ANOTHER SIDE, ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Twenty Four

Jennie

It was Jennie. J.K. stood for Jennie Kofford.

As soon as the video started, it showed Jennie and she was looking up at something. Steven heard Mr. Redman's voice on the camera, he was asking her questions. Steven could recognize the balcony behind Jennie as the same balcony that led to Mrs. Shaunesty's room. This had been recorded yesterday when Mr. Redman had taken her outside to interrogate her. Damn him. He thought Jennie was Kira? Jennie?

"You recognize her?" Mr. Redman asked and Steven could feel his eyes burning into the back of his head, trying to find a reaction.

Calm down, Steven… Steven thought forcefully. Ask questions. Find out more before you lose it…

"What makes you think this would make me upset?" Steven asked, surprised at how calm he sounded when his insides were squirming as if Jennie was there in the room with him.

"I've seen you two." Mr. Redman smirked. "The two of you talking. And she talked about you."

"What?" Steven's heart skipped a beat.

"Listen."

Steven listened to what they were saying. Jennie didn't seem to be panicking under Mr. Redman's intimidating voice. Steven felt a small ounce of pride for her and forced himself to listen to what they were talking about.

"It's my understanding that your class had a discussion on Kira a little bit ago?" Mr. Redman asked, even though he was off camera. And Steven realized, from the way she was looking upward off screen, that Mr. Redman had the camera hidden somewhere on his body.

"Yeah, so?" Jennie shrugged.

"How did that go?"

Jennie looked away for a second. "Well, we talked about whether or not Kira's views were… right or wrong. I, personally, think that whoever this Kira person is shouldn't be doing what he's doing because I think it's wrong to just off people like that."

"I didn't ask what your views on the matter were." Mr. Redman said and Steven felt a surge of anger toward him for it.

But Jennie smiled. "Sorry, I ramble on and on sometimes."

"Indeed." Mr. Redman said heavily. "So you say you're against Kira, correct?"

"Correct." Jennie nodded.

"What about everyone else? Did they all agree with you?"

"I think most of us did, though there was one guy who…" And she trailed off, almost as if a sudden wave of realization had washed over her and Steven was surprised to see her glare up at Mr. Redman. "You're trying to get me to say who thought Kira was right?"

"Smart girl." Mr. Redman said and Steven could hear the drawl of a man who thought he was winning some grand game with everything at stake. "Who was it that agreed with Kira's methods?"

Steven felt his insides fill with lead. Mr. Redman said Jennie had talked about him, which, according to the video, she had yet to do. He already knew what was going to happen but he couldn't look away from the screen.

"I'm not telling you. It's not important—"

"It is important." Mr. Redman interrupted calmly. "Whoever agreed with Kira's values, there is a chance that this person might be related to Kira. Any information you give me would remain strictly confidential."

Jennie glared at him. Even though Steven knew the outcome, he was silently praying that she said nothing. That she refused, turned around, and stormed inside. But he knew this wasn't true. She was going to sell him out.

"He wouldn't be Kira." Jennie said.

"How do you know that?" Mr. Redman asked and Steven heard suspicion in his voice. Jennie, apparently, did not and kept going.

"Because I just know he wouldn't. Nobody in this class would." Jennie snapped back. "In fact, I don't think anyone in this school could possibly be Kira. You're wasting your time."

And Steven was shocked to see her turn around and storm up the walkway to the balcony and go inside. Mr. Redman was left standing outside for a few seconds, watching her go in silence before the movie ended and the screen returned to the seven black boxes.

"I don't understand…" Steven muttered.

"What?"

"You said that Jennie mentioned me." Steven said darkly. "I didn't see her say my name once."

"Unfortunately, Jennie didn't know that I'd already watched the movie on your class discussion." Redman smirked. "I knew all along it was you, Steven. I just wanted to hear it for myself from her so I could continue asking questions following that."

"You wanted to turn her against me." Steven said. "No, you wanted her to spy on me!"

"Right-o!" Redman smiled brightly.

"She didn't, though." Steven smirked and he felt a sense of joy despite all of his hatred for Redman right now. And then something clicked. "That's why you're suspicious of her? Because she refused to make me out to be Kira? So you think that she's Kira?"

"You're pretty smart." Mr. Redman said, sitting down on the desk and looking down at Steven with a defiant grin.

Steven couldn't remember being this angry. Not even at Andrew. Mr. Redman was the real villain. This man was good. He glared at his belt. "Are you recording me right now, too?"

"Can't tell you." Redman said, grinning that damn grin.

"What do you want me to say?" Steven asked, raising his voice and standing from his seat. He wanted to punch Redman, right in his face and give him a scar far more visible than the small line across his forehead.

"First, I want to know something." Mr. Redman said. "Back in the class discussion, you were saying that you agreed with Kira's philosophy. And the funny thing was that this discussion took place less than a week after Josh Zito died. And then you told me that you disagreed with Kira's ways. Which one is it, Steven?"

Steven was thinking fast. He hadn't expected this. His brain was still warped with anger toward Redman and pride in Jennie for not giving him away despite it all. "You really think that's important?" Steven asked, calming down.

"Of course." Mr. Redman said.

"I thought you were suspicious of Jennie." Steven growled.

"Oh, I am." Redman reassured him. "But there is a way I can stop being suspicious of her…"

And right away, Steven knew what he wanted. He wanted a confession. His life for Jennie's. If he admitted right here and now that he agreed with Kira's ways, then Redman's primary suspicions would be pointed at him and he would be interrogated and possibly trapped. Steven couldn't think of a way to get out of something like that. And he was probably being recorded. Or he could say that he disagreed with Kira but then Jennie would be in trouble.

"I…" He hesitated. "I only said that stuff in the discussion because I wanted to create a stir up."

Redman's eyebrow raised.

"You heard it yourself. Everyone was thinking the same thing, that Kira was wrong, bla, bla, bla." Steven sighed and looked down at his feet. "I wanted to make it a bit more of an argument."

"So you're saying you don't agree with Kira?" Redman asked.

"Of course not!" Steven shouted, deciding to release all of his anger out here and now. "He killed my best friend! He's killed hundreds, maybe thousands of people out there! I don't care whether they deserved it or not! That's not his place to decide!!!" But Steven was lying. He was truly angry at Redman for bring this out of him. Forcing him to lie. And forcing him to save himself instead of Jennie…

Redman looked almost a little disappointed but he didn't interrupt. And when Steven was finished yelling, he stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're not Kira." Redman said.

"No." Steven sighed.

"Do you believe Jennie might be?" Redman asked, his blue eyes piercing into his.

Steven hesitated but his voice was firm. "No."

Redman nodded. "Alright."

Steven was ashamed for what's he'd done. He left the portable alone, thinking deeply about what had just happened. Jennie hadn't given him away but Steven had made her the prime suspect in order to save his own ass. Maybe Redman would take his word and stop investigating Jennie. He didn't see those other six videos though he had a feeling they were all clips showing Jennie. Maybe one of the videos had been the class discussion. Damned Mrs. Shaunesty for recording that without letting them know! Though it had probably been Redman's idea. The bastard was full of ideas.

But Steven was truly guilty. He had saved himself but now Redman was going to go up to Jennie and interrogate her and accuse her of being Kira. She was smart, sure, but smart enough to outsmart Redman? Damn it! He could've handled being the suspect, why didn't he just admit that he agreed with Kira? DAMN IT!!

Steven forgot that it was lunch time. He saw Mr. Goodboy walking with Mr. Mjelli off in the distance, so that's where Mr. Goodboy had been. Steven bet Redman had set it up so that Goodboy was gone while he asked Steven those questions.

When he got to the main building, Steven froze at the door and leaned his head against the glass, staring at his reflection. He looked pale and his eyes were gaunt. I'm sorry, Jennie… He thought miserably. He was reminded, horribly, of how Jennie had come up to him no less than two hours ago to remind him of the picnic. Tomorrow…She probably felt guilty about almost giving him away to Mr. Redman.

"We're friends, right?" He remembered her saying that and it felt like it'd been forever ago when he first bumped into her in the hallway where his project had broken. Back then he was only infatuated with her. But now…

Steven opened the door and went inside. He decided he'd get his lunch. He knew where Jennie sat and refused to look in her direction as he went in line, got a chicken burger, and then went outside where he pretended like he was happy with Jacob, Baker and Cameron outside. But his mind never let go.

Steven wanted to go home. He desperately wanted to leave. It was sixth period. Half of the desks were empty. And half the class was talking loudly among themselves as little Mrs. Dutton tried to teach the math class with great difficulty like she always did.

There was nobody worth talking to in this class so he spent the hour with his head on his backpack which was resting up on his feeble desk where words had been carved into it, words like "Fuck!" and "Mrs. Button! Ha-Ha!"

Mrs. Dutton's voice was interrupted abruptly when the intercom came on and Steven heard the voice of Mrs. Beeson, the principle.

"As most of you know," She began, her old voice echoing through each room as everyone stopped doing what they were doing to listen. "Hazen has been under suspicion of having the killer, Kira, amongst us. We can proudly say that the government officials who investigated here talked to each student, each parent, and each teacher in order to find out information about Kira and we are officially cleared of all suspicions."

Steven felt a sense of weightlessness. Cleared of all suspicions? Jennie wasn't a suspect? Mr. Redman had listened to him after-all! Steven felt so relieved that he'd stood up without even realizing it.

"Steven? Sit down." Mrs. Dutton said quietly.

But Steven wasn't listening. He was smiling up at the intercom. He hadn't screwed up after-all. The government would leave. He and Jennie and everyone would be cleared of any suspicion. And Steven would never have to worry about being a suspect for Kira, at least not for a little while!

"I would like to thank each of you for cooperating with the officials who were here while they—" Mrs. Beeson's voice fell short and Steven was brought out of his world of happiness and into confusion. He heard a gagging noise over the intercom and someone, a girl, was screaming "She's on the ground! Someone call 911!!"

Steven stepped back in horror. What?

And suddenly everyone in the classroom was up on their feet with him, gasping for air, some of them gurgling white, bubbly foam. Steven wheeled around, a look of dumbfounded terror on his face as everyone, even Mrs. Dutton who was already on the ground clutching her chest, collapsed to the floor or on top of their desks. Drool was running from their lips and their eyes were rolled into the backs of their heads. Everyone around him was dead.

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