𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄🔪🃏🥀

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 3

WE WERE IN DEAN'S bedroom now, all six of us, and a daunting energy settled among the group as I finished my sinister story. Quinn was crying again, in the arms of Lucas, whose eyes were wide in disbelief. Both of them were white as sheets. Gianna was tapping her nails on her chin, shifting her weight as she stared at the floor. Dean had his hands in his pockets, his olive skin and sharp features casting a glance straight out of a mafia movie, and Jack was sitting on the bed, nervously bouncing his leg and holding his face in his hands.

"Wait...so you didn't like, actually murder TJ," Lucas finally spoke. "It was just an accident, right?" I scoffed. "How could you even ask that? Of course I didn't do it on purpose." He shrugged, still holding onto Quinn. "Well, it's just really weird that you didn't call the police, Marley, I mean, your dad's the Sheriff!" I sighed. He just didn't get it. "That's exactly why I can't, Lucas. Look, I was really scared, and I was trying to help him, and then I freaked out and I slipped and I'm terrified and embarrassed and ashamed and I-I just panicked! Okay? I'm sorry!" I couldn't stop the tears. "My life would be over if anybody found out, especially my parents." And then Dean spoke up. "Well, it's definitely too late to call anyone now," He took his hands out of his pockets and folded his arms.

"Why?" Lucas asked. He had a combative tone in his voice, and Dean scoffed, all matter-of-factly. "Because we'll just look ten times more suspicious now." He retorted. "The police will find him. It's the High School, I mean, how long can you really hide in there?" Quinn suddenly shook her head. "I can't believe I'm saying this...but I think I agree with Dean here." I felt a bit relieved to have her backing me up. "Seriously, Quinn?" Lucas peeled his arms off of Quinn and looked disappointingly into her eyes. "I can't believe you." He then turned to face the rest of us. "I can't believe all of you. Especially you, Marley. I mean, you really complicated the situation just to save yourself, huh?" He took out his phone as a pang hit my heart. "Well, I'm gonna fix that right now. It's not 'too late' for anything." My reflexes reacted, and I snatched Lucas's phone out of his hand before he could go any further. "No," I said, sharply. "You guys are all missing the bigger picture here. There's probably a fucking killer on the loose, and we need to get everybody out of here before someone else gets attacked."

"That's an even better reason to call the police!" Lucas cried out, lunging for his phone. "Ugh!" I groaned. "We are not calling the police, Lucas!" I hoped shouting at him would make him just shut up and be reasonable, but the reality is that I was dealing with Lucas, a tenacious, argumentative intellectual who couldn't stop once he started.

He drew in a deep breath and chuckled lowly, shooting me a threatening glance. "Marley, you're either gonna give me my phone or I'll run out there and use the fucking landline. I don't care." His soft, hazel eyes became daggers as he fixed them on Jack, who was sitting quietly on Dean's quilted silk bedding, trying to avoid eye contact. "Jack, back me up here."

I scoffed. No way in hell was Jack gonna get in the middle of this. I turned to face him and saw a distant look in his eyes. He sighed, dragged his hands down his face, and shook his head. "Look, Marley..." No way. Was he gonna take Lucas's side? My heart raced as he continued. "Yeah, shit, I mean," he threw his hand up and looked me in the eye. "Honestly not your best move. I'm just saying—I mean, it's your dad! What's the worst that could happen, you get grounded?" He shrugged innocently. "I get having fuckin' fight-or-flight moments, but you gotta admit, ditching your friend's body and not calling the cops..." He widened his soft eyes at me. "That's kinda fuckin' morbid, Marley!"

I bit my lip as hot tears stung my eyes. He was right, and it hurt. I shouldn't have left TJ in my moment of panic, and I really should've called my dad. "But," Jack wasn't finished, he raised two hands as if he were weighing an item in each one, "there's really nothing we can do about it anymore, so maybe we can all stop fucking yelling," He flicked his eyes up at Lucas, "and focus on how we're going to deal with this in the here and the now."