Sticks And Stones

Chapter 7: Ethan II

I groan, wiping the crusted tears from my eyelids and getting up to wash my face.

I walk into the kitchen and see no one. Of course. I check my parent's bedroom and see them still passed out in bed, a half empty bottle of vodka in hand. I sigh and slam the door, causing them to jolt awake, hearing an 'Oh, shit, what time is it?'

"8!" I yell angrily, walking back into the kitchen, a few moments later, my Dad bursts out with half his KFC uniform on, trying to get his shirt on

He hurries out of the house, not realising he's got his shirt on backwards.

I sigh again, making my breakfast and lunch, reluctantly saying goodbye to my Mum and drive to school with my shitty, but faithful, old Hyundai.

Beth gets off the bus just as I pull into the school car park and she looks...terrible and Lace isn't with her. Her hair still looks like she just woke up and the circles under her eyes make it seem as though she's been punched in the face twice.

"Hey, babe, you look terrible" I attempt to make her laugh "Oh, and did Lace stay home sick or something" she just looks at me and bursts into tears, wrapping her arms around my chest, burying her head into my shoulder

"Hey," I say consolingly "What's up? Did you not get any sleep last night?"

She just shakes her head, continuing to sob.

"Come on, we'll go sit down, tell me what happened, because it seems like something on top of...you know, Katherine."

She nods, but seems reluctant and we move to our usual spot. No one's here yet, so I can talk to her freely.

"What happened?" I ask

She looks up at me pleadingly, her bottom lip quivering with her mouth half open, about to say something, but it gets caught on the tip of her tongue and she breaks again, hugging me so tight it hurts.

"I want to tell you, I really really do, but you have to promise me something." She says

"What? Anything." I promise her, a twinge of adrenaline shooting through my stomach

"Don't help the police with the investigation."

I look at her almost angry, but mostly confused.

"Wha-why? They won't know the place where that creepy dude was."

"That's the point, don't help them find him." She pleads

"What? How come? What if he is the one who killed Katherine?" I ask, frustrated "I would have thought that you of all people would have been the last one to say that."

"Hey! You said you'd promise to do anything! This is what I want you to promise to do!" She almost yells

"That was before I knew what it was! I'm sorry, babe, I need to help catch this guy." I return

"You promised! When we first got together, you said you'd never break a promise!" She raises her voice more

"Look, I don't know what's changed your mind so suddenly, but if this is the guy who killed Katherine, her death needs to be justified and he needs to be killed or locked away before he can kill anyone else. You said that yourself," I tell her "And, even if he's not, the Police will question him, nothing happens, everyone goes home and it rules out another suspect. I don't see the problem."

She looks lost for words, trying to think of something to say. Brandon and Kyla round the corner and sit with us, looking concerned upon seeing Beth.

"Everythin' okay?" Brandon asks

"Yeah, it's just that Beth doesn't want us to help the police find the guy we saw driving back to her's." I tell him and raise an eyebrow at Beth