4. Something Is Wrong With People

    Benjamin stared at me with unreadable eyes, just listening to what I was saying. He still got his signature messy look even after the fact that he cleaned himself—or so he claims—and those eyes that looked like he’s currently on his new adventures inside his head. We left Friar minutes ago, before the Sun came up. It was just one of Benjamin’s weird habit, that I also liked. Waking on the streets in the morning, where the Sun is up, and so are the people—will just be a pain in my behind. Either of us had enough of people’s accusing stares.

     “Soo... You’re saying that Raven High officially reached the peak of its horror?” Benjamin asked me after what seemed like a moment. I told him about my situation in Raven High, that I’m one of Detective Rowen’s suspects about the disappearance of Diane Segui. I nodded at him, not exactly knowing what to say. Benjamin shrugged, “Well, this is Ravenwood, what do you expect?”

     “What do you think, though?” I couldn’t help but to push. Benjamin raised his thick eyebrows at me, curious. “Do you think Segui’s still alive?”

     He thought this for a long time and then said, “She’s gone. The last time I saw her... I couldn’t even remember. There was no body found, but wherever she is, I don’t think we’ll find her.” He answered, gazing absently at the sky ahead of us. “And, well, if she is alive, I doubt she’ll let us find her anytime soon. She ran away for a reason, and that won’t change.”

     I kept quiet. I never really cared about Diane Segui or others in this small town of Ravenwood, all I cared about is having to run away from it. But then, this happens. I don’t know what I should do, and why did I get caught in this matter in the first place. I let out a low sigh, careful not to make Benjamin notice. And he did, but he didn't care.

    He just glanced at me then back on the side walk. It was another thing that I liked about Benjamin. He doesn't give a ****, and when he did, you won’t even know. He is just like that, starting from the obvious facts like Ravenwood really is fucked up, and he lives in a goddamned trailer right parked at the empty land. I can even remember the times that the police department tried to shoo him away from his spot, and he didn’t even budge. That time, I didn’t even know that Benjamin existed inside that trailer.

     “You didn’t tell me that our hang out will turn into a boring and dreadful walk, Sam,” He said, his face betraying no emotions. He looked fairly disappointed.

     I laughed at this. “Well, you don’t say anything besides your opinion about macaroni and tomato sauce,” I retorted, and he looked at me like he’s really surprised.

    “What? You don’t think it’s a gift from god?”

    “Oh, hell, no. I don’t think tomato sauce goes along with anything. At all.” I snickered. “Macaroni, on the other hand, I’m not really fond of it.”

    He rolled his eyes. “You should live a little,” he murmured under his breath then crossed the road, right at the moment where a car is speeding up on the street. “Oops,” He said, as the car barely passes him. The driver of the car cursed and we both watched as he snuck his hand out of the window to give us a middle finger.

     I wasn’t really surprised about all that, but the people around us was looking at Benji like he’s some sort of a lunatic, which is not really surprising if you consider the fact that this guy just walked right past a street with a speeding car, which can get him killed. But that’s just Benjamin. I have no idea if he’s suicidal and all, but I got used to his... Benjaminess

     Benji stood in front of me, a good few meters  apart the other side of the street, while grinning. He looked exhilarated, grinning from ear to ear as he sway on his feet from side to side. I stared at him, not having the strength to fight the smile that crept from my face. His grin was infectious, and his eyes looked like he’s telling me to do the same thing as he did, for me to feel the adrenaline rush he just had.

     He waved from the other side of the street, where the small doors of Fowl’s Bowl blurred behind him. I even forgot where we were. Fowl’s Bowl looked just as average in size outside, with the flickering sign of its name above it’s roof, like it was the only thing that kept the whole surroundings kind of alive, with little colors in the midnight. It’s the only place that actually looked and felt welcoming. No doubt that this is where Benji spends most of his time.

     “What are you waiting for, Sam?” He yelled from the other side of the street. “Come on!”

     I let out a breathy smile, then crossed the street. Of course, I did it more carefully, which brought a disappointed pout on Benjamin’s lips. When I finally crossed the street, he said, “That’s boring.”

     “I don’t want to die, Benj,” I replied. “Not yet, anyway.”

     He grinned at this, nudging my side. “Tell me when you’re feeling about crossing streets together, then,” He cleared his throat, making his flat yet teasing tone a little deeper. “Let us see if Death will be on our favor.”

     I immediately recognized the words he said. It was from a movie that he told me to watch weeks ago.  I just laughed at him as I shake my head, “Whatever. We’re here. Your treat, right?”

     “If by treat you mean, us bribing Linda for drinks and tacos with empty promises of cleaning the whole place when we won’t, then yes, it’s my treat,” Benjamin said in a sly voice before walking towards the entrance of Fowl’s Bowl. He glanced at me  before entering, “Don’t worry, Linda and I are the best of friends.”

     First off, Old Linda, or what people calls her, was always nowhere to be found. Sure, despite the name of this bowling alley, which is based on the name of her late husband, she’s the one that actually owns it. It’s been here ever since I could remember, must have been here since our mothers and out fathers are still highschool students that did nothing but drugs and to study. You know, the old, typical highschool labels. Old Linda is actually very nice, the best person out there, if I were to say. She gives me free food whenever Sally’s being herself and snuff out all the money I earned by doing free town jobs. She also lets me stay in the back of the bowling alley if I have nowhere to go.

     Despite the very clean plan of Benjamin to get free food from Linda, I doubt it. She’s clever when it comes to things like that, and also, it’s Fowl who’s handling the alley now, based on the disappointed look on Benjamin’s face.

     I snickered, and followed him, ready to mock him about his plan or whatever, but what I saw inside was nothing among the things I deducted. What happens to a person if you see a place that you knew as bowling alley turn into a crime scene? Of course, you’d be disappointed, like what Benjamin looked just earlier.

     I stopped on my tracks, blinking. Inside Fowl’s Bowl is nothing what I used to see. The usual crowd of people, the staffs scattering around with little trays on their hands. The usual cheerful buzz of people and the upbeat music was replaced with silence, and camera flashes. There are people from RPD everywhere, talking to each other, with stern looks on their faces. Tired and horrible. In the middle was a girl who has her camera against her serious face, snapping countless of pictures from different angles from a corpse.

     I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, checking if I’m seeing the right things. And I was. In the middle was a lifeless corpse, sprawled in an unusual way, like she dropped from a hundred feet above, snapping and breaking her bones the moment she dropped-dead. Just above her head is a sickly pool of blood, dark and almost black. Beside her, two person stared down at her, with this brooding looks on their faces, with the forensic scientist circling the corpse.

     I can’t recognize the corpse, but based on the clothes she wore, she works in Fowl’s Bowl.

     So much for going out.

     I tore my eyes off from the scene inside, and  looked at the person beside me. Benjamin. He’s staring at the scene with a blank look on his face, and after a moment, he sighed. “I just imagined the tomato sauce in my nachos as that blood.”

     I didn’t say anything, or couldn’t say anything. A sigh escaped my lips. I’m sure that we just saw something that we’re not supposed to see. I started to panic for some reason and turned to my heels, stuffing my hands inside the pocket of my checkered jacket. “We should probably leave.”

     “What? Are you kidding?” Benjamin suddenly said, making me snap back to him. “I know that girl. I can provide informations. Besides, I’ve even always wanted to do this.”

     “Provide information?”

     “No. See dead bodies.” Benjamin deadpanned. I blinked. He groaned, “I’m kidding, Sam. But I do know her. She’s one of my client, as I can remember. That’s one less moolah.”

     Clients? I wondered. But I didn’t ask anything. I looked inside Fowl’s Bowl again, getting used at the scene before me. At the corner was Linda herself, looking troubled, making the lines on her face deepen. She’s talking to someone, a man in front of her who had his body covered in a black jacket. He has his back at me, so I really don’t have any idea who he is.

     But for some reason, he was familiar.

     “...Found the body this morning..” I heard Linda say, glancing at the corpse just across the tables from her. “No... Don’t think I saw her fight with someone...”

     “We’ll find whoever did this, Ms. Lopez,” I heard the man say, his voice a lot deeper and clear then Linda, and I confirmed  my suspicions. It was detective Rowen. He turned away from Linda as he touch her on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

     I didn’t stay in front of the entrance for too long and his myself beside the pillar, slightly panicking. What if he sees me and go all crazy again about me being a potential suspect for the disappearance of Diane Segui—which, by the way, did not even make sense. Yes, I’m innocent, but I couldn’t risk having him see me in a crime scene. That will just worsen things.

     I turned to Benjamin, who still had this unreadable look on his face. He seemed oddly satisfied and disappointed, if that even makes sense. “Benji, I need to leave.”

     “As you two should.”

     Benjamin and I turned around, looking whoever said that. We were greeted with a stern-looking woman, her chin held up and her arms crossed around her chest. She’s looking down on us, her eyes having the same strange color of the fall, light brown with specs of gold, some strands of her raven colored hair straying on her eyelashes. Her slender body is  covered in a long, brown trench coat, above a plain black turtleneck, paired with a slim, tight black jeans. Around her was a necklace, with rod shaped pendant.

     I noticed the badge on her waist, barely seeable because of her coat. She tilted her chin, now focused at me. One word played inside my mind. Shit. What if Detective Rowen told her that I’m a potential suspect, someone named Samirah Collins with the appearance of typical, boring loser. Her brown, steely eyes gazes at me, and I felt like my mind’s being intruded, so I looked away.

     But she did not say anything but, “You two should leave. This is a crime scene.”

     I breathe in some air before saying anything. I felt my lips part, and I felt kind of uncomfortable for some reason. I feel like the woman’s still gazing at me, trying to decipher whatever that’s inside my mind. I nodded, shaking off the feeling I’m having, “Sorry. We’re leaving.”

     As I was about to pass the woman, Benjamin yanked me back with just his reckless words. He was grinning, like he just crossed an item on his bucket list. “Actually, I don’t think that’s gonna happen, ma’am. You see, I do know the victim—”

     “How do you know she’s the victim?” the woman interrupted in a harsh, cold voice.

     “She’s dead?” Benjamin retorted, shrugging like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Anways, I do know her. Marjorie Frieda. I believe I can provide information about her and some that can help the case.”

     The woman regarded him for a moment, neither agreeing or the opposite. And instead, she shifts  her eyes at me, “What are you still doing here? I thought you’re leaving?”

     “I... Right. Yep. Leaving,” I stammered.

     I gave Benjamin a look, and he just smiled at me,  like nothing is happening. It looks like he really wants this kind of thing to happen. You know, dead bodies and all that. While I, on the other hand, is panicking my *** off because of this encounter. The woman is obviously a detective, she had that same aura as detective Rowen, though hers is a little more intense and nerve-racking. Not as nerve-racking as the time when detective Rowen basically accused me of being a suspect about the disappearance of Diane Segui, though.

     I lowered my head as I pass the woman, trying not to catch more attention with unnecessary staring and sweating over nothing. I should leave here as fast as I can, or I’m dead meat. Those are the things that I kept repeating inside my head. Not that I’m already kind of dead, because, after all, having the attention of a detective that thinks that you’re a potential suspect is kind of the last straw of life, but still.  The last thing I want to happen if for detective Rowen to see me and have this woman with him, too.

     The moment I crossed across the street, I looked at where Benjamin and the woman was standing again, and I saw Benjamin being escorted inside by some police officers. In a way, I’m kind of grateful that Benjamin insisted on being involved with them, because if not, there’s a slightly big chance that I wouldn’t get a way. Not that I have something to run from.

     I sighed at the sight of Fowl’s Bowl, the regret I must have suppressed earlier working its way up inside me. And here I was, thinking that this would be a normal day just for once. What’s up with all these murders and missing cases of people? Is Ravenwood becoming a horror town or is it just me?

     Sure, this place is horrible. But killing and all that? If someone should rate this town, it would get zero stars and a complain as a review.

     I decided to rip my eyes away from Fowl’s Bowl, go home and forget that all of these things happened. Nodding to myself with that thought, I once again turned to my heels, and that’s where I felt someone’s hands on back, like a light touch. I jerked away from it, shaken, and when I turned to my back, I felt like the universe is playing games with me.

     Behind me was Ashe Fierro, in all her gorgeous glory. Her stormy, gray eyes twinkled with mischief the moment I made contact with it, lips quirked into a light smirk. She has her chin tilted, like she’s considering of making fun of me or just save her time, her neck arched in this teasing way, and down is her collarbone that peeked from the inside of her white shirt, much plainer than the outfits she wore inside the school. It felt so odd seeing her outside Ravenhigh.

     “W...what?” I voiced, and for some reason, I sounded really weak. I’m losing the I-don’t-care aura I was giving her back in Ravenhigh. “What do you want?”

     “Oh, nothing,” She shrugged in this... disorienting and elegant yet teasing way, her face giving that no idea look away. “I’m just wondering what will everyone say when they find out that the infamous Skinny Toes has secrets underneath that loser exterior.”

     I literally have no idea what in the hell she was talking about. I fought back a groan, “Shouldn’t you be saving this kind of thing inside the school, Ashe?”

     She stepped forward, which made me step away, in all my awkward way of life. I almost stumbled over nothing because of her sudden actions, her gray eyes raked down at me for a brief second, and that made her smirk widen with amusement, like she was thinking for pathetic of me it is to almost trip because she just inched closer.

     “I tell you, the last thing I want to happen is to see you again, outside that crappy school, especially,” She said, her voice curling in this darker and lower town, making it sound like almost a purr. She gazes at me, her eyes fringed with her thick and long lashes, the gray behind them becoming a disorienting color of steel. “I told you to come to me, didn’t I?”

     I blinked, genuinely confused. Did she really expect me to do whatever the heck she says, especially that? After all the things she had done to me, the blame and the shame she shoved right into my face?

     I sighed, not having the energy to snap back at her. There was so much going on, or at least that’s how I feel, to have myself get involved with her again. “Is it really that kind of a big deal? I’m sure all you would do was to do shit to me again, anyways.” I mumbled under my breath.

     “And I still will, but for now, why don’t you be good and follow me?” The smirk she wore was nowhere to be found, replaced with a scowl that actually her for some reason.

     Before I can say anything or turn my back at her because she’s making zero sense, her slender hands found its way on my wrists, gripping it so hard that I’m almost sure that it will leave a mark. Ashe didn’t say anything, just grunted and mumbled something under her breath as I protest, “Let go!” trying to yank away my wrist from her, but her grip just tightened more, but she eventually let go when I started to force it out of her grip.

     She turned to me, glaring. “What are you doing?”

     “What?” I snapped. “You’re the one who grabbed me all of a sudden! What is wrong with you?”

     She actually frowned, her eyebrows knitting. She ran her fingers on her hair, like she’s the one that has the right to be stressed right now. She did not say anything for a moment, just biting her lips in frustration, just like she always did whenever I win some of our arguments.

     I stared at her, contemplating if I should leave now or let my curious side and ask what the hell does she want with me in the first place. Or what does she want to tell me. The latter won. For all I know, Ashe might just be messing with me, acting like there’s something urgent that is happening and she needs me for it, but that’s the problem with me. Even though I know that it can be very possible, my curious still gets the best of me.

     “Look,” I started, careful. “Why don’t we save this aggressiveness for later and just tell me whatever you have to tell me? This is wasting both of our times.”

     Her cold, gray eyes burned on me, the exact opposite of how she looked at me whenever we’re in Ravenhigh. In there, she always wore that stupid smirk, ready to humiliate me anytime with her smart and insulting words. But now, all of that is gone, replaced with this certain coldness, like a flame being covered and controlled by ice. It doesn’t make sense, but that’s what she reminded me of.

      “Forget the time I told you that I will tell you something that will benefit you, will you?” She said, and her usual, teasing tone came back, like she just swapped from a different person in a second.

     I scoffed, “You’re serious?”

     Ashe raised her eyebrows at me in a demanding way. She wore the same look that always got under my skin, and I can feel my irritation growing.

     A moment, and she’s suddenly a step close to me, her fingers wrapped on my shoulders as if she wants me to stay where I am, her gaze burning coldly, and she smelled faintly of chocolate and marshmallows, rich and pleasant, something that I never noticed before. I held my breath when she did, trying not to get distracted, and stepped away from her. A smirk appeared on her face.

     “What, afraid?” She purred, and I clenched my jaw. Finally, she stepped back, crossing her arms. “I just want to ask you some questions.”

     “Out with it, then. I’m sure you don’t want people to see me with you.” I replied.

     She regarded me with amusement, like I just made a good point. Which I did. “If you insist,” She said. “Did you do it?”

     “Did what?”

     “Did you kill Diane?” She asked darkly. Then she lightened up. “Oh, too soon. Let me rephrase that. What did you do to her?”

     I searched for the words, the words to make this accusation stop and clear everyone’s head. But all I managed to say was, “I didn’t do anything to her. We all know she’s not dead. She just left Ravenwood,” I shifted on my feet. “You know I didn’t do anything, Fierro. Why are you asking me this?”

     “Because I don’t know if you did nothing,” She answered, finally leaving her teasing persona. She frowned, “That detective douche kept asking me questions about Diane, and apparently, he added me to the list of potential suspects. At least that’s what I feel.”

     “Why are you here?”

     “He asked me about you,” She actually answered normally. Surprising. “And I don’t want to be questioned daily by a douchebag about a weird, typically boring  highschool girl that has nothing to do but to get under my skin. Imagine the horror. So I’m here.”

     I bit my lip the moment they parted to come back with a different insult. I pretended to ignore her remarks. “Well, surprise, I don’t know anything.”

     Ashe did not say anything, and just stared at me as if thinking if she should believe me or not. Of course, I didn’t get my hopes up. She’d always think I have something to do with Diane Segui just because she wants to. “Were you at the party?”

     I groaned, putting my hands on my face. This again. “No, Ashe, I was not. You should know that, for pete’s sake. Aren’t you the animal that misses not one of that Nathan Hearth’s party?” I spread my arms, an expectant look on my face like look at me. “You really think I was there?”

     As if making fun of me, an amused smirk appeared on her face, her gray eyes slowly raking my body, her head tilted in this annoyingly teasing way. She put one of her fingers on her lips, curling them against it. I watched her, kind of taken aback, as she bite it softly. I gaped for a second, then lowered my gaze. I immediately dropped my arms, heat creeping across my face. Did she really have to do that? It was embarrassing in every single way. I put my hands on the pockets of my checkered jacket, wrapping the cloth around my body.

     I have always known that Ashe is this kind of person that can literally make anyone fluster with her actions, with the way she looks and her words, but I never thought that I will be a victim of her foxy and sly personality. In a way, she was making fun of me, so the heat I feel across my face, right down my neck, is also probably caused by anger and annoyance. I refuse to accept that this is because of embarrassment or something I have no idea what.

     She actually laughed, but it almost sounded like a purr. “Calm down, Collins,” She said. I glared at her. “You should have seen your face, though. Who would have thought that—”

     “Okay, stop,” I interrupted. “That’s... That’s enough.”

     She rolled her eyes. “I’m just having my daily dose of fun, but fine. I’ll save it for later.”

     “Thanks,” I mumbled under my breath. I looked back at her, sighing harshly. “That’s all, right? No more questions and shit like that?”

     I realized that she wasn’t looking at me anymore, but at the space behind me, or farther than that. Her eyes is unreadable as I glance behind me, realizing that she’s looking at the place where I just escaped from just minutes ago. A place once a bowling place, now a crime scene. Police officers are now standing in front of it, with yellow Do Not Cross tape surrounding it. From inside the big windows, I can see other people from RPD shuffling on their feet, passing each other, while the others were talking to several employees and even Fowl himself.

     I looked at Ashe again, and she was doing the same. She crossed her arms, putting her weight on her other foot. “You were there, aren’t you?” She asked, although I know that she doesn’t need an answer to that. She laughed lowly, “God, the utter misery you bring. I won’t be surprised if the things that detective douche said is true, that you’re the one that Diane was seen with. Maybe you didn’t exactly kill her, but your deadbeat aura affected her, then she died.”

     I clenched my jaw. It was such a childish insult, but she really gets under my skin whenever she wants to be. I stopped myself before I can say anything, telling myself that it will just be a waste of time if I actually feed her trolling. But it didn’t last for even five seconds.

     “Don’t you have better to do than to talk to a deadbeat like me? Who knows if you’ll end dead like Diane?” I asked flatly. “I wonder where we’ll find your body. On the side of the road, tosses like useless doll? Or just floating across the river?”

     She glared at me, but she didn’t say anything, rather, I want to think that she couldn’t says anything. That I rendered her speechless with that kind of creepy shit I just said, but I’m sure that once this day is over, and we meet again, it will all come back to me with a **** you wrapped around it, like some sort of a gift that she will give me.  Or something.

     Then, she laughed. For a moment, I thought that she really snapped, the screws of her brain loosening.

     “I really tried to keep a straight face,” She said in between her soft, natural laughter, her voice having that purr underneath it. I felt stupid, for some reason. “But don’t worry, death threat received.”

     It’s my turn to glare, and I’m not even trying to keep a straight face.

     Ashe hummed, “You seem mad,” She mentioned. I continued to glare daggers at her, as she steps forward to me, an unreadable smile etched on her lips, her gray eyes having a darker shade than before. I felt something prickle on my skin, like a spark—not the metaphoric spark—but a literal one, and I almost flinch. As she get close, I felt this odd kind of thing, like a metal drawn to a magnet, quite literally, and it made my stomach churn. What’s happening?

     I want to pull away from her, startled with how I felt. It felt natural and unnatural at the same time, to be around her. Then I remembered this feeling, like a seventh sense I have. Back from when I was a kid, back when my father was still alive, I will always feel this kind of thing, prickling on my skin, turning my stomach into knots. Like some sort of an invisible connection. A sense.

     And it was an odd thing, because it’s not the first time we’ve been close, in a literal sense, with each other, but of course, with proper distance, too. I stared at her, momentarily drowning at the dark pool  in the middle of her gray eyes, the color of a altostratus clouds, like the calm in the middle of the storm.

     “At least you tried,” She said, her cold gaze burning, and then she walked away.

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