Circling Stars

🌟Chapter 18🌟

The bell rang releasing us for lunch. Despite the winter day, the sun shone coldly so Jasper wasn't at school. The blinding light from snow glare had me wearing sunglasses in between classes. Especially since my locker was near a big window that overlooked the courtyard many of us ate lunch in during good weather.

"It's food poisoning," I insisted. Brandon had gone online and printed out a bunch of solve it riddle mysteries regarding homicide, assault, theft, and strange deaths. He called it preparation for the Police Academy. I wasn't exactly sure this was proper study technique but it was also kinda fun. Especially since some of the circumstances could have come straight from a Sherlock Holmes novel.

"What makes you so sure?" Brandon challenged. Shirley scrolled through her phone in silence. She had taken the news of Brandon's diverging path better than I expected, in Brandon's presence anyway. Shirley was rarely this silent and it was almost never a good sign. Either she was sick or something was on her mind and I was willing to bet it wasn't the former.

     Brandon was too caught up in the excitement and happiness to notice much beyond his current future possibilities. I was genuinely happy for Brandon but my heart also hurt for Shirley. We hadn't talked about it yet but I knew it was coming. I wasn't sure what to do to comfort her.

"They served sushi for dinner and they live in Kansas," I wrinkled my nose.

"You've always been prejudiced against seafood," he snorted dismissively. "This is an undetected gas leak." The picture showed five people of varying ages, genders, and ethnicities all dead around the dinner table. It also gave a brief summary of the last few days events leading up to the fatal dinner party.

"It's disgusting and that has nothing to do with this. You shouldn't eat sea food in a landlocked state. That's just asking for it." I crossed my arms and stared up at him confident in my diagnosis.

"How much are you willing to lose?" he asked with an evil grin.

"Twenty."

"Oh I wasn't talking money."

"What do you have in mind?"

"How about a request to be made in the future, at any time and neither of us would be allowed to say no?"

"No nudity," I said cautiously.

"Deal." He held out his hand and I shook it. "Let's find out who will regret this day." He reached for the paper that had the answer on it. "HA, gas leak." He shoved it in my face so I couldn't actually read anything. I snatched the paper and sadly he was right.

"Oh whatever." I threw it back to him. "If that hadn't of killed them the food would have." Brandon gulped down his blueberry flavored water and announced he was off to gym. Shirley smiled and gave him a kiss. When he was out of the cafeteria she stared at the door and shut down my attempt to talk. She would be fine, Shirl told me, she just needed time to process and didn't want to do this right now. It was awkward, especially when Margie Redmen came over and asked to speak with me. She didn't want to talk in the lunchroom. I told Shirley I'd see her later and then followed the Queen of Volleyball into the hall. Margie lead me to the skinny staircase that served as an alternate route between the choir room and science wing.

"I want you to know that I didn't have anything to do with my brother trashing your place." She picked her fingernails and wouldn't look directly at me. It was a stark contrast to her usual confident, and if asked me, arrogant behavior.

"Um okay. I wouldn't have accused you just because you're related."

"That's not what I meant." She took a deep breath. "Back in November a friend of mine and I got drunk. I started ranting about how you were dating Jasper." Her eyes shot to mine. "I was still pissed that he wouldn't go out with me. She talked me into programming her car to drive us to your place. It was stupid, I shouldn't have done it. Before I could stop her, Rachel got out of the car and tossed a brick through your window."

"I see. Rachel who?" There were probably a billion Rachel's in the world and a couple hundred in this town alone.

"Look, I'm sorry. She doesn't even live in town anymore, okay, and we haven't talked much since then. Rachel got carried away but I shouldn't have listened to her, even drunk. I'm not my brother and I chewed her out for it the next day. I'm seeing someone else now and I don't care about you and Jasper. I just wanted you to know."

"Okay. Well...thanks, I guess." We parted as the warning bell rang. I spent the rest of the day in a state of simi-bewilderment. I had no clue who this Rachel was, but I didn't think turning her in would do any good at this point. Though I wasn't above going over to Margie's social media and seeing if anyone on her friends list was named Rachel. Even if they weren't talking I still kind of wanted a face to go with the name. Just in case. I was also was wondering why Margie felt the need to confess at all.

"Hello, earth to Theo." Brandon snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"Sorry. What?"

"Are you really going to Texas with Jasper?"

"Yeah, to look at apartments for college." I watched the stream of kids exit the building and make their way to their cars. This particular Wednesday had been tiring and I was anxious to get out of here. I prayed for Shirley to hurry so we could leave. Margie and two other girls got into someone's truck and hit the road at a not school zone safe speed.

Brandon leaned closer to me. "You know how to defend yourself right? In case of unwanted advances?"

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously?"

"I'm just looking out for you," he said defensively raising his hands. "Even if Jasper's a perfect gentlemen there's bound to be plenty of guys down there who aren't."

"You do realize I've spent the last three summers down there?" Besides based on the six training sessions I'd taken with Jasper and Nessie I knew that I wasn't good at fighting. Abysmal was more the word. Jasper wanted to try and continue, and still brought it up occasionally, but I'd been firm that it was just a waste of time. Nessie agreed with me. I had learned how to throw a decent punch but the finer points of this art were completely lost on me. Instead I bought a large can of pepper spray that now lived in my purse. It didn't exactly meet his standards of great self defense but seemed to ease his mind slightly.

"Yeah around geeks and nerds," he snorted.

I rolled my eyes at him again.