Trying something a bit different but don't worry the "outline" format will be in the next chapter


After the concert everyone in the gang congratulated Mari on her performance and they all went to the after party, while there Kel seems a bit shaken up after his talk with Hero, Basil asks what is wrong but before he could answer.

*SPLASH on Hero's Face* "so this is the bimbo we couldn't compare too?"

The party was silent a circle was formed (like in all stories) around Hero, Mari, and the new person

Hero: what the- wait are you, Margaret!?

Margaret: you do remember me, how flattering

Slowly many girls all bearing a certain resemblance to Mari all looking at Hero with either an angry expression or a disappointed (look you know the one). Kel attempts to diffuse the situation

Kel: woah uh Mari do you have some cousins we don't know about? Or maybe Mr. Samson got busy-(Kim puts her finger on his mouth)

Kim: Kel you and I both know exactly what this is (quietly) which is straight out of soap opera

It's revealed by Margaret that all these girls were the past Girlfriends of Hero leaving a trail of broken hearts which started sometime After he recovered (somewhat) from Mari's death and went to college with Margaret here being the first victim and to most intimate one

Margaret: I always knew that you were hurting, and I thought I could help you move on because I loved you but no, you just left me behind when you saw some other girl that looked like HER

Hero: …

Margaret: I suggest you choose your next words very carefully

Hero: Well, Done Margaret honestly this is pretty devious, you and all these girls have waited for so long for this opportunity, waiting until my Career and Mari's reached an apex of sorts then you come here to ruin it all as some form of...well we can't use revenge because there is nothing to get revenge on so let's instead use petty Catharsis

Hero: But let's think logically here while you can blemish my image by revealing my past romantic failings which includes the times, I was 2-3 timing some girls at once and none of them knew since I'm a master planner until you most likely told them. I fully admit to this and will make no excuses, however I will say I treated every girl with respect, and I never forced them to do anything they were uncomfortable with. The only thing I can say is that I was trying to fill the void in my heart, and I thought I needed to have a partner to do that, but I eventually found out that was wrong and stopped my unhealthy selfish behavior

Hero: I then concluded that I should help people that are in way more pain than I am and continued in my career as a doctor and maybe reconnect with my old friends. I was thinking about Sunny ironically enough and wanted to help him along with Aubrey who I knew turned to a life of small crime, but I found Basil instead in the Nearby City Psych ward and well...the rest is history

Basil: wait y-you found me?
Hero: yep, there must really be a God because Kel found Sunny which eventually led back to Aubrey, and I found you which eventually led back to the truth about what Really happened to Mari and eventually Mari herself funny how things worked out.

Hero thought that those long-winded explanations would be enough to dispel any and all tension and questions people could have yet it was still there everyone was staring at him, but he didn't break his stoic expression. That is until he saw Margaret Smile and looked behind him everyone except Kel looked at him either in disbelief or in disgust "so that's her Plan" Hero thought "it wasn't to tarnish my image it was to sow even more doubt into my already strained relationships what's more if I had just dated random girls this wouldn't even be happening, but no All these girls just had to look like her that's the problem here as petty and inconsequential as it sounds yet it means everything to us...right Sunny?"

Speaking of Sunny all he does is glare at Hero and leaves along with Aubrey who's also not happy, Kim who's just going with her Friend, and Mari who doesn't know what to feel. Basil and Kel stay behind with Kell freaking out

Kel: this is bad man, we have to tell them maybe that could bring us together

Hero: I'm not sure about that and the last thing we need is even more doubt about how our very lives are lies

Kel: c'mon bro don't be so dramatic

Basil: what do you mean by that

Both brothers look at Basil with a stern look in his eyes, despite all that has happened he has really grown these past few years. Hero looks at Kel then back to Basil

Hero: Basil do you love your parents and in turn do you think they love you?

Basi takes a moment to think

Basil: I believe they do love me. They wouldn't put me in the best Psych Ward in the country (supposedly) if they didn't, along with regular visits they also didn't need to do. But my feelings are a bit more...complicated especially when I'm still living with Polly who practically treats me like the son she'll never have (need to do a Polly story). But's what this really

Kel: It's...it's crazy Basil

Hero: Basil our parents knew who killed Mari and who hanged her

FROM THE BEGGINING

(I know this was obvious with the "clues" I've been laying out but I want to explain in full in the next chapter)

Mari: can I stay with you guys for a little bit?

Aubrey: of course, sis we...*sigh* we have a lot to think about

Sunny: You can play with Mewo and her kittens, in the meantime I'm going outside

Aubrey: Yeah, me too

Kim: Aubrey I thought you quit smoking?

Aubrey glares at Kim

Kim: what? We need some levity here people

Mari: hehe just don't stay out too late lovebirds

Aubrey slams the door to shut them up and afterwards Her and Sunny sit next to each other right outside said door

Sunny: Are we being to harsh Aubrey I mean I don 't like what Hero did but I did the same thing when "Mary" came into my life granted she did forcefully

Aubrey: AND you didn't try to replace Mari she even said so herself sure you called yourself brother and sister but that was when you two were alone and you specifically were in a rut. While Henry just said "I'm going to date every girl that even a striking resemblance to her" even with all the reasons as to why that's still a massive problem

Sunny: well, it was my fault

Aubrey: it was my fault for bullying Basil, Basil's fault for hanging her corpse, and Mari's fault for pushing you too hard, and that's not even getting into the well of bullshit that is your dad. The only point is that at least Kel tried to make something of himself with being a jerk think about that

Sunny: well for that there's an old saying "you can't cheat an Honest man" esspecially if he's stupid (he says with a smile)

Aubrey: HAH! Don't be a dick anyway I'm going to go to the convince store

As Aubrey got back from said store a message appeared on her phone

Samson: Aubrey we need to talk about Something, and Don't tell Sunny


Notes:

Hello people sorry for the massive delay Life has been good...AND messy many things have been grabbing my attention helped in no small part to May being my birthday month and at the same time things have been *CRASH* falling apart along with regular procrastination

I have a new computer that's way faster and I was doing a collab with another author on another site can't spoil of course

Unfortunately Your probably going to have to wait longer since I want to do a another chapter of a different fanfic since that has been on the back burner for awhile

With all that being said thank you for your patience and have a nice day