I love Saturdays. I'm not a slob, but I sure as hell love my lay-ins. I get up at half eleven and have lunch, my stomach already grumbling due to the lack of chocolate cereal. Misa is apparently still in bed, but that was ok, because she was a lazy slob. Ha! With no homework and a very romantically implicated text from A (Hi Melly, going out for the weekend with BB. He's taking us to so many places! Will keep in touch, don't text after six please. A x), I have nothing but spare time. So I round on Skyar and demand that he give me some Mafia work to do. So Skyar takes me to the target range and shows me more weapons and artillery, even going as far to let me show him my learned taekwondo moves from the lessons. I have a successful day, I feel like I've done a lot so I'm not surprised that I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. Sunday, Rod lets me go out with some of the other members on an actual 'mission'. Because 'its my birthday!' Yes, it's Sunday the 13th of December and for the day, I go out on an actual Mafia Mission. So I only stay in the van, I actually went. And god, the adrenaline it gave me could rival the rush I got when Skyar took me and Misa to Cadbury World when we were young. But fuck if it wasn't thrilling. I can't wait to own this.
Even better, I had an awesome time with BB and A – Misa tagged along, but she wasn't a problem (she tends to find her own entertainment). We went out, drank a few, had a few, smoked a few... overall, it was a usual birthday party for me and I sure as hell enjoyed it! Yay for being old. Now, eighteen years old. Ooof.
Another week passes with Rod's rude comments, glares, short verbal abuses and often a few violent actions to boot. I gain a 'distinction' for my contribution to the taekwondo lessons and the tutor says that I no longer have to attend if I don't want to. I find the sport fairly relieving though, so I say I'll stay. I see the councillor and tell her more about Derrick's abuses and how fed up I am of it, but she just writes things down, she doesn't really talk to me about it. A and BB seem to be much more confident by themselves this week too, whenever my attention is focused on my work, they have their own private conversations, which normally I'm cool with, but I get the feeling that something's going to happen. It's not like they're keeping me out of it on purpose, it's more like they're plotting something only for them to know, and they aren't the most stable people I know; they shouldn't do whatever it is they're planning to alone. None the less, we remain friendly and alive for another week, spending the weekend once again with Skyar practicing my Mafia Skills. So, ok, the paperwork shit was boring, but I'm a fast worker when it comes to that, so we quickly moved onto the more ... fatal...things.
Time lapse, two weeks before Christmas. Last week at School.
Monday 14th December.
6:05 am.
I grab the hoodie that's slung over my desk-chair and throw it over my bare chest. I chase after Skyar, already half way down the stairs after waking me, before the hoodie is even over my head. I jump the steps two at a time, sliding around the corner and facing the flashing headline of the widescreen TV. The obvious white letters are displaying the horrifying message of "Knife attack teen victim in Coma; Inquest being held". Below it, an old picture of a very (living and) happy Derrick.
"Oh…shit" My eyes widen before they feel heavy. I search for my phone, but in my rush to get up I haven't picked it up. I dive for the house phone, dialling both BB and A's mobile (unanswered) before trying their (very rarely used) house phone. Again, unanswered. I suddenly realise that I'm panicking and I don't know why. Is this because ...perhaps, maybe an inkling of me suspected that maybe BB had done something? That maybe... No.
Get a fucking grip. BB couldn't go this far.
Could he?
Damnit.
My suddenly frozen state as I think seems to surprise Rod. He comes over and puts a hand on my shoulder. I jolt and shy away from it. "I don't know what to say" I mumble. I couldn't just blurt out that I was glad he's in a coma, it was socially unaccepted to do that! "It's a shame…"
"Just so you know, we had nothing to do with this" Rod explains, eyeing me carefully. I raise my eyebrows, as if to dare him to lie again, if he was, or explain further. "You said a while ago that we should put him on our hit list and kill him; that you wouldn't mind him dead" I nod, remembering the conversation. It seems quite ironic now. "But we didn't do this. And…I know what you said, about wanting to kill him… and I hope you …didn't think that, maybe...this would…"
"I may be have passed my taekwondo sessions and sure, im getting the hang of playing with guns and knives, but Rod, I didn't do this"
"He has an Alibi too – it happened last night, he was in the basement with me doing target practice – all night" Skyar agree's.
"Good. I'm not accusing you-" I scoff at this. "Mello I just want you to be sure about this in your head. It's no secret that you didn't like Derrick" I nod slightly. "If the police can stick their ore in well enough, they'll get what they want – an argument, a hint of a possibility that you did it"
"But I didn't" I say again. "Skyar believes me".
"And what if they interrogate you?" Rod counters.
"Skyar went through interrogations with me last year; remember? He told me what to say and how to avoid bad questions not-suspiciously, sure it was mostly denying anything to do with the Family, but…it's the same, right?"
"You were a kid last year Mel" Rod frowns. "Now you're an adult and you have legal responsibilities. It could be harder…No" he finalises. "I'll run through some things with you later – it's too late now. You better get ready for school. Go" I open my mouth to protest, but something tells me that the clogs in Rod's brain are working too fast he'd just snap at me anyway. So I slump up the stairs, having to double check the TV screen on the way up for confirmation that the last five minutes really did happen.
Derrick really was in a coma.
Skyar drives me in to school. Rod insists it's for my safety, but although I think he's particularly right, I disagree. I think it makes me look more suspicious. None the less, Skyar is ordered to drive me into the building so he does, dropping me off and heading back. I fiddle with the straps of my bag as I enter the building, spotting BB and A at their usual table in the main hall. As soon as I enter the main doors of the hall, all eyes turn to me, and I realise.
They blame me.
They think that I did it.
I place a scowl on my face and storm over to my friends, plopping the bag on the desk with a frown.
"I thought you liked the attention" BB smirks.
"Not like this, asshole" I whisper. "Why is it they think I did it?
"We two are the top people on the 'I hate Derrick' list – why wouldn't we do it?" BB's smirk turns into a grin.
"Don't go saying things like that" I say. "You'll get into trouble. Just...let it fizzle down and we'll be fine"
"Melly, I made you this" A produces a long string, decorated with beads and small blocks with letters on them. There's a few glass-looking beads too, and it's beautiful. On the top is a ring where I can put it on any key ring I'd like. It's slightly too chunky for a bracelet. "If you look at it this way..." He turns it a little. "It says out initials, see?" Indeed it did, with a B, an A and an M. "And this way..." He turns it over, revealing the reverse of our blocks of initials. "it's got a bumble bee for B, obviously" I smile. "And this on here, says on it, for me, see?" I nod, it's small, but it's there. "And that, is supposed to be a marshmallow – for you" My grin widens. "It's for good luck; or whenever you get down or something, just look at it and think of us. Cause we make you happy, right?" I nod like a bobbing dog and allow myself an honest smile.
"Thanks A"
Despite the comforting gesture, the rest of the day is spent on edge. It's bad enough that the pupils keep looking at us suspiciously, but the teachers? That's just inappropriate. We have PE first thing. A doesn't play, as normal, and BB and me pair up in tennis. We win, but the victory seems pathetic, like they didn't want to play against us so they let us win by default. The day is turning out to be shit.
By lunchtime, there's police around the building. A few walking here and there, some even talking to students. Half way into the first lesson, they come to talk to me.
I give them my alibi, I let them know honestly that me and Derrick had our differences, but I'd never plan on putting him in a coma. So that was a slight lie, but it doesn't matter. My alibi was air tight. There were at least three other people with me and Skyar last night. The woman probes a bit more but I don't put up the argument she wants. I don't insist on going back to class or anything because that would make me seem suspicious, so I answer all her questions, be polite, nice and informative and she seems relatively satisfied. Before she leaves, she double checks that I am Misa's brother, and asks if I could get an autograph for her daughter. I gave her hope, but hopefully, I won't be seeing her again.
By lunchtime, I realise that many people in our year and below have been questioned. So I'm not that surprised when I find out that BB has been questioned too, however I am when A tags beside him looking puffy eyed and frail, BB looking furious. I hug A for the majority of the lunch break, BB looking like he was stewing a plan in that cauldron of a brain of his. I got the bad feeling that A had been interrogated too, and most likely without BB there. I ask A repeatedly if he's feeling better, if he's ok, if there's anything he wants, but I get nothing but head movements.
"They interrogated him" BB confirms my thoughts and walks his fingers over the table, slowly rubbing A's hand. "Harshly" He adds. "Poor lamb just burst into tears, right A?" A nods, looking like he was going to do the same again. I pass him the keying he made for me and drape it over his hand.
"Now it can cheer you up when you're down" I tell him, smiling slightly. A smiles back, but doesn't do anything more than begin to cry softly, his head falling to the table as his body shakes ever so slightly with his sobs. BB moves over and takes hold of him, comforting him more than I apparently could. BB's still looking slightly too confident and wholly unaffected by this, so I catch his eye and mouth, completely understandably "What did you do?" BB understands because he grins, that creepy grin he sometimes gets when he 'thinks too much' as A would say. He releases a hand gently from A and puts a finger to his lips. 'Sh' He grins, mouthing back "It's a secret" before winking at me. We leave the conversation there, eyeing the police as they walk around with their confident walks and suspicious glares. I text Rod an update, but spend the rest of the day worrying about BB's sanity, A's life, and Derrick. I didn't know yet whether or not I'd rather he live – or die. But for A's sake, I hope he'll be ok soon. Rod texts back with an unofficial medical report on Derrick later on that day; apparently he's recovering well considering. So that brightens my day, if only a little.
When Skyar comes to take me home I ask him to take BB and A home too. I can't risk them getting attacked on the way home, and I certainly don't want it to happen, so he does as I ask without complaint. A's as silent as he was in the morning, butt BB has their hands clasped together and is still rubbing his thumb over A's fingers. Once they're home, I head into the front seat next to Skyar and listen to the radio on the way home.
When I get home, Rod is waiting for me by the stairs, a familiar smile and a welcoming hug waiting for me. It's awkward because he's not used to outright things like that, however I make it OK because it has to be, I need to feel safe and believed in my own home of all places. I finish my homework for the day, which is minimal if any at all. I do an extra assignment to keep my mind on track before locking myself in my room, watching a movie and missing dinner. When Skyar comes up to tell me, I tell him I'm not hungry and I'm working. He leaves in acceptance and I continue the film, not realising that maybe I haven't eaten since lunchtime and I am a little hungry after all.