Rich set a fire. Rich set a fire. Set a fire. Setafire. Setasetasetsetsetset…
She wasn't wrong, was she? After all, everybody deserves to know what happened. Information was just information. All she did was tell the truth. Just the facts.
And the facts spread like a wildfire. She would laugh at the irony of the situation if it wasn't such a terrible metaphor.
Nobody died. Or did someone? Everything was starting to become jostled as she replayed the events over and over again. It seemed like everybody had a different story, and everybody was a victim, or a hero, or a bystander.
I heard Jake jumped out a window. Everybody said Rich was freaking out before. They're in the hospital.
The rumors started out simple enough.
I heard he was drunk.
The majority of the Junior class was at the party, or at least the people that actually mattered, so it made sense that it would become the next big thing for a week or two. Before the novelty wore off.
I heard Rich tried to attack someone before hand. I heard that he ran away and no one's seen him yet. I heard...
The rumors got worse.
Three people died. There were dozens of body bags. My friend Macy said that she saw the entire house collapse. The police were everywhere.
Jenna looked over to a group of students clustered around someone, seeming to hang on her every word. Jenna knew exactly who it was. Chloe was there, spinning a tale about how she barely made it out, and how traumatizing it was, and how bad she feels for Jake, and how much sympathy she felt for everybody. But Jenna didn't see her shadow behind her. She hadn't seen Brooke for a while now. Chloe could cry rivers and rivers of tears, but that doesn't change the oceans she's caused everyone else.
And maybe Jenna was just bitter. Maybe she knew too much. Maybe she knew too little.
She went and visited Rich in the hospital.
"Jenna? Why would you come here?"
"I just want to talk."
"Really? Since when have we ever been friends?"
"Well, maybe we could start now?"
"Save me the time Rolan. You just want an inside opinion. Why did goddamn Rich lose his goddamn mind and set the goddamn house on fire."
"Look Rich, it's obvious we don't like each other so just spare me the time and tell me why you did it."
"I don't know Jenna, why don't you tell me. I bet the rumors aren't exactly spinning me to be a fucking saint, are they?"
"I'm not here for rumors."
"No, because you always wants to be ahead, to have the scoop, to know everything about everybody. And you don't care who you bury in the process."
Rich set a fire...
And in the end maybe it was guilt, maybe it was depression, maybe it was apathy.
She took the pill without hesitation.
...and burned down the house.