Daliela

Chapter 6: There's a 'U' in Us

I stared at Dede as answers to my questions began to appear. I made sense that Jack was the murderer, but I didn't want it to be the truth. After that fun day...I denied it.

"He isn't. You can't control my friends, Dede!" I yelled.

"Fine then. Go ahead. Join your mother. See if I care," she glared at me, before disappearing.

"She...she just..."

I fell to my knees, dropping the items in my hands. The bunny landed on the dirty ground, and the froyo landed on top of him. My bag with the candle fell as well. I could hear the glass break.

I cried. Cried because I didn't know who to trust. Cried because I thought Dede cared. Cried because Jack was obviously the killer. Cried because my mom was dead.

Suddenly, Matt came over to me.

"Are you ok?! What happened?!"

I didn't want to tell him. I didn't know if he'd believe me.

After a minute of silence, he walked over to my bunny doll covered in liquid yogurt. He picked him up.

"Who's this?"

"That's my doll, Danny. He was my mom's..." I said quietly.

"Well, now he belongs to the yogurt. Wanna wash him?" he asked.

"Um, sure?" I lifted myself up and followed Matt.

We went to Matt's apartment and it turns out he had a washer.

"Ha, I don't have one yet."

"What?" he asked confused.

"I sold it for money when my mom died."

"Oh," he looked down.

We went to his bathroom, where the washer and dryer were. It was a small, tan room that smelled of coconut. It was completely filled with tiles. In the back of the room laid the white washer and dryer. We walked over to it.

Matt changed some settings and threw Daniel in. In Danny's eyes, I saw sadness. Actually, that was the reflection of me in his eyes. My face was tear-streaked, and my eyes were puffy.

"So, what happened?" Matt looked up at me.

Not ready to explain Dede to Matt, I told half the truth. "I think Jack's the murderer of...them...not the principle."

"What?! How do you know?! What evidence did you find?!" Matt rushed to me with many questions.

"W-well, why would the principle kill his niece and nephew?" I answered quickly. I could find many reasons why he would kill them, but it was the best answer I could come up with.

"True, but why Jack?" Matt asked.

Thankfully, the washer went off before I could answer. Matt took Danny out and put him in the dryer. I walked out of the room and went to his kitchen. I took the pitcher of coffee milk and poured myself a glass. Matt said I could have some anytime, and now seemed like a good time.

After a bit, Matt came over with a now clean Danny.

"Thanks," I looked at the bunny doll.

We waved awkward goodbyes and I stepped out into the cool air. I walked to the brown bag and opened it. My candle's jar had been shattered. I sighed and picked up the bag. I walked home, not sure how to feel.

No school tomorrow! But, was that a good thing?

I opened my door and walked in. Matt followed me.

"Huh?" I asked him.

"Who's Dede?" he asked me, concerned.

Oh. I forgot. I had yelled her name when she told me about Jack. I looked down.

"It's fine if you don't want to tell me, I know that's there's no 'I' in team," he turned around.

"Hey, wait," I frowned, not meaning to make him sad.

"But there's a 'U' in us!" he turned back to me, smiling.

For some reason, I started laughing. I really don't know why it wasn't funny in the slightest. It was one of those stupid pick-up lines that never work, I heard it before. I guess the fact it came from Matt was funny. I still don't know to this day.

After that, Matt left, now giving me a non-awkward smile and wave.

I went to my mom's bedroom to relax when I saw a horrid sight.

The red-stained sweater was on the bed.

I ran over to the sweater in horror. Why was it here???

"Why are you in here," a voice said behind me. It was unfamiliar. It sounded like mine almost, dull yet cheery, but with more of a monotone twist. I looked behind me, but no one was there.

"Why are you here," the voice said, sounded angrier. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

"Whoever this is, it's not a funny joke!" I tried to make myself seem scary.

"Why do you exist," the voice said.

"Why do YOU exist?!" I yelled at nothing.

". . ." the voice seemed to stop. I felt relief flood into me.

I grabbed the sweater and stuffed it into my mother's closet. I didn't want to see it. It felt wrong to me, but I didn't want to throw it away. I always learned that nothing was a coincidence.

I sat down on my bed and took out a book. I flipped to a random page and began reading. I didn't even know what the book was.

'So, they walked to school. The good thing was that she didn't have to see the Tonys' stupid faces. The bad thing was she was full of anxiety the whole walk. She hates talking to people she doesn't have to talk to. Transfer kids always transferred for a reason. They were either bullied, so they moved, or they were a bully, and they got kicked out of the school. That's how she thought, at least.'

The book was strange. This felt familiar to me. Then I realized it was familiar. This was MY life in a book. Scared, I flipped over to the cover. It only had the word 'Report' written on it in comic sans. Not a very serious report.

I thought for a long time. Who would be writing down my life in a book? Who had this knowledge? Only one person came to mind: Dede.

"Dede, come out now."

Dede appeared. "What do you want? To yell at me more?"

"What's this?" I shoved the book in her pink, stupid face.

"Huh?" she questioned. Somehow, she took a hold of the book and looked through it. "What is this?"

"You should know. It's a book all about my life ever since Matt and Jack joined the school, that you wrote."

"Huh?! You think I wrote this? It was probably Jack!"

"No, I've seen Jack's handwriting. It's neat and cursive. This handwriting is messy and jumbled."

"Now you're insulting my writing? Look:"

Dede grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and began writing. Her handwriting wasn't as messy as the book's and looked different in general. It looked a lot like my mom's.

"See? Jack wrote the book!"

"Just because you didn't write it doesn't mean Jack did. Jack's handwriting doesn't match this at all."

"So you're saying Matt wrote it?"

"No! I'm saying- what?"

Dede's eyes opened wide and she covered her mouth. Something told me she said something she shouldn't have. Before I could ask, she disappeared.

"There's no way Matt wrote this," I said slowly. "How would he know my thoughts. Dede is just... getting on my nerves."

I put the book away and collapsed on my Mom's bed. I was too tired to deal with anything else.