It is as if my spirit left my body when it clicked in my mind that Mr Bavis might actually be the killer. “Nora, are you sure it could be this English Teacher of yours?" Detective Adams asks again, this brings me back to earth.

“Yes I am dead ass sure, he hurt Skyler she has all these marks around her neck" I pull out my phone remembering that I took photos of her neck. I lift up my phone to his face and his one eyebrow rises. This is the first time I have ever seen him express any sort of reaction.

“They do look similar to Ava's, but to be sure I need you to send me those pictures. ”

I nod my head and immediately send him the pictures, “so what now aren't you going to get him into the station.”

“It doesn't work like that I need to match these pictures with Ava's first from there I'll see what to do" he says.

There is a tsunami that is curving over me clearly about to devour me and everything around. I just stand there waiting for it, because there is nothing I can do, if I try to run I will not be faster than it. If I hide it will just find me. So I try to accept it. That is what I imagine my thoughts are like now, at dinner, in class, when I try to fall asleep even when I shower. My thoughts keep piling up and as they get bigger it gets difficult to maintain. I try my best with guided mediation and grounding methods to put my mind at ease. But it is a battle I am now losing. My anxiety has the upper hand with it's samurai sword coming for my beheading.

Even my pills can't seem to help me stop this tsunami from coming, I am going to break down. I know I will.

I think Mrs Morgan can see right through me even Mazin cause as we create Ava's mural he asks if I am okay. We decided that for Ava's mural a painting of Marigolds and Sunflowers would be amazing. After all Marigolds apparently represent power and strength that is according to Jake and the research he has done. I think we like to think that in her final moments she fought with great strength and power against her perpetrator *cough cough* I mean Mr Bavis.

And according to Mrs Morgan Sunflowers represent warmth and healing. But we focus on the warmth. Which is who I know Ava was. She was the morning sun that woke you up with it's loving radiance She was the warmth that comforted you during winter. It was in her gummy smile, her choice of words and even her delicate tone with a touch of assertiveness and humour. So this is perfect for her, as I clean the brushes Mazin walks over to me with his hands pushing back his locks that fall over eyes time and time again.

“Yes Mazin I am fine" I indignantly say.

“Woah Godzilla I was gonna ask if we still meeting up later for a little puff puff pass?"

“Yeah sure" I say.

“Okay see you later” then he walks away shoving his hands in his sweatpants pockets

The class begins to empty and all that is left  Mrs Morgan  Jake and I.

With nausea and clammy palms I turn over to him. “So how have you been?”

I mentally slap myself that is not the question I want to ask but my mouth and brain are not in sync.

“Fine and you” he says with his back away from me and his hoodie hiding him too.

“I've been good” a total fabrication I sigh look I know about you and Ava.

He turns slowly to face me and his eyes are wide almost reaching his hairline

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is I know you guys were dating."

“Okay.”

”So what was she like when she was with you, did you treat her well?”

”She was uh..” he takes a step back and places his hands over his face. His hands turn red and his shoulders jerk. Wait is he crying?

I run over to him quickly wiping my hands onto my jeans, I give him a hug. Maybe this is not the time to bring this up. Everyone is grieving in their own way and not everyone is ready to talk about Ava. After he has cried he silently leaves the room. He will talk when he is ready. This is not who Jake is, or maybe it is I have never been close to him. I know nothing of him other than that he is or was an asshole. I wonder what was going through his mind when Ava went missing? I remember during those moments he would pull pranks and annoy AJ and Ameria. Was humour how he copied? probably I also remember thinking that Ava would be found by now.

That hope I had went from being as high as mountain to as low as the deep ocean, my anxiety created so many what if's just like it always does. Did Jake hope she would be found? One day I will be able to ask him, who knows maybe it will bring us closer. ewww. Me getting close to Jake? ewww

When the sun finally sets and the moon finally makes it's grand entrance I sneak out the house. It's a quiet a walk to the park but I guess It is worth it. The rusted green gates of the park remain open, but I do not walk through them instead I walk to Mazin's car which is parked right in front of these gates. I open the door and I am welcomed by a string of smoke. “You started without me?”

“Sorry” he passes the joint to me I could not wait.

I understand I inhale and then exhale twice then pass back the joint to him.

It goes on like this until the joint finishes.“So now I can get you to talk about what is bothering you?”

I chuckle “that must be some form of manipulation or some psychology bullshit"

He laughs “just talk to me okay it is kinda weird having you be quiet the whole day”

“I can't tell you."

Mazin moves closer to me “come on" he whines.

“Okay okay but you can't tell anyone promise? Anyways I spoke to Detective Adams remember the  pictures of Skyler's marks?
They look like Ava's but he just wants to make sure before making any arrests. It's been bugging me for two days now. I can't even focus in English class. There is a killer who might to be our teacher”

“I don't blame you” Mazin reclines his seat back, it creeps me out too. But honestly what really happened, how did he you know... harm Skyler.

“Uh so like... okay before I go on remember not to tell anyone okay. So those extra classes he had with Skyler and Ameria, he made a sexual move. Like he dead ass tried fingering her.” And rightfully so she pushed him away. That is until he pulled out a whole ass chain from his drawer.

“Wait like those fence chains."

“No Skyler said it was a OI Roy choke chain, basically a smaller chain. Anyways so Skyler said she got up from her seat, by the way I forgot to add this but he sat super close to her. “Anyways going on soon as she saw the chain she ran to the door but didn't make it cause he tripped her. Then he pulled her by her hair."

“Damn” Mazin sits ups this time.

“Mhm crazy bastard so he then proceeds to take the chain from both ends and pulls it back to her throat and well you know chokes her.”

Silence fills the car. “I can only imagine her fear, He really needs to be in hand cuffs. When Skyler told me what happened you could clearly see the horror in her eyes. He traumatised her, took a piece of her soul. Now I wonder what it was like with Ava?”

He took her whole life, soul, body, future. Just everything, He is the definition of a monster.