Till Next Time | completed | currently under re-edit

11

11

Harvey covered his tracks up and he covered them up good.

Cause of death: Fracture of hyoid bone due to extreme pressure.

Could've slit his arm, could've drunk a cocktail of toxicants. Did not.

Investigation threw up multiple search tabs of 'Most Effective Method of Suicide' on his internet history.

You really cannot do much if a person snaps his neck.

No one knew. In fact, no one even anticipated this. Not a sign of unusual behaviour. No involvement in anti-social activities.
We knew because he left a cryptic message. His parents knew because his neighbour's six year-old daughter saw his feet dangling in air.

We knew because he wanted us to know.

Harvey Pham has committed suicide and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

"Why are you still in bed?"

Dad yanks the curtains back from my window with no regard. The blinding sun making me squint.

"I don't want to go today." I pull the covers over my head. He yanks that off too.

"What are you trying to establish by missing school after your friend kills himself and you show up at his doorstep like some vigilante?"

He goes on after failing to draw a desirable response from me. "The police are on his case. If you do not want to draw suspicion, go. Answer their questions smartly. And ask the girl to go too. She was with you too, right?"

I nod. Anastasia and I haven't talked since that day.

"Good then. I want you out in ten minutes. You can text her in the car."

I prepare to sit through Harriet's class when the PA goes off.

"Attention, students. Brooklyn Baxter is requested at the Principal's office right away."

The whole class looks back at me.

Harriet puts his Wordsworth down and sighs. "Off you go, kid."

I open the door to reveal the officer with the notepad, sitting across from Principal Davies.

"Come in, Brooklyn. Have a seat." Principal Davies addresses me with a strange sympathy I did not think she was capable of.

"How are you dealing with things?" She asks.

"I am fine." I give her a curt answer.

"My name is Officer Rhodes, and I am here to ask you some questions about Harvey Pham." The Officer gets straight to the point. "I saw you that day, were you tight friends?"

I nod.

"How long have you been friends?" I see him put his notepad out and on the desk, clicking his pen open.

"A month."

He raises his eyebrows, "That's not very long."

"It was long enough."

He shares a glance with Davies.

"How was he like? Did he have any distress back home or in school? Something that might have triggered him."

I hesitate.

The brief moment of Anastasia clutching my knee flashes before me. She isn't here now.

"It's okay, you can tell us." The Officer invades my thought.

It's too late now. He's onto me.