Sever

by Jesse Grey

  In a quick manner, Bridge made his way over to Mrs. Llewellyn as Alex and Faith found seats next to their father. “Before whatever it is that we’re here for happens,” he began in a hushed whisper. “I think I should tell everyone about why my parents aren’t here.”

  Adelaide looked surprised, not that he could blame her. After all, she was the only one besides Willa that he had confided in about why his parents weren’t there tonight. It was going to have to come up sooner or later with everyone’s parents here. Might as well rip the band-aid off in front of everyone all at once.

  “You’re sure?”

  Bridge nodded sheepishly. “Can you tell everyone else while I tell them?”

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  Turning around, Bridge glanced at his friends. “Guys,” then he gestured toward the dining room off to the side. Bridge walked in, leaning on the dining table for sudden support as they quickly piled into the luxe dining room.

  “What’s going on?” Abram inquired.

  “Do you know what all of this is about?”

  Bridge shook his head at Alex. “No, I’m just as in the dark as you guys.” he sighed. He really didn’t want to do this, tell them such a heart heavy secret, but it had to happen. “I just wanted to tell you guys about why my parents aren’t here.” He gave himself a pause be-fore he decided to just get it over with. “They’re missing.”

  Horrified faces, as he expected, met his own.

  “What?” Mercer gasped.

  “What are you talking about?” Alex gawked.

  He sighed, preparing to tell the story he’d been dreading to de-pict.

  “It was a couple of months ago, during the summer. They went to visit some of our family in Europe, while I was at basketball camp. They were supposed to be in St. Petersburg for a week.” Bridge paused, choking back tears before he could continue. “They never called me back all the times I tried to get in touch with them. They never showed up at the airport.” Bridge swallowed his sobs. “I don’t even know if they’re alive.”

  “Wait, back up.” Mercer said with his hands up in confusion. “What about the relatives they were visiting? Didn’t they see what happened to them?”

  Shaking his head, Bridge scoffed. “My parents never showed up at their place.”

  “B,” Mercer sighed, his voice ladened with sadness.

  “I told Alex’s mom. She promised to keep it quiet. They’ve tried looking for them, but there’s no trail. No evidence. Nothing.” he took in a chilling breath, an attempt to cleanse his lungs of his heart-break. “The only person I told was Willa, and that was only a week ago.”

  “You’ve been sitting on this, going through this alone, all sum-mer?”

  Somberly, Bridge nodded. “It’s been rough. I feel so helpless.”

  “B, I’m sorry.” Mercer breathed heavily. “About everything. I shouldn’t have said I had to stay away from you.” he stopped, looking at Alex and Abram. “From all of you. I’ve been such an idiot. I think we need to stick together from now on.”

  Abram nodded. “Especially if Sumner really is back.”

  “I’m really sorry about all of this,” Alex cleared his throat. “But I’m not sure about this whole High School Musical, ‘All In This To-gether’ bit. I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

  “Do you really want to face Sumner alone if he ambushes you?” Abram said.

  Alex sighed. “Well obviously, I don’t.”

  “Then we need to be together, all together if we’re gonna survive this Sumner thing.” Mercer concluded.

  All too silent, Alex agreed, shaking his head positively. They all smiled at each other, sharing a brief group hug, only detaching when the loud blare of the doorbell rattled their spines. They joined the rest of the group in the living room while Mr. Llewellyn grabbed the door. As everyone rejoined their families, Bridge noticed a couple of nodding condolences from his friends’ parents, silently sending him their support.

  Adelaide was about to open her mouth, starting the explanation on why they were all there, but her husband cleared his throat as a tall, beautiful, blonde woman in a gorgeous vintage Chanel blazer and skirt appeared in the living room entryway, her face taut and her gestures stoic.

  “Athena,” Adelaide smiled. “I thought you had reconsidered when you didn’t arrive earlier.” She paused to ask Faith to grab two more chairs from the dining room. “Thank you for coming.”

  And right behind her was Kirby.

  "This is Athena Wheaton and her daughter Kirby.” Adelaide told everyone.

  The Wheatons gave everyone small blinding smiles as they took their seats.

  “Alright,” Adelaide said, readying herself between a couple of quick clean breaths. “I know everyone is wondering why we’ve brought you here.” She told the children. “We know it’s been a rough first week of school with the investigation, but we think it’s best if you all keep some distance from each other.”

  The shock hit the four friends like a building had just collapsed on them.

  “What?” Alex spoke first, rage aggressively woven against his tone. “We just told each other we’d stick together through this.”

  “We all, collectively, think it’s best if you all stay away from one another. Even Ms. Wheaton agrees with our decision.”

  Kirby’s mouth plummeted. “What? Mom, you can’t be serious.”

  “We just moved here, Kirby.” Athena scoffed, clearly done with her daughter’s resistance already. “I don’t want you mixed up in this investigation. We don’t need this after what we’ve been through.”

  Wincing a little bit at her mother’s comment, Kirby furthered her argument. “Mercer’s the only person I’ve met here in Armor Falls that hasn’t treated me like a freak,” she glanced at him, giving him a feeble smile, one he quickly returned. “It’s not fair.”

  “I think it’s perfectly fair considering the fact that your picture is now police evidence.”

  Kirby instinctively gave up as she sighed, knowing that to defy Athena Wheaton was to defy gravity.

  “You can’t do this,” Abram stood up, turning around to face his mother and father, rage taking over his usually handsome facade. “It’s a condition of my release to be surrounded by the support of my friends and family.”

  “Abram, you have your sister and now Ben.” November told him.

  “Ben is a glorified babysitter, Mom. He’s not my friend.”

  “Well, he’s going to have to be now.” Steven said sternly.

  “This is for everyone’s best interest,” Adelaide interfered, taking back the reigns of the conversation. “And it’s not forever, just until Sumner’s caught.”

  “Who knows when that’ll be.” Mercer scoffed.

  “Oh, and there’s a curfew. For all of you. Nowhere but school, before and after, pending any extracurriculars.”

  Every one of the teenagers’ mouths dropped.

  “You’re joking!” Willa shouted.

  “This is happening,” Adelaide nodded. “A new beginning for all of us.” She gave another weak smile, her best at trying to diffuse the tension. “Welcome to lockdown.”

  6

  STAKE OUT

  None of them dared to undermine their parents’ ruling over the weekend, respecting the keep-distance-from-all-your-friends stipulation they had so heavily handed them. But the following Monday, as the second week of school was set to begin, none of them knew if they could keep up the intense isolation.

  As the morning was barely alive with the chirping of songbirds and barely lit from the still rising sun, Mercer was driving his 2005 Jeep Wrangler, still surprised that his dads hadn’t revoked his driving privileges with the lockdown in effect, even though they were totally tracking his whereabouts through his mileage. He was driving to Westbrooke High, turning down a neighborhood as a shortcut when he passed Kirby walking along the side of the street.

  Concerned, Mercer decided, against all the lectures he had heard over breakfast, to pull ov
er just ahead of her. His dads didn’t need to know about his little detour in regards to the social fasting. Mercer got out of his Jeep as it idled quietly, surveying the desolate, dark and chilly street before he started walking toward her.

  “We’re not allowed to talk, remember?” she shouted as she kept strutting toward him in her heels and black capris, causing Mercer to shake his head when he noticed she only had on her leather jacket over her white t-shirt.

  “Aren’t you cold?” he laughed. “You shouldn’t be out here alone, Kirby.”

  “Ha!” she mocked him. “You’d never make it with New York’s weather. And please. I used to walk the streets of Manhattan by my-self at thirteen. I can surely handle walking down the street alone in a small town in New Hampshire.” She passed him at this point, though she was sure he was following her, judging by the loud footsteps clamoring after her. “I had to convince my mom that I was catching the bus before she’d leave this morning.”

  He shrugged. “I can give you a ride to school.”

  “No need, I’m fine.”

  “Kirby, Sumner saw you take that picture of him in the cemetery. It’s not safe.”

  Kirby screamed in anger, stopping her walk and turning around to face Mercer. “I’m so tired of hearing what is and isn’t safe. If Sumner is here in Armor Falls, then, from what Google could tell me, nothing’s going to stop him from getting what he wants.”

  “You’re probably right, but why risk it?”

  After a moment, Kirby just laughed, brushing off her earlier defi-ance when she took in his shabby grin, showcasing his surrender. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Meadows.”

  He chuckled. “So is that your way of saying yes?”

  “Once couldn’t hurt. And my mom doesn’t need to know.” She winked.

  They laughed together, making their way back to his Jeep. Mer-cer loved how easy it was to talk to Kirby. And it didn’t hurt that they were now safely in his Jeep on the way to school. There was something about being out in the open that made him afraid that Sumner would pop out from behind a tree at any second and pester his skin with shark-toothed lacerations.

  “So,” Mercer started as he swatted away his fears. “Where did your mom go that she’d agree to let you take the bus?”

  “Her job. In New York, she was managing a boutique. Fashion is her passion.”

  “Not much of that in Armor Falls.” he commented.

  “Right,” she agreed. “Since she wants to stay here, she plans to open her own store here in town eventually. In the meantime, though, she’s putting her nursing degree to good use.”

  “Oh? Where at? Westbrooke Nursing Home?”

  “No,” A quick glaze came over her eyes. “That’s something that’s been bothering me. Why are some things around here called stuff like Westbrooke High instead of Armor Falls High?”

  Mercer nodded, having had this asked to him before. “Calliope Westbrooke founded Armor Falls way back when. Some stuff is named after the actual town while some stuff is named after the per-son.” When Kirby tilted her head in understanding, he pressed his earlier issue. “So if your mom isn’t at Westbrooke Nursing Home, then where is she?”

  “Oh, she’s at Arclan.”

  Mercer almost jerked the stirring wheel and swerved his Jeep in-to the guard rail. “Did you say Arclan?”

  “I know, it’s weird giving the whole Sumner thing now. But she said it’s really good money.”

  Mercer dropped the subject and drove the rest of the way in si-lence, too encased by the thought of Athena Wheaton working at Arclan Asylum.

  As students enveloped the halls of Westbrooke High worrying about their classes, Faith’s mind was too preoccupied with the social lock-down her parents were inflicting upon her life to think about wheth-er she was going to drop French for creative writing. All weekend, she had waited on telling Straton. She wasn’t exactly sure how the lockdown and curfew was going to affect her relationship, something she was sure her parents hadn’t even thought about when all the par-ents had decided to restrict their children’s lives. Faith understood the reasoning, but that didn’t keep it from sucking any less.

  “Faith,” She craned her neck to see Willa approaching her. Willa put up a hand. “I know, we’re not supposed to be talking to one an-other, which I still think is stupid since we weren’t friends with the maniac, but whatever.”

  “No, it is really stupid.” Faith couldn’t help but concur. “It’s such a crappy situation. I don’t even know if I’ll get to see Straton.”

  Willa couldn’t argue with how badly everything felt currently. “Speaking of Straton, has Abram mentioned anything to you about him?”

  Faith’s brow furrowed curiously. “Why would he? He doesn’t even know Straton.”

  “You’re right, he doesn’t. But I do.” Willa paused. “Sort of.”

  Her eyes flared with interest. Before she could say anything, Wil-la pressed on.

  “I don’t want to stir up any drama, but Straton...I don’t think he’s being completely honest with you.”

  Folding her arms across her chest, Faith practically snarled. “About what?”

  “About Sumner,” Willa exhaled. “That night of the Heartmyth start of second semester party, I met Straton. Because Sumner is the one that tried to set us up.”

  Faith’s gaze fell to the floor. She couldn’t even see Willa standing in front of her anymore. Straton was friends with Sumner? How? Why would Straton keep something like that from her?

  “Faith, I—”

  She put a hand up, silencing Willa instantly.

  “I’m really sorry.”

  “No, no, it’s fine. I’m glad you told me.” Faith admitted.

  “I just thought you deserved to know.”

  “Actually,” A sly look appeared in Faith’s eyes, making Willa wonder if she was truly grateful or consumed with ravenous rage. With her lashes fluttering like little blood thirsty blades of grass, Faith said, “Can you do me a favor?”

  Much later, Bridge was totally breaking curfew. Not because he was meeting a boy or participating in any more murders. He just needed a damn night out. After finally telling everyone about his missing parents, Mrs. Llewellyn had stopped allowing him to stay in a nearby hotel by himself and had basically forced him into staying with the Llewellyn’s neighbor, who just so happened to be none other than Paige Honeycombe, the school’s new guidance counselor and Ben’s fiancé, whom he thankfully hadn’t seen since the lockdown.

  To say it was torture would have been putting it way too mildly. Paige was excruciatingly nice and watched his every move like a hawk, which Bridge would have bet his life was Adelaide’s idea. But all Bridge had to do was feign a migraine and claim he needed some rest and Paige had finally left him alone for the night. Then, he had fluffed the bed to make it appear like he was still there, snuck out of the window, and ran to the bus stop a few blocks away.

  And now, he found himself trying to sneak into Core, a hot gay club right on the border of Hanover and Armor Falls. But the bouncer was claiming that his ID was fake. Which it was, but that wasn’t stopping Bridge from fighting for its validity.

  “Dude, I swear to you, my ID is real. I’m a junior at Heartmyth.”

  “Beat it, rookie,” The broad, totally hunky guy with a shaved head told him, tossing the ID back at him. “This isn’t my first fake.”

  Bridge was about to argue some more, but he noticed a stylish girl coming up and not even bothering to get in line with the other people waiting to get in, groans spurring from the crowd behind Bridge.

  Faith gave the bouncer a small smile, too focused on her night’s mission to initially notice Bridge.

  “You know the rule,” The bouncer told her. “Ten minutes.”

  “Thanks, Stenchel.”

  Faith went to enter the club when her eyes fell on Bridge, a wicked grin settled on his face as he looked her over a few times. She looked floored to see someone else that was dealing with the lock-down out and breaking curfe
w. And out of all of them, Bridge was the least one she expected to meet out and about.

  “Bridge...what are you doing here?”

  He gave her a smug smirk. “Took the words right out of my mouth.”

  Panic coursing through her, Faith glanced at the ID hanging from Bridge’s fingers. She turned toward Stenchel the bouncer and grasped his shoulder.

  “Stenchel, he’s good. He’s my tutor from Heartmyth.”

  After a couple of stares between the two of them, Stenchel ges-tured toward the door, allowing Bridge and Faith to enter the techno thumping atmosphere of Core.

  “I can’t believe we’re both breaking curfew.” Faith shook her head, her emotions flooding with guilt.

  “Honestly, I’m surprised we all aren’t out after that prison ward of a weekend,” Bridge said as they made their way down the elongated hallway with over the top scarlet hued velvet walls. “Surely the heavy word of Adelaide Llewellyn hasn’t diminished since I last stopped by. So how’d you manage this grand escape?”

  Faith scoffed. “Willa, actually. She drove my car and parked it behind the library earlier, concocted a story about how our AP Bio teacher paired us up for a project and refused to re-pair us. From there, I was shocked at how cavalier Mom was being at allowing me and Willa to work at the library together.”

  “Let me guess. She agreed, if she drove you both there.”

  Nodding, Faith kept leading them down the hall. “How’d you bypass Paige?”

  “Luckily, she believed the migraine I faked. Plus, her windows are super easy to climb out of.” His smile faded. “I just needed a break from everything. Is that why you risked curfew?”

  Faith approached the curtains that blocked the hallway from the heart of Core. They both pushed past the dangling purple fabric, the noise of music and drunken hollering suddenly surrounding them.

  “Not at all,” she finally said. “I have to talk to Straton.”

  “Who the hell is Straton?”

  “This not talking thing is really getting old.” Faith said, spotting a shirtless Straton serving a tray of drinks to a table in the back of the club. “Straton is my boyfriend.” Faith gave Bridge an inquisitive glance. “I’ll find you later. We better head back soon. My mom is picking me up from the library in twenty minutes.”