Blame for Blame ✔

A Rectangle of BFFs

When Madeline knocked the barn door the fifth time, Avril opened the door and hushed her inside. Ariana and Adele sat on the Iron Rod Single Bed by the side. Ariana had a notebook by her side and Adele was staring at the blue carpet that covered the floor.
Ariana sighed and stood up. "So, what's new?"
The girls stared at her. Was she insane? What could be new? They were stuck in a labyrinth of questions that no one was ready to answer. "We all got the mail, right?" Avril began.
The girls nodded. "Should we believe Tori?" Madeline inquired.
"We aren't even sure if she is Tori." Ariana said.
"How can you be so sure?" Adele said. She was still staring at the carpet.
"Everyone reads the news. Someone must be messing with us, now that Tori Hastings is out in the open." Ariana's voice grew louder with every word. "And besides...I learnt something new."
The girls faced her. Even Adele. Ariana cleared her throat. Madeline noticed her uneasiness. Was something wrong? "I googled Tori Hastings yesterday. I found out something."
Oh my God.
"She was a thief. A car thief basically. And she started all this three years ago. And..." She trailed off. "What? What's wrong Ariana?" Asked Madeline. It wasn't normal for cool Ariana to get worried. "Nothing." She managed.
"Guys don't you think Tori would have a helper in crime? She cant do all of it alone right? " Adele said out of the blue. And...she was right.
***
Ariana gazed at her friends. They trusted her. Last year when Ariana's older sister Kaz had found her escaping to a concert without a ticket, Madeline had sticked up and said she had her ticket. And when Ariana's Dad had helped that bloody serial killer to get out of prison, and the whole school had turned over her, Avril had helped her through this. And Adele had helped her getting her Vice-President post. They were Best Friends. No secrets could come in their way.
"I surfed Tori's Facebook Page. And I found out  she had a special friend she called J. And she said she lived in PD."
Adele interrupted,"PD as in Philadelphia?"
"Maybe. Well, listen. I heard Ethan talking. To Wren Cavanaugh. You guys know him right? He was talking about some favour that Ethan did to him. He was talking about something 3 years ago. And 3 years ago Ethan was in Philly. Wren said Ethan did something to a girl to help Wren. Maybe he made Tori get into this stuff. I don't know." And then she took a deep breathe.
She had said it.
Aloud.
The more she tried to think her brother had nothing to do with any of it, the more obvious it got.
Avril sighed. "Girls. Ashton's my brother. You don't have to get involved. I'll do something and maybe I can get us all out of it. You guys go take a chill pill. Its so bad you have to think your brother was related to Tori Hastings. I'll go to Ohio tomorrow. And I'll see if she is telling the truth."
Avril had her eyes closed and a neat tear was draining out of her eyes. Ashton was a great brother to her. He would always stick to her. He would never let anyone hurt her. It must be so depressing for her. Ariana stood up and patted her friend, "We all will go to Ohio. We can do it. We are the famous Four!" She held her hand forward and slowly all of them reached out for it. They were awesome.
Knock-knock.
The girls broke away and looked at each other. "Did you tell anyone we were meeting?" Adele asked Ariana. She mouthed a no. Then who was here?
A loud voice came from the outside.
"It's the FBI. Open the door!"
What?