Braxten High

Chapter 13

Ayden's POV:

Salty Beans had become kind of a safe space for us, mainly because no one we knew ever came there. My guess is that it is too 'poor' for those brats who think they are royalty, but I find it warm and cozy.

We were again seated at the booth we had claimed as ours the day Jenny was murdered, to discuss our finds.

Scarlett and Zara had found the letters our headmaster mentioned in the assembly and copies of the emails sent to the faculty post-summer vacation letters.

We all were currently crouched to see into Zara's phone but it was quickly getting disturbing. Azriel, being him, decided to object. "You should've printed the damn documents at school. This is so stupid," he scowled at Scarlett.

Pissed, she started to argue back but I quickly threw in the white flag. "We can ask the cashiers if we can use their printer maybe?," I suggested.

"Okay, I'll go and ask them," Zara volunteered.

"You can't convince me to go to sleep early or wear my tie at school, you sure you can convince the cashiers to let you in their private office and use their printer?" Scar asked, a hint of amusement lacing her words. Azriel chuckled and then coughed awkwardly to cover it up.

"Would you like some water, Azriel?" I asked faux-innocently, smirking a little. Azriel just glared at me.

"You can go then," Zara pouted, ignoring Azriel. "Oh I will," Scar stood up and reached over to pull Zara's cheeks, grabbed her phone and left.

"So Richards, since it's so obvious that you are smitten with my best friend, when is your coward self making a move?" Zara asked.

Azriel choked on his water and laughed at my misery, while I failed to come up with an answer.

"I, uh, I was thinki-" I started, fumbling around my words, when I was interrupted by Scar slamming four hot chocolates and the printouts on the table. "You're welcome. Also, why does Ayden here look like he has eaten a flying cockroach?"

"Oh nothing, we were just talking, also I'm proud of you." Zara said, smirking at me a little. "weirdos, " Scarlett commented. "Anyway, did you both find anything in the cafeteria, although it is unlikely because investigation has already been done," she said, sipping on her cup of hot chocolate.

"We did find something. But I'm taking it home and showing dad first," Azriel said.

"But what did you find?" Scar asked impatiently. "A rope, crusted with what I think is dry blood," I whispered.

Scarlett messed up my hair, "You're cute." I couldn't help but smile.

"Aww, Mr. Cute," Azriel said, imitating Scarlett. Scarlett glared at him for a good minute. "Anyway, let's read these letters," she said and we exchanged the pages among each other, reading one letter at a time.

'Consider this a warning. You ignored my last letter, and I gave you a chance to be civil. To shut down the school. This is the result of you going against me. Do it again and you'll have the blood of another at your hands.'

The note that we assume is the one that was attached to Jenny's body. Zara let out a shaky breath which caused Azriel to put an arm around her, pulling away just after a second like lightning had struck him.

I raised my eyebrows at him questioningly, but decided to leave the matter and focus on the other letter.

'Well, here I am again Mr. Headmaster. I see how you managed to protect your school's so-called prestige and royalty by turning a perfectly executed murder into an accident. Isn't that what you always do? Bold of you to think I'd keep silent after the shit you and your institution put me through. Now, it's your turn to face the same. Shut down that monsterville of a school you run or face consequences. I'm watching you. Involve the police and I will have your head. Your golden boy deserved what he got for being the perfect representative of your disguised hell.'

"I'm done for today," Zara said in a low voice. "Me too," Scarlett whispered. "Ayden, can you drop us at the penthouse? We took your car," she asked quietly, rolling up the letters and stuffing it in her backpack. I noticed Azriel rubbing gentle circles on Zara's back.

"Obviously," I answered and with that, we left Salty Beans.

"We're here," I announced as we pulled into their driveway and glanced at the passenger seat and found Scarlett asleep. I reached over and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear smiling a little. "Wake up," I said calmly.

She woke up and scowled, narrowing her eyes at me. She looked around and yawned. "Oh, we're here already?" she asked. "Well, thank you for the ride!" she said, stepping out and waiting for Zara to join her.

I heard Azriel clear his throat. "See you tomorrow?" he said quietly and uncertainly. Wow, where was the annoying bastard I've known all my life? Zara might've nodded because the next thing I heard was her stepping out of the car.

I was still unsure of what I was about to do but I decided to man up and do it anyway. I took a deep breath and got out of the car.

"Scarlett, wait," I called out to her. She stopped and Zara winked at me and left. Scarlett turned around, confused. "Did I leave something in the car?" she asked.

"No," I began nervously, "Actually, I, uh, I wanted to ask you if we could have lunch together tomorrow or dinner at Daniel's maybe," I asked nervously.

She looked shocked for a millisecond, and then she smirked. "See you at 12, brunch at Daniel's," she said and then, shockingly, hugged me before going in. 

-zoie and dawn