Here In Rosefalls | √

Twenty Six: Not the two dogs

"You're better off, I'm glad that he's gone"

- Tove Lo

☣☣☣

It was actually the first time I had ever got to view the Martinez manor in a vacant situation. Usually, when I came to visit, it would be only on occasion of a house party or yearly Rosefalls community meetings - which my dad would always send me or Chris to save his busy ass.

I could see that the crystal chandelier was bigger than usual, or the end of the curtain drapes were now visible, with an elegant Egypt lace as its finishing. The place where buffet tables were once there, was replaced with life-sized Greek sculptures, clover leaves covering the private part.

And also, not to miss, Jimmy Anders lazing on one of their plush cushions.

"Jim!"

"Why do you sound so surprised? My car is obviously parked outside," Taking a glance at his worn out face, it was different from that night. He looked, radiant as ever...

"Duh, Anders. I guessed it way back, but I didn't expect to see you this soon." At the corner of my eyes, I saw Layla scrolling down her phone.

"God, you didn't think I was actually thrown into a jail right?" he snickered, "Liking men might be a sin, but it ain't a crime, plus, I got bucks to get myself out of that accusation." His tone was serious all of the sudden.

Beck sighed, "She probably thought your family disowned you,"

Confused, I was. "They accepted you? But I thought,"

"-not technically accepted me, but, I did my part. One just needs to bluff his way to survive." he explained, "It was a false accusation for your knowledge, what happened that night."

Not a single sound from any of us. The recap of that night, was not the one we could easily withstand over and over again.

"What? You and Simmons?" I asked, breaking down the short silence. The dashing boy nodded, an earring on his left ear dangled. It was one thing I noticed from him, that he pierced his ears recently.

"Wait, Pipe, is the vicious fossil home?" It was Layla, again. I couldn't stop watching her, since she had something to tell me, and haven't told a word yet. All I know was that, it could be important.

Pipere snorted at Layla's nickname for her grandpa, and nodded. "Back with his dogs, that old man."

In front of me, Jim seemed frustrated. "I swear to God that she, has the shortest attention span ever!"

Distinctly, I saw Beck nodding his head. "She spoils the flow, every goddamn time. Especially during the best part,"

Goodness, why was I being lashed out?

"Fuck this. I'm distracted, honestly. Now can Layla just tell me what the hell was she keeping from me?"

"I was not keeping anything from you, woman!" the brunette complained.

"Then fucking tell me!"

"Not here, psycho!"

"I think I'm having a headache, Pipe do you have repellant for screaming girls I swear they are making me dizzy in the head,"

"Can you two fucking quit it?" Beck exclaimed harshly when we didn't stop. Vexation was clear on his face, that he was already stressed enough to put up with us. It did render us silence.

I personally hated it when Beck was angry, he wouldn't be as easygoing or as cheerful. Angry Beck, terrified us, where he would get merciless like saying things he didn't mean.

As Gwen used to say, angry Beck is usually honest as fuck. It represents his actual, skeptical thoughts. The guy seemed sweet and gentle - this was what most people believed - on the outside, but he could a real pain in the ass.

In conclusion, we need to stop making him angry.

"It's her burial tomorrow, and Nate overdosed. And Layla, for fuck's sake just tell her what she wants to hear."

Unlike me, Layla wasn't terrified enough. She scowled at Beck, then at me. "Stop telling me what to do then," a flash of bitterness glimpsed in her eyes. "I was going to tell her, but not here." We folowed her eyes, as she beckoned at the right corner, where a two people was walking with two dogs around the older one.

Pipere rolled her eyes once she saw the other man accompanying her grandpa. I scrutinized the man, then heard Jim muttered a curse under his breath.

Bradley Simmons.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Layla scowled.

It felt off.

Why was he here?

My mind reeled back, reminded of his hostile expression when he and Jim got caught. Nate said that there was  a pattern, like a game of truth or dare, and the ripped username...

What the hell was the Anon tried to tell us, or warn us?

Was Bradley Simmons, a friend or a foe?

"Grandpapa, where's your wheelchair?" Pipere sighed, assisting the old man to his seat as the man groaned. She snatched the leashes, undid the collar. Freeing the two dogs to play around the manor.

The old man grunted, not even addressing our presence in his home. He did, for a second, glared at Layla whom reciprocated the action back at him.

Meanwhile, the coach stood still beside the marble pole, staring down at his phone.

"It was an accusation, in case you were wondering, Stella," Jim emphasized out of the blue, his eyes were on me, but I just knew it was supposedly directed towards the other.

Anger.

"It wasn't me, I swear," Coach Bradley — no, ex-coach — spoke, his expression was cold, but his eyes held a bountiful of meaning.

The intensity of the situation suffocated me, plaguing my head even more. Both of them, were adding more unresolved inquiries. There was someone who didn't want to tell me the truth, a certain person that made me at fault, a close confidante that was currently warded — unsure how he would survive — and this, this whole bullshit of revenge and avenge, killing other people and making others think; who could've possibly did this awful doings?

And I kept wondering, and thinking, and figuring why...

It felt incomplete, lacking and unsatisfying.

Something was holding me back, I could feel it, and I became impatient. All those goddamn questions, fuck. Stop it already.

Why, just why?

I had five pair of eyes — excluding the dogs — staring at me, wondering what the hell was I screaming at.

"Fucking Desdemona. She possessed the girl into a maniac, I knew it."