Raven

Chapter 19 - Interrogation

I stare at myself in the mirror, trying with every fragment of power within me to ripple the image into one more beautiful, one that is always happy, one who doesn't have blotches of red on her cheeks from waking up, screaming. I have put together a practical outfit, an outfit a normal teenager would wear. I wear a graphic tee tucked into dark high waisted button up jean shorts. Covering the arrangement of clothing items is the jacket I had bought yesterday, a jacket to cover every insecurity and fear of stepping back into reality after the traumatizing event. They're going to ask questions, they'll know that it's all your fault. You have no way of hiding what you've done. The voice taunts me day and night, scratching through all traces of happiness, hope for any escape of this torment. I know that sooner or later, people will begin to realize my insanity as each layer of rationality is stripped from my bones. I peel my eyes from the horrid image in the mirror to wake Aidan. His eyes open, most likely bringing him back from a cloudy dream of pure contentment. As soon as his eyes meet mine, they fill to the brim with glowing elation. He sits up, tearing the sheets from his bed and racing to snatch the folded outfit placed on a chair. I chuckle lightly, his exhilaration bringing a bit of light to my already gloomy state of mind. I wait patiently on his bed, eyes drifting over the various decorations in the room. As I am observing a particular drawing of a boy surrounded by a watercolor galaxy, Aidan steps back into the room, wearing the outfit that he had picked out the day before while shopping. He grins from ear to ear as he observes himself in the mirror, he must have an entirely different relationship with the mirror than I. He bounds down the stairs and I follow, a few steps behind. As I reach the kitchen, there are already waffles placed into the toaster and Aidan is sitting at the table. I sit across from him and decide to pick up conversation.
"So, I see you are enjoying your new look?" I raise my eyebrows questioningly.
"Yeah!" He squirms in his chair, feet swinging wildly in his state of glee.
"How do you think your friends will think of it?" I question, carrying the conversation. Suddenly, his expression drops into a melancholy haze.
"Aidan, what is it?" I ask softly, afraid I'll break him in this fragile state.
"The other kids. I forgot about the other kids," he says staring at the table in a trance.
"What about the other kids?"
"They'll, they'll make fun of me. What kid wears a sweater?" He says, eyes brimmed with tears. I have to think fast, I don't want him to loose his self-confidence.
"You know what kid wears a sweater? You. You are one of the only ones brave enough to wear a sweater because the rest of them are too afraid to be as fashionable as you. Once they see your confidence in wearing what you want, you'll be swarmed in kids wanting to befriend you. I promise."
"Really? You think so?" He sniffs.
"I know so. All you have to do is walk in there like you own the place. No bully would dare to come near you. Confidence is key."
Aidan smiles warmly and uses the sleeve of the sweater to wipe his nose. The waffles pop up from the toaster and I dash to fetch them.
"Now, it's time to march out of this house and show those kids who's boss!" I exclaim, handing a waffle to Aidan. We march in a line from the kitchen to the door, grabbing our backpacks along the way. We ride our bikes through winding roads of brief contentment before coming upon the schools, both of us being harshly dragged back into reality.
"Good luck!" I shout as Aidan rides in the direction of his school. I park and lock my bike, finding that Lucas's bike is already there. I race to the front of the school and push through the double doors to a completely new environment compared to anything I've experienced. It's, quiet. People aren't chatting and noisily laughing as usual. There are only murmurs and ghosts wandering through the gloomy halls. It's as if they are waiting for you. I walk down the bleak hall, only hollow shells of what once was cheery high school students remain before me, and I notice several looks and glances towards me as I make my way to the usual table. I sit down and turn to Ethan.
"Why does it feel like everyone is-"
"Depressed? Yeah, it's cause of Alex. I guess he was the only thing keeping our school from plunging into sorrow," Ethan interrupts.
"Jeez, lighten up. I don't want you to become depressed too!" Ashley attempts to lighten the mood. I smile at her efforts and she grins in return.
Ethan notices the small gesture shared between us and says, "Well at least what happened to Alex can unify us in our mourning for him!"
"Yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it."
"I just can't believe he's gone, and killed due to some sort of animal attack? It's just nuts," Ashley places her head in her hands.
"Animal attack? That's what they're calling it?" I blurt frustratedly.
"What do you mean?" Ethan asks, startled.
"Nothing, it's just crazy that a whimsy animal is the reason for his demise." They both nod in agreement just as the sound of the bell cuts through the heavy silence. I stand up and swing my backpack over my shoulder, beginning to head towards the stairs. I automatically look to the spot under the clock, expecting to find Raven sitting there, but she isn't there. I stare for a moment in confusion, but begin to walk to class again, mind racing with thoughts. I reach the math classroom and take my usual seat near the front. As the second bell rings, Miss Schmitt begins to speak, but she doesn't have the same treacherous tone as before. She is more soft spoken, ruining the only thing I thought I could rely on to be normal. No one speaks of Alex. Everyone pretends that everything is normals despite the dark cloud looming above us. I hate it. I hate how no one cares enough to say anything. Soon I find myself in my second class of the day, Art, able to express my emotions in a way where I am not limited. I find myself with charcoal staining my hands and pages within my sketchbook, just as images of Alex have stained my mind.
"Luna Jones, please report to the guidance office," a PA announcement echos throughout the room and I can feel dozens of eyes find their way to my hunched figure, sending shivers down my spine. I push my chair back, careful not to cause a ruckus, and quietly make my way to the door. With a slight nod from the teacher, I am released into the deserted halls, forced to fend for myself in this never-ending emptiness. I follow the invisible map etched into my brain until I find myself before the dreaded guidance office. The guidance office is a place that only the troubled and mentally insane kids go, not a quiet kid, one used to blending in with the crowd. I push open the door to find two men dressed in police uniforms speaking amongst themselves, writing in what looks like a notepad. The usual ladies behind the desk are in a frenzy, flipping through stacks of paper and folders. It isn't until I completely turn my head to the row of seats near the door, that I notice Raven, whom is fiddling with a loose string in her jeans. She isn't wearing the outfit that she bought yesterday. I move to sit in a plush seat beside hers and for a few moments no words are passed between us.
"What have we been called here for?" I whisper to her, breaking the silence.
"Questioning," she replies simply.
"For," I gulp, "Alex?"
"Yeah, they're talking with the people last seen with him." She seems so calm amidst the chaos that I am drowning in. There are footsteps coming from within a room and soon a doorknob twists, the door swinging open to reveal a wide-eyed Ethan. His eyes fall upon me and he shakes his head slightly to signal the bewilderment of the current situation. He is led from the room by a buff looking lady in a dark suit. She comes back in and gestures towards Raven, who stands and follows the woman into the room that Ethan departed from. I am left in the torturous silence of the office, forced to read obnoxious posters about kindness and learning in order to ease my boredom. After about 15 minutes, the door opens and Raven steps out. She walks towards me, and only then do I realize that the suited woman is frozen in the doorway, glass eyes watching me from afar.
"Don't tell them anything different than what I say. You were inside the entire time and when he was killed, you were in the bathroom. If you don't tell the events exactly the way I have told you, our stories will not match. Got it?" Her eyes watch me sternly and I don't think I've ever seen her this serious. I nod quickly and she seems satisfied with this as she returns to the exact position that she was in, down to the last bend of a finger. I follow suit and as soon as we are both frozen in the right positions, the strong lady ushers Raven from the room, leaving only me and the woman, the guidance workers had moved somewhere in the back of the office. She gestures for me to follow, so I do. The two police officers from before are standing on opposite sides of the room, watching from behind the desk. I am seated across from her at a large wooden desk, where she straightens her papers before clearing her throat.
"Luna Jones, am I correct?"
I nod meekly.
"Were you friends with Alex Burdock?"
"No."
"Were you acquainted with him?"
"Yes."
"When was the last time you saw Alex?"
"At a dinner party at Lucas' house."
"Are you close with Lucas?"
"Kind of."
"Yes or no."
"Yes."
"Alright, where were you at the time of Alex's death?"
"The bathroom."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Because a couple other students recall you being outside with them at the time of the crime."
I freeze.
"Is this true?"
"Uh—y-yes"
"So you were lying before when you said that you were in the bathroom?"
"Yes."
"Why did you feel the need to lie?"
"Cause, uh, I was scared."
"Of what exactly, Miss Jones?"
"Of being blamed for something I didn't do."
"Okay. What were you doing outside?"
"Fighting with my friends."
"Physically?"
"Verbally."
"For what reason?"
"Because my friend Ashley thought that I wanted to break her and her ex boyfriend up."
"Hm, and what followed these events?"
"We went back inside."
"Okay that will be all. Thank you Miss Jones."
"No problem."
Raven's story doesn't match up to mine. She lied to protect me and now she's going to pay for it. What have I done?
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AN: sorry for the wait! anyways, how's your summer been going? let me know in the comments! as always, thanks for reading!
- MoonSpirit :)