what to say as they take in Paige's words solemnly, each string of thought filled with dread.