US

Chapter 11

I knock three times on Ryan's door before realising that there is a door bell so I press it once. I started to feel nervous about talking to him and being in his house as he was my bully. As harsh as this sounds if his brother was alive he would still be horrible. I stared at the door quietly. This was the house Luke once lived in.

The door suddenly opened and Ryan stood there staring at me. He was wearing a black T-shirt and baggy black hoodie with Nike sliders. "Let's go to my room." He said while closing the front door behind. "Why not the living room?"
"My mum is there and she is with her sister and their both crying..." Ryan looked like he was about to cry so I quickly nodded before following him upstairs.

We got to his room and he told me to get comfortable on a bean bag. I got out my note book before taking a seat and I put the record button on my phone so I can start the voice record.

What? If I am going to play the part of the police I might as well do it properly. The only difference between me and the police is that they would usually let you in on the fact they would be recording you but in my case I didn't. If I told Ryan he would change his answers and ruin everything.

I opened my book to the page of questions while he sat opposite me with a can of red bull in hand. "Want one?" He asked while opening his can and drinking some."
"No,but thanks for asking."
"OK. So what did you want to ask me."

I looked at him while he was looking at his can of drink. "I am here today to ask you a few questions which can help me find out who killed your brother Luke William."
Ryan looked up at me when i said this. "Now Ryan I know it is very hard when talking about Luke but I need you to try ok. Is that alright?"
"Yes please continue."
"OK first question who were Luke's friends in his school?"
Ryan scratched his head while looking slightly embarrassed. "I knew he had a lot of friends but...there was four guys he was always with."
"Name them."
"Adam, Miles, Liam and kade."
"Would you say he was close with them?"
"Yes. There was times he would lie to mum that he was going library when in reality he actually went out with them."
"Do you know what these guys would do when out."
"Well Luke said they went out eating." I couldn't help but frown. "That's a bit unusual for Luke to lie that he is in the library when in reality he is out eating. Why didn't he say the truth."
"I have no idea." Ryan said while shaking a bit.
"Ryan are you OK?"
"Yh...I am fine."
"Do you want a break?" He looked up at me with a straight face. "We have only done one question."
"But your acting like we did ten." I hit back and he smiled. It looked so genuine. I haven't seen him smile like that before. The closest to a smile he ever did was smirk.I smile back before going back to my questions.

"OK Ryan who was Luke's friend in our school?"
"Well just like in his school he had a lot of friends but his main friends from our school were Reid, Alex and Michael."
"OK." Eventhough I was recording the conversation I made sure to take notes too so it doesn't look too suspicious.
"Next question. Has Luke ever been in a relationship before if yes who with?" Ryan stayed quiet for a bit before answering. "He was dating a girl but they broke up a few months back."
"Who was she and why did they break up?"
"I don't know her. I mean I had seen those two together but whenever I tried asking him about her he would brush it of."
"Why would he do-" Ryan quickly interrupted me like he just remembered something.
"I actually remember seeing the two of them at the busstop. They looked like they were arguing and when he saw me looking he quickly grabbed her by the hair and kissed her. I knew he was in a relationship with her but I didn't understand. It didn't seem like a happy one."

"That's very strange." I said while noting what he said down.
"Yh it was."
"So you don't know her name."
"He never said."
"Does she go to our school or his."
"I am not sure. I haven't seen her around."
"Describe her."
"Okk. She is slim medium height, has brown hair but the tips of her hair was blonde. And she had brown eyes. I think. I was never up close so I am not too sure."
"Your doing well Ryan."
"Thanks mum." I giggled while he smiled.
"Ready for the next question?"
"Yes."
"Did Luke have any enemies?"
"Everyone has enemies."
"True but did he have people that he hated, maybe got in arguments with or even physical fights."
"He did but how can I tell you. I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"You are going to get yourself killed." I froze. "Why did you say that?"
"Because it's true." He took took a long drink of his redbull before looking at me. "You weren't my favourite person but that doesn't mean I want you dead. I just lost someone."
"I won't confront anyone. Just tell me." I was obviously lying but I needed to know. "Nope can do cupcake."

How dare he call me cupcake! No one and I mean no one can call me sweet names apart from my father and he is dead. Ryan hasn't gained the privilege yet. In fact no one has. I get up from the bean bag and walk over to him. I grab the redbull from him and down the whole drink.
"What the hell!" I handed him the empty can. "What was that for?"
"I am helping you Ryan. I don't have to do this."
"Then don't do this!"
"But I want to!"
"Callar!"
"Ryan!"
"What?!"
"Tell me who your brother has issues with?"
"The green snake!" I stared at him before laughing out loud. He glared at me but I couldn't help but notice the amusement in his eyes.
"Was that his pet?"
We both stood there facing each other and before we knew we were both laughing. Not chuckling or giggling actually laughing and I couldn't help but notice that I hadn't laughed so hard with someone from school like this.

Why do I feel like it isn't going to be the first?

We both went and sat down on the bean bags again. "It's a group."
"What is a group?"
"The green snake."
"Oh like a gang."
"Not really because they don't do illegal things they just like intimidating people. And I think they used to try it on Luke so he would have arguments with them. He even got in a fight with one member. They live on this road but at the other end"
"OK so why didn't you want to tell me?"
"I dont want you to go near them."
"But they don't do illegal things right?"
"Yh." He said slowly. "But there was an incident which happened a while ago. The green snakes were having a party when a police van came outside their house and took all of them away. Then an ambulance and other people came and left the house holding a body bag."
"So they killed someone?"
"That's what everyone in the area said."
"Is that suppose to scare me?"
"Yes." I rolled my eyes at him before going onto the next question.
"Did Luke keep a diary?"
"Who keeps diaries. That's why we have Facebook. Go post your feelings there."
"Not everyone would like the whole to know how their doing. That's the whole point of a diary."
"Well as far as I am concerned he didn't have one. He was too busy up and about." I noted that down.

Up and about.

"Next question."
"You really wrote these down?"
"Next question!"he chuckled at my response.
"Has your brother been constantly complaining about anyone?"
"Well apart from the green snakes. He hasn't really..." he paused as if trying to remember something. "Oh my...Callar I remember something. He was complaining about Derek."
"Derek bold head?"

"Yes!" He laughs then he stops. "But I don't know why. All I remember was he came home from school and a
Started saying how he is going to smash Derek and I was thinking why have an argument with him."
"Exactly what I was thinking which is why I needed clarification." I looked down at my note book and saw one last question which is probably going to Ryan's hardest.

"OK Ryan describe the day Luke died."
He remained silent for bit so I added "if you want to" and he nodded.

"We got up in the morning and I remember it was raining very hard. Mum has left early for work and I quickly got ready and Luke did the same. We went to school in the morning I dropped him of and after I got him back. There wasn't anything unusual about him. No sign of sadness or anger. In fact he was laughing about how in maths a guy farted and because the weather was cold the teacher refused to open the window and...Luke said she ran out of the class room."

By this time Ryan was laughing-crying as he remembers the day while sat still in silence.

"He kept going over the story. Even in the evening. Then around 8.00pm he told me and my mum that he wanted to go library which we soon found out was lies. He didn't even say bye or anything. Just said that he would be back soon so mum should stop whining and then he left. The next time I saw him was his bloody lifeless body on the hospital bed."

He started to cry. His body shaking while he cried and I just sat there like a nerd watching a science experiment.

In shock.

I got up from my seat and went to hug. I held him while he started gasping.
"Ryan you need to calm down." He fell to the ground on his side while gasping. He was having a panic attack.
"Oh my gosh Ryan!" I knelt by him while trying to calm him down.
"Please..please."
"I am going to get your mum." I said while getting up from my awkward kneeling position. He grabbed onto my hand preventing me from getting up.
"Please..."
"Tell me what to do Ryan." I said on the verge of crying.
"Just stay."
"I will." I automatically responded. I looked at the time and saw that it was 8.00pm.

If my mum was worried about me inviting shirtless guys home wait till she finds out about me staying longer than thirty minutes in a guys room.

She would go nuts.