Outlawry

Chapter 35 - Ava//Secrets Uncovered

I walked out of my classroom to the sound of blood-curdling screams. I, as well as dozens of others, ran to the source of the noise. I made it to the base of the staircase and looked up to see what everyone was gaping at. One girl even began to vomit. I had nausea tease my stomach as well.

Samantha hung from the second floor balcony, a rope digging into her neck. She spun slightly as she dangled in the air. I shrieked and brought a hand to my mouth when I realized that it was her.

"She committed suicide!" one girl exclaimed. I looked to her. She was someone who didn't know Sam at all.

There's no way that Samantha committed suicide.

She had a perfect life. An only child, with perfectly content parents and no bully or social problems. She was on the honor roll and a cheerleader. There was no way she committed suicide.

Then...what exactly happened here?

It didn't take long until a single word sneakily crept its way into my head like the way mercury travels along a wooden surface.

Luther.

It had to've been him. Killing people is so easy to him, it's like second nature. When was he here? He must've been there not too long before, for she looked freshly dead. Was he still there?

That question chilled my very bones. The thought of him still being here, and seeing him again while murder still lingered on his hands made my stomach churn.

I have to get out of here.

Before anyone could stop me, I dashed away from the staircase.

"Ava!" a young man's voice exclaimed as he followed after me. Ignoring him, I proceeded outside through the door in the back of the school that always seemed to be unlocked. I heard the person follow.

"Hey," he cooed softly. I broke into tears and collapsed into his arms. Nate's arms. They were big and strong and protective around my weak, feeble body. "I know that this is scary for you."

"It's more than that, Nate," I cried into his chest. "It's so much more."

He slightly pulled me away so that he could look me right in the eyes. "What happened to you? Why were you gone, why did the police question me?"

My lip quivered as tears streaked down my face. "Nate, I...he...Luther...he kidnapped me."

"Kidnapped? But how? When? Why?"

I put a hand on my forehead and leaned back into his chest, sobbing a bit more. "It's a very, very long story."

He rubbed my back and stroked my hair gently. "Ava, I don't know what would've happened if anything had happened to you. I don't know what I would've done.

"You barely know me," I responded. "We didn't even meet a week ago. Why this sudden fancy?"

"I've been observing you since the day you started coming to school. I wanted to introduce myself, but you seemed so afraid of every one. Then the whole Luther incident happened and...I don't know. I wished I had known you sooner."

"You mean you had a crush on me even before we met at church?" I asked, a slight bit of laughter lingering in my sobbing voice.

He smiled and slowly nodded his head. "I did."

He leaned down and gently kissed my lips. I returned the kiss by wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning back a bit. He pulled away and took my hand.

"I can hear the cops coming," he replied. "They might want to question us about her suicide."

"You think it's suicide too?" I asked him. He furrowed his brows and turned his head slightly.