ROSES WERE RED

ONE NOTE OFF

Ravenhart is known for many things. Academics, sports, debate; basically all things good. It's believed that it shaped it's students into brilliant, perfect citizens. The school was indeed perfect. Nothing was amiss. So the scene of police officers flooding the institution was met with awe. Principal Welkins met them in his office.

“We need to search the school. We have Intel that there's something that will help us with Miss Blackwood’s case,” Roman said as soon as he was seated.

“The whole school? Isn't that ridiculous. For all we know your source might be messing with you,” Mr. Welkins replied.

“Well, we know that by the end of the day.”

“ Do you have a warrant?”

Roman brandished the warrant and went to start the search.

The police swept through every locker, every room and space. The clique was exchanging knowing glances each time they passed each other by. Everyone had that same question in their mind. Who tipped off the police. Damien accosted Amara with the question.

“You ratted us out the first chance you got didn't you?”

They were in the school field. He looked scared and angry.

“I knew you'll be the first one to ask me, seeing as how guilty you are,” she replied casually. Her calmness about the situation made him angrier.

He neared her, turned to see if anybody was watching and sneered at her, “ I don't know what game you're playing but I assure you it won't end well for you or anyone for that matter!”

“Listen here. Don't you bother me with your paranoid deductions. Maybe if you learned to control that dick of yours you wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nina was a loose end for you, wasn't she?”

“Are you hearing yourself right now? Why in the fucking world would I kill her?”

“Because she knew you've been fucking with your friend's girlfriend,” she fired back.

He was lost for words. He wanted to say something but he'd lost his voice. He walked away, frustrated.

Amara watched him walk away then she saw Cassie sitting on the bleachers alone. She had put on her headphones and shut her eyes as she listened to the music. She was just from having a talk with Cameron. He wanted closure. He asked her why she had disappeared after that prom night, broke up with him over the phone and now that she was back she didn't even want to talk to him. He wanted to know what he'd done wrong. But she didn't offer him the closure he wanted.

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The police search ended a little after noon. They had found nothing useful. Officer Roman passed by Nina as he was leaving the school. He tried to talk to her but she insisted that lunch break was over and she had to get to class.

Classes had not started. Amara just didn't want to talk to him. She went to the music room. She wanted to play the piano a bit. It always calmed her down. Back at home she would ask James, a hotel owner, to allow her to play at least one song on his piano to the customers.

She didn't get the quiet she was looking for. As soon as she entered Cameron was angrily turning over the last chair standing. He was worked up. When he saw her entering the room he tried to compose himself. He stroked his hair in frustration before standing akimbo in her direction.

“I'm sorry you had to see that.”

“Is this about the police?” She asked.

He hesitated for a while before responding, “ Y- Yeah, sure.”

“Well they didn't find anything,” she said, positioning herself by the piano. She knew he wasn't angry about that but she played along.

“Who tipped them off anyway?” He pushed his lie.

“I don't know,” she said, playing a key on the piano, “ but Damien seems to think I did.” She played another key.

“How well did you know this Nina?” She asked, seeming disinterested.

“No one really did. She was only friends with one person,” he replied, sitting beside her and playing a key. He looked calm now.

“Just one friend? Who is it?”

He looked up trying to recall the name. “Drake. She was always with Drake.” She took a minute to process that.

She started playing “Shadows beneath the Keys” using the right side only. Cameron played the left.

Mid-song she asked, “Why are you part of the clique?”

Cameron stopped playing. He forced a smile.

“You are saying it as if we are some murder club.”

“Well you had a dead body locked up in the school freezer so…”

He chuckled. “True. I was trying to help Cassie.”

“Help her? How?”

“That prom night she called me. We had gone together but she disappeared a little after midnight. I had not seen her for a while. Over the phone she was crying saying she did something horrible.”

His face had turned grim.

“What had she-”

“It's time for class!” The music teacher interrupted her. Cameron stood up and walked out of the room. Amara followed suit but she still had a lot of questions. Something was off.