apple-jacs: I'm glad you're enjoying it!
DarkWriterXX94: You're not the only one dying! I mean...what. Cheerio!
Rachel: I have so many suspects too! (Just kidding. I know who it is.) I DO like to throw curve balls at people.
wayfaringpanda: I take pride in distressing others? Hey, it's better than you being bored! -gloom and doom all around- Remember, disclaimer on my profile, I do not provide medical insurance for any physical or mental distress my writing may cause you. Have fun with your untreated ulcer!
aca-everything: No, we are definitely not even half way through! This fic is a lot lengthier than I thought it was going to be when I decided to start it. Trust no one. Definitely trust no one. Don't even trust yourself. Also, thank you for the lovely compliment!
Truly123: ...too excited to imagine who died? Haha.
Madzilla1010 (16): Welcome back! I love Chloe taking care of Aubrey. Though not as much as I love Aubrey taking care of Chloe.
Madzilla1010 (17): Gotta get in a few easy-going chapters before everything gets all action-y, right?!
Arrowfield: Not a bad move. Definitely not a bad move. I'm thrilled this fic is making people like Aubrey more. I know that I have to make her somewhat ooc in order to fit the story, but she is so under-appreciated and misunderstood. It's not fair. I don't really watch teen slasher movies, so, I have no idea if that is the direction I'm heading in. I tend to just run in my own direction and hope people get confused and follow.
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (2): Hey, hey, a familiar face from the House fandom! You love it. I love you! -high5-
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (4): I love everyone and don't want anyone to get hurt. Except maybe Bumper. But only in a way that a few people punch him.
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (8): Have I mentioned I love you?
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (14): Prepare for more creepiness to come.
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (16): You read Signal Fire, so, lesbihonest here, you don't really have any heartstrings left for me to pull. If I haven't successfully ripped them all out by now, I need to work harder.
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (18): I will definitely get into Bechloe more in the future.
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (19): I kind of want to hug everyone in this story as I write bad things happening to them and know of even more bad things to come.
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (21): Thank you! It makes me ecstatic when people compliment my Aubrey.
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (23): Supernatural reference! Yes! Does this make Chloe Sam or Castiel? Lol. And who does that make Beca?
BrookeEffyJames: Thank you!
Athyna DaughterofPosiedon (26): And there will be more communication to come!
Arrhythmia
Don't know what to expect;
My mind is racing, I can barely feel my breath.
Like a dream, I can't escape.
I wanna run, but I'm still here when I awake.
-Ruelle
There's been a death on the island.
Aubrey doesn't breathe. She steels herself - standing in military position with arms down by her sides. Mills' words are foreign and hold a meaning that she can barely comprehend (not when two of her Bellas have gone missing), but she reacts on autopilot. Who? She stops asking her questions. They rest on the tip of her tongue, ready to spring forth the moment she decides it's appropriate to make words again. How? She presses her lips together. Chloe thought she heard somebody scream.
"I need you to drive Nikki home," Mills states.
Aubrey blinks and shifts her weight onto one foot. She opens to mouth to talk then pauses, unsure whether or not she heard him correctly. "I'm...I'm sorry. What?" She shakes her head slightly and waits for him to say something that makes more sense to why she's there - as to why he is so curious about the wedding party's arrests. She waits for him to tell her who is dead. Her gaze drifts in the direction of Chloe to make sure she's alright. She's just staring at the ground.
"That girl don't got a lot of friends on this island," Mills continues, and Aubrey still doesn't understand. She looks at him again. "But I know she's been talking to you." He pauses. "I know everything that goes on on this island, you understand?"
Is that rhetorical? Aubrey stares at him, battling over whether or not he's expecting her to say 'yes'.
"I need you to drive her home," Mills repeats.
"I think I missed something here," Aubrey blurts out. She glances at the door of the ice cream parlor then looks at Mills again. "What about-"
"Do I need to spell it out for you?" Mills cuts her off.
"No, Sir," Aubrey answers immediately, instinctively, and balances her weight on both feet again.
Mills lowers his voice. "That boy hanged himself in there and I need you to drive his sister home while I clean up the mess," he explains in a quiet rumble anyway.
Another car pulls into the parking lot. It temporarily blinds Aubrey with its headlights before the driver turns them off and she's staring at Mills' face again. The wind is knocked out of her in a single instant. The boy who runs the ice cream parlor is dead. But that's not possible; she just spoke to him. Even though she barely knew him, her lungs begin to feel like they're constricting. She swallows hard and turns her head to look at the door - met with her own paling expression in the reflection of the window. She stares past herself and wonders if the knowledge that someone she spoke to less than twenty-four hours ago hanged himself will sink in slowly or just hit her like a brick. She wonders what brought him to do it - what could bring anyone to do that.
"Pick up your jaw," Mills orders.
Aubrey didn't realize her mouth was open. She presses her lips firmly together and glances at Mills then turns to look as a man steps out of the car that pulled in.
Mills follows her gaze. "Dr. Campbell," he greets.
The man solemnly tips his hat. "Sheriff," is his response. He nods back in Chloe's direction. "I don't know where that one came from, but you might wanna be driving her home soon."
That one? Aubrey clenches her jaw and shoots him a look (that neither he nor the sheriff seem to notice) then looks over at Chloe. Chloe is falling asleep with her head resting against her hand. Aubrey rolls her eyes in aggravation. She digs her phone out of her pocket and shoots Chloe a text. 'Chloe, wake up. Call Beca.'
Chloe's phone must be on vibrate because Chloe shoots upright out of nowhere and slaps her hand down on the table. She looks around with widened eyes before mouthing the word 'oh' and feeling her pocket.
Aubrey shakes her head.
"Or not," Campbell comments. He looks away from Chloe and at Mills.
Chloe slips her phone out of her pocket and nearly drops it as she fumbles to open it. She reads the text then turns around on the bench so her back is to the table and places her feet flat on the ground. "I'm fine," she mouths to Aubrey and closes her phone. She places it beside her on the bench then rubs the heels of her hands up and down her upper legs.
"That doesn't look like calling Beca," Aubrey mouths back. She turns to face Mills and Campbell again.
"I delivered Tyler," Campbell tells Mills and stares at the closed door. "It's always a shame to see them go before I do. Especially like this."
"Let's just get the body down, and confirm that his death was indeed a suicide," Mills replies and pushes the door open to the dark room. He pulls a flashlight out of his belt. "Power lines were cut." he explains and makes an upward motion toward the ceiling light with his flashlight as he turns it in.
Campbell leans in and holds the door open for Mills with one hand. "Do we have reason to believe it wasn't a suicide?" he inquires.
Aubrey swallows and looks at Mills as she waits for his answer. Maybe she should get herself and Chloe away from this island...
"No," Mills answers abruptly and shakes his head. "I'm just...doin' my job." He points his flashlight forward and steps inside the shop.
Campbell continues to hold the door open and looks at Aubrey.
It was just yesterday, Aubrey was following Mills into the burglarized Maritime Museum. She questioned good judgment then and she questions it again. She doesn't even know if she's supposed to go inside. She definitely doesn't want to. Maybe Mills plans on telling Nikki she's there to take her home. Or maybe he expects her to go in and tell her herself. It's not as though she has to look at the body if she walks inside. She has self-control; she can keep her eyes on the floor. She side-glances at Campbell then looks into the darkness. Why would someone cut the power lines before hanging themselves?
"Are you going inside, Dear?" Campbell asks calmly.
Aubrey inhales and nods her head. She wipes her palms against the sides of her shirt - which is useless because it's already damp with ocean water. It'll be easier if she just grabs Nikki and the three of them get out of there. She looks at Chloe and momentarily worries over leaving her outside alone. "Chloe, I'll be right back," she calls to her. "Don't move." Though she doubts Chloe is going anywhere.
Chloe presses her thumb against her palm then lifts her hand and picks at her lower lip. She nods her head and pulls one of her feet back up onto the bench.
Aubrey stares at her for a moment then turns and slip inside the shop. She keeps one hand on the wall and tries to keep her eyes on her feet as she walks. She scratches the skin next to her thumbnail with her pointer finger and concentrates on not looking up until she's managed to locate Nikki's converse with the dim light of the flashlights. She lifts her gaze a fraction of an inch and then slightly more until Nikki is in full view. The bartender is hunched against the wall, shoulders shaking, hands over her face. Aubrey looks back toward the door, because Chloe is more equipped to handle this sort of situation than she is. That is, if there wasn't a dead guy hanging from the ceiling, she'd be more equipped.
"Should we do a sweep for some kind of evidence?" an unfamiliar voice asks.
"Let's just get him down, Deputy," Mills answers.
"You should call in the SPD," Aubrey points out, unable to hold her tongue. She looks down at her feet but holds her confident tone. "You should always call in the professionals and never tamper with potential evidence." She lowers her hand from the wall, suddenly aware that she is tampering with evidence just by being there, and turns to face the sheriff - doing her best to ignore what she can see of Tyler's leg out of the corner of her eye.
"You want me to radio in Seattle?" the deputy asks. He pulls his radio out of one of his pockets and looks it over as though it's a contraption he's never even seen before.
"No one is radioing in anyone," Mills answers. "We're getting the body down."
"That's not a good idea," Aubrey insists. She crosses her arms, tucking her hands against her sides. "Do you know how much trouble you could get in for this? You could get years in prison for tainting evidence and interfering with a potential investigation." Of course he has to know that. He's the sheriff. She takes a half of a step toward the door. She considers that maybe she should be the one to call the SPD.
The deputy and doctor both stare at her as Mills pulls a pocket knife out of his pocket and turns to face the body.
"Do we have reason to believe this isn't a suicide, Sheriff?" Campbell asks again and glances to the side in his direction.
"No, we don't," Mills answers simply. He cranes his thick neck to look at his companions again. "You two are gonna hafta help me get him down."
"I want a postmortem," Nikki announces suddenly.
Aubrey turns to face her, having forgotten she was even there. The other three look at her as well.
Nikki lifts her head and wipes the mascara smears under her eyes with the back of her hand. "I want an autopsy done," she says. She straightens up and crosses her arms. "I want to make sure how he died." She sniffles and nods.
Mills exhales a weary sigh. "He died from hanging," he replies solemnly.
"He wouldn't do that," Nikki argues and leans back against the wall.
"Now, Nikki..." Mills tries to reason.
"No." Nikki uncrosses her arms and presses her hands flat against the wall by her sides. "He was in my care and I need to make sure that's how he died." She pushes herself away from the wall then wipes at her cheeks with her palms. "I demand an autopsy."
"Fine," Mills concedes with a single nod. He walks behind the counter and grabs a chair then drags it across the floor toward the body.
Aubrey catches a glimpse of Tyler's feet by mistake. She lifts her gaze as high as his knees - just hanging there, motionless in the air. It's less of an accident as she watches Mills climb up onto the chair and steady himself with his pocket knife pressed firmly against the fraying rope. Maybe it's curiosity. Or maybe she would just feel like a coward if she didn't look. She turns her head and gets a clear view of the body, illuminated by the light of the flashlights as the deputy and the doctor set them down on a table. She doesn't feel any different than when she wasn't looking - doesn't know what she expected to feel. She stares silently at his lifeless eyes, lips parted and hands limply by her sides. His body is exactly like those she has seen in science museums or even on television. She briefly wonders if something is wrong with her - if death and staring at a body should somehow seem more real.
The deputy and Campbell grab the body by the legs and hoist it up as Mills begins sawing his knife against the rope. Nikki sobs, reminding Aubrey of why she's there to begin with.
Aubrey inhales and draws herself to full height as she turns to face Nikki with as much composure as she can manage - which probably comes off as too much given how little she is beginning to feel she has on this island. "We have to go," she states matter-of-factly. To her surprise, Nikki complies. Or almost complies. Nikki takes a step toward the door then lifts her head and freezes. Aubrey turns around.
Chloe stands frozen tensely in the doorway, her hand clamped over her mouth and her eyes wide and glued to the body. Before Aubrey can even process her presence, Chloe shields her eyes with her hands and spins around on her heel then walks straight back out of the shop.
xxxxx
"What the hell are you doing, Chloe?!" Aubrey marches out of the shop in a cool and collected frenzy. "I told you to stay outside. I specifically said to not move."
Chloe comes to a halt beside the bench she wasn't supposed to leave - and Aubrey nearly crashes into her. She lowers her hands away from her face and looks at Aubrey out of the corner of her eye. "Is he dead?" she musters out, her voice quivering and cracking mid-sentence. She grabs the edge of the table and draws in a harsh breath. "Oh my god." She exhales and faces the ground, doing little to hide the terror in her eyes. She lifts her hand and hovers it in front of her mouth as she turns in Aubrey's direction. "Oh my god."
"I told you to stay out here," Aubrey hisses.
Chloe lifts her head, tears already welling up in her eyes. She swallows. "I want to go back to the beach with Beca," she says thickly. She sniffles and grabs Aubrey's elbow, trying to gently tug her back in the direction they came from. "Let's go back to the beach."
Aubrey stumbles then digs her heels into the ground. She has too much on her plate already to focus on the fact that Chloe suddenly wants to be with Beca. She digs her phone out of her pocket and scrolls through her contact list for Beca's name. She hits 'call' and presses her phone to her ear. She places her free hand on Chloe's shoulder and glances back toward the shop.
Chloe sniffs and rubs at her face with the palm of her hand.
"Answer your phone, Beca," Aubrey snaps as the phone continues to ring.
Chloe moves her hand away from her face. "Why are you calling Beca?" She reaches for the phone. "Aubrey, come on, let's go back to the beach."
"Chloe, stop." Aubrey moves the phone away from her hand and can just barely hear whatever Beca is saying as it reaches her voicemail. She holds the phone over her head, lifting it even higher as Chloe stands on her tiptoes. Sometimes, she thanks God she's the taller one. Other times, she just wishes Chloe would let things go the moment she tells her to.
Chloe stumbles while trying to grab her phone. Beca's voicemail beeps. "We don't have to get wrapped up in this, Aubrey," she insists and shakes her head.
"You're acting like a five-year-old, Chloe," Aubrey snaps and tries to block her hand. She grabs Chloe by the wrist and pushes her a few inches back. "Chloe, stop!" She glances up at her phone. Shit. "Learn to answer your phone, Beca," she growls at the receiver then ends the call. She stuffs her phone back into her pocket.
Chloe slowly twists her arm and eases her wrist out of Aubrey's grasp. She steps backward and folds her arms across her chest then turns her back to Aubrey and walks a few feet away. It doesn't take rocket science for Aubrey to realize immediately that she screwed up.
Aubrey exhales a slow breath and shoots another look at the ice cream parlor. Why can't the deputy drive Nikki back to her house? She pauses. Isn't she supposed to be Nikki's friend now? That comes with a level of responsibility. She can still see Chloe out of the corner of her eye. But she's Chloe's best friend. That makes Chloe her priority. She drops her arms down by her side and walks in a large half circle until she standing in front of Chloe. Her responsibility to Nikki still tugs at the corner of her mind, and she suddenly feels useless to both of them.
"I want to go back to the beach," Chloe mutters. She grips the sides of her shirt, balling the fabric in her fists. "I want to go back right now." Her voice shakes. She stares off to the side, presses her lips together and swallows. She lifts a hand and wipes at her eyes, which are beginning to redden, then refolds her arms and exhales slowly through her mouth. "Right now, Aubrey."
"Chloe..." Aubrey starts slowly.
"What are we even doing here?" Chloe cuts her off in a strained voice and looks her straight in the eye. "You're not a cop." She sniffles and shakes her head. "You're not even a lawyer yet."
"Aca-scuse me?" Aubrey folds her arms.
Chloe lowers her voice. "Aubrey, someone is dead," she reasons, "Someone is really dead." She swallows again and shakes her head. "And I think I'm a little drunk." She unfolds her arms and steps closer to Aubrey. "So, let's just go back to the beach, and we can get more drunk, and you can tell me how to got mixed up in all this somewhere not here." She places her hands on Aubrey's chest. "Okay?"
It's tempting and Chloe seems so close to crying that Aubrey wouldn't be able to say no if Nikki didn't choose that very moment to step outside. Her gaze darts back and forth between the two, finally settling back on Chloe. She places her hands on her shoulders. Chloe looks up at her with a hopeful gaze. Aubrey draws in a breath. "Chloe, I have to drive Nikki home," she rushes to say - almost as if she says it quickly enough, it won't be a big deal that they have to argue over.
Chloe rubs the fabric of Aubrey's shirt between her fingers and shakes her head. "Who's Nikki?"
Aubrey looks over at Nikki. The bartender walks across the parking lot and tosses her purse on top the hood of a car. She begins digging through the bag.
Chloe follows Aubrey's gaze, not taking her hands off of her shirt. She stares at Nikki for a moment then looks up at Aubrey with questioning eyes.
Aubrey catches herself looking back and forth between them again, trying to ward off a sudden rush of guilt - a feeling like she's betraying Chloe. She tells herself she's being ridiculous, because she and Chloe aren't a thing, and neither are she and Nikki. She rests her hands on Chloe shoulders and tries to gently ease her away. "She's the ice cream kid's sister," she musters out, keeping her voice low. "And the sheriff wants me to drive her home."
"But why would he ask you?" Chloe responds and takes a step back from her. "You don't have to please everyone who tells you to do something, Aubrey."
It's a perfectly reasonable question. But it's the comment that Chloe tacks onto the end that makes her retaliate. "You're the one who told me to make friends, Chloe," she reminds her. Because that's why she's doing this. Nikki is her friend. It has nothing to do with the sheriff. She shakes her head and makes her way toward Nikki.
Chloe spins around to face her, nearly tripping over her own feet as she does so. She stamps her foot on the ground. "Aubrey!" she calls after her.
xxxxx
Aubrey stops beside the hood of the car. "How far do you live from here?" she asks Nikki, mostly because she wants to know how far she is going to have to walk back to the inn. She is already well aware that she will be making the trip alone and in the dark.
Nikki looks up from her bag and glances over at Aubrey. "Less than a mile," she answers with a shake of her head. "I just have to find my keys." She keeps digging through her purse. "They're in here somewhere."
Aubrey nods and stands there with her arms at her sides - waiting.
"This is not okay, Aubrey," Chloe mouths silently as she approaches them. Aubrey is about to retaliate again, but Chloe stops beside Nikki - placing one hand on the car and the other on Nikki's back. "Do you need help?" she inquires, taking on a much softer tone. She doesn't pause. "I'm Chloe, by the way."
Nikki sniffs and lifts her head. "Nikki," she replies. She touches her forehead like she's thinking. "I, uh, I run The Cannery."
The corners of Chloe's lips twist into a slight, puzzled smile and she shakes her head. "I don't know what that is." She slides Nikki's bag across the hood of the car and begins to go through it.
Nikki straightens up. "It's the only bar on the island," she explains.
Aubrey feels a slight twinge her in chest and clenches her jaw as she watches them. She notices Chloe pull Nikki's keys from the bag and steps forward then snatches them out of her hand. "Okay, let's go," she rushes them.
Chloe scoffs and turns to face her.
Aubrey unlocks the car with the keyring as she walks around to the driver's side. For the first time ever, she regrets being sober enough to drive. She pulls open the door and rests her hand on the top of it. "We have to make a stop first," she announces, fully intent on taking Chloe back to the beach, then slides into the car and closes the door.
Nikki grabs her bag off the hood of the car. She opens the passenger side door then climbs in.
Chloe throws open the back door - apparently harder than she means to because she quickly tries to grab it and stop it from swinging. She pokes her head inside first before climbing in. She pulls the door shut then buckles her seatbelt before flopping back against the seat and folding her arms. "I'm not going back to the beach."
Aubrey pulls her seatbelt on then turns around to face her, resting a hand on the back of the passenger's seat. "Aca-scuse me? Chloe, you're the one who said you wanted to go back to the beach."
"Yeah, with you!" Chloe raises her voice an octave. "Not now that you're just going to drop me off there alone."
Aubrey rolls her eyes. "You're being ridiculous," she informs her. "Beca and the rest of the Bellas are all at the beach."
Chloe unfolds her arms. "Beca doesn't even want to see my face right now, Aubrey!" she all but explodes.
"Well maybe if you'd stop coming onto her, you wouldn't have that problem," the words slip out before Aubrey can stop them.
Chloe sniffles loudly and presses a hand to her forehead. She turns to face the door and rests the back of her hand against the window - staring outside. "You're right," she forces out in a strangled voice. She shakes her head.
Aubrey digs her nails into the back of the seat. There are becoming too many instances in which she wishes she could take back her words. "Chloe..."
Chloe sniffs again. "No, you're right," she cuts her off. She squeezes her eyes shut then rubs her face. "Aubrey Posen, always right."
Aubrey's jaw twitches. That isn't supposed to be how Chloe sees her; no, that ended back in college. "Chloe, I'm sorry," she admits quickly.
Chloe struggles to keep her features from crumbling. She slides her hand down over her eyes.
Aubrey recoils back to the front seat. She turns around and jams the key into the ignition then starts the car. She has to remain calm if she's going to drive. She breathes deeply and places her hand on the gear shift.
Nikki faces sideways, glancing back and forth between the two of them. "You two have some seriously unresolved sexual tension with this Beca person," she informs them - too bluntly.
Chloe muffles a sob.
Aubrey turns to face Nikki and just stares at her for a moment. Nikki has no idea. She faces forward and roughly pushes the gear shift into the right gear then backs out of the parking lot.
