The Road Not Taken

IV

The lights were dimmed and the halls were silent. Classes were cancelled for the whole week for mourning. Some people went home, most, didn't. It was a waste to go all the way back to Colorado for Jade and Ronnie.

Ronnie walked down the hallway, seeing each dorm door closed. She breathed in and sighed, the tempo matching each step she took. She checked her phone. She hadn't talked to anyone since that morning, the morning of Eddie's death. She shook her head when the memories flooded back to her, watching Carmilla sobbing on her knees, Jade and Alex crying into their shoulders, and Theo wrapping his arms around Ronnie. Adrian though, was not in sight. A tear streamed down her cheek, rushing to the corner of her mouth, causing her to taste the salty wetness from her eyes. For those past days, Ronnie had been locked in her room, without Carmilla. She had no idea where Carm was, same with her other friends. She didn't even want to talk to them even though Jade texted her several times.

Ronnie didn't know what is was about it. She only knew him for a day, but that was enough to fall in love with him. Him with his brownish red, curly hair and his cute, dorky glasses, and his personality. It made her heart soar. She smiled remembering what he said about Adrian.

"He totally likes you." She shook her head. If only that was true.

She walked back to her room. There wasn't anything else to do, classes were cancelled. She opened the door, looking straight at the person she had been wanting to see all week.

"Hi." Carmilla walked forward, still facing Ronnie at the door.

"Carmilla are you okay? I was so worried about you!"

"I'm fine. But I do need your help." Carmilla walked over to her bed, sitting down, not taking her eyes off of Ronnie. Ronnie joined her.

"What's up?"

Carmilla strained, trying to hold her tears back. "They ruled it as a suicide."

Ronnie put her hand on top of Carmilla's. "I know. I'm sorry. I can't believe he would've done that."

Carmilla nodded. "It's because he didn't."

"What?"

"He didn't kill himself. I know he would-"

"Carm-" Ronnie wrapped her arms around her engulping her into a hug. "I know, I get it, trust me."

"No he wouldn't kill himself!" Carmilla raised her voice. "I think someone killed him."

"Carmilla what-"

"Somebody murdered my brother, and they're going to pay for what they did."

~~

Ronnie sat down at her lunch table, alone. The same one she had sat at just a few days ago, right across from Eddie. She stared down at her food. She wasn't even hungry. She picked up her tray and got up to throw it away. A body ran into her, knocking the tray out of her hand.

"What the hell!" She looked down at all of the food scattered across the floor.

"Oh god I'm so sorry" Ronnie looked up at the voice that had just apologized. Ronnie wanted to dump herself in the trash can. Adrian.

The boy picked up everything around them, all the food and napkins, and placed it into the trash. He stood up, standing about 10 inches taller than Ronnie. He smiled right away once he saw her face.

"Veronica." He gushed.

Ronnie rolled her eyes. Why was he flirting with her if he had a girlfriend? Even though he was hot as hell, she didn't want to be "the other girl".

"Adrian."

"How - how are you? You haven't been answering your phone at all and haven't seen any of us since-" He cut himself off, an upset look spreading across his face.

"Uh - yeah I was busy...." She trailed off. "How did you get my number anyways?"

"Jade gave it to me, weird, huh?"

Ronnie sighed. Weird indeed.

"Do you want to take a walk? There's something I want to show you." Adrian smiled.

"I - I should go." Ronnie said, walking quickly away from him and not looking back.

As she power walked down the hall, a hand grabbed her arm.

"Hey." It was Carmilla.

"Carm are you okay? You ran out after you told me -"

"I know I know. First of all, don't call me Carm. Second, they released his story in the news." She pulled out a scrap of newspaper from her jacket pocket. "They claim it was suicide."

Ronnie nodded, "Yes I know. We knew that."

"No but there is something weird about it. They say he was shot on the right side of his head."

"So....?"

"The doctors said it was from the left."

"Carmilla, maybe it was just a mistake-"

"No, it wasn't. Every story is saying from the right." Carmilla cut her off.

"So do you think it was a mistake?"

"I think the school is covering it up."

"What do you mean?" Ronnie said, shocked.

"Eddie is" Carmilla stopped. "Was left handed. For everything. He couldn't do a single thing with his right hand."

"So you really think it was murder?"

"I know it was. And I have a feeling the school is just covering it up so people don't freak out about a murderer in the school." Carmilla stuffed the newspaper clipping into her back pocket of her ripped jeans.

Ronnie gaped. "It would make sense. What do you think we should do? Tell the cops?"

Carmilla chuckled. "The cops won't do anything."

"So you want us to figure it out?"

Carmilla nodded. "If we don't, we could be killed next."