Devil Takes The Hindmost, chapter 21.
A/N: Wow! 199 reviews! I seriously love each and every one reviewer, and I'm letting you know, I've been bullshitting this story up until chapter 16, and I have the final layout. I hate to break it to ya'll, but 9 more chapters and this story is done! How the HELL am I gonna do that? Review and read to find out! Lots of love to percabeth1414, swiftielover, and divergentandproudofit for your faithfulness! Please enjoy, and please share! I seriously love each and every one of you.
TRIS' POV:
"So..."
"So..."
I bite my lip, as my friends make themselves comfortable in my living room. Uriah, dwarfing the armchair he sits in; Marlene and Lynn, Lynn sitting on Marlene's lap; Shauna, smiling at the pair and occasionally glancing at the perched Zeke, who is crossing his arms, eyeing me suspiciously. Will and Christina sit on the floor, Christina's legs drawn to her chest, and Will's crossed. I, myself, sit in a wooden chair I brought in, staring at the group.
"Everybody doing well?"
A collective sigh of Yes's and Sure's are gathered, and I try my best to remain calm. I could be in a room of murderers, or liars. Most likely the latter. The way Zeke was twiddling his fingers, avoiding my gaze; Shauna rocking back and forth a bit, biting her lip.
It's Tuesday, after school. March 18th. Tobias' trial was nearly a month ago, and they were still having private trials, featuring necessary witnesses, but I had only been called in once, to testify about my relationship with Tobias. After that, no word whatsoever. His father's line is too cluttered, as he is currently dealing with every press under the sun coming to Chicago to interview and basically irritate him about the trial of his son. Meanwhile, my mother had let me bring friends after school, as she knew how much this sucked for me. The only person other then my friends that were home was Caleb, as my parents were out.
For the past month, Christina has had to walk with me nearly to every class, because the attacks against me were getting worse. Notes, threats, the school was turning themselves against me because of what I did. I do admit what I did was wrong, and they blame me for his death. I don't need daily reminders.
The purpose for this meeting, between a bunch of friends, was the ultimate solution to this entire trial: Find the murderer. Christina, Lynn and I have been marking down the suspects, behind the police's back of course. Thanks to Christina's skills, we've managed to steal some files from the police when they hauled us in for interrogation, several times.
The group begin to look over the files, discussing possibilities. Each of us hold a file (which we hope Christina will return). We've read a few suspicions of the police, ruling out the opposing companies of Eaton, trying their best to take the competition out. Zeke announces that they've ruled out me, so that was a plus side. Unfortunately, Lynn announces that they've crossed Eric out, which raise our interests.
"These police are idiots," Will announces, as he throws another file down on the glass table, "They suspect me?"
"To be fair, Will," Uriah begins, looking over the file he was reading, "You did call him an idiot."
"I was referrring to how idiotic he was when he decided to date Beatrice, anyway."
Christina elbows him sharply, and he rubs his arm reproachfully, glaring in return. Marlene and Lynn giggle, kissing quickly. I smile at the pair, happy that there could be happiness in such dark times. It didn't matter that they were both ladies, it was the fact that they were happy.
"Hey," Zeke announces, standing up quickly, "I gotta take a piss. Tris, where's your bathroom?"
"Beatrice. And it's down the hall, take a left."
Zeke sets down his file, looking utterly panicked, before heading off to the bathroom. Uriah takes his file, as Shauna begins to read the report the police had made about Eric.
"Doesn't respect the accused," she reads clearly, "Friend, associate, saw him every day. Close to the deceased."
"These guys are idiots!"
"Amen, sister!"
We all burst into laughter, laughing at Christina's words. I have to grab onto the edge of the armchair, as Marlene and Lynn hold each other, Marlene laughing into Lynn's shoulder. Shauna is trying her hardest not to laugh, but breaks as well, cackling loudly. Uriah lets out a hearty bark, and for a moment, the world is a better place then it has ever been.
Zeke has been gone for nearly ten minutes. Uriah proclaims he'll check on him, saying he probably was jerking off, which cause my cheeks to turn pink and sink into the armchair. I'm still not good around these sort of terms, and Marlene teases me as I stay silent.
"You've got to come to terms with it, sometime," Marlene says, her sharp eyes glancing up at me, "Sex is pretty much everywhere."
"Not where I am, however." I mumble, still not looking over the file.
"Tris is our local ear virgin," Christina explains, and I spot her rolling her eyes, "She hates swearing, talking about sex and blood. She's hungry for purity and love."
"I am not!"
"Fortunately, Tobias was the one who supplied two out of three of those qualities," Shauna comments, and winces as I glare at her. Christina elbows Will playfully, kissing his cheek quickly. The two had been going out for awhile, and had announced it a week after Tobias' trial.
"Speaking of hunger," Marlene begins, rubbing her stomach gently, "I'm starved. Tris, you have any food?"
"Um...try the cupboards."
"Alright," she says, springing up and setting the file down on the glass table, "I'm going to invade your cupboards. Coming, baby?" she asks, pulling Lynn up to her feet. The girl nods, tossing the file aside.
"Anywhere you go," Lynn says softly, kissing her cheek, "I'll go too."
"Great," Marlene says, smiling too widely, "let's roll."
"Keep it PG, you two!" Christina calls as the pair walk out of the living room, leaving I, Will, Shauna and Christina.
"No promises!" the two call back, and I can't help but giggle. I continue to read the files, immersing myself in the case. So far, all students have been marked off except a few trouble makers we knew of. Some adults have been suspected, but they've all been marked aside, as we knew them personally. Allison's father? I don't think so.
After about twenty five minutes, I look around, realizing Marlene and Lynn, nor Zeke or Uriah had returned. Closing my eyes, I strain to listen for a sign of life in this house, but nothing is heard but the crackles of the fire. I'm about to stand up, ready to announce I was going to check on them, when two blood curdling screams reach my ears.
My shoulders stiffen, and I throw my file down, as I race towards the area where I heard the sound. My blood runs cold, realizing another murder could've just taken place. Please, please, just be Marlene screaming at a spider. I beg of you, please, just let it be Lynn moaning in pleasure. I don't care if they were naked in my kitchen, I just wanted to make sure they were alive.
Christina, Will and Shauna follow me, as I run down the hallway. My feet pound against the carpet, as I sprint towards the end of the hallway, where the kitchen is. As soon as I find myself in the darkened room, I flick the light switch on.
Blood. Too much blood stains our kitchen floor. Wide, are the eyes of Marlene and Lynn, who lie motionless on the floor. Crimson liquid pours out of tiny slits in their throat, and their arms are wrapped around each other, still holding each other in their final moments. My heart aches, as I realize how much they really did love each other. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair they found love, and were murdered, maybe even for their love. The worse part? They died together. They had gone together. That was more then Tobias and I have been so far. They had began in each others arms, and ended in each others arms. They died with the privledge of being with the one person they loved most in the world before they departed it. Maybe I wouldn't be so lucky
Shauna throws up, as Will wraps Christina in his arms. I, myself, am motionless. Only two people were gone from the room when they were gone, and it wasn't Eric or any other suspect. I shakingly reach for my phone, as I dial the 911 number, praying, hoping that I was wrong. That Uriah and Zeke Forde weren't murderers, the same murderers who murdered Al, and who had been my and Tobias' friends.