Danica

Friday, July 26th, 1:30pm.

"Where's he going?" I wonder aloud.

Across the parlor, Eli suddenly turns to walk away from us as he quickly disappears among the other patrons for the funeral.

"I don't know," Paxon says in a low voice from where he stands next to me.

"He looks a bit scared," I mutter as I turn to look Paxon in the eye.

Something flickers across his face but he buries it before I can fully dissect it. Olivia looks away from me then as she refuses to look me in the eye. Unease instantly poisons me as I feel myself go rigid.

"Tell me."

"Not here," Paxon murmurs.

Olivia's grip on his arm tightens as she lowers her head to rest it on his shoulder. Something twists in my stomach as I watch the motion and wonder what's bothering her.

She lets go suddenly and Paxon starts to walk for the far side of the parlor where there's a door. I follow him as he opens it to an alley and we step out into the late summer heat. I squint against the glare of the sun as dry, dusty air is blown in our faces.

"Eli...he admitted that he was the one who recorded those videos of Olivia, Derrick had him hide in the closet in the bedroom and he used his phone."

I stop breathing as I can only stare at him. He merely watches me, his eyes burning with an anger that I fear for a moment.

"Paxon, please tell me you're joking," I rasp.

"I'm not Dani, he's the one who recorded the video and sent it to Derrick."

The memories from the graduation party threaten to overwhelm me as I breathe through them. I lean my back against the wall for support as I put a hand to my face. I want so badly for it to not be real as my hands begin to shake.

"Dani-."

"I'm okay," I whisper. "Just...does he know anything-?"

"No, he passed out in the closet after he was finished recording," Paxon mutters.

"So he knows nothing about what happened afterwards," I say and he nods.

The dress I'm wearing is unbearably hot as it sticks to my skin and I swallow several times as the lump in my throat threatens to choke me. I want to walk in and grab Eli by the back of the neck and drag him out here. But it won't accomplish anything, Olivia's reputation has already been ruined. Everything else that happened that night will not cease to exist.

"Danica, we don't have to go back in there," he suggests and I shake my head.

"No, let's just get this over with," I mutter as I open the door and head back inside.

****

An hour later, the funeral has begun to wrap up, the heap of flowers on top of Derrick's casket being removed as the pallbearers step in to prepare his casket. It's eerie to see Derrick lying in the casket, as I couldn't bring myself to approach it. Seeing his side profile is enough, his eyes closed as he almost looks like he's sleeping.

"I just wanted to say something," a voice interrupts.

I glance up at the podium at the front of the room to see that Mila is standing behind it. Tears are filling her already bloodshot eyes as she takes a shaky breath. Her eyes find mine among the seated people and I force myself to not look away.

"Derrick, I promise you, I'm going to find your killer," she rasps.

For a moment, I can almost believe that she thinks it was me who did it, since her eyes won't leave mine. A silence has settled over the crowd as the moment is broken and she nods to the pallbearers, one of them being Derrick's father.  Mr. Morgan looks utterly exhausted as he lifts his head to look at her from where he stands next to the casket. Purple bags have darkened his eye sockets, making him look gaunt as he shares a brief, sad smile with Mila. 

"I love you, Derrick," she says in a low voice.

The other pallbearers close his casket then, at last locking Derrick away forever.

****

Past: May 17th

Blood weeps from the blisters that coat my palms.

I toss the shovel out of the hole before I climb after it as my hands sting and ache in time with my heartbeat.

Paxon sits nearby with Olivia in his lap, his gaze fixed elsewhere.

I want to throw up.

Saliva pools in the back of my throat as I resist the urge to gag and my stomach twists and cramps painfully.

"It's not deep enough," Derrick says, his voice taking on a sing-song tone as I shiver.

I look up to see that he's standing nearby, his hands in his pockets as he smiles at me.

"Gotta make sure she's not going to be found," he chides, like he's talking about something completely normal.

I swallow a bitter reply as Paxon suddenly sets Olivia down gently.

"I'll help."