Lacey did everything correctly. It was all going according to the plan, but then she snapped. She had blood on her hands. Her vision was clouded and so was her mind. She didn't know she was falling until she felt someone struggling to hold her up, before they both fell to the floor in a heap of nerves.
She looked to the warm body beside her, Jo's heart was beating just as fast and loudly as her own. Jo had dropped the bloody knife where she was perched before, but Lacey still had the rough piece of wood in her hands. She was holding onto it so tightly she was sure splinters were deterring her otherwise flawless skin.
Jo's eyes were bloodshot and ridden with tears that she didn't dare to let fall. The girls had to be strong. Be strong for each other in this crazy and difficult time. They had to do what they had to do. And they couldn't be caught up in their shock to not finish the job.
"We did it," Lacey whispered and looked back to the bodies on the floor. The slit throat and broken necks of the girls' victims. Lacey and Jo had victims, they no longer were victims.
They were both wearing dresses- this was the night of the big Green Grove Christmas Party that Regina's mom through every year. She still did it this year even though she was still mourning her daughters loss.
"Yeah, we did," Jo answered with a gulp. She watched Lacey drop the piece of wood with conviction. She had beat both of the bodies that now lied on the floor, lost souls forever. They both wondered how Danny did it the first time, and the second. The new evidence showed that Danny had killed Regina, but the two girls couldn't let him leave them again. They would do anything for Danny, the man they loved. Even if it meant they had to go down with him. If someone threatened to take Danny away from them, they had to get rid of the conflict. So they did.
How did things get like this? They thought simultaneously. They killed people! They were murderers. They were going to drag the dead weight and drop them somewhere in the forest. They would rejoin the party and assure Danny that what needed to be done was done. He didn't ask them to do it, they just knew that they had to help him somehow.
"They will be at the party next week," Danny murmured as he and Lacey were tangled in each others arms on her bed.
"No they won't. That would be dumb. I thought they were going to steer clear from all of us," she was still absentmindedly playing with his hair. She was breathing in their love. Letting it flow through her lungs and keep her heart beating.
"Rico told me he heard them say it. He knows they are going to try something." Danny said seriously and turned to face Lacey who furrowed her brow. She placed a long kiss on his lips before smiling sweetly at him.
"Then we will just have to get rid of the problem. Nothing will happen, Danny. We can protect each other," Lacey asserted. Danny sighed before letting a weary smile grace his features. She loved his smile.
He kissed her knuckles and stared into her eyes, "I will love you no matter what. You know that right? I would do anything for you. You and Jo. You are my girls and always will be my girls."
"I know Danny. We both know it. We love you so much," She kissed him again and he deepened it, "we would do anything for you Danny. Anything."
He pulled back and they stared into each others eyes. Lacey saw his pleading, she saw all the hurt and pain he has felt over the years. She would never let anyone or anything hurt him ever again. Danny Desai. Her man.
She knew what she had to do.
When Jo had heard Lacey's plan she was extremely apprehensive. Lacey was passionate and adamant that this was the only option, which Jo agreed. People died all the time. She needed to make sure certain people died sooner than later.
Now here Jo was, in her best party dress, holding onto her best friend in a pool of blood. How had the blood spread so quickly? When she had slit their throats the blood had spattered. She had stared into their eyes as they fell to the ground. She didn't feel bad for them at all- they had it coming- she was just shocked she had the guts to do it.
"Jo we have to get rid of them. It's been like an hour," Lacey's voice was hoarse. Neither had spoken in a while.
"Okay. Where's Danny? Is he going to help us?"
"No. God, Jo. He's our alibi. So is Rico. They have to stay where they are. We have to get these bodies out of here and into the woods. And we have to change and get all this fucking blood off of us. We reek."
"But they are heavy. Lacey we need help."
"Don't worry. We have each other."
"Don't leave me alone. Please," Jo cried. Lacey was already on her feet and getting out the bleach and putting on her gloves and pulling her hair into a tight ponytail. Jo was standing up slowly. The warm sticky blood dripped off of her hands and knees.
Lacey strided to her friend and pulled her into a hug.
"I won't. Don't make me do this on my own, Jo. Help me. We need each other to finish this." Lacey admonished and handed Jo the gloves. Jo put them on and Lacey helped the girl pull her hair into a ponytail. The taller girl kissed her blonde friend on the forehead.
"We did it for him Jo. We did it so well. Help me put them in these bags and then we can clean up."
The two girls worked silently. Soon the bodies were buried in shallow graves in the woods behind the Crane residence. The garage where they committed the murders was cleaned up and smelled no longer of blood and sweat, but of lemons and bathroom cleaner.
They walked to Lacey's car and put on their spare dresses. They cleaned off the blood and put perfume on. They fixed one another's hair and makeup. They were best friends. They had to do it for each other.
They walked back into the party arm-in-arm and it was in full swing. No one even knew what had happened. No one knew two people were dead forever.
Rico emerged from the crowd and shared a look with the girls.
"Where the hell have you two been?" Rico asked.
"Remember the pregame shots we did with Danny? Remember how Lacey and I had spilled brandy all over our dresses," Jo gave a convincing laugh. Rico continued to look confused, "God, Rico. You were there. You didn't notice?"
"I was… there?" he asked. The girls gave him a meaningful look and he knew to catch on.
Jo detached from Lacey and gave Rico a kiss on the cheek, "Yes Rico, now play along." Lacey clapped for Jo in the back of her mind as the two of them walked away. Jo could be an actress one day if she wanted to.
Lacey scanned the party and greeted a few people. She smiled when necessary and was gracious when the elders would give her compliments or ask her how school was.
But Lacey wanted to know where her prince was.
She walked outside onto the front porch. Lacey had never realized it was so cold. It was probably the adrenaline that made her and Jo still feel warm even in their skimpy party dresses.
"Lacey?" she heard and turned around to see her man standing there. He was wearing a suit and had his hands in his pockets.
"There you are!" she rushed over to him and kissed him, but he didn't return it. She ran her hands along his arms and smiled brightly.
"I was looking all over for you." She whispered endearingly.
"Lacey what did you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you wearing a different dress. Why were you missing for half of the party?"
"I was with you silly," his serious facial expression didn't change. Lacey's demeanor went cold, "are you insinuating something, Danny?"
"Where are they?" he begged. Lacey scoffed and crossed her arms. Her anger was rebuilding inside her.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"Lacey," he almost shouted. She turned on her heel and began walking away but he grabbed her arm roughly, "What did you do!?"
She stared into his angry eyes with her empty ones. She smirked at him and gritted her teeth.
"Don't act like you don't know. We did it for you, Danny. So be grateful and shut up."
"You brought Jo into this?"
"Yes! I mean you brought her into everything in the first place. You started sleeping with her! If she really does turn out to be your sister you are going to be one, sick bast-"
Danny cut her off by slapping her in the face.
She slapped him back.
"Don't touch me Desai," she felt tears threatening to fall from her eyes, "you killed your aunt and Regina! I killed these people for you! To protect you! You kill for your own selfish reasons. I do it for love."
Danny shook his head and rubbed his temples. He chuckled darkly, "Why would you do this to yourself?"
Lacey smirked at him, "Oh baby, I did it for you. Let's go back in the party. Jo is pretending she's into Rico and you know how painful that is for her. Oh! Make sure you act a little drunk. The story is that we were all pregaming before this party. Maybe you could loosen your tie a bit," Lacey kept on. She had to keep herself speaking.
She did this for the right reason. She did it for all three of them. Lacey was always the adult, even when they were kids. She protected them. She regretted nothing.
Who was the Socio now?