Not a Night for Clowning Around

𝕋𝕎𝔼ℕ𝕋𝕐-𝕊𝕀𝕏

"WHAT THE HELL are you talking about?" Shawn said.

"My real name's Johnson," Jake murmured, which was immediately followed by a wince. "I moved here after my dad killed my mom, and then himself."

"Yes, so sad." Kellen chuckled. "He had an abusive daddy who killed his mommy, and this coward didn't have the balls to stand up to him. He lived his whole life in fear of a dead man."

Jake looked down ashamedly, making my heart hurt for him. All this time he was dealing with all of this pain and grief, and we never even knew.

"You did all of this just to get me alone?" I shook my head. "You're sick."

Kellen whipped out his knife and held it against my neck. "Talk to me like that again and I swear I'll kill everyone you love."

"Stop it!" Aaliyah cried. "Leave her alone!"

"So what did you do the whole time we were in here?" Shawn asked in an attempt to change the topic.

Kellen slowly retracted the knife. "Well, I went along with the funhouse in case any of you were nearby. I couldn't blow my cover prematurely."

"If you're so in love with Carter, why didn't you just confess your feelings, like a normal person?" Aaliyah said.

Kellen clenched his fists. "She was too preoccupied with every other guy." He turned to look at me. "I gave you another chance after Matt, but you just had to whore around with Jake."

Jake, who was falling in and out of consciousness, eyed Kellen strangely. "What are you talking about?"

Kellen glared at me. "I was always there for you, always a shoulder for you to cry on, and how do you repay me? By not even giving me the time of day."

"Kellen, I'm so—"

"I don't want to hear it," he cut me off. "If I can't have you, then I'm afraid no one can."

I looked at my friends who looked back at me with terrified expressions.

Don't say anything dumb, Shawn mouthed to me.

I gulped nervously, unsure of what to say or do. "Kellen, think this through. You'll get yourself thrown in prison for the rest of your life."

Unexpectedly, he started laughing. "Who's to rat me out if I kill every eye witness? Take your pick, Carter: whom shall I kill first?"

Aaliyah let out a yelp, followed by a gasp, bringing Kellen's attention to her.

"Ladies first?"

She shook her head furiously. "Kells, don't do this. We've been friends forever!"

"I always hated that stupid nickname," he sneered. "You've done nothing but belittle me. The world won't cry over one less bitch."

"Watch your damn mouth," Shawn shouted.

Kellen looked at him amusedly. "Does the doting boyfriend want to take the first hit?" He shrugged uncaringly. "I don't care which order, as long as Carter watches you all die."

"Kill me first," Jake spoke up after a while. "Might as well finish the job."

I involuntarily gasped which made Kellen suddenly thrilled by the suggestion. "Great idea!" He advanced toward Jake with his knife in hand. Aaliyah began to sob, Shawn looked away in horror, but I couldn't tear my eyes from Jake's.

It's going to be okay, he mouthed to me reassuringly, but I couldn't help but feel queasy.

"This is going to be fun," Kellen said to Jake.

"Hurting us isn't going to make Carter love you," Jake said. "She already dislikes you, but you do this and she'll resent you forever."

"I guess that's something I'll have to learn to live with." Kellen glanced back at me. "Carter is the love of my life, but if she can't see that, then she doesn't deserve to live."

I hated myself for the fact that my closest friends had to suffer all because a stupid boy was obsessed with me. They didn't deserve any of this, and the worst part was I couldn't do anything to save them.

While Jake was talking to Kellen, I noticed his left hand wasn't tied up. Did he manage to slip his hand out? I mentally breathed a sigh of relief knowing he had a plan.

"Shut up!" Kellen suddenly screamed, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Stop trying to get into my head, or else."

Jake scoffed. "Or else what? You're going to kill me?"

In a fit of pure rage, Kellen swung the knife at Jake's neck. He managed to move his head just a few inches away, narrowly avoiding the knife. With his escaped hand, Jake swung a punch at Kellen's face. The latter yelled out in pain, and in retaliation stabbed the knife into Jake's thigh. Jake groaned in pain, clutching his bloodied leg with his free hand. It felt like a horror movie playing out in front of me, and I had to swallow hard to stop myself from vomiting.

"I was doing you a favour by giving you a quick death." Kellen wiped the blood coming from his nose. If Jake hadn't broken it the first time, it was definitely broken now. "I'm going to make sure you all suffer."