The Truth About Kian

03. Now in the morning I sleep alone

:: C H A P T E R  T H R E E | NOW IN THE MORNING I SLEEP ALONE ::

"Kian was a wonderful boy and a dedicated student. His loss has affected all of us at St. Benedict." Mrs. Fraser pulled off her glasses and pursed her wrinkly lips at me. "I think that is all I can tell you, Miss Elliot."

I bit back a growl of frustration — the interview with the French teacher had yielded nothing. I had even gotten more from the Scire Police Department when I'd approached them yesterday. And all they had only replied to my questions with "Mr. Daniels' death is under investigation. We can't release any information at this time."

I knew that Kian was a good person. I knew that he was talented. But I needed more. It felt like everyone at St. Benedict never bothered to find out more about Kian. He was a paper doll—transparent and two-dimensional, and I wanted more.

Sighing, I turned my recorder off and gathered up my things. Just as I was about to leave the room, I turned to glance at Mrs. Fraser. "Thanks for your time, ma'am."

"Mr. Daniels was intelligent and talented." She sounded like she was reciting lines from a script. I knew that she didn't like scholarships students, but did she have to act so nonchalant about Kian's death?

I didn't say anything else as I left the room

"Why didn't you give the old bat hell, Elliot?" I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed Davina Thorne leaning against the row of lockers next to Fraser's room. Her brilliant maroon hair was tucked under a newsboy cap, and she was wearing torn leggings and an oversized Arctic Monkeys shirt.

I shrugged, "getting in trouble for mouthing off ... it's not worth it."

"That's the trouble with you," she commented mildly. "You don't think anything is worth it."

"And you think that everything is worth it." I glanced sideways at her. She was the female senior scholarship student, well known for her bitchy attitude and ever-changing hair colour.

"Maybe," said a grinning Davina. She pushed herself off of the lockers and fell into step beside me.

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Gale sent me," she supplied easily. "My little brother seems to like you." I blinked at the new information, but once I took a second look, the similarities between Stan, Gale and Davina were easy to see. They all shared the same bright hazel eyes and high cheekbones. The Thornes were an unarguably attractive family, and I couldn't help but feel like I was lacking in something when I was with them.

"Didn't you date Kian? Gale mentioned that his older sister went out with Kian."

"Always have to turn it into an interview, huh, Elliot?" Her smile slipped off her face as we reached my locker where I stuffed my books on the top shelf. "But yeah, I did — or at least until he became an Inheritor wannabe and a jackass."

"What do you mean?" My fingers were itching for the pen in my jacket pocket, but I managed to stop myself. "You're not the first person to say that."

Her eyes were distant when she replied. "We were in the same grade when we went to public school. We were best friends, but once we came here, he kind of changed."

"Changed, how?"

"He wanted to fit in so he became best buds with the Inheritors." She scowled bitterly. "He forgot that he wasn't one of them. You're not supposed to ditch your best friends and your girlfriend because they aren't 'cool' enough." I expected the resentment of a ditched former friend, but the way her voice shook hinted that Kian had done more than just ditch her.