Lovely Obsession

Amusing

Blake

"Hey, Blake!"

I already know what this guy was planning.

"Is that spot taken?"

I heard him talking to those rats.

"No," I said, not daring to look at him, "It's not."

He sat down next to me on the bench with a smile. He crossed his leg over the other and put his backpack in his lap. He looked at me, "What're you doing?"

I stared blankly at him, then nodded to the papers on my lap.

"... The Math homework? Oh, okay." It got awkwardly quiet. I could guarantee this boy was one of those people that hate silence. "I was right, right? Your name's Blake, right?" When I nodded, he grinned, "I'm Sean."

I very much don't care.

We sat in silence for five minutes, me doing work and Sean pretending to do work.

I can't talk to him - I just can't. That would hinder my plans and put me into the suspect list. But if he asks anything about the disappearances, I can't remain completely silent. That would put me on the list, too.

It's still odd. How Susie and her group of friends kept going on and on about how they thought I had something to do with Tristan and Sophie's disappearance. Like gossip, they just wouldn't shut up about it. Despite that, they never went to authorities. I'm not complaining, but still... There was something about it that bothered me.

I took a quick glance at Sean.

Amusing, how him and his friends thought I wouldn't hear them. That's their line of logic. If someone has work in their lap, everything else in the world is cut out. I could just grab my pencil, look at my work, or open a book, and they won't shut up about me.

"Who'll do it?" Susie had asked her friends.

"What exactly do we-"

"Just hang out with that freak for awhile." She frowned, "And occasionally talk about Sophie and Tristan. Remember every detail, how is he behaving when you bring it up, what he says, remember it! And come and tell us."

No one volunteered.

"... Sean," She pointed at him with a scowl, "You go do it."


"I'm in track," He finally said to me, "And my friend is in the football team. They have to do practice somewhere else, because the field is still considered a crime scene. But I'm in track, and... Yeah. They're still investigating the scene."

"I know," My voice was empty, "I walk by there on my way home and see them."

He sighed, "They've been keeping it up for weeks. Oh God, for weeks, man. Weeks!" He looked at me, "What do you think of it?"

"Think of what?"

"That they're still investigating it."

I frowned, tilting my head, "What - What am I supposed to think of it? I don't know. I guess it's good that they're still looking, but I just keep comparing it to everything else."

"Huh?" He blinked, "You mean... Those other missing people? I just moved here like - last year, but I heard there's been some other missing people."

Of course I remember. While I didn't set the school up for Sophie, I did put certain things there. I hid them. The same place where Tristan was.

I nodded.

"How long did those searches go on?"

"A week. Sometimes it'll stretch on for two." I said, "But never a full two weeks. It'll stop dead by that point."

Sean looked around, eyes narrowed slightly, "Probably... It's because blood was found. Did any of the other missing people - were they - linked in any way?"

"Not really. I don't think so." I furrowed a brow and tilted my head, trying to appear indecisive, "I really don't know."

Fuck. Are any of his friends watching? They'll know something was off. Why? Because I'm talking. On my own. Without looking anxious.

They can't use that against me, can they?

"What do you think - of Sophie and Tristan disappearing? Lots of people are making assumptions and theories. What do you think?"

"I don't know - I don't want to make any assumptions." Keep the voice calm. And keep it on the border of confused. I was actually proud - I was succeeding. "You, then?"

"... I once heard a story of a lady abducting her kids and when authorities found her, she killed her kids and then herself..."

My blood rushed to my face. My vision went red. I flashed him a glare, "Okay? And?" Don't sound angry. Annoyed is enough, but not angry.

Hearing people talk about stories like that make me sick. I remember once Crime and Investigation class, the teacher brought up an incident that happened years back. When the students were just four years of age, it happened...

"A woman abducted her child and hid themselves in the woods." He had said. My eyes had started to go wide already. "She abused him, stabbed him, fed him bark and leaves. All kinds of horror and abuse. When Father and Uncle found the cabin, the woman killed the two before killing herself."

I knew it was my story. It was mine - it was mine. Thankfully, the teacher did not once look at me. He doesn't know it's me... I changed my last name, moved far over here. No one knows it's me...

Everyone in the class had gasped. I was shaking a lot. "Huh?" She girl next to me blinked, "What about the kid?"

"The kid lived, and wandered off until a family found him."

"Poor kid."

I was shaking so much.

"Ha!" A boy laughed and pointed at me, "Blake, it really scares you, huh?"

Everyone laughed.

No-


"Blake?"

Oh yeah, I was talking to this rat.

I looked at him, and he repeated himself.

"I just find those stories to be similar to disappearances. That woman and her kids went missing, and they were in that abandoned place for a month. All I'm saying is that it's possible..." He paused.

"... So, you think one of them kidnapped the other?"

"That's what some people thought." He sat back, "That Sophie either killed or kidnapped Tristan. Weird, considering Sophie seemed like a really, well... Stable person! But looks can be deceiving. But then Sophie's hair was found in the back of the car, like she'd been lying there for a long time as it was driving. And it's also Joseph's car - he's still in tight questioning. But he couldn't have done it, because he was in the field the whole time! And-... Augh." He ran a hand through his hair, "This story, it's so complicated and complex. Biggest mystery of the decade, it should be."

I blinked at him.

"Were you there?" He sat up. I blinked, wide eyed. "At the football game, when it happened?" When I nodded, he asked, "Did you notice something?"

I wanted to laugh - I really did. This guy really didn't know how to be subtle. He was asking questions that made it obvious, it made him look like a detective. Obsessing over Sophie, targeting her. 

"I was there, but..." I gave him a look, "I didn't notice anything. It was just a regular game. After it, I left right away, but I did hear about Joseph waiting for Tristan and Sophie."

"Did you..." He hesitated, "Get out of the bleachers at one point?"

Oh my God. It took a lot of will power to refrain laughing. This idiotic boy! He was making it incredibly obvious! Even if I hadn't heard Susie and her theories and their plan, I would still be getting suspicious and wary of this rat.

"Yeah, to go to the bathroom and to get some snacks." I rolled my eyes, "It took me awhile to find the snack bar, though. I completely forgot where it was."

Sean's eyes widened slightly. He was falling for it, right? Okay. Keep it going, keep it going.

"There was also these guys blocking the restrooms and, psh, being obnoxious. I knew they had the record of getting all heated up and angry when someone passes right between them, those idiots. So I waited near the bleachers until they left. That made me waste time more. Someone took my spot in the bleachers when I got back, so I had to slide over in front of some guy who kept leaning forward."

I felt I was getting way too into it. And that would surely confuse people. Blake Pedersen, who was known for being aloof and anti-social, and just plain grumpy, talking fiercely and acting like the most obnoxious social man? Would surely raise some brows. However, it won't raise red flags...

Sean was watching me with narrowed eyes. They held confusion. "So..." He uttered, "You didn't hear anything?"

"Huh? No, not really." I rose an eyebrow, "You?"

"I, uh - no." He shook his head, nervously. This was really amusing. He felt I was questioning and suspecting him, "I was with my friends in the bleachers. I noticed Joseph stay behind and heard more from the rest of my friends!"

Amusing.

"I didn't." He repeated.

So amusing.

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