The Night Orchid

by M. G. Hernandez

  “Guns blazing in a getaway car?”

  “Fuck yeah.”

  I grin. Today is a do-over. But this time I have one of my partners in crime with me. When she nears me, I place my arms around her and give her a quick squeeze.

  “Did you just give me an awkward hug?”

  I laugh as I separate myself from her. “Thanks for calling me out. Ass.”

  She squeezes me and giggles. “Let’s go!”

  Dee shares a hilarious moment with her father this morning, and I chuckle as we stroll. Finally, we reach the locker bay and she switches topics while we tend to our respective lockers. “Do you have any updates on your parents’ investigation?”

  “My mom has been talking to her lawyer since yesterday.”

  “That’s good. What did they talk about?”

  I bite my lip. I had not been paying attention because I’ve been daydreaming about Julian. “It’s kinda hard to say, but we’ll know later tonight.”

  She nods and thankfully accepts this vague explanation for now. I turn to my lock and spin the knob. When the door opens, I notice a white box sitting on top of my books. I furrow my brows and grab it. My eyes widen when I realize it’s an iPhone. I see a note attached, and I tear it off from the package. It reads, “I have a feeling yesterday’s drama preoccupied your parents and at this rate, they’re never getting you a replacement phone. A selfish part of me just want to make sure I can get a hold of you and you can get a hold of me. So… surprise.”

  My eyes crinkle as I smile, and I place Julian’s gift over my heart. To say that I’m touched is an understatement.

  Dee peeks from behind my locker door. “You’ve been quiet for a while. Everything ok?”

  I face her and show her Julian’s surprise. She tilts her head and coos. “Aw. That’s so sweet.” Then she furrows her brows. “How did he get that gift in your locker, though? Did you give him your combination code?”

  I blush and focus my attention on putting my books in my backpack. “So, uh, this stays between us. But, uh, he knew that any password I made would be… uh, Justin Bieber’s birthday.”

  Dee’s face goes blank. Then she tilts her head back as she erupts in laughter. “Girl, you’re a belieber?”

  I scowl at her and give her a middle finger. “Shut up, Dee!”

  She wipes a tear as she continues to chuckle. “Damn, that shit’s funny. I’m sorry, sweetie, it’s just so unexpected.” Then she composes herself and straightens her jumpsuit. With a gleam in her eye, she sidles next to me, and I get nervous. “So, you tapped that ass, yet? Or vice versa?”

  “Dee!”

  “Oh, c’mon, Jo. Look at him,” she said. “And I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That boy wants to devour you.”

  “There’s been no tapping anyone’s asses, ok?”

  “So, you guys reached a few bases, then?”

  I sigh. “I’m not gonna answer that.”

  She gasps. “Don’t tell me you’ve hit third base.”

  “What? No! We’ve just kept it from the neck up. Relax.”

  “That’s cool. Lingering kisses or tongue?”

  “Both,” I said too quickly.

  “Oh… shit!” she exclaims. “Bet you he enjoys sucking that pretty little neck of yours. I’m surprised he hasn’t left a mark, yet.”

  My face reddens.

  “He does!” she laughs, gleefully. “You are so gonna lose your virginity by the end of this year. Trust. I’m so excited for you!”

  “Dee, don’t be crass!” I yell at her while slapping her arm.

  “That boy is a man, ok? He’s sex on legs with his smooth tan skin and delicious six pack. Once he takes his shirt off when it gets hot and heavy, you won’t be able to resist. You’ll be saying yes and spreading your legs.”

  “Oh, my god. You’re so fired right now.”

  “This weekend, we’re having the talk. We need to prepare you, plus, I’ll give you some bonus tips.”

  “How generous of you.”

  “And let’s get that ching-ching waxed.”

  “Dee, for the last time!”

  “Ok, I’m not even gonna ask.” Julian’s voice booms behind me. My face heats as I look at my friend, horrified. Did he just hear her talk about my privates getting waxed? But she giggles, enjoying my humiliation. I’m going to kill her.

  “Ian, you dog!” She winks.

  “Dee, shut up!” I said. “I’m about ready to drop kick you.”

  “Ok, no one’s gonna drop kick anybody,” said Julian. He takes my hand and pulls me. “Dee, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna steal your assailant, so I can walk her to class.”

  Dee grins from ear to ear. “Take her, hon. I’ll see you guys later. And Jo, I’ll make that appointment for you.” She winks at me. I glower and give her the middle finger. She gives me a belly laugh, not threatened at all.

  Meanwhile, Julian leads me away from the crowded hall. I notice that he’s walking too fast, and I furrow my brows. “Jules, slow down. You’re not taking me to class, are you?”

  He nods to acknowledge me, but he doesn’t stop until we turn the corner and we’re in a deserted area. “I had to speak to you in private because I have to tell you something.”

  “Ok, but before you do.” I lunge for him and give him a hug. “Jules, I can’t believe you did that. That was the sweetest shit. Thank you.”

  He chuckles as he strokes my back. “I’d do anything for you, you know that—especially sweet shit.”

  We laugh at our stupidity. He continues. “I set up your phone with a data plan already and everything, so it’s ready for you to use.”

  “Jules, I’ll pay you back and handle the monthly bills. I can afford it. I just can’t open accounts because I’m still a minor. So, I really appreciate this.”

  “I got you,” he said. “And you don’t have to pay me back. It’s my early birthday present.”

  I lean forward and kiss him. “Thank you. This means a lot.”

  He caresses my cheek and bites his lip. But then I remember the reason he led me into this deserted hallway. “Ok, shoot. You had news for me.”

  He nods as he darts his eyes and place his hands in his pockets. “My dad told me something this morning.”

  I look at him, unblinking, as I wait for him to give me the punchline.

  “They found the body, Jo. Two days ago, but they kept it quiet until they confirmed her identity. Well, they established it’s Alexa yesterday.”

  My heart drops. It’s been three days since we trekked to Mission Forest. A lot has happened since then. Though I never doubted that I was right, this news completely confirms it and it made it even more real. “So, what’s next?”

  “Well, the reason my dad told me was to warn me that sometime today, he’s going to make the official public announcement. He wanted to check if I’m going to be ok. He has forewarned the school, so the counselors are ready for the students once it goes live on TV. In the meantime, we can’t say anything until the official news breaks out. This needs to be handled appropriately.”

  I clasp Julian’s hand tighter. Alexa’s death is going to be confirmed today, and that feels heavy. “What about Brandon?”

  His eyes cloud as he nods.”We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. We just gotta be there for him.”

  As if on cue, the bell rings. Julian takes my hand and walks me over to my first period classroom. When we rejoin the crowded hallway, everyone’s heads turn. They look at us, mostly in shock, but others with mere curiosity. I’m sure we make a funny pair—the king of upperclassmen draping his arm around a nobody whose only claim to fame is being outed as a schizophrenic. But Julian doesn’t pay them attention and continues to talk to me as if it’s any school day.

  Except that something ominous looms in the air. It will haunt us when Julian’s father drops it this afternoon. I clutch my binder tighter against my chest as I brace myself for the onslaught of shock and emotions waiting to erupt. Today is definitely not going to be easier t
han yesterday.

  Chapter 55

  Julian

  “It is with great sadness that we share the news on behalf of the Ocampo family that Alexa Ocampo’s body has been found and confirmed…”

  Jo, Brandon and I were having lunch in the student lounge until the breaking news interrupted regular programming. We watch my father on TV make the announcement about Lexie’s death, our mouths gaping open. I hear gasps in the room and a few have sobbed. Suddenly, I see Brandon get up from the couch and bolt out the door.

  “Bro!” I cried. But he’s gone.

  Jo and I get up from our seats and run after him. He’s running fast, and it looks like he’s heading towards the baseball field. We follow him to the dugout.

  When we reach him, he’s inside pacing almost maniacally. We stay on top of the steps, giving him space as the news of her death shocks him and leaves him in the momentary brink of madness.

  “Fuck!” he cried. Then, he kicks the bench and throws his backpack across the dugout. I tell Jo to stay where she is for safety and I run down to meet him.

  “Stay away from me, bro, or I might hurt you!” He cried.

  “I don’t care.” But I stand a few feet from him. I don’t attempt to control his anger, but I want to be around him in case he hurts himself.

  He sees a trash can and throws that, too. “Just leave me the fuck alone. You can’t help me. She’s dead. She’s fucking dead!”

  He turns around and punches the wall. Then, suddenly, he hunches over, covers his face and starts sobbing. I walk over to him. His shoulders shake, and I place my hand on him. “I’m sorry, bro.”

  He doesn’t shake my hand away, and I kneel. I wrap my arms around him and support the weight of his body as he sags into me. I hold on to him as he sobs and grieves for his beloved, and we stay like this for the next hour.

  ***

  Dee places her hands in the pockets of her windbreaker jacket. She grimaces from the gust of wind that blew in our direction. It’s five o’clock in the afternoon and we’re standing behind the bleachers. We had planned on meeting up after swim practice to discuss Lexie. Jo is not with us because she had to go home after her shift. Now that her parents are home, she no longer has the freedom to stay longer than necessary. But we planned on meeting each other at eleven tonight to update her.

  “How long does the pathologist take to complete the autopsy report?” Dee asks.

  “They usually take two to four hours to perform and they can release preliminary reports in 24 hours.”

  “So, we should have the results then. It’s been over 24 hours since they recovered her body.”

  I shake my head. “The eventual results of a toxicology report may take four to six weeks or longer.”

  “Why?”

  “Many factors come into play like the need for confirmatory testing and the complexity and the number of specific tests required. Dad told me that there’s been complaints about the testing labs being short-staffed and facing high caseloads.”

  She slumps and bites her nails. “Damn, six weeks is a long time. In the meantime, the killer is out there.”

  “Dee, an autopsy report doesn’t guarantee that it will lead to the victim’s killer.”

  She leans her body on the bleacher. “I know, but there’s also a chance that it can—through trace evidence like hair, fibers, dirt or traces of skin on her fingernails. She’s a body of clues right now, and I’d like to maintain some hope that the autopsy can answer some things.”

  I nudge her. “Ok, detective. Where did you learn all of that stuff?”

  She laughs and winks. “My mom and I binge watch Cold Case Files.”

  I chuckle, but after a beat, I slump my shoulders as I remind her not to keep her hopes up. “I don’t want you to be disappointed, if it doesn’t, though, Dee.”

  “Don’t worry about that.” She shakes her head. Then after blowing on her hands to warm them, she shared what she learned from her cousin. “So, according to Detective Brower, Alexa’s body had suffered a rib fracture and closed head injuries from multiple hard blows to the head.”

  I grimace. Though, I’m aware of her violent death, it’s still jarring to hear the gritty details. It’s hard to listen, knowing my friend suffered like this. “And the cause of death is strangulation, right?”

  She looks at me, surprised. “How did you know that?”

  I bite my lip. I’m not supposed to know that. “Let’s just say, I overheard some things.”

  She nods in understanding. “Right. You are the chief’s son after all.”

  “Uh… yup,” I reply, relieved that she just assumed that I learned it through my connection with dad.

  She takes out her phone and reads her cousin’s text. “According to here, there were supposedly bruises and fingernail impressions on the neck that show manual strangulation.” She stops and looks up at me. “That confirms your statement, Ian.” Dee pauses again, and I see her lip quiver.

  I reach out to her and pull her into a hug. She buries her head on my jacket and sobs. “I know,” I said. “This is fucked up.”

  She nods. “I hate that she died like this.” But after a few seconds, she composes herself and separates from me. She looks at her watch. “Thanks, Ian for letting me shed some waterworks. I gotta go. Sorry. It’s getting late.”

  I nod. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  ***

  I tug on the strings of my hoodie to give my hands something to do. I just returned from Brandon’s house twenty minutes ago and as soon as I got home, I took a quick shower and got ready to see Jo. I’ve been standing in front of our fence since 11, and now, I’m getting impatient because it’s already 11:30 and there’s still no sign of her. I have glued my eyes to the fence, waiting for those three wooden planks to swing my way and reveal my girlfriend. I miss her, and I’m itching to see her. Damn, I’m so whipped.

  I check my phone. She hasn’t returned my text, and she hasn’t read it, either. I back away from the fence and glance up to her window. The light is on. What the hell is she doing?

  Suddenly, the distant sound of an ambulance reaches my ear. I take my phone again and dial her number. Screw text. I’m calling her. The phone keeps ringing until it reaches voicemail. I bite my lip. Is she ignoring me?

  Then the siren draws nearer, and I peer outside to the yard. The ambulance light heads to our neighborhood’s direction and dread pools in the pit of my stomach. I break into a run. I open the gate and step onto our lawn just when the ambulance passes me. It stops where I hoped it wouldn’t. I cry out as it realized my fear. The ambulance parked right in front of Jo’s house.

  Chapter 56

  An hour earlier…

  Josephine

  Scrolling through the local news on the internet with my vape hanging from my mouth, I look for the one that discusses today’s tragedy. Finally, I see Alexa’s story, and I stop. I pause and remove my vape and blow out the smoke into my Sploofy. The article recounts the events leading up to her disappearance and where they found her body, but it doesn’t touch upon the cause of death. It has interviews with her family and friends who educated us on her well-lived life and her legacy.