Pink Lilac

Chapter Nine

The next couple weeks were back to normal, or as normal as the town could be after the eventful two months they had had. Emmalee had no one from her main crew, and was having trouble finding somebody to feel bad for her.

However, Carson felt bad for her. Bad enough that they started sneaking around more and more. More often than not Carson found herself blowing off Lila in order to spend more time with Emmalee. It was like old times, she missed the way Emmalee looked at her. She missed her brown eyes and blonde hair. She missed her pillowy lips and the way she bit them when she looked at Carson.

Everything was perfect.

Until Dalton saw them in a compromising position and Carson knew she couldn't lie her way out of this one.

A few weeks later Emmalee turned up dead. Lilacs covered her body.

Carson drove as fast as she could to the crime scene and as soon as she got there she wanted to turn around and cry to her mother.

Emmalee was tied to a pole, stripped naked, covered in multiple stab wounds, lilacs, a gun with her prints only on it and a bullet in her head.

Carson had the note read to her because she was paralyzed.

Too little too late.

That was all it had said. No clue, no cryptic message. It was as if this was truly the last murder the Lilac Killer had planned on committing.

Carson didn't go to school for two weeks and she completely shut out Lila. She didn't want to hear about how shitty of a girlfriend she was. She locked her mother out of her room and only went out to give Luca food. She didn't deserve visitors so she didn't tell anyone what she was doing when she went out. She quit her job and refused to leave.

Until a letter from Ryen ended up being slid under her door.

To whoever reads this:

I want you to know, I didn't ask for these people to be killed, however I am not sorry that they were. These kids have done unspeakable things to me, all because I was a little bit less than perfect. They didn't understand how hard it was getting to where I am. I am a successful surfer, and I worked myself to the limit to get there. No one handed that to me on a platter. My mother and father worked two jobs to support my sisters and I. You think I asked for that gift? No, but since I have it hell yeah I'm going to use it. Sure, I read a manga or two and I enjoy anime, why is that so bad? Why do they determine if I'm good enough?

Jamie Lynn: Cut my hair during an english test, didn't get any repercussions and I had to tell my mom that I did it because I hated my long hair. She told me that the only way to win surfing comps was to eat some shake she made me. Yeah... she put laxatives in it.

Tara MacBeth: Pushed me around when I was popular, made me be her minion. Once I "fell" she started physically assaulting me with Gunner. Both of them ganging up on me until I was bruised and bloodied. I told my parents that I tripped at the skatepark.

Gunner White: Hits me. Told me he wanted to kill me.

Carter Jones: Brought a hammer into school and broke all of my fingers. I didn't know how to lie about that one, so I just never brought it up. He did it every time they would heal.

Pastor Jacobs: Touched me inappropriately. He told me that its because I read manga. I deserve this, related to Tara.

Levi Muller: Atticus' little brother. Called me a cheater, and made sure Atticus broke up with me.

Emmalee Myers: Carson's ex. Pushed me down the stairs, and poured soda on my head. Gave me enough drugs to kill me before.

Atticus Muller: My ex. I loved him. He only did it because Levi said so. I miss him.

So, yeah, I am not sad these kids are dead. And whoever the murder is I want to thank them. They saved my life. I will always love Atticus before he hurt me.

-Ryen

Carson didn't know that half of those things had happened. She knew she should turn it into the police, but she didn't see the point. The Killer's been gone and Ryen said it wasn't her. No reason to air out dirty laundry, especially if the people are already dead.

She finally left her house when she had gotten a call from Lila asking her to meet her so they could talk about their relationship. She sounded stressed and Carson felt bad so she went to meet her at CandyLand. It would have been her first time back since Gunner's death.

She drove the familiar route and was surprised that CandyLand was packed as always, as if some innocent boy hadn't died there a month earlier.

"I guess life goes on." Carson said to herself as she walked inside.

Carson and Lila were sitting at the bar in CandyLand laughing and talking. Things felt normal, but Carson felt guilty.

Carson noticed the way Lila was picking at her nails and ordering drink after drink.

"Woah," Carson said, steading Lila when she went to stand. "Someone had a bit too much."

Lila looked over at Carson and laughed. "You alwaystake care ofme."

Carson looked at her and gave her a hug. "Of course."

Lila pulled away and suddenly looked sober, minus the swaying.

"I need to talk to you." She laughed.

Carson laughed and pulled her to sit back down.

"I'm the Lilac Killer," She said smugly. "I killed all of those people. And Thomas and I have been hooking up behind your back since the first murder."

Carson looked at the drunk girl and was shocked into silence.

"Say something, babe." Lila was smiling as Carson tried connecting the pieces.

She had Lila brought in for questioning before, but she always had an alibi. She never would have thought that Lila was capable of this. Not in a million years.

"But Gunner?" Carson asked, not registering still.

"Thomas laced his MDMA, he was an addict, Car. Him admitting was just a conscience. 'Specially the 'pology to Ryen."

"Come on babe," Carson said, pulling Lila into her. "Let's take you home. You're drunk."

"Ilove you." Lila said, kissing her cheek lightly.

Carson drove Lila home and locked herself back into her room.