EVERGREEN WOOD《COMPLETED✔》

CONFESSION

Chapter 36

Alex pulled out a tool from the counter and sat sideways on it. He let down his gun which laid loosely on his lap. If I hadn't had a gun pointed at my head, I would have thought we were just here for chitchats. 

"This one ain't loaded," Lola flipped her gun for a few times and I snapped my head at Noah. He shrugged and mouthed thank you.

"Take mine and keep a good aim at Mr. president. He's the one with the tricks," he held out his gun in front keeping his eyes on us. 

I considered taking this as a distraction and lunging at them. I felt Noah's stern gaze on my left and he was forbidding me to do anything stupid. We had a whole conversation with our eyes like this:

Don't be stupid, Jenny.

But this is our chance. I grab Lola, you tackle Alex.

They have a loaded gun.

Not if we can get it.

Think about Luke. Stay put.

With that I lost my chance to make a move because Lola retook her position beside me. But this time her aim was trained at Noah. I wondered if I could tackle her down and get the gun. But the hockey stick is so close to Alex, he can whip it at Noah and me and Skyler won't be a match even as one.

"So, it all started when my dad got arrested because some puny kids discovered his drug stash and rattled to the police. I got humiliated by the kids in the neighborhood, the parents kept their children away from me. My life was a mess. People would just recognize me with my eyes. So my mom made me wear a green lens on my blue eye. That kept the whispers down for a while because I wasn't that popular," he reached for his eye and took out the lens. As it was dark, there was no way I could tell the difference between the colors of his two eyes.

"Then my dad escaped prison. He came to visit once in a while in the dead of night. Things were getting normal. But Genevie's dad had to try so hard to find the missing prisoner. He was the one to shoot him cold blooded. Genevie just had to die in return. We did a small funeral for him here, in Evergreen Wood. Because it is where he met mom and wanted to lead a life in. But things got worse, people started whispering again, I was getting bullied in school. My mom didn't get any job here. Finally when she got an offer in Iceland, we moved there. She married a bastard to keep me protected. Got a step dad and step brother. I guess I liked Brandon, but his father was the devil. You probably heard about the burning of the house along with him and me, that was the best part."

"How come you're still alive?" I have learned from many movies that stalling is best way to get out of situations like this. Hopefully Ivy would be able to contact someone in the mean time.

"I did burn down the house and I did it with myself in it. But it wasn't me that died that day, it was Brandon. He pulled me out of the house and went inside to get that bastard right before the flame made it impossible to get back out. I regained consciousness a few moments later. The house was still ablaze and I could hear the fire department. So I made a run for it before anyone can discover me. After all, I had to take revenge."

His sneer made me freeze on the spot. I could see Noah's brain calculating the situation. Maybe he has a plan. But when his eyes meet mine, it was blank. He needed time and calm brain to form a plan and it was neither.

"It was all easy after that, I branded Genevie, fell in love, branded that guy in the mall, branded myself which was a diversion that worked really well. But then I was stuck with guards in the hospital. That's when Lola came in to rescue and completed my task. She came in the middle of the night through that hidden passage and took the brand."

"My plan was to brand everyone and frame someone. To your honor, I selected you at first Noah. I wanted to make your base weak by including you in drugging Luke's blood sample. I thought when you got caught, it might be easy to frame you. But no, you had to break the vial. So I took a different turn. I placed Luke's blood beside my victim. Just as a small detour. But, at the party, he just saw me there with Lola, handling drugs. That's when I hit him. Then threatened to harm Jenny if he opened his mouth. I never thought it would work so well. But it did."

"Who hit you in the shoulder then?" I asked.

"That was a little mishap. I slipped at the bathroom and hit the sink with my shoulder. After I found the old news of my dad's arrest, I recognized everyone but the redhead. You were never my target sweety. You were just a stepping ladder to make everyone believe I was the good guy. After all people loved you and you had an instinct to see through people. But when Riley told me what I needed to know at the party, things got easier."

"I congratulate myself on my brilliant acting skill. But Jenny, you gave in so easily. It took only a few winks and sweet talks to get you moving. But I did thought it would be hard when you held on to Luke's apology cupcake so hard. I thought you fell for him. But when you came to visit me at the hospital, boy wasn't I happy."

"We went to know the truth. And I did tell you if things were different I would've taken the cupcake. But things aren't different and I didn't like you that way," I spat the words at him.

"I figured that out eventually. But the big giveaway was princess Skyler here." I felt Skyler flinch at her name. "She was sent to confirm my discharge time and my overall condition I believe? I almost fell for her long eyelashes. But unfortunately, I overheard her conversation with the nurse. You don't think I carried the gun for nothing. I knew I would find you guys here. Breaking Luke out of jail, that was one heck of a plan." He slow kicked Luke's limp body for a few times. My mind began to scream at its own pace and I wanted to break Alex's skull open. I wanted nothing else to run for Luke and hold him tight. "I don't see why you needed him. My girlfriend knocked him down and you thought he would have been a plus point."

"My plan was to brand everyone of you and frame one to rot in jail. When I found the red head, I would have made her suffer, beg for mercy and then kill her. But losing the brand made a problem and I had to act fast. Not to mention the attack stunt Lola played on Ivy today. I saw the register, a car accident. So sad."

Skyler widened her eyes at the fact that they didn't know that Ivy avoided any major injury. I pinched her arm and she made a squeak. I tried to glare her down to wipe that expression off her face.

"So you three are left. After I'm done with you, I'll go look for the boy with the glasses. I heard he's in NY." Jason.

"So what do you say darling? Start with the princess? We could juts shoot them, it'll save us time.

"No," I took a step forward. "It's me you want, let them go."

"Oh Jenny. The one doing the right thing always. What's your contribution to the group? Let me guess, The brain, the spy, the muscle?" he pointed at Noah, Skyler and Luke. "And who would you be? The sacrifice? I can live with that." He tilted his head towards me and Lola aimed her gun right at me. I closed my eyes hoping that by the time they shoot me, they can create a diversion and get out of here. The sound of glass shattering came from behind Alex which made both of them whip their head around.

Ivy.

Shit.