What Did You Do?

Chapter Three

It's been three weeks since the murder of Mr Miller and the number of rumors leaking through Oakwood could not have been higher.

After being dragged back to our boarding house, Chloe and I spent the morning sobbing into each other's arms. School had been cancelled for the next few days and most people were being picked up and taken home. Chloe, Mia, Jackie, and I all live hours away and were forced to stay an extra night at school. We were awake almost all night feasting on junk food from the vending machine and binge watching old movies. Although it seems crazy, that night we decided to track down the murderer and bring them to justice. I felt like a real life Nancy Drew.

The next few weeks I spent in haze as I wandered aimlessly around the house, still traumatised from what we witnessed. Mum and dad stuck close to me for those days, never leaving my side and almost hiding me away when it was time to return to school. Soon everyone was filtering back into the normal routine of a new school year but theories and student suspect lists were frequently growing. Chloe and I were forced to stay home for a while longer than everyone else so Mia and Jackie kept us in the loop after they went back to Oakwood.

Finally after what felt like months, the day came for Chloe and I to return to school, so after spending the few weeks off jumping between each other's houses we felt closer to each other than ever before. Chloe carpooled with my family and everything felt normal. But as we drove closer and closer to the dark red oak gates of Oakwood, I dreaded the upcoming week. Praying it would not be a horrible mix of awkward looks and resentful glares.

It is now Monday of week four (our first day back at school) and I'm heading to dinner after my first study group to meet up with the girls. Chloe has been at her first swim training after the incident and I'm anxious to see how it went after our worried conversations last night. Jackie has been at guitar practice and should be the first to arrive, hopefully getting us a good table. Mia has been out with her boyfriend, as she is most days of the week, and I expect she will be slightly late. Frosty wind whips through my hair and I pull my jersey tighter down my arms.

Winter has really started to set in and I wouldn't be surprised if this cold air turns to rain before I reach the dining hall. I quicken my step and stride to the entrance just as small droplets of rain become heavy showers.

Scanning the crowded hall I spy Jackie gleaming at me from our regular table.

Smiling back, I hurriedly grab my tray of food and head over. I'm almost at our table when someone (I'd say a year 10 - 11) stops me.

"Hey, you're the girl who found Mr Miller dead aren't you?" She exclaims, before I can excuse myself. "I was just hoping I could ask a few questions, you know, about the crime scene?"

"Uh...I...um-" I stutter before she cuts me off.

"Please, because my friends and I are trying to find the killer and this could really help our case." Her eyes shine with hope as my mind swells with images I spent the last few weeks trying to forget.

"Hey, Abbs you good? Let's go have dinner, aye?" Jackie is standing supportively by side and slips an encouraging arm over my shoulders before leading me away. The girl looks annoyed but does not persist any longer, instead she trails off to regroup with her friends. Probably plotting another ambush on me while my friends aren't around.

"Are you okay?" Jackie questions once we're safely at our table. "I saw her approach you and knew by the look on your face that she had brought it up. I'm sorry Abbs."

"It's been three weeks and I still hate talking about it unless I'm creating random situations, surrounded by you guys, while stuffing popcorn into my mouth." I say, annoyed at myself for being so touchy over the subject.

"That's ok. It's always going to be hard to talk about. You and Chloe went through a traumatic experience and it's only been a few weeks. You need time. We all do. By the end of this term it will be newspaper history." I smile at her attempt to make me happier and start to fiddle my food around my plate.

"Anyways, any news on the lead you were scoping out today?" I ask. After spending most of Sunday night huddling around a notebook and brainstorming suspects we decided to send Jackie out on our most promising lead; Ms Acorn. She was Mr Miller's ex-wife and crazy lady. After he dumped her, she went psycho, sold almost everything she owned, and attempted to burn down Mr Miller's house. Now it is said that all she has left is an old house and her job at our school.

"Definitely not her." Jackie states with confidence. "As soon as I arrived at her office she burst into tears! I couldn't ask one question without her coughing and snuffling for five minutes before answering."

"What if it was an act?"

"I doubt it, she looked pretty sad."

"Did you manage to ask her any of the questions." The night before we had all helped carefully shape questions which cover everything without showing how interested we are.

"Yeah. She spent the entire holidays with her aunt and only came back to Oakwood after Mr Miller was found. This also means that the last time she saw Mr Miller was last year."

"Great!" Chloe says enthusiastically from behind me. "That rules out our first suspect."

"Hey Chlo, how was training?" I question, hoping it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be.

"It was great actually. The team was really happy to see me back and the coach seems really nice. She used to work in Africa before moving here with her husband and his work. Her name is Coach Mack and even Monica approves!" She exclaims as she drops down on the bench beside me.

"That's awesome Chlo. She sounds amazing!" Jackie says smiling.

"Yeah that's great. Let's just hope the rest of the year continues as smoothly as this." I say solemnly.

"It will. I promise." Chloe announces with a daring twinkle in her eye.

Before I can question it, Mia arrives in a sort of love haze. She smiles wistfully and nestles down onto the bench next to Jackie. "Ahhh..." She sighs. "Isn't it a lovely day?" We all take a glance outside as the rain thumps harder onto the ground and thunder roars in the distance. "Ok, maybe not but I think it is." Mia sighs again and rests her chin on top of her hands, held up by her elbows which rest softly on the table.

"How was your date with Jake?" Chloe, Jackie, and I chant.

"Perfect." Mia replies gleefully. It was their three month anniversary and Jake obviously did something special.

"Well you can tell us all about it tonight." I say, breaking the dreamy, wistful air around us. "Now, let's eat. House meeting in 15 minutes."