A secret is a secret | ONC 2024

04 | The world is moving forward

"Hey Beck, are you home?" I called out, placing my set of keys down on the entry table and then I closed the front door behind me.

"Hello, Lenora, I am in the kitchen!" Beck yelled, responding to my question.

I took my backpack off my shoulders, dropped it on the wooden floor, and placed it against the entry table. I started walking towards the kitchen. I entered the kitchen feeling my eyes widen taking in the scene in front of me.

On the kitchen counter, there is one mixing bowl, a baking sheet, and ingredients to make brownies. Beck's back is facing me as she is changing the settings of the oven. From the looks of it, Beck is stress-baking again. Beck only does this when she is very stressed about something regarding her university life or personal life.

I sat down on one of the bar stools, took out my phone from the pocket of my hoodie, and placed it down on the kitchen counter. I looked at my best friend thinking whether I should say something to her or wait until she noticed that I was there.

The decision was taken away from me when my best friend turned around and she was facing me. I watched a wide smile spread into her lips. "Hi, Lenora!"

"Hey, Beck, are you okay?" I asked my best friend, looking at her with a concerned expression.

Beck placed her hands down on the kitchen counter next to the mixing bowl then she looked at me with furrowed eyebrows. "Yes, I am okay. Why are you asking me that?"

I pointed at the mixing bowl, the ingredients, and lastly the baking sheet. "Beck, you are making brownies, don't get me wrong, I love your brownies. But, you only bake brownies when you're stressed. So, please tell me, what's making you stressed?"

Without stopping to look at me, Beck walked around the kitchen counter and sat down on the bar stool next to me. "Lenora, you're correct, I am stressed. The reason why I am stressed has to do with what happened back at the beach. Lenora, what if someone finds out that we were there and we get arrested by the police?"

I moved my position on the bar stool and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a comforting hug. My best friend didn't waste any time accepting my hug as she laid her head on my shoulder. For the length of our hug, neither Beck nor I exchanged any words. Beck was the one who pulled away first ending our hug.

I looked at my best friend as a serious expression made its way onto my face. "Beck, what you are worried about is valid. I am worried and stressed about what would happen if the police ever found out. I am trying my hardest to move on with my life. Beck, I feel like the world is moving forward and I am still stuck back on that beach."

As that last sentence left my mouth, my best friend looked at me with a soft expression. This time around, Beck was the one who wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. My lips formed a soft smile as I accepted her hug. Our hug lasted a few seconds until I was the first who pulled away unlike minutes prior.

"I understand how you are feeling and I wish I knew how to help you. But Lenora, I want you to know that I am always going to be here for you forever and I know you would do the same thing for me." Beck started speaking as she returned to look at me. "Does Alfred know that you are feeling this way?"

"You and I will try to move on together as one." I shook my head at my best friend before saying. "I haven't told him yet but I believe that he knows. Alf can read my emotions without having to say them out loud."

I picked up my phone from the kitchen counter and unlocked it. I looked for the news article I saved on my phone and handed it to her. "Since we are talking about this topic. Beck, there is something that you need to see."

Beck looked down at my phone for a short period before she returned to look at me. This time, my best friend was looking at me confused. "What is it?"

"Beck, it is better that you read the news article and then you are going to understand why I wanted you to read it." I explained to my best friend, showing her a reassuring smile.

Beck nodded at me before she looked down at my phone to start reading the news article. I watched how my best friend's eyes moved further down the news article. The moment she had finished the news article. Beck carefully placed my phone down on the kitchen counter between the two of us.

"So far, they haven't found the reason why he is dead. According to the classes that I have taken this means that the medical examiner is doing an autopsy to determine the cause of his death. Alfred, Cyrus, you, and I are in the clear for now. I am going to be paying close attention to the news outlet from now on." Beck told me with a serious tone coming out of her voice. "Speaking of, do Alfred and Cyrus know about this news article."

Hearing my best friend's words, I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding. "Hearing you say that makes me feel less nervous. I am glad that you are going to be the one who is going to be reading the news article because I don't want to be the one who read it first." I lifted my phone from the kitchen counter and placed it back inside the pocket of my hoodie. "Oh yeah, both Alf and Cyrus know about the existence of the news article because I showed it to them before I came here."

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Things are starting to get interesting!

Final chapter word count: 1,000

Total book word count: 5,199