mauerbauertraurigkeit
(n.) the inexplicable urge to push people away, even close friends or people you like
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Ivy's interrogation...
Eden's POV:

Seated on opposite sides of a desk in the empty classroom, I ensured the door was securely locked before commencing our interrogation.

The seating was intentional, aiming for an atmosphere that mirrored an actual investigation.

I produced a paper containing a list of questions I planned to ask. It was a precaution in case I were to forget all my questions in the heat of the moment.

"Before we begin, I need you to promise me that you'll be entirely truthful with me. I have no interest in wasting my time if you're just going to lie to my face." I declared, scrutinizing Ivy's response.

She nodded in silent agreement, promising honesty.

While she could have chosen to lie, my intuition suggested Ivy wasn't guilty. For some reason, I just had the feeling that she couldn't have done it.

Even if she did deceive me, I trusted that, with more information from other suspects, I could piece together the clues and determine who was genuine.

Glancing at my list of questions, I proceeded to read the first one aloud.

"Did you kill Violet?" I asked her seriously, my gaze fixed on her. She paused for a moment, her face expressionless, before responding, "What kind of question is that? No, I didn't kill her."

Her defensive tone and offended expression made me furrow my brow and mutter, "Geez, alright, let's move on to the next question then."

I was determined to uncover the truth behind Violet's death. "Where and what were you doing around the time of her death; which is 1:00 am?' I asked

.After taking a moment to gather her thoughts as to what she was doing back then, she replied, "I think I was at home, fast asleep."

Initially, her answers seemed to support her innocence, but I knew I couldn't solely rely on them. I had to dig deeper. It was time to ask more specific and probing questions.

Retrieving the necklace that Kiara and I had discovered in Violet's room, I held it up for her to see and asked, "Do you recognize this necklace? Have you seen it before or know where it comes from?"

She took the necklace into her hands, examining the intricate red heart pendant. I watched her closely, searching for any sign of recognition.

After a moment of contemplation, I noticed a flicker of familiarity in her eyes. She handed the necklace back to me, a sigh being released from her.

"I feel like I've seen someone wearing this necklace before, but I couldn't tell you who," she confessed. Although her response didn't provide any substantial information, it hinted at the possibility that she had encountered someone who possessed the same necklace.

We were making progress, but there was still a long way to go. "Next, did Violet ever send you a message around the time of her death?" I asked, my voice steady but filled with anticipation.

She hesitated, her uneasiness becoming apparent. After a prolonged pause, she cleared her throat and replied, "Uhm... no. I didn't receive any texts from Violet around the time of her death."

There was a newfound certainty in her tone. I regarded her with a perplexed expression and stated, "Alright, then let's move on to the next question..."

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After a few questions I dismissed Ivy and she left the classroom. I had collected some information but it wasn't enough. I gathered my stuff and left the classroom.

Ivy's POV:

I let out a long breath of relief as I finally stepped out of the classroom, glad to be free from the pressure of answering the questions.

It's funny how sometimes we feel the need to hide certain truths, even though we know it's not the right thing to do. This was exactly the case when it came to the question about Violet sending me a message.

I had my reasons for not telling Eden about it, and it had nothing to do with trying to avoid suspicion. Rather, it was solely because of the complex emotions that swirled within me when I thought about why Violet reached out to me.

(Flashback)

It was late at night, and I was lying in bed, ready to drift off to sleep when suddenly I heard my phone ring. Just as I was about to grab it and check the caller ID, my mother called out my name, effectively interrupting my train of thought.

I had no choice but to get up and tend to whatever she needed. After finishing with my mom, I returned to my room, curious to see who had called me.

To my surprise, I discovered a missed call from Violet and a voicemail that lasted a total of 54 seconds.

The question that immediately came to mind was, why was she reaching out to me? After all, we hadn't spoken since our heated argument.

Despite my initial reluctance to call her back, my curiosity eventually got the better of me, so I decided to listen to the voicemail she left.

"Hey Ivy! I hope you're doing well. It's been a while since we last talked, and I really should've reached out to you sooner, but life got in the way. I just wanted to take a moment to apologize for everything that happened between us. After our argument, I felt incredibly lonely, but I was fortunate enough to find a group of friends who accepted me for who I truly am, rather than who I was pretending to be. It felt amazing to finally be myself and have real connections with people. However, deep down, I still missed you, despite the way you treated me. You were the first person who showed me even a glimpse of honesty, and for that, I'll always be grateful. I have to finish packing now, but I promise we'll talk when I come back. In the meantime, I just wanted to say sorry once again for my behavior. Anyways, I have to go now. Take care! Bye!"

As the voicemail came to an end, I couldn't help but furrow my eyebrows in annoyance.

It was frustrating to hear Violet's words and realize that I had impulsively deleted the voicemail without even considering its significance.

In that moment, I didn't fully grasp the weight of what I had done. I discarded a piece of Violet's heartfelt message as if it meant nothing, and to this day, I deeply regret that decision.

It was a thoughtless act that I can never undo, and it serves as a constant reminder of my own shortcomings and the missed opportunity to mend our friendship.

The voicemail was a precious fragment of our connection, and I will forever carry the weight of knowing that I didn't cherish it when I had the chance. It's a mistake I will never forgive myself for.

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A/N
First Interrogation! Many more to go!
Don't forget to vote!
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