How to Kill a Man in Thirty Seconds

Chapter 20: In the Middle of Nowhere

After I reached home that day, I was exhausted. Enraged about the news of my father, I marched into my home with every intention to begin interrogating my mother. But the sight of her drained self, taking a nap on the couch, her face white as a sheet, beads of perspiration lining her face, stopped me.

I had given mum enough of a hard time already.

It was time I began acting with a sense of maturity.

I had been broken already after my father's death; I had barely had the courage to make it to his funeral. It must have been even harder for my mother to deal with the news of his depression alone, but she had done it to protect me. She had thought finding out the truth would destroy me. And she had been right. It would have.

With that realization, I swallowed down the tsunami of hurt and dragged myself to bed.

Late that night, following hours of tossing and turning restlessly in bed, I sat up, needing something to clear my mind. Soon after, I found myself arranging little pieces of card next to each other.

I didn't know why; I told myself it was because I pitied him.

But soon after Adrian had been sent to the station, I had scurried into the parking lot and retrieved the last pieces of card he had been unable to find.

So with tape in hand, whilst knowing he did not deserve the kindness, ignoring my eyes that drooped with exhaustion, I reformed Adrian's precious photograph.

Adrian returned to school a few weeks later after a lengthy suspension. Surprisingly, he hadn't been expelled but the principle had condemned him to hours of community service every day, except when he was already serving detention with me, of course.

Apparently, when the officers had contacted his house, there had been no answer.

When they had driven there to find his legal guardian, the decrepit place had been empty.

No parents.

No sign of there ever being one.

A fuss had immediately ensued, but thankfully, Adrian had gotten a man on the phone who had convinced the officers that he was the father. But of course, that hadn't stopped the rumours. I knew some had gone to the extent of believing he had killed both his parents in a violent rage and that the man on the phone had been merely an imposter.

I personally felt equating a school fight to serial murder was a bit of leap.

Nevertheless, I couldn't argue with their suspicions.

Beyond the wrought iron gates before us, a long gravel path lead deep into the forest. Valeria Garcia's mansion, we knew, was at the end of the long road, which disappeared beyond the thick line of trees. After shouting like a lunatic into the security camera beside the gate for what felt like forever, Valeria finally seemed to recognize me, for the automatic gates opened, letting out an eerie creak as they did so.

I leapt back into the rear seat of Oliver's car, leaning forward so I could glance at my friends as I spoke, my tone earnest, "Honestly, I have no idea why you guys are even here. Oliver, she's Valeria Garcia. I know she's incredibly hot, and you're a good kid and everything, but really, you don't stand a chance." I glanced at Brian, who had had his hands clutched together in a silent prayer during the entire trip here, "and you, Brian. How did he even convince you to come?"

As Oliver rolled his eyes, moving the car forward, Brian grabbed my arm, "Charley, what if she's the killer? What if she's the killer and we just don't know it yet?!" the poor boy was panicking and had been for the past hour, "Guys, here's the plan. If something goes wrong, you two will attack her. And I'll... well I'll run. Only to get help of course."