Till The Count Of Five ✓

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

This is sorrow mixed with anger and emotions that defy us.

Kiara

20th April 2019, Saturday
18:00

I remembered. I remembered this face he always made whenever my actions weren't approved. I would come into the Art Room, find Vee and beg for an apology. When that didn't work, it was emotional blackmail. That would always work. It was just fun, obviously, nothing serious. Up until now.

"I'm leaving," I would shout over my shoulder to Ash. She'd show me a thumbs up before tuning the world out.

"I'm leaving the school."

That would get his attention, even if it was for 0.2 seconds. It would work. He'd grunt at me, call me 'junior' in that throaty voice and catch my hand right before I grabbed his pencils. Ash might be busy somewhere but Vee was never. He would leave no opportunity to prove that, hanging over my head while I always made mistakes.

He would forgive me of course, said he had to. He would throw his hands in the air and mutter, "I lose," and I could tell his frown hid his smile, the crazy kind you had when you found your pet ate your lunch but it was too cute to be angry at.

I imagined those days repetitively in my head. It was not my fault, it could not be. His boyish grin flashed in my mind, lips lifted so high that his eyes narrowed to slits. The uneven dark stubble over his face cracked me up.

"Kiara, are you fine?"

Vee's face vanished and darkness doomed over me. My hands wrapped around the arms of the chair as I beckoned him to come. Please. Please, Vee. Cold skin touched mine and I jerked. The first person I saw was Mehak. She was leaning to my level. I turned my head and saw Vee sitting in a chair. He stared at me, his mouth set in a straight line.

"I'm fine," I said to Mehak. Maybe it was the repulsion in my shoulders or the twisted expression but she took a step back. I was thankful for the distance between us.

"How long are we going to be here?" I asked. My words sounded strained and inaudible jumble of anxiety. It was fair. Being a police station did that to people.

I grasped the glass of water offered to me without bothering to see the glass bearer. When I returned it and let my gaze wander along the hand, I saw Roy standing next to Mehak. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve. Being in the police station also brought back memories from people you were no longer in touch with, at least not a touch that I would crave. "What was the question again?"

"Were you at her birthday party?" Roy asked.

He was a weird man. Everyone had come here imagining curt replies but he was demanding stories and interrupting us every time we said 'Sir'. "It's Roy," he had said. Not to Vee. Vee never bothered with addresses in the first place. Not even to me. I knew he was Roy. Of course I did.

"Yes," I said. "We both were. Mehak and I." Roy looked at Vee. "He was invited." But he did not come.

"I was busy," Vee said. Or maybe he kept his distance from Ash like he turned away from me.

'As if you didn't ask him to leave,' my conscience bit back at me.

I looked around the Police Station. It was just the three of us. Roy wanted Ash's friends' views on what happened. I told him whatever I knew. It was the largest party she had ever thrown. I never understood why. I hadn't talked with her much. She was quiet, smiling at the crowd with pride, almost whispering I am successful. I had not heard it that night, the clues invisible to my foolish, oblivious self. But now I could hear it louder than my name called by her just before I had left. Mehak had felt that too. She was the first person to talk to me there.

"It is pretty weird," she had said.

I had glanced over the rim of her glass and shrugged. "Maybe." I had been too focused on Nolan.

"Everything was weird that night," I spoke suddenly. "Everyone felt robotic. Ash had programmed us and left to fill the space. Static, the night was static." I blinked and looked at Vee. "Is that why you never came? Because it was crowded?"

"I was busy," he replied through gritted teeth.

We all were. I turned to Mehak. She looked away. She had herself been distracted the entire night. I liked this girl. She was Ash's classmate and friend. I thought of her alright but that night, I was sure I was a reflection of Shay in her; quiet, stare fixated at the birthday girl and a little undetectable smirk. Shay was Ash's bold friend. She was past. Mehak was her shy friend. She was present. That night, I couldn't differentiate.

"What was your last talk with her, Vicky?" Roy asked him.

He looked taken aback. "It's personal."

Roy shook his head. "Not anymore. You know you could help us here. She's dead."

Vee sighed. "She was...she was upset over things she didn't bother telling anyone. We had a fight but I messaged her Happy Birthday that morning. She replied with an emoji. I was really busy."

"Doing what?" Roy asked.

I stared at Vee. He needed to learn how to lie. "His father was not well. I remember now that Ash did tell me that," I said.

Roy's eyebrows rose but he nodded. Mehak frowned at me and Vee refused to meet my eyes. My vision blurred and I shook my head.

"Can we please go?" Mehak asked. I was thankful to her and Roy's approval. This was making me sick.

My legs wobbled when I got up. I grabbed onto the table to steady myself and blinked away the tears. There was no time for them. A rough growl rose from my throat that caught Vee's attention. His body turned to face me but I never saw those brown eyes. No, he simply walked out of ignoring me.

"You're pale," Mehak whispered.

"Kiara," Roy called.

"This isn't the last time we're being called, right?" I asked and cursed under my breath. My stupid eyes wouldn't stop watering.

Roy pulled back a chair and sat down. The stars on his uniform reflected the sunlight and I knew he just wanted to get this job done.

"Sit down," he said, gesturing at my face and then nodding at the chair.

I turned back to Mehak and asked her to leave. Well, there went my ride.

"Don't you ever get tired?" I asked out when he began to shuffle through the pages.

"I've done this day and night for so long. The mind gets used to it." His gaze met mine. "How are you? And how's this friend of yours?"

I did not need to ask him who. I knew he meant Vee. I wanted to tell him he wasn't my friend anymore.

"I am fine," I said. I would be. Ash was dead already, gone. And I had lost him too. Damn you, Dandelion Presidency but I wasn't giving up this easily.