k a r r i s

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Despite the anarchy that was the Villanueva household this morning, my day wasn't entirely terrible— yet. My classes were interesting and enjoyable. I received a 96% on my AP Bio exam, my essay on The Grapes of Wrath was dubbed a 'riveting piece from a young scholar,' and to top it off, Michael had an extra package of Tropical Skittles, which he handed to me in between passing periods. Monday in November was going by swimmingly, and when lunchtime rolled around, I truly believed it was going to be a normal one.

It started off just fine, you see.

Situated near the windows, my friends and I took over one of the larger tables to consume our packed lunch. The clear morning skies turned into dark grey and when I peered through the glass, I could make out several devilish clouds looming above. Even though it seemed like rain was imminent, only sunshine poured from within us.

Berkley was giving Natalia a crash course in the vast array of Pupusas, which of course, I snuck one out of the pile to munch on. Calum and Mollie were throwing grapes into each other's mouths from across the table, and then there was Ashton and I. He skipped the second half of fourth period and drove a few blocks up Marlow Avenue where McDonald's was. When he came back, he swung the greasy paper bag towards me with a proud smile etched on his face.

"Thanks again for getting me lunch," I motioned for the empty wrappers on the table top. "You shouldn't have skipped class to do it, though. I could've just bought something in the cafeteria."

"You had a rough morning," Ashton shrugged shyly. "I wanted to make you feel better."

"And you did. Super sized fries, truly makes a girl's heart warmer," I mused, getting up from my seat slightly to kiss Ashton on the cheek.

"Oh Luke, thank you for the extra cafeteria chocolate milk," Michael playfully swooned, bringing his normally deep voice a few octaves higher.

We all turned to look at Michael and Luke who sat at the corner of the table engaged in a silly improv; an impromptu skit that teased everyone else.

"I live to please you— my sweet pea honey bee douche flower," Luke squeezed Michael's cheek.

"Bae forever," Michael batted his lashes dramatically as he blew Luke a kiss.

We broke into hysterical laughter, shaking our heads in expense. Normally, that type of teasing behavior would be something Berkley and I would be engaged in. However, we were both lucky to be in relationships— incredibly lucky on my behalf because I was an awkward girl whose favorite animal was an alpaca, and who saved her allowance on a brand new, top-of-the-line calculator.

The clock on our lunch period was ticking down, and in ten minutes classes would unfortunately resum. As we enjoyed our last several moments of break, the main cafeteria doors opened. However, no one seemed to notice or care due to the rambunctious conversations that bounced against the lunchroom walls. It wasn't until the atmosphere changed from carefree joy, to panic did we become fully aware of the unexpected troupe of people.

Principal Keller marched through the cafeteria aisles with Detective Ross and two other officers trailing behind. The entire room kept their mouths shut as they watched the authoritative figures storm through the space with purpose in every step.

"That's Detective Ross," I leaned over and whispered in Ashton's ear. "I wonder what he's doing here."

Were they here to question students? Did they finally solve the enigma behind the contents of the mystery meat? What I assumed was just an innocent visit, was actually a legal seize. Principal Keller and the police force stopped in front of our table with serious expressions. Detective Ross and I locked eyes for a quick moment before the true reason of his visit was revealed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch, kids," Principal Kellar frowned, shooting us a sympathetic look. "Calum?"

Our eyes darted to the dark haired boy who seemed to be growing nervous by the second. We stared and stared, as if trying to telepathically delve into a conversation with our friend.

Detective Ross stepped forward and with an assertive tone broadcasted, "Calum Hood, you are under arrest for the murder of Gabriel Villanueva."

"What?" I breathed, and the entire cafeteria gasped at the Detective's words.

Calum cooperated, standing up with his arms above his head. He didn't fight the accusation when we both knew it was 100% wrong. One of the police officers pulled a pair of shiny handcuffs from his belt and proceeded to place them on the wrists of Calum.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law," Detective Ross addressed the Miranda rights as protocol, and all we could do was watch in shock.

"Call my parents," Calum's voice was somber, not an ounce of worry coating his tone. He looked me square in the eye, and with an eerie attitude declared, "I'm sorry Karris."

Detective Ross and his men escorted Calum out of the silent cafeteria. All eyes were on their classmate as he kept his chin to his chest. I expected the crowd of social media savvy teens to pull out their phones and document the drama, but out of respect for our beloved Willowridge Thunderbird, they kept their cellular devices tucked away.

"What the fuck?!" Luke was the first to speak up when Calum and crew were out of the lunchroom. He immediately reverted his attention to me, opening his mouth to speak though no words slipped out.

"Calum couldn't have done it."

"He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I don't know, he did hate Gabe."

"That doesn't mean he'd blow his brains out."

The entire cafeteria boomed with theories, their voices suffocating me and I couldn't think. I knew fully that Calum was arrested on false claims. I knew this, because my brother's real murderer was probably sitting at the back of a classroom on the Brampcrest campus, throwing paper planes to annoy his teacher. Whatever they found in my brother's room this morning was likely solid evidence, otherwise there wouldn't be grounds to arrest Calum.

"Hey," I felt a squeeze of my right hand. "I think it's time to fess up."

"I know Ash," I agreed. "I gotta go home first. I need to tell my mom everything, and then we can call our lawyer."

"I'll drive you," Ashton pulled a set of keys from the small compartment of his backpack as I scooted my chair back. While everyone else continued voicing their opinions and theories, I slipped away with Ashton following behind.

The two of us ran down the hallway just as the bell rang. Students began to pour out of the classrooms, and in attempt to stay together, Ashton grabbed my hand. He pulled me through the crowd and out one of the side exits. Luckily for us, Ashton's car was parked at a stall in the first two aisles.

"I know you're freaked," Ashton started, unlocking his car. He jumped into the driver's seat, immediately sticking the key into the ignition. "But let's just take it one step at a time. And I'll be with you, whenever you need me. I told you baby, you won't do this alone."

If it weren't for the nerves eating away at my stomach, it would've fluttered in kilig the moment the word 'baby' fell from Ashton's lips. Instead, I was rattling in anxiety; wracking my brain over my imminent confession.

(translation: giddiness, extreme emotion)

"Ash, I'm scared," I told him. "What if when I tell the truth about Sebastian it blows up in my face? What if no one believes me? What if—"

"—what if everything goes smoothly?" Ashton interjected. He grabbed my hand, gave it a squeeze, and I felt my nervousness decline a couple of notches. "Look, it's understandable. Sebastian's family runs this town, but you never know. His dad may not be corrupted, and maybe whatever evidence pins Sebastian to the crime is in Gabe's room."

I sat back in my seat, mulling over Ashton's statement. I tried to pull away from his grip, but it only cued him to hold my hand tighter. I've been so worried about everything that could go wrong, that I never gave a second thought to the idea of things going right. It could, couldn't it? I could come clean; tell Detective Ross the entire truth, and life proceeding my confession could go well. The scary part however, was not knowing beforehand.

When Ashton pulled up to my house, I watched the garage door open. Its gears that caused the door to slide into the ceiling made a mechanical groan that echoed in the open air. My mom walked onto the driveway with a quick pace, and an uneasy aura. She unlocked her car door as I opened Ashton's, and hopped out.

"Mom!" I called out.

"I was just about to come pick you up," she informed, surprised to see me standing on the curb. "We have to go to the police station, now."

"Okay," I nodded my head and grabbed my messenger bag off the floor of Ashton's car. "I'm going to the station with my mom. Thank you for driving me home."

"Anytime Karebear," Ashton shot me a smile. "You'll be fine. Keep me updated."

"I will," and with that, I shut the passenger side door of Ashton's car. He drove away as I entered my mom's vehicle, and not long after that, did she backup from the driveway.

"They found some evidence hiding in your brother's room," mom disclosed. I narrowed in my brows, fixed with wonder.

"What did they find and where?" I asked.

"Your brother truly was a street smart kid," she complimented, though the disapproving tone of her voice told me otherwise. "Gabe had a fake outlet installed in his room."

Wow— Gabe was good.

"And... what, um, what was inside?" The words rolled out of my mouth slowly and carefully, as if to stall the question and never hear the truth. I was scared. What did my brother hide that raised eyebrows, and caused Detective Ross to storm into the Willowridge cafeteria to handcuff Calum? Was he hiding surveillance footage? Incriminating photos? A pinky toe?

"A manifesto written by Calum. It included a hit list with several students— your brother included," Mom revealed with an exhale. I heard her sniffle, and when I took a moment to gaze at my mother, I caught her wiping a few tears away with the back of her hand.

"A hit list," I repeated breathlessly, trying to wrap my brain around the idea that the dark-haired boy with the million-dollar smile had one day taken the time to draft a roll of people to execute. But just because he had written a hit list, didn't mean he was actually capable of killing, right?

"Karris," mom continued with a heavy exhale. She turned to look at me, slowing down the car as the street light turned from yellow to red. "They also found a gun... registered to Calum's dad."

Maybe Gabe wasn't the only person I was wrong about— maybe I was wrong about Calum too. I felt so, weird? Was that the word to label the emotion that clung to my heart? I felt betrayed; deceived. It felt like I was in cahoots with a two-timing goon; like I trusted Professor Quirrell, gave him my life, and then find out he's been harboring Lord Voldemort on the back of his head like a man bun. It made me sick to my stomach and I wanted to vomit.

The Arden Heights police station was as modernly pristine as they came. You could drive right by it and never know what went down behind its beige-colored edifice. And the commotion that ensued inside however, gave me whiplash the moment I stepped inside. It was a restrained rush in the way officers paced the offices with purpose, yet without spilling cups of coffee or letting paper work tumble to the floor. It was the atmosphere itself; the air around us that felt intense.

"Mrs. Villanueva," Detective Ross approached, his facial expression twisted with emotions I could not read.

"Detective, what's happening? Where's Calum? Did you question him? Did he confess?" My mother's polished demeanor diminished, and instead she was mama bear in mutiny.

"He's being held in a questioning room," he informed. "We're waiting for his parents and attorney to arrive before we question him."

"Is there anything you need from us?" Mom asked. "I just want this nightmare to be over."

"In due time," Detective Ross quipped. "However, there is one thing, and we can wait till your lawyer comes in, but," he paused taking a glance at me. "I need to question Karris."

"My daughter?" Mom pulled me in closer towards her. "Why?"

"Not only is she Gabe's twin, but she also knows Calum," he explained. "You can be in the room with her, and again, we can wait till your lawyer comes in, but we can't wait all day."

"Anak, how do you feel?" Mom questioned quietly, tilting her head so it's only her I can see. I gazed at my mom, who looked at me with a reassuring glance before darting my eyes over to Detective Ross.

(translation: child, dear)

"I can talk," I nodded my head— it was time to confess. I looked at the Detective warily. I tried to hide the fact that it felt like my body was submerged in a vat of water, while I desperately searched for an ounce of oxygen to breath into.

"Thank you," the genuinely appreciative-laced smile that spread across Detective Ross' made me feel a tad better as I followed him towards a holding room.

Passed the aisle of offices, towards the back of the station, was a corridor of doors lines on either sides of the light grey wall. Perched along the barrier was a long, rectangular window. And behind that slab of glass, sitting at a table with a tipped over paper cup, was a dark-haired fellow— Calum. His deep eyes sunk into the sockets of his skull, swimming in gloom. He kept his hollow gaze straight ahead, and as I passed the window, it seemed like he locked his eyes with mine.

"Two way mirror," Detective Ross quickly explained, noticing my sudden obsession with the piece of glass. "We'll place you in here."

Detective Ross swung open a door parallel to the one that lead to a room where Calum sat in. When the lights turned on, the official space came into view, and my eyes were met with an identical setting. With a nod from Detective Ross, I walked in, taking a seat in one of the chairs and dropped my messenger bag on the floor. My mom sat down next to me, her supportive grin never faltering.

"Would you two like anything to drink? A bottle of water? Soda or coffee?" He offered kindly.

I shook my head, "no thank you."

"Some coffee would be great," my mom spoke up, forcing a polite, tight-lipped smile.

When I caught glimpse of my tired mother, I knew she was craving a cup of brew. Not because she yearned for caffeine, but because it was warm and familiar, unlike this setting she currently was in. A hot cup of coffee, whether terribly roasted or from a fancy French press, the deep, robust taste illustrated more than just coffee. It represented a sunrise; a serene Sunday morning with the newspaper at hand. It portrayed simplicity, and the undemanding life she once had.

Detective Ross stepped out of the room with a nod of his head, leaving my mom and I alone. Silence lacerated the air as I kept my chin to my chest, and my eyes averted. But only after a minute, my mother opened her mouth to speak.

"Don't be afraid, okay anak?" Mom consoled, reaching over to rub my shoulder. I didn't dare look her in the eyes. Despite the encouraging words, I couldn't help it: I was scared. After I admit all I knew about that night at the party of the summer, I just knew my mom wouldn't be able to look me in the eyes anymore.

(translation: child, dear)

Instead of facing my fears, and finding the courage within me, I let Sebastian's threats run my life. I let myself stay scared, and because of that, my family and I had to endure months of unnecessary pain. We could've put all this to rest, but because Sebastian was a walking, talking, breathing nightmare, we were forced to sleep with eyes wide open.

"Alright, all ready Karris?" Detective Ross walked back into the room with a styrofoam cup in one hand, steam dancing above the rim, and a brown manila folder in the other. "Here's your coffee Mrs. Villanueva."

"Thank you," mom took the hot cup into her hands as Detective Ross pulled out packets of sugar and tiny plastic containers of creamer from his khaki pockets.

"Karris, I want to remind you that this is an official interrogation, as subpoenaed by the court," Detective Ross spoke words of momentous weight, but the tone that accompanied him was laced with care. "Anything you say right now, is on record. Also, you are being filmed."

He pointed to the corners of the room where small, black cameras hung from the ceiling. The tiny red bulb near the lens pulsated, and I knew he wasn't joking— this was the real deal.

"I'm ready to talk," I wasn't just telling Detective Ross that, I was declaring it to myself too.

"Now, what can you tell me about the relationship between your brother, Gabriel Villanueva, and Calum Hood?" The first question was out, and was the spark to ignite the slew of truths.

"Well, Detective, I was not attending Willowridge High at the time when my brother and Calum were classmates. I only met Calum this year when I transferred to Willowridge from Brampcrest Academy," I explained, letting out a breath.

"We have strong reason to believe that Gabriel and Calum were enemies," he stated. "While a student at Willowrdige, has anyone told you about their history?"

"Yes, I've heard things," I admitted with a nod of my head. "I've heard that Gabe wasn't the nicest towards Calum; that your suspicions of my twin were correct... he was a bully."

"I know it's not the easiest thing to admit," he quipped, and I shrugged.

"It's all just hearsay," I noted. "I wasn't attending Willowridge when it all happened, so I didn't see anything. There's also no physical evidence."

Detective Ross didn't reply with words, but with movement instead. He opened the flap of the manila folder resting atop the table and pulled out two thin sheets of paper. He pushed them across the table towards me, prompting myself to examine them.

"These are from Calum's therapy files," my eyes gathered the inked scratches across the parchment and deduced what the collection of script meant.

"It's evidence of your brother's behavior towards Calum," Detective reported, as I continued to read the files. Calum was receiving treatment from a Dr. Jacobson at a mental clinic for anxiety, depression, and self inflicted harm.

My own heart suffered from pain as I scanned the words describing Calum's emotional demise as expense of my brother's belittlement and cruelty. For the months I walked the halls of Brampcrest, I did so with a smile plastered on my face. I held my books tightly against my chest, planning the perfect ruse to execute at the upcoming robotics competition. I loved school, and despite the strenuous academia, life was simple. For the months after spending eight to nine hours at Brampcrest, returning home to a warm dinner, our parents would question Gabe and I about our day. Of course, I animatedly spoke of my academic conquests, while Gabe talked about hockey. For months, and months, and months, Gabe was chipper; he was excited about life.

Gabe was happy, and Calum was not.

Calum had a whole life before I even became a part of it. While I skipped merrily around Brampcrest, my dark-haired friend trudged through the Willowridge halls with a target on his back. He was pushed up against lockers, humiliated in front of a crowd, and fell into an emotional spiral at the hands of my brother. And now, here I was, about to change my allegiance from Gabe to Calum.

"Your brother was a genius," Detective Ross complimented. "He had many hiding places in his room, all we would've overlooked."

"That's Gabe for ya," I let out an unamused chuckle, sinking into my seat. "He was good at keeping secrets."

"We found a gun registered to Calum's father hidden in a fake wall outlet behind Gabe's desk. Inside, we also found these," Detective Ross pulled out a two pieces of lined paper, creases embellishing the parchment as if folded several times. The edges were bent and ripped, like they were harshly pulled out of a bound notebook.

"These look like journal entries," I guessed, trailing my fingers across the rough, crumpled pieces of paper. The handwriting was familiar— it belonged to Gabe.

"Do you mind reading them, out loud?"

"Um, yea," I breathed, licking my lips. "'June 10th, 2015. I was running late to school. Fucking Ashton last minute ditched— it was the last day of school so I guessed he was over it. I had to catch the city bus and rolled onto campus in the middle of 2nd period. I used my skateboard across campus halls so I could get to English class quicker. I wasn't paying too much attention of my surroundings, then again, I expected the halls to be empty as fuck.

That's when I collided into Calum and found out about his terrible plan. I fell to the floor, cursing at Calum and when I picked up my skateboard, there was something that lied next to it— a gun. Papers were scattered all around me, and as Calum picked all of them up, I picked up the weapon.

He became angry, demanding I hand over the gun. Of course I wasn't going to. Then that little bitch started to have some kind of mental breakdown. It was crazy as fuck. It was like he was a whole different person. I asked him why he had a gun; what he was planning on using it for. He then pointed at me. He pointed at all the classrooms, at the lockers, and then with his finger, slashed his neck from one end to the other.

Calum was going to shoot up the school.

When I figured it out, I threatened him. I was about to throw my skateboard across the hall, grab his ass, and take him to the office. I was scared. This fucker hated me so much, that he was willing to take my life. But I had friends at this school, I had people I cared about and I was not going to let Calum hurt them. The bell rang, and suddenly, it was like Calum fell out of his rage. He realized he had gotten caught, and immediately dropped everything in his hands.

I hid the gun in my backpack, along with his manifesto, and hit list. I was number one on that list. If I wasn't running late, Calum's plan would've gone through, and I probably wouldn't be here writing all this down.'"

It was hard to process; difficult to understand, yet easy to comprehend. Gabe made Calum's life a nightmare and he wanted revenge. He was so disturbed and filled with pain that Calum himself felt the need to inflict that same pain on others. If Gabe was not there to thwart the plans of Calum, pain would certainly run deep in our coastal town of Arden Heights.

"We were able to lift only Gabriel's finger prints on these pages," Detective Ross clarified. "And after having an expert Graphologist study the journal entries to Gabriel's homework assignments, we are certain these are his."

"I know," I spoke at almost a whisper. I turned my head to look at my mother who was clutching onto that styrofoam cup as if it was the last piece of warmth on Earth. Tears fell from her dark eyes, blinking as the beads cascaded down her cheek.

With a deep breath, I grabbed my messenger bag off of the floor and plopped it on top of the table. I pulled out my binder, flipping it to the back. Behind a few unfinished assignments, inside of the plastic pocket, was Gabe's notebook I unearthed from the closet flooring. Retrieving the journal, I handed it over to Detective Ross, who gazed at the object with wonder.

"This belonged to my brother."

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Okay, so I know I said there's gonna be 50 chapters in SLAPSHOT buuut I reworked the ending a little & there will be 52 instead :)

How do you all feel about a Character Ask? If you all want one, then I'd be more than happy to host one after the last chapter of the story. Comment and let me know!