The Fifth

Chapter 1

Suicide. That was how the investigators classified Moses' death.

It was deduced that Moses' hanged himself. From the balcony with rope he got from the home economics room. His fingerprints were on the doorknob. These "facts" were explained to us by the Head Investigator,Charlie Castro Sr. He's a middle-aged man with serious anger management issues. Or maybe he was just pissed during our meeting because of Isabel and Karlo who just wouldn't buy the "suicide crap" as she called it.

Soon enough though, Mr. Charlie got through the details and both of them were forced to concede. Meanwhile, the rest of us were passive throughout the meeting. After that, they took us to the crime scene. There were police lines all over the place. Forensics and other personnel were there, too. Not investigating but cleaning up. Since the verdict was suicide, they ended the investigation right away. Case closed.

But not for Isabel and Karlo. These two just wouldn't shut up.

"Come on now, think! Why would even Moses commit suicide?! He had no clear motive!" Isabel said.

"Yeah. And what's more, he was signed for a scholarship in Osaka University! He wanted that more than Isabel. He was having a good life." Karlo added.

"Issa, Karl, would you just shut it." Cj complained.

"Cj, Moses is dead. And they're blaming it on him. I'm not gonna stop. I don't buy that suicide crap." Issa answered.

"Besides, I saw the file report on Moses' case. The probability of suicide was only 57%. That does not cut it." Karlo said.

"What? How did you even see that? That's supposed to be classified." Vann said.

"We have our sources." Isabel answered. "That's why we're not gonna stop. We're gonna find that bastard who killed our friend and-"

"Issa that's enough!" I shouted. "Can't you just let us, all of us, grieve properly?!"

And with their shocked faces directed at me, I walked out of the place.

"Hey.", someone said.

I was sitting on the rooftop of the school building trying to cool my head when I heard the voice. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Hey.", I answered back.

Drobert sat down beside me and stared ahead too.

"What do you think?" he said.

"About what?"

"Moses."

"I don't know what I think. I don't want to think."

Silence followed after I said that. I could see Drobert was thinking.

"I think he was killed." he suddenly said. "I think Issa and Karlo are right."

"I think he was killed, too. But what can we do about it?"

"Find out who did it, maybe."

"And then what? Avenge him?"

"Yeah. We can be called Avengers."

I laughed at what he said.

"Avengers. Hahaha. Okay, so maybe we do avenge him. And then what?" I asked.

"I dunno. Shawarma after?" Drobert answered with a smile.

"Seriously, dude."

"I am serious. Let's find the bastard who did it."

I turned to my right and finally looked at Drobert. His face was passive but his lips drawn in a thin line. He was angry. And sad.

"Give it a few weeks Drob. You'll get by. We'll all get through this. I just want him to rest in peace." I told him.

"Okay fine. Then let me cry."

"Yeah sure."

And Drobert cried as the sun set. Soon, I was crying too. We were alone anyway. It was the perfect time to grieve.