I spent the rest of the night working on the research project and was actually successful. I was able to get the anatomy research part of Elizabeth and I's project. I had looked over my notes again before going to bed the previous night to check and see if I had everything in order, and once I did I finally went to sleep.
The next morning I got up extra early so I could go hunting. Thankfully deer in these forests are very common and not that spread out so it really isn't hard to find. Once I hunted, cleaned up, got my coat on and turned back on my disguise I was finally ready to head out.
After my dash through the trees I made it to the school around a quarter past seven. I entered the building through the normal entrance and took a stop by the cafeteria and saw that Elizabeth and Sunny talking with each other. I walked up to them and gave a growl.
"Oh! Xeta what's up?" Elizabeth asked.
In return I just shrugged my shoulders.
"Hey Xeta! So you been keeping quiet?" Sunny joked.
To that I gave a small growl-like chuckle and nodded.
"Good to hear! So what you got planned?" Sunny asked.
I quickly opened my bag and got out a piece of paper and started writing. I wrote, "Sorry I can't stay, I need to go to the library to research something!"
"Ah, okay!" Sunny said.
"Alright, see you Xeta, I will talk to you in first period!" Elizabeth said. I walked out of the cafeteria and went down a hall that took me to the front office, once there I took a left to get to the library. Once inside I got on one of the computers in there. I opened up the browser and typed in the address for our local police station. I went to recent crimes on the site and scrolled through them. I was finally able to find mine. I opened the page and saw it had been filed as an arson-murder.
I saw victims as my mother's name, my father's name, my brother's name, and then my name. Too bad they didn't add the others he killed, guess that's accounted for other states departments but….it still pissed me off.
I noticed under status that everyone but me was dead, but the thing was I could click on one extra name, that man from that night. "Monty Landers" was the name. I clicked on his name and saw his info come up. Pretty much all I got was what he did and his status, dead.
But then I opened another tab and looked up this guy's name. Apparently he had a facebook, I looked it over and nothing really special on it, except one thing! There was actually a photo and post that he sent to his friends. It was about his new house, or I should say an apartment.
He lived in this town, either he recently moved here, or this group has people spread out. I quickly pulled out my phone, opened notes, and copied the address down to the letter. I then quickly snapped a photo of the guy as well. After that I put my phone away and tried to see if I could learn anything about the guy.
After a bit of research I found more on him, he had been wanted as a high-end drug dealer, getting people the really bad stuff. Meth, heroine, cocaine, and stuff that I didn't even recognize as drugs. That got me thinking if he had any accomplices or teammates, maybe I could find them and try to get some info out of them. These guys could know who Monty was working with, or could lead me to someone who knows who Monty worked for, either way I am getting some info.
"Hey Xeta!" I looked over to my right to see Sunny standing there.
I just give her a wave as a reply.
"Hey listen I don't have much time left, so do you mind if I use the computer for a bit?" She asked.
I nodded to her and got up from the computer.
"Thanks! Talk to you later!" She replied. With that I took my leave to head on to first period where I assumed Elizabeth was.
Once I did get to class I saw that she was in there waiting for me as I knew she would be. I went and sat with her in the desk beside her.
"Hey! So did you get the research done?" She asked.
-Yep! Here!- I reached into my bag and pulled out the three pages of notes I had for the project.
"Nice! Thanks, I am almost done with my part so we can present Friday!" She said.
-Alright, sounds good! Just don't forget okay?- I said.
"Okay!" She replied.
Class for that period went on as usual. We did our work as normal and by then end our teacher told us we had our project we still needed done! Then second period came along and our dick-headed teacher wasn't such a dick today. He seemed to really chill out after Elizabeth's roast she gave him the other day.
Third period was nothing special. Just same I old same old from that class. Nothing to do, nothing to see because Elizabeth wasn't there.
Then fourth, things went normal at first but before I left and was able to go to lunch Mrs. Leonhart stopped me.
"Xeta, can you come here for a moment?" She asked.
I walked back over to her and nodded.
"Xeta, are you okay? And I mean that in every way, physically, mentally, is there anything you want to tell me?" She asked.
I just shook my head to tell her I am fine.
"Listen Xeta, I am not asking this just because I am a teacher, and I'm supposed to check on my students, it's because I care about you! After everything you went through I am just scared that something bad may happen or you might make a choice you will regret, so please tell me the truth, is there anything you want to tell me?" She asked.
I just gave her a kind smile and shook my head once more.
"Okay Xeta, just tell me if you need anything okay?" She asked.
I nodded to her to tell her I would.
"Stay safe!" She said as I walked out the door.
In return I waved bye to her.
Once I got to the lunch table I noticed that Elizabeth was with Sunny, I didn't even know Sunny had this lunch period. I went to sit down with them and they both greeted me.
"Hey Xeta!" Elizabeth said.
"Xeta good to see ya!" Sunny greeted.
I waved and sat down in the booth across from them. I then reached into m bag and got out my food to eat.
"Hey Xeta what is that?" Sunny asked.
I looked down at my food which is the deer meat I usually carry around with me all the time. I got out a piece of paper to write with and wrote it down.
"Oh? Just some food you cook at your place? What kind of meat is it?" Sunny asked.
I wrote down that it was tender loin.
"May I try some?" She asked.
I gave her a piece and she tried it. She gave it a funny look but then looked at me with a smile.
"Wow! This is pretty good! You're a pretty good cook y'know?" Sunny exclaimed.
I wrote down thank you on the piece of paper I had.
Sunny turned to Elizabeth, "Hey Elizabeth do you mind if I come hang with you tonight? You're parents wouldn't mind would they?"
"Uh, I don't think so, but they are pretty strict," Elizabeth explained.
"Here! Call them and let me talk to them!" Sunny said. Sunny talked on the phone while I used writing to talk to Elizabeth.
"So is everything okay?" She asked.
I wrote back, "My teacher's worried about me."
"Why?" She asked.
"Because of all that has happened with my parents and family," I wrote.
"Oh! I see, she does care about you huh? Who knows, I have heard really good things about that teacher, especially from you, maybe she thinks of you as a son?" Elizabeth guessed.
I nodded, maybe she did think of me that way, I'm not too sure myself.
"Okay! Just got off the phone, they said I could!" Sunny exclaimed.
"Wow, how did you manage that?" Elizabeth asked.
"I am a very good smooth talker!" She said.
"Okay th-" All of the sudden the bell rung I waved to those two as I headed off for my next class.
The next three classes were the same stuff I always deal with, along with a test that I had to study for in sixth period.
After classes were over I searched around for Bruce. I saw him and gave a wave for him to come over to me.
Once he walked over he asked, "Yeah? What's up?"
-Check this out,- I replied taking out my phone. I opened up the photo of the guy on the phone and let him look at it.
"Yeah it's a photo of a guy, so?" He asked.
-This "guy" is the man who burned down my house, killed my family, and- I raised my hood and turned off the disguise, -Did this to me!- I then quickly turned the disguise back on.
"OH! Shit we gonna go get his ass?!" He said seriously.
-Nope, he is already dead by the hands of yours truly, why I am showing you this is because I have his address,- I explained.
"And what are we going to do with that?" He asked.
-We are going to search the place, see if he knows anyone, and see if they know who he worked for!- I said.
"Sounds like a plan, so are we going tonight?" He asked.
-You up for it?- I asked back.
"Hell yeah, got nothing better to do," He said.
-Alright then.-
Elizabeth:
My mom drove me and Sunny back to our house where we could finally hang out for once. I had been over to her house a few times but she was never able to come over to mine. Once we got home I noticed my dad was still at work so I decided Sunny and I would just head up to our room until dinner.
We got inside and she took an opportunity to drop her stuff and crash on my bed, "OH THANK GOD! Thought it would never end!"
"You always say that y'know?" I said.
"Yeah well this time is different, finally get to hang at your place this time, so let's see!" She said while getting up, "Wanna jam out?"
"Can't, parents don't let me," I said sadly.
"Oh…um, have any board games, any video games even?" She asked.
"I've got chess, the only game my parents allowed me to play because it was, 'A game educational enough for a winner,' that's all I got," I said.
"Eh well, better than nothing, still gonna kick your ass in it!" She said.
"You don't know what you are dealing with, I have played this for years!" I said getting cocky.
We started the casual game of chess. Sunny played it safe trying to make a blockade around her king. It is a good set up for chess but I was not going to let it stop me from winning. She started talking to me during the game.
"So why do your parents do this to you?" She asked.
"Be specific, because they have done a lot to me," I replied as I made my next move.
"Okay, why do they treat you like you can't have any fun?" She asked.
"Because they don't care about how I feel," I said back.
"Well I'm surprised Xeta hasn't come over here and kicked their asses for that one," She said.
"Be careful about cursing around my parents, they will get on you about that, and possibly make you leave," She said.
"Damn, I'm surprised they even let you have a phone!" She said.
"Oh trust me they didn't, but after me begging I made them realize I could get hurt or worse without one," I said. "And what's worse is that they tried to put a child lock on it!"
"You're eighteen! Why the hell would they do that!?" She asked.
"It almost happened too! But the shopkeeper wouldn't let them!" I replied.
"Okay so tell me why would they do this?" She asked.
I gave a breath, "My parents don't care about me, they only cared about their business. They had long since married before I was born, and they came up with their own business, they made their own clothing line, my father did the men's designs, and my mom did the women's. They were happy! Nothing could go wrong, except for one thing!" I said.
"What's that?" She said.
"They have no one to continue their business. They wanted their line of work to last even after they died, so they had the great idea to have a child! They had no intention of being parents, they only wanted another worker! They also think I am stupid, I have heard them many times during the night over the years, talking about how I will take over, talking about ways of brainwashing me into running it! But oh no! Jokes on them, I am moving out as soon as I graduate! And great news Xeta has offered for me to stay with him, and I will NEVER! Let myself be their pawn," I finished explaining.
Sunny looked down with an evil grin, "You should prank them during graduation, get them good, and then run off with Xeta! I can help too! I know many ways of making people regret doing things, especially after what they did to you, hell you know Xeta would be on board, after hearing that he would want to give your parents hell!" Sunny said.
"Yeah, it would work, but I would need a getaway driver!" I said.
"Got it covered, it's good to hear Xeta would let you stay with him, but real quick where does he live?" She questioned me.
"Oh…um, he lives in an apartment! That's what he told me," I said.
"So you've never seen it?" She asked more seriously.
"No," I lied.
"Well then hear this, I don't think he lives in an apartment!" She said with a grin.
"What, where do you think he lives then?" I asked.
"Well I don't know for sure but I know this! I have kept up with Xeta's actions for the past few days! He has gone with his friend Bruce to the woods, the woods near the school. Through that woods there are only houses, not apartments. In fact there isn't and apartment complex that way for miles, I checked it!" She said.
"Okay so? Maybe he lied and bought a house! Could be a surprise for me y'know?" I said back.
"Well I don't know, but that isn't all I know about him! This morning when he said he needed research I went up and asked if I could use his computer, and thankfully he didn't log out! Take a look at what I found!" She said while bringing out her phone.
On her phone she had photos of the pages that were on Xeta's computer, and to prove it was his account she showed who signed in to the computer, and what do you know Xeta Shidel was on there. The pages she showed me were of this guy by the name of Monty Landers, and his Facebook page. But then it got worse.
"You see this, this Monty guy is the guy who burned Xeta's house down! But get this it shows that he's deceased, and guess who the file said killed him?" She said.
I just didn't say anything.
"That's right! It was Xeta! It said here that one of the officers gave him a gun to kill the man, and Xeta accepted, no questions asked!" She explained. "But then during lunch it caught my eye on what he had to meat, when he said it was tenderloin, he was lying! I have had that type of meat before, that was deer!" She explained.
"Now unless he knows a hunter how else would he have gotten that unless he hunted himself, and he goes to that forest everyday, so my guess is he lives in the woods!" She said.
Okay I had to stop this, "Really?! Sunny I have heard some things from you but this tops it all! I mean the woods really? What you think he lives in a cave or something?" I said. "And if he did live in the woods, then that means he must have gotten some construction done for a house out there!"
"Yeah that is true, all of that is true, but listen I am not doing this to diss him or make him look bad, it just got me curious! But listen this is the real kicker!" She opened her phone again and went to her camera's videos. She started up this video that she took today and it showed Bruce and Xeta talking.
"You see look at that, Bruce is talking with him, but Xeta is not using notes, isn't that weird?" She asked.
"Yeah I guess, but they might know hand signals or something of the sort y'know?" I said back.
"True, but that isn't the reason I wanted to show you this was this part here, watch!" She said pointing to the phone. I saw that Xeta was giving hand motions and then he lifted up his hood. All of the sudden his height changed and you could see part of his muzzle through his hood, and at the bottom of his coat you could see some of the tail, then a second later it goes back to normal!
"You see that? His height changes, and I swear that is a tail!" She said.
I got a little nervous, "Well you know, it could be your camera messing with you?" I said.
"Yeah, when you're a photographer that is how it works, but I know there is a scoop here! If I am ever going to be a journalist I will have to be able to crack stuff open for the truth, and I know there is something here! I don't know what exactly it is but I want to find it! Don't you agree?" She asked.
"Well I mean it is strange, but I mean Xeta's a good guy," I retorted.
"I know he is, I just think there is more that happened that night than we originally thought, I want to find out!" Sunny said.
"Well just don't get obsessed with it," I warned.
"I won't, but hopefully I can find it out, even if it's just something small I want to find out!" She exclaimed.
"Alright, now where were we?" I asked.
"Oh right, well I was at the part where I was about to put you in check!" Sunny said.
"Oh yeah right! I already said you're not winning!" I said getting back to the game.
Sunny…she had no idea what she was getting into. I might have to tell her the truth if it gets too out of hand, but I might want to talk to Xeta about it first! It's his decision if he wants people to know, if he doesn't then they shouldn't, I will have to see what I can do about this.