The Second To Die

Alive :Chapter 9

"How could Audrey even remotely be the killer? I mean, she's our best friend Noah!" He sighed, shaking his head as he hit his hand on the desk for what must have been the ten thousandth time.

"I know, I know. But, Vex, you saw the video. I didn't hallucinate it. She knew Jake was dead. Something is going on here and, as someone who wants to get to the bottom of this, I can't just ignore the facts." We had been going back and forth all night like this. I had stayed, much to the discouragement of my most inner thoughts. I had planned to leave, I had only planned to stay a couple hours but of course, things happen. I had been trying to defend Audrey all night. I could be completely pissed at the girl all I wanted to but, when it came down to it, she was one of the few people in this town that I trusted completely. Her and Noah. 

"Look, I know it sounds crazy but-" My phone suddenly began to vibrate like crazy. Lifting it from Noah's desk, I held up a single finger before answering it, turning around. 

"Hello?" I asked softly. 

"Vex?" Stavo's voice filled the speaker.

"Oh my gosh, hey! Are you alright? I completely meant to check in on you I just-" I turned to look at Noah, sighing. "Really lost track of time." I lied. Stavo chuckled on the other end. 

"Do you think you could come over, I really want to talk to you." He said. I gasped lightly.

"Uh, yeah. Um, sure. Where at?" He sighed.

"Well, I'm actually at Hayden's, kind of trying to avoid my pops and well, she is having a sort of meltdown over the whole Audrey thing." I chuckled lightly.

"Okay, I think I remember her mentioning her place. I'll be over shortly, alright?" 

"See you." He said, than, he hung up. Placing my phone in my back pocket, I took a deep breath.

"Well, I've got to go for now." Noah stood from his desk, shaking his head.

"No, you can't go now. I need you. We are partners on this. This is important, why do you need to go." Rolling my eyes, I walked over, quickly pulling him into a hug.

"You'll be fine, weirdo. I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?" Sighing, he nodded, retaking his seat. As I headed for the door, he cleared his throat.

"And, I mean, when you do come back, if you're feeling really generous-" He began, though, he didn't need to finish.

"I'll grab us some pizzas." Then, I left.

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Noah had driven me home which, meant I was left without a car so, I walked. It wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be, but, it was still long. I enjoyed the fresh air however, gave me some time to clear my mind, to think without fearing my thoughts. What was Audrey keeping from us? The video had been a big deal and, I really wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt but, it was hard. How could you ignore that? And, what she had done yesterday, that wasn't Audrey. Whatever this secret was that she was keeping from us, it was tearing her apart from the inside, out. 

I didn't even think as I tried to clear my mind that maybe, my mind was to jumbled to be cleared. The more I thought, the more question's I had, the more answers I needed. What's worse, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched as I continued down the street towards Hayden's. I'd glance over my shoulder, only to see no one there.

"I'm going-" I began to whisper to myself. Then, my phone rang. Pulling it from my back pocket, I lifted it up, looking at the screen, Unknown flashing across it. Taking a deep breath, I answered, holding it to my ear. 

"Hello?" 

"Vex? Vex, listen to me, it's me." The voice was all to familiar, I knew it well and, I wasn't playing these sick games.

"You're not Wes. You're not him so stop with the games you sick bastard!" I said threateningly. 

"Vex, please. It's really me." I scoffed.

"You did this once before, you or that bitch Piper. I know it's not really Wes." I said.

"Vex, it's really me. Remember that time you were home sick and you told me that you once got in huge trouble because your dad found out you had skipped school?" I rolled my eyes.

"Permanent record. Stop with the games." The guy on the other line groaned.

"Jesus, you have a tattoo on your ass of a plane split, fire coming from only the one side." He said.

"A lot of people know that, my picture was plastered in the tattoo parlor for months." I replied.

"Fine. You got the tattoo because you said that it represents how you feel. That when you were with me, there was a part of you that always felt in flight where, things still seemed to be okay. That nothing felt like it was crashing. The other side represented the hell you were living, that you were falling from the sky inside your house and that your world was on fire. You were experiencing a horror the other side didn't have to feel quite yet. Now, tell me, am I still not real?" Tears sprang into my eyes as he spoke. I had never told anyone that, no one but Wes. He had been the one to convince me to get the stupid tattoo, he had told me to weave a story behind it and so, I had chose the plane. 

"You can't be, your-" 

"That's what they wanted you to think. Listen, you have been a target for far longer than since you moved to Lakewood. Your mother, she knew more than she let on. You and your friends are in danger." Closing my eyes, I shook my head.

"Wes, I kn-" 

"No, listen to me Vex. Don't trust anyone. The killer is someone you know. He knows you, he knows everything about you." I stopped walking. Sighing, I looked around me, the feeling of being watched increasing.

"Wes, how are you alive?" I asked softly. On the other end, he gave a light chuckle.

"There's a lot of things you don't know yet, a lot of secrets your mother hid from you." I froze.

"My mother knew that you were-" 

"She knew, all along she knew. She knew a lot of things that she didn't tell you. Listen, I have to go." 

"No, I need to see you." I begged. 

"Trust me Vex, there's nothing I want more than to come see you but, there are some things that I need to do first. Besides, I'm not in Lakewood right now." Confused, I continued walking.

"Where are you then?" I asked.

"Home. Got to say hi to the folks before I go to murderville." Then, he hung up. 

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