the boarders

Octavia

Octavia was relentless, she had no idea where Valentina had gone, or who she'd been calling, but she knew something wasn't right.

What if they'd done this together? It could've been Valentina who she'd seen, not Aurelia. Valentina could've easily slipped on a blond wig. But it didn't make total sense, as Valentina was almost five inches taller than Aurelia.

Octavia decided that she needed to go out and clear her head. It was an inset day, and so no one was in the school; only those who wanted extra credit (usually the scholarship freaks).

She pulled on her Gucci coat and grabbed her back, putting her earphones in her ears as she shut the door behind her; the sound of Florence + The Machine drifting into her ears as she walked down the road.

Octavia wasn't quite sure about where she was going, but she found herself on the only beach in London. Richmond's pier stood there, looking dilapidated and deserted; a ghostly reminder of it's past self.

Octavia almost imagined the pier as herself - once vibrant and in the middle of it all, the attention always on her - but now she was an outcast, lonely and far away from everyone.

She sat down on the soft sand and built a sad sandcastle with her hands. Tears pricked her eyes when she remembered how she used to build sandcastles with her parents on various holidays abroad. Strangely, she missed them a lot, which was unusual for her.

The last time she'd seen her parents had been before summer, it had been last year. She'd been mad at them and she'd stupidly taken Aurelia's advice to let it all out on them. God, she was so stupid, always the sheep of the group, letting others decide for her.

Brushing her tears away, Octavia looked out at the pier, standing unstable on two thin, worn-down pieces of wood. The sun was drawing to a close; the day ending. Octavia had barely kept track of the days, she felt like she was stuck in the same day ever since Aurelia went missing.

She was about to get up and leave (dreading facing Valentina), when she heard a scream. Octavia whipped around, her blond hair smacking her in the face, to see a body, lifeless and floating in the water.

Her breath caught in her throat.

She saw a masked figure fleeing the scene; walking carefully between the wood, a knife in their hand, glistening in the amber glow of the sun.

Everyone else at the beach had noticed, it was hard not to, the scream was so loud and ear splitting. Someone was on the phone to the police, whilst their sons ran into the sea to try and save whoever it was.

Octavia had to stay, she had to see who it was. They were probably drunk out of their mind or just playing around. But that didn't add up, because the other person had a knife?

The police quickly drew up to the scene, sirens blaring and policemen running into the water. Octavia could see that the boys that were in the water earlier, had picked up the lifeless body and were bringing it to the policemen.

Octavia spotted a friendly looking policeman and went up to him, grabbing her bag and hoodie. "Someone else was there," She had, her voice quivering, "And they had a knife." The policeman took out a notebook from his back pocket and simulataniously drew out a walkie-talkie.

"Witness confirmed that this was a murder." He said clearly into it; the entire crowd at the beach, upon hearing this, started to scream and grab their children. The policeman nodded at Octavia, "Thank you miss." He paused. "We may need you to come for questioning, as you're a witness."

Octavia nodded, she was happy to help out with whoever this poor person was.

The body had been dragged out of the water.

She saw a flash of dirty blond hair.

Tanned skin.

A hint of abs under his t-shirt.

It couldn't be.

No.

Drew.