"Fuck, that's heavy," Spike sighed and lay his face down flat on the bar counter. Joseph had just filled him in in what information the police had released on all that had gone down at Cori's house the day before.
"Indeed it is," Joseph nodded.
"Are those girls okay?" Peter asked Cleo, the bunch of them on the bar stools looking over their shoulders at Olivia talking with Ian in a booth on their own.
"They will be," Cleo said, "Ariel finally told her friends and parents that she's pregnant, so things might be easier for her now that some crazy girl isn't plotting to murder her,"
"Did she mention who the father of the child is?" Ebony continued whatever Joseph had him doing behind the bar.
"How does this affect you?"
"It doesn't, I'm just nosy," He grinned at her.
"Some substitute Art teacher who's long gone," Cleo went on.
"What about Cori?" Victor asked.
"Well, she's dead," Joseph said.
"I know, but what's happening to Bradley?"
"He's been arrested for manslaughter," Joseph ducked to find some clean glasses beneath the bar for his patrons, "She's been labelled for the murders of Fiona and Lexi and the attempted murder of the other two girls, but she didn't try to hurt him so he technically murdered her,"
"That's what's confusing me," Spike held up his head.
"Only that?" Ebony smirked over at him.
"Shut up. I mean why didn't she stab him?"
"Ah ah ah, very good question," Joseph chuckled, "So, her parents were very sneaky, as were his,"
"His father was married yo Bradley's mother who died two years after he was born, so he married his late wife's sister and they had Cori," Cleo continued the story.
"So...," Victor made a disgruntled expression, "Bradley was Cori's brother-cousin?"
"Eugh...," John frowned, "It's like some messed up Shakespearean family,"
"Well you two will have lots to write about now, eh?" Ian walked over from the booth and tapped both John and Cleo on the shoulder. Olivia was in the background on the phone, speaking to someone urgently then she hung up and joined them at the bar.
"I gotta go, Annabelle is running away and we need to stop her," She announced.
"I'll come with you," Cleo got up from her barstool.
"Are you okay?" Ian turned to her.
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow for the funeral," She nodded and gave her new found father a kiss on the check and left with Cleo.
"I've been thinking...," Victor began once they had gone.
"Be careful with that," Peter chortled, "You've never done much thinking before," That earned a rumble of chuckles.
"Seriously though," He went on as he had planned to, "In light of all that's happened, I don't think I can stay in this town for much longer. I need to move on,"
"You're leaving?" Peter turned to his brother, "But my match is tomorrow,"
"And you'll win, I haven't a doubt in my mind about that," Victor clamped a hand on his shoulder, "But I need to do this for myself. There's only so much I can do as an amateur fortune teller,"
"And stoner," Spike added.
"Please, I was never an amateur stoner," Victor smirked but then shrugged, "There's a bus leaving in an hour and I'm getting on it,"
"I'll ring Elliott," Ebony nodded, reaching into his pockets for his phone.
"I'll call Dad," Peter said, sad that this wasn't just some brotherly joke.
•~~×~~•
When Olivia and Cleo got to the bus station, Femme and Francis were already there trying to talk Annabelle out of her notions to run away.
"Where are you running to exactly?" Femme inquired.
"Away," The girl answered curtly.
"Away?" Cleo creased her eyebrows, "Annabelle, you're only fifteen, you're still a child. As the only adult here, you can't expect me to let you go through with this,"
"Try and stop me," She pouted about to storm off.
"I will tell your mother," Francis said simply, causing the girl to stay in her seat.
"You don't understand. How can any of you stay in this town?" Annabelle's lips began to quiver, "Olivia, you nearly died for God's sake!"
"Yes, but I didn't," Olivia sat down beside her, "Don't do this,"
"You've still got your Junior Cert to do, y'know," Francis reminded her.
"And once you've graduated you'll be free to leave this town for good," Cleo sat down on the opposite side of her on the beach, then gently took the suitcase from her hands.
"Don't let Cori's actions make this decision for you," Femme said.
"...Okay," She nodded hesitantly, gaining a cheer and a hug from Olivia.
Francis turned to see Raphina at the gates of the station.
"Hey, I'm gonna walk Annabelle home," Olivia told him.
"Okay," They briefly kissed and then she led her young blonde friend away, towards the suburbs.
"Hi," Raphina gave him an awkward smile as he approached her.
"Hey, you got more meds," He noticed her casual jeans and hoodie as they began to walk in the opposite direction.
"Yeah..., I had to be brought to the hospital last night straight from the Garda station," She sighed, moving her black hair from her face after a gust of wind blew it straight into her eyes.
"Are you alright after that ordeal?" He wasn't just asking. He did care.
"I feel responsible... I got so upset after we broke up that I stopped taking my medicine and Cori took advantage of me and pretended to be my friend," The small girl began to ramble, "She got someone to pin the blame on all because I couldn't handle being dumped,"
"You're being way too hard on yourself," He touched her shoulder, "Let's be honest, Raph, I didn't exactly end our relationship in the most humane way,"
"I guess not," She chuckled, "For the record, I'm happy for you and Olivia. And I'm happy she's okay, I mean it. You're great together,"
"Thanks," He smiled, "And I'm proud of you, Raph. I will be here for you whenever things get difficult,"
"Thank you,"
As they hugged, Victor arrived at the bus station with his father and brother. And Spike and Ebony, of course.
"And you're sure about leaving?" Peter asked for the fourth time.
"Yes, Pete," Victor rolled his eyes.
"We'll miss you buddy," Ebony pulled him in for a hug.
"You're not leaving without saying goodbye to me, are you?" Trixie and Elliott made their entrance through the gates.
"Trix," Victor engulfed her in a bear-hug.
"You were such a good friend, Vic. Nobody else stood up for me except you," She said over his shoulder.
"And me," Elliott muttered.
"Even if the one making fun of me in the first place was your brother," She added.
"Well maybe if you dressed like this a year ago, I wouldn't have a reason to give you abuse," Peter laughed.
"Can I punch him?" Elliott asked.
"Please do," Both Victor and Trixie spoke in unison.
"I've left my bass guitar in J's, upstairs," Victor pulled back from the hug, "I want you to have it,"
"Me?" Trixie beamed in surprise. He just nodded.
"Well, we can't be left with a bassist, can we?" Spike chuckled before going in for a hug himself.
"Well, where will you go?" Dick asked.
"I'm not sure, I'm hoping to find a circus or something to travel with," He nodded to himself, "But we'll see,"
"Can I have your van?" Peter asked eagerly.
"Yeah of course, I was leaving it here for you, little brother," He nudged his much taller brother in the ribs.
"Good luck, mate," Trixie sighed seeing his bus pull up in front of them.
"We'll miss you," Spike nodded in agreement. Victor got the twenty euro noted from his wallet, for his bus fare, and swung his bag over one shoulder before getting on the bus.
It was celebratory, a real reason to rejoice, this escape from a murderous and troubled town.
Such a shame there was a traffic collision.
