Class Of 96': 1994 (BxB Mystery)

Chapter LVII - The Friend

 "I'm sorry buddy, but you gotta find another club."

I stared at Tyler with confusion and dismay as he waved me off. "What? Tyler, what do you mean?"

"Nothing personal, but like, it's a bad look for The Cassius Post, buddy-boy."

"But . . . "

He did the thing he always did to comfort me. Pat my shoulder. But it did nothing but patronize me. "Listen, once this whole Hazard thing has cleared up, and you're innocent of course, then we can accept you back in."

"I'm inno— Tyler, what do you mean? Why am I the only one getting kicked out?"

"Steph," He sighed. "Everyone thinks you're the Hazard."

I paused. Molly, and now Tyler. I hurtfully looked down, unable to maintain eye contact with someone who thinks of me as a monster. "Tyler . . . you seriously believe that?"

He shrugged.

I felt so weak. I couldn't do anything about this. I couldn't do anything about Ollie.

As I walked away, with my feet dragging with every step, I could feel stares prickle my neck. How could they think of me like that? How could . . .

Innes caught my eye. Arms folded with a strange look, I watched her shoulders slug. She approached me.

Lord, please, not her.

"Steph,"

"Innes . . . Innes, please, you're my friend. Please."

She didn't shout. She didn't look mad. That made things worse. "There was another Gossip Wave."

Gossip Wave . . . the last one was when Luka was attacked. "What . . . what was it?"

"'Steph Dragus attacked Ollie Blossom'."

My eyes flickered. How could anybody believe . . . "Do you believe it? Do you believe it, Innes?"

She took a deep breath in. I've always known something was odd with her. Ever since Luka was attacked. Innes looked into my eyes. "I have a question . . . and a confession."

No, she wasn't skeptical. She almost seemed sorry.

"Steph . . . why was your bracelet in Jane Doe's room when they found her body?"

A swirl of memories hazed me. I remember now. At the start of the school year, I lost my bracelet. Innes gave it back to me after Luka found it in . . . "I-I don't know. I was never in her room before that."

"Okay."

I paused. "What's your confession?"

"I think you're the Hazard."

I knew this would happen. I knew it since . . . I knew it since that day.

But I never thought she would say it to my face.

I stayed silent.

"I don't trust you. It's not because of what they think. It's because of what I do."

" . . . What made you think that?"

"You."

Through the hurt of her words, I simply nodded. I had no energy to object or to even plea. I was tired. I was so, so, so tired.

The worst part was that she wasn't ashamed. She was just stating the truth.

I watched her go. Everyone thought of me as a monster. Everyone thought of me as someone capable of hurting someone I loved. Everyone thought of me as someone I was not.

I had no one to sit with when I sat for lunch later at the dining hall. Yet all the attention was on me. I looked down as I sensed eyes chastising me from behind.

How can I live like this?

Suddenly, the dining hall felt empty. No one beside me, no one to laugh with, no one to joke with, nobody.

No one at all.

I finally stood up and left, leaving all the murmurs and whispers alone. I felt so . . . hollow.

I went to an empty hallway and sat on a seat wall. Slumped down, face covered beneath my hands, I cried. I don't know how long I stayed there, everything was a blur. A hazy turn of events.

"Hey,"

Who . . .

I looked up. Between my fingers I saw a figure. Curly hair, hazel skin.

"You're a mess." Pandora Ladrón said.

She sat down beside me with a sigh but I didn't move. We just sat there for a moment in silence.

At least . . . at least I didn't lose everybody.

"I heard what happened." She sniffed into her sleeve. "How are you coping?"

"Bad."

She laughed. "You look bad. But . . . how are you? Really."

"I'm . . . " I paused. What was I feeling?

"Cuz' when I look at you, Steph, I see nothing. Its like looking through a ghost."

"I'm just struggling, Pandora. I don't know how to juggle the loss of Ollie and the police and everyone thinking I'm the Hazard."

"No shit."

I met her eye. "The world just seems to be turning its back on me."

"Maybe it is. But it's all gonna work out in the end."

"How would you know?"

Pandora faintly grinned. "Because it isn't the end."

I found myself chuckling at her ridiculous words. "Where did you get that line? John Lennon?"

"A drag show."

"You— Can you be serious for once?!?"

"You're smiling!"

And so we laughed. I never thought I would be able to laugh again, but here I am.

When the buzz died down, she sighed. "Everythings gonna be alright, Steph. Really."

I nodded. That was all I needed to hear. Words of compassion.

"Thank you."