Traces of Delilah

Seventeen

A crowd had formed around the small light blue and gray house. There were at least three cop cars and one ambulance parked to the center of the street, blocking traffic. I could barely see over the people's heads in front of me. So, I was forced to peek through the gap in between their arms.

A stretcher was being hauled out of the house. On top of it was a—oh god—that was a body bag. I placed a hand over my stomach, which had dropped, and took a long stride back.

"No, no, no." A woman cried loudly. "Mi bebe varon." There was a man holding her up in his arms as she sunk to the hard concrete beneath their feet. They had both been standing behind the police tape with shattered expressions on their faces. Her tears could flood a river at the rate she was going.

"What the hell? What's going on!? Why are there police surrounding Mateo's house?" I could hear a familiar voice screaming in the distance.

Something loud, sounding like metal, clanked against the pavement. When I turned my head, my eyes met Camille's tall figure slithering her way through the crowd. She hadn't seen me from where I stood but I could see her perfectly. Makayla and Nyla were running behind her, eyes as wide as saucers. They must have been bike riding through town together because there were two of them on the floor. Those must have been the source of the noises.

"Mateo! What happened!? Oh my God, Mateo!" Camille screamed, her voice filled with horror, as she took in the body bag, they were pushing into the coroner's truck. Makayla and Nyla stood stiff as statues, unresponsive. As police struggled to keep Camille behind the crime tape, I backed away slowly. I didn't stop until I was back beside my car, watching from a distance.

"I saw the whole thing," an elderly man to the side of me whispered to another woman. His thick bushy gray eyebrows were pulled together. I watched a frown cross his lips as he shook his head.

"The whole thing?" the little old lady whispered back. The small poodle she had tied to a leash in her hands was barking nonstop. The barking hadn't seemed to be bothering anyone though because everyone was too focused on the scene unraveling before them.

He nodded. "Right on up there through my telescope"—he pointed to the house behind us, across the street from the victim's—"I was on the roof taking notes as I do every day when I'm studying the sky. But this time, I was trying to adjust my telescope. It was aimed right into his window. I looked through just in time to see him pop two whole bottles of pills. Minutes later he was foaming at the mouth.

"The parents were a mess. Didn't know what to do. When the ambulance got there, I looked through again. Paramedics tried pumping the boy's stomach but he was gone. He's been living here nearly his whole life. Didn't think he'd ever do something like that. But that's boys looked stressed for a while now." He frowned. There was a lace of disappointment coating the man's face.

The little old lady put a hand over her mouth. "Oh God, what? That's horrible! Are you serious!?" She gasped. The man only nodded again.

Holy shit. . . It was Mateo.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I didn't know the guy well. But it was still a tough thing to manage. Mateo committed suicide.

When I thought back to the last day, I saw him storming away from Makayla and Nyla, the reality washed over me faster. And I felt like I was fucking drowning in the truth. I wondered if that day had something to do with it.

Now it was starting to get too crowded for me. I shook my head and backed into my car. It was best I got the hell out of here before I saw any other familiar faces. News traveled fast around here. I was sure I'd run into someone soon enough.