Syndicate Origins: Persona [NaNoWriMo2014, 2015]

CHAPTER SIX: THE DIARY

CHAPTER SIX

The ambulance came and went, leaving Kyle and I at the mercy of the entire staff. They were firing questions at us like we had done something wrong, like we were suspects in a murder even though Jennifer was still alive. It was like they assumed we had pushed her and caused her accident.

They weren't that far off.

"She just fell."

We said this over and over again, Kyle being the only one who meant it. I wasn't too sure I hadn't done it. I had wanted her to fall and then she did. It couldn't be a coincidence. I was certain that I had been the one who made her fall even though I didn't touch her. For Heaven's sake, I was halfway down the hall!

The teachers let us go after a thirty minute interrogation to head to our homerooms. They had finally been convinced that we didn't push dear Jennifer down the stairs. We had told them the same story and hadn't changed it; we had to be innocent, right? After all, who would hate Miss Little Perfect?

I did.

My hands trembled in my pockets where I had hidden them so no one saw them shaking. Though I was certain that I had triggered Jennifer's accident, I didn't know how I had done it. I had been far away from her and couldn't have possibly done it with my own two hands. Had I jumped to that conclusion because I wanted to be the cause? Because I wanted the sinful satisfaction that I had been the reason her pretty face was all broken up?

I was sick.

I was a sick person.

Who wanted to inflict that much pain onto another person? Who wanted to hear someone scream like that? Who wanted to watch as someone felt their bones break one by one? Who wanted to see someone's blood run red from their veins?

A sadistic, murdering, torture-loving psychopath did.

"Mae, are you okay?" Kyle asked as he stood in front of his homeroom's door.

I automatically nodded. There was no way I was going to let him know what was going on inside of my head. Hell, I wasn't going to tell anyone!

"You sure? You seem pretty shaken up about that girl's fall."

I gave him a small smile and nodded, knowing deep down inside that I was more than shaken up. I was completely and utterly terrified. If I had down that to Jennifer without knowing it, who knew who would be my next victim? Kyle? Father? This was assuming that I had done that to Jennifer.

But I couldn't come up with any other explanation. Kyle said he hadn't seen her tripping over her own feet or losing her balance. He said that she had suddenly fallen over and onto the stairs. Simple as that. So what did that leave?

Me.

"If you say so. See you at lunch?" he said with his hand on the doorknob.

I nodded again and waved before taking off down the hall to go up to the next level. I wanted to get into my homeroom class before the teacher took roll call and realized I wasn't there. I was sure that she wouldn't for at least another fifteen minutes, but I wanted to sit in the back away from everyone else. No doubt the students who had seen Jennifer had texted anyone and everyone about what had happened.

Just what I wanted.

Attention.

It wasn't like I would have my brother to help fend off the gossip-hungry teenagers. He had different classes than me before lunch and after lunch. Lunch turned out to be the only time we would see each other at school. Honestly, this didn't bother me; it instead filled me with great relief. I had a hard time at this school, St. Silver High School, and I didn't want him to know. It was already embarrassing that I couldn't stand up for myself or work up the courage to tell Father. I didn't want Kyle to know too.