What's going on now?" Jasmine asked, glancing down towards her phone again. "I could've sworn this whole Elliot business has been settled for good. After all, we got quite a few confessions and then we found out that those didn't even matter..."

"That's what I thought too," Neville agreed. "We know you're DA, we know who the murderer is...even though that information isn't going to leave Cloisterham's campus...but it's all come together. The confessions are done. Mr. Jasper has left the school."

"You could almost see things returning to whatever we consider to be average and typical for Cloisterham, although it is difficult to think of anything in Cloisterham as average and typical..." Rosa sighed out.

"But obviously it's not over yet," Helena added in.

"But of course," Rosa said, looking down. "It would be too convient, wouldn't it?"

Despite this sadness that washed over her, Rosa followed her friends to the auditorium. She stood amongst the chattering students, letting their confusion wash over her. But as the chattering stopped, Rosa decided to look up and see what was happening on the stage.

Rosa soon could not see Elliot properly as her eyes glazed over with tears.

"It cannot be...it cannot be them, it cannot..."

She did not realize she was collapsing until she was caught. Helena struggled to get her back on her feet with her twin brother sensing Rosa's descent at the same time.

"Rosa, it is," Helena murmured over to her, wrapping a protective arm around Rosa's shoulders. Neville, however, retracted his arms as quickly as he had let them out. "I don't know how, but it is."

But Rosa wasn't listening to Helena's words as she gazed back to Elliot standing before them all on the stage. She didn't want to miss a single word that came from their lips. She wanted to know what was happening. She wanted to know that somehow it was all real and true.

"I'm alive," Elliot said, staring out into the audience and yet at no one and nothing. "I know it's...it's crazy. I know you've all gone through all sorts of crap, trying to figure out who killed me and all of that...but () didn't kill me. I'm alive."

Elliot paused as if waiting for someone to cry out in shock or horror or delight, but the audience was stuck within a silence. The only one who seemed to make any sort of sound was the heavy breathing of Rosa. Elliot's eyes were immediately drawn to her standing there, quivering and enveloped in Helena's arms.

And when their eyes met, Elliot knew that they had made the right decision to return.

"You were far from alone when you assumed I was dead! I thought I was done for too, that moment when I first ended up with a scarf pulled around my neck," they explained. "It's...it's impossible to put into words, but I'll try. I think that Rosa would have an easier time saying this, but..."

"Go on, Elly," Rosa prompted, her voice soft. They could not hear her fully from up on the stage, but they read her lips nevertheless. With her encouragement, they knew they could speak. These were words that had been caught within their throat for months on end, building up to where Elliot could hardly breathe. Now, once again, they could speak.

"First comes the shock, that moment when you realize that your time is just about up. You feel it constrict your neck, you feel the complete panic that washes over you, and you...you can't do a thing. You can't breathe, so you can't do a thing. All at once your mind is a mess, trying to figure out what to do, but then it all just turns to a hum with no answer. It just happens, and there is nothing more to be done."

Once again, Elliot paused. No one dared to do anything more than breathe. No one dared to believe that what they were seeing was real.

"Of course I thought I was going to die! When my eyes started going dark, I assumed I knew exactly what was going to happen. I was going to have my life ended right there, not even knowing who killed me. But then I woke up, dragged off into some deep corner of a forest nearby. I didn't know where I was or what had happened, I only knew that someone had tried to get rid of me and I was soaked, frozen from the rain."

At this point, Rosa started to weep quietly, the sound of her emotion ringing in everyone's ears as they tried to listen to all Elliot had to say.

"I had to run away as soon as I woke up and realized that I'd nearly been murdered. I mean, if someone saw me alive, wouldn't they just try to kill me again before I ended up spreading the word about? And so I decided not to do such a thing when it all came down to it. I decided to stop and then move on. It was kind of terrifying, trying to disguise myself that whole time. I was at the beach, not in this area, but still..."

Elliot swallowed, remembering how much fear had sat within them for those many weeks, terrified someone would recognize them and come and end them for good.

"I saw you once, Rosa," they said, a small smile flitting to their lips. "I don't know what you were doing at the beach, and I guess I won't know until a little later, but I saw you around there. I didn't speak to you, knowing that you would most likely end up spreading it around Cloisterham, but...it was comforting to see you, if only just for a few seconds."

Rosa's tears slowed for a moment, moved by this new revelation provided by Elliot. She could hardly breathe, but now she knew that there was something to hold onto. Elliot was back. They were.

"And now I know what happened. All I had to do was follow everything on Rosa's blog, and then DA's blog, and then Helena's and Jasmine's as well...it all came together through all these people who might not have realized just how much they were helping me. And there's so much that has happened that I don't know. But I'm back here, now. That's all that matters now. And...and that's all I have to say."

The ever silent audience continued their silence for only a few moments more. Then they erupted into cheers and applause. No one had ever expected to see Elliot Drew again, let alone have them make such a speech and explain their side of the story. It only felt natural to scream.

Of course, Rosa didn't partake in all the cheers and screaming. Instead she let Helena wrap her arms around her and do nothing more than cry as she let this news sink in. But as her tears finally subsided and she turned out of Helena's arms, she found Elliot standing behind her.

"Elly?"

"Rosa...I...I've been meaning to talk to you. We have so much to talk about."

"Talk about?" Rosa managed to sniffle out. "But...but...it's so noisy with so many people about this area..."

"Alone, I mean," Elliot said, giving a slight laugh and extending their hand. Rosa glanced back to Helena but did not say a thing. Instead she mustered a smile and took Elliot's hand. She let them lead her onward until the two of them were together backstage, the only nearby place that was quiet.

"Oh, Elly!" Rosa exclaimed, throwing herself into an embrace with them now that they were together. "Elly, Elly, Elly."

Elliot allowed themself to melt into the embrace, but only for a moment. They then caught themself and pulled away from her. As wonderful as a hug could be, talking about everything they'd had locked up within them for ages.

"Oh, Elly, what are you going to do now?" Rosa asked, speaking out before Elliot could guide the conversation. "You're back here, and..."

"I'm going to keep going on, keep living life," Elliot replied. "If there's one thing I learned from 'being dead,' it's how precious being alive is. I mean, think about it! It's a wonder that we even survive. Life is just bits of time, and yet it's all strung together in a way that people hardly seem to appreciate."

"Oh," Rosa sighed. "Oh, that's so...so lovely."

She couldn't help but beam at them after this speech they'd put on for the school. Dear Elly had returned after all the strife and horrible things that occurred. Somehow everything was falling all back into place, and Rosa wouldn't dare question it. All she could do was smile until she thought for a moment about what she needed to say herself.

"Listen, Elly, I must speak to you about your uncle, I..." Rosa began, but her voice began to trail off as she realized that she was not at liberty to speak freely on the matters. Yes, she definitely wanted to tell Elly some things about Jon, but others were secrets she wasn't necessarily meant to uncover.

"What has he gotten up to?" Elliot said, releasing a small laugh.

"I'll...I'll tell you about it later. I think right now is not...is not the proper moment to express such thoughts!"

But Elliot wouldn't take this as a proper answer (mostly as it was not a proper answer - Rosa was just trying to get herself out of the situation in whatever way she could see).

"Rosa, what is it? What's going on with Uncle Jon?" they asked. "We're alone now, you can tell me."

"I do not believe...I don't feel as if now is the most appropriate time to converse about it."

"Peaches," Elliot said, a disdainful but still joking tone entering their voice.

"What?"

"This is my uncle. He practically raised me. You've got to understand that. So what do you have to say?"

Rosa breathed out. She had to say something, had to start somewhere.

"He left. He left the school."

"Well, I figured that much out already on my own. I was wondering where he was."

"He didn't have a choice to leave," Rosa began, attempting to select her words as carefully as possible. "He...he made a confession in front of the entire school."

"Just like you did, and you're still at the school. Luckily."

"Well, yes, but...he confessed to your murder, Elly. He thought he had been the one to murder you-"

"No one murdered me. And murderer certainly isn't Uncle Jon," Elliot said, their formerly joking demeanor fading away.

"You're missing the point, Elly," Rosa said, tears misting over her eyes. "Your own uncle, your own beloved uncle, thought he had murdered you."

"Why would he think he had done that? How on earth could Uncle Jon think he killed me?" Elliot said, frustration entering their voice. Rosa seemed desperate to portray something that she couldn't force out quite yet.

"See, this is why I did not wish to speak of such matters, it is quite complex and far too difficult to talk about when we should be rejoicing at your return to Cloisterham."

"Rosa, you can dance around this as much as you want but I'm going to find out what's going on."

"No, no, no, I'll tell you, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"He's in love with me. Your uncle. He is."

Elliot didn't respond.

Assuming they did not comprehend her words, she continued.

"He has contained passion and affection for me for quite a long while now. I knew, but I did not wish to soil your good view of your uncle, but everyone knows now. He confessed such sentiment to the entire school."

But Elliot had already understood.

"Is this a joke, Peaches?"

"Of course not," Rosa exclaimed. "Of course not. I would not dare joke about such a serious matter, I could never..."

"No, this has to be a joke," Elliot said, shaking their head and crossing their arms. "No. I refuse to believe this."

"It's true, Elly, I could swear it upon my life but I do not feel as if that should be done. You should believe me. I know it seems mad which is why I never told a soul throughout the years. But I have loathed his gaze and know of his affections even if they were not spoken out loud. Now I have spoken to him more and have discussed these matters, but..."

"And you knew and you never thought that, just maybe, you should let your enbyfriend know that there was something going on?"

Rosa bit her lip while attempting to mentally compose her answer.

"I told you already, I did not wish to destroy any of the relationships you hold dear - you and your uncle, and then the two of us...both of which would've been fractured by me telling you of such a matter."

"Then why now?"

"We have been fractured quite enough in these past months, I am afraid. And I feel as if you should know from my lips and not have it come as a shock from somewhere else, as he told the entire school, as I said...better for me to bring it up than anyone else, perhaps..."

Rosa knew by this point her part of this accidental battle was lost, and this was enough to make tears jump to her eyes. But Elliot's emotions moved in a very different direction, which only increased the strain between the two even further.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Elliot said, their eyes growing. "Why didn't he tell me any of this? He wanted to kill me because he wanted you so much and I was in the way...no. It can't be."

"Then ask him yourself," Rosa said, sniffling but attempting to stabilize her voice. "Ask him when you see him again. He shall not lie to you once he has regained his composure, after he is shocked by your reappearance."

But Elliot didn't want to hear about any of it. Her explanations meant little to them now. This was not something they ever would've anticipated.

"Why are you telling me any of this?" Elliot asked. "I was bound to find this all out as soon as I went to go see Uncle Jon, sooner or later. Why does it have to be the words from your mouth?"

"I have spoken to him, and-"

"What, did he ask you to tell me everything? Right after he admitted he loved you and that you hated him?"

"No, Elly. Your uncle has been through hell and back more times then I can fathom," Rosa sighed out. "And if I can spare him from another trip to hell I feel that is my duty to do so. I must do something, anything in my power...you must understand."

"But I don't, and that's the problem," Elliot replied, their voice coming out more forcefully than intended. "I don't understand why you have to tell me this, why you know so much about it and I know nothing."

"Elly, you were not present here at Cloisterham for ages, and until the confessions occurred not a soul in this school recognized your uncle's affections for me, and it was only after this that I was able to speak to him candidly on these matters."

Elliot didn't have an immediate response for this. Instead they did what tended to be something more in Rosa's domain - they stood there and thought for a moment. Rosa was doing her best to get a hold of her emotions, and it seemed that at least for the moment she was succeeding.

"I don't get you, Rosa," Eliot said. "I don't understand what's going through your head."

"You don't need to," Rosa replied, her voice light. "This whole matter of murder and mystery has come to its conclusion now that you have emerged and revealed yourself to be alive."

"Sure," Elliot agreed. "I just...whatever. It doesn't matter."

"Elly?" Rosa asked, her voice barely audible.

"I guess I should get going to see Uncle Jon soon, then," Elliot said, releasing a sigh. "We really have a lot to talk about. More thn I thought it did, so it seems."

"I apologize," Rosa said. She felt a lump growing within her throat, built from the frustration and lack of resolution between her and Elliot. "I did not mean for any of this to become so convuluted and horrifying, but I cannot control the thoughts and feelings of another, and I only wanted to-"

"Peaches, please."

Rosa inhaled sharply before bowing her head and falling silent. She could hardly keep track of all that flew through her mind already, and now that she had Elliot in front of her once again it continued to spill out and out and out until there was nothing left. But, when it came to her, there was always something left.

Elliot simply stared at her for a moment, something which seemed to be becoming more and more natural to them. They couldn't figure her out no matter how much they wanted to. There was so much to her that they wanted to know but couldn't. They couldn't find the words.

"I missed you, Peaches. I didn't realize how much I was missing everything you had to offer. I'm sorry that this has to be the way we get back together again."

"Elly-"

"No. I did. And I didn't mean to treat you as badly as I have for these past years."

"Elly, please..." Rosa said, shaking her head.

"What is it?"

"I..." Rosa realized very quickly that she was left without words. She could attempt to speak to Elliot, attempt to speak her mind...but she didn't know how to. She had never known how to.

"Rosa, you can trust me. Whatever you need to say, you can say it," Elliot said, trying to soften their voice as much as possible "I know you're not happy right now, but, really...when you have you ever been?"

"Oh, God..." Rosa sighed. "I don't know what I want to say. There's so much that has occurred, so much I desire to apologize for, but I cannot seem to articulate it."

"It's because you don't trust me," Elliot said, shaking their head.

"What? No, I did not say such a thing, I do not-"

"Rosa, I know you hardly trust anyone, and since I've been gone and hid that from you I know you don't trust me. But I want you to trust me. I don't think you ever trusted me before I ended up 'dead', but I want to change that."

"That is not your fault, Elly, I simply cannot find many people who I trust in and...and I do not think you should fault yourself for my own...my own thoughts."

"Rosa," Elliot said, letting out a sigh that sounded almost exactly as breathy as Rosa's. "Rosa, I don't think you're listening to me."

"I...I'm sorry," Rosa said, bowing her head once again and letting Elliot continue with all they had to say.

"I wish I hadn't been so horrible to you. I realized all of that as soon as I left Cloisterham, as soon as I waited all on my own for the frenzy to pass by, waited to find out who it was who had tried to kill me so I would be safe. I should've been thinking about that, I guess, but I kept thinking about you."

"And what reason would you possibly have to think about me?" Rosa asked. "You must've known I would not be in any danger-"

"() nearly killed me, which was exactly why I was worried. And it wasn't just that. I mean...we decided to be siblings before Christmas, but we didn't tell anyone. I never got the chance to, and you...well, you thought I was dead, and so you didn't have to."

Rosa inhaled sharply as she realized what Elliot was trying to say, even if they did not understand it themself.

"Oh."

"I hope you and Helena are happy."

"We are," Rosa breathed out, but she knew there was so much more she wanted to say. She couldn't. She didn't know how. No matter how she spoke out she would not be able to express the emotions that threatened to pour out of her in any way possible.

"How long have...how long have the two of you...you two...?"

"Not very long. Several weeks. We...we made it official after I came back after I...well, I ran away. But that is not something I wish to discuss."

"No, I already know about that."

"What?"

"I follow you on all of your social media accounts. And I still checked them however I could when I was gone," Elliot replied. "I saw when you disappeared and I saw your apologies when you came back. And so I guess there's more to it than I thought. You never told anyone why you ran away."

"I told everyone that I regretted my decision to leave and that my motivation should not have caused me to take such drastic measures. But the reason why I left is not...it's not important right now."

"It's not important because you don't want to tell me about it," Elliot said, letting out a sigh. "Obviously. You just don't want to tell me anything."

"Elly."

"Peaches."

"This is going absolutely nowhere, isn't it? The two of us, attempting to get back with one another and finding it is far more arduous than either of us ever would've intended."

Elliot bit their lip, considering whether they wanted to try to push this conversation further or not. They had wished to speak to Rosa for such a long time, and now that she was in front of them it was going nowhere.

"Goodbye, Elly," Rosa said, forcing her lips into a smile although she wanted nothing more than to allow them to quirk down.

"Goodbye, Peaches."

Rosa didn't walk away at first and instead stayed frozen as Elliot turned their back and began to walk away. She seemed prepared to open her mouth and call out for Elliot to return and talk to her once more, but she instead remained silent. She simply let them walk away and then turned to walk away herself. What else could she do?

She saw people she knew when walking across the lawn back to the dorms, but she didn't wave or anything. She just kept walking, knowing tht if anyone tried to ask her about how she felt about Elliot's return she would break down.

Upon entering her dorm room, Rosa let out a horribly melodramatic sigh. This was more than enough to get Helena to peer up from the novel she had been engrossed in just moments before.

"Good to see you too, Rosa."

"Oh, Helena. You know I am not displeased with you...it is just that matters surrounding me have not improved drastically despite Elly's reappearance...never mind it. I suppose I only require some time to myself to think through the circumstances I now find myself in."

"Rosa, tell me. Were you with Elliot that whole time?" Helena asked.

"Of course," Rosa said, attempting to keep the air light. "I'm quite pleased they have returned, more than any words can say."

"Rosa, don't try to trick me into thinking you're fine. The whole reason I knew you were with Elliot is because you look upset."

"Am I so transparent?" Rosa asked. "Well, indeed, I was with Elliot and I am not pleased. I am not pleased at all, and I don't know what to do about it."

"Then tell me what happened," Helena said. "I can't help you if you stay silent about it."

Rosa glanced down at her hands, unsure if she was ready to speak out in such a way about all that had just occurred. It still seemed to be too fresh in her mind, too close to her mind to avoid escaping wounds.

But she also wanted help. She wanted to have Helena support her and help her get through such matters, all because she knew Helena could. She wanted to igve her turst and her all to Helena.

With a sigh, Rosa made her decision. If Helena did not find out in this moment, she almost certainly would later on. It was of no use to her to remain silent on the matter.

"I told them about Mr. Jasper's affections. They did not have any desire to believe it, of course, and I did my best to heal such matters...but, of course, it did not succeed."

"They tend to be stubborn, or as least that's what I've picked up on."

"They are quite stubborn, indeed. But I can fully comprehend why Elly did not wish to think such a thing of their uncle. Mr. Jasper more or less raised them, gave them everything they needed to get by in life...and his affections for me must seem akin to betrayal in Elly's eyes."

"But that's not your problem," Helena replied. "It's between Mr. Jasper and Elliot. The two of them will have to work it out together."

"But I am thrust within the middle of both of them due Mr. Jasper's affections!" Rosa exclaimed. "I am a part of this problem."

"It's not your fault that Mr. Jasper fell in love with you," Helena said, trying to put gravity in her voice without sounding as if she was angry. "It's not your fault that anything that happened because he fell in love with you happened. I want you to understand that because sometimes it seems like you forget."

"No, I know, but without my presence it is very unlikely that such a chain of events would've unfolded. Without me, none of this would've happened..."

"That's true, but at the end of the day it has almost nothing to do with you. And I want you to look on the bright side. Think about this: Elliot is back now. You don't have to worry about people ruining their image."

"As horrid as it is I am afraid that is just as much of a dilemma as ever," Rosa admitted. "How many people will focus on the truths Elly has uncovered when they can instead find melodrama within it? It will only prolong these horrid happenings, albeit in another manner. And if we are forced to keep it locked within Cloisterham then it shall only fester."

"How do you know that?" Helena replied, scooting closer to Rosa until they were sitting right beside one another. "Nothing has happened yet, and now Elliot is here. You don't have to miss them any more. We can make this work out, no matter what's going through your head."

Although Rosa gave a small smile knowing that Helena was so close, this soon faded as her train of thought returned, back on its tracks.

"I just know, Helena. And I know that Elly will want to speak out against it, I know it-"

"Or they've already been talked to about the matter. They know () thought () killed them, they know the story behind it now...it's not as simple as their decision to tell all that has happened."

"Oh, you're right," Rosa admitted, letting a sigh. "Of course you're right. I do not know why I was being so foolish about it. Any battle I may chose to fight on this matter will be a battle lost, even if it was of speech."

"Rosa, I hope you understand that I'm not trying to make you feel any worse about this."

"Oh, of course not...but think of it this way. The mystery is now solved, and thus Cloisterham becomes a mystery of its own."