Betrayal

It's been a week since we last met up at the drama room due to our recently concluded tests, we decided to meet up after lunch.

...Drama room...

I actually began to miss this place, I say to myself as I walk in to meet the others, a week felt more like two...

Okay, Amari's here, where did we stop, Liana started...oh yeah, we found out that our supposed killer is dead, she said with disappointment.

Our assumptions were wrong as usual, piper added in a sad tone...back to square one

Actually, I interrupt, we're not back to square one,infact it's starting to make more sense now. Remember Keanu....

Amari, hold on a sec, Sebastian spoke for the first time with an angry look in his eyes, before we continue, I need to mention what I learned just yesterday..he paused for a while..the police reached out to the school board yesterday, they received an anonymous note from someone in this school....the thing about this note is, the message wasn't clearly stated, instead it was written in codes, they believe it was sent by the killer and they're working on finding the writer as we speak.

Looking at the note, he continued, it was easy to identify the owner of the writing....a handwriting I would always recognize even at a far distance.... and that handwriting belongs to someone in this room

we stare at each other in confusion

whose is it? I spoke up

The police already identified....it belongs to a female

I turn to face the girls, standing side by side, opposite Sebastian and I, one of them clearly unmoved, the other staring back at Sebastian

Sebastian spoke up, this time with heated emotions..Piper, please tell me it's not you, tell me you're not the killer

what the...

Piper did nothing but stare blankly at him, hands in her skirt pocket

Piper! He repeated

I stare at her observing, she looked devoid of emotions, a hundred things racing through her mind but one fact stood out.

It's not her, I replied facing Sebastian, she wrote the note but she's not the killer

Really? he confirmed

Yeah, I replied

Oh thank God, he exclaimed, hands on his chest as he catches his breath, I don't know how I would've handled that.

Why did you send a note to the police, Liana asked with stern eyes

Because I know who the killer is, Piper finally replied

what! Sebastian exclaimed

that code contains the killer's identity, doesn't it, I ask

She nods affirmatively

So you knew who the killer was all along and you didn't deem it fit to tell us, instead you informed the police... aren't you the one who said we should keep our findings to ourselves until we have enough proof, Sebastian spoke angrily

I know but...

But what, he cut her off, why would you go behind our backs like that, do you know the danger you've put yourself in?, now the police are working on tracking your handwriting, believing it would lead them straight to the killer

It would, she retorted

Don't you get it!, his anger intensifies, they think the note was written by the killer! he shouted

I get it!, she shouted back, I know what I did okay, I'm not stupid

why'd you do it, I asked calmly, trying to reason with her

Because if I didn't, you guys would be accusing the wrong person again..I know you were about to say it's Kai because his brother killed himself, you'd think he took matters into his hands by eliminating squad six for revenge and I know it makes sense...but you'd be wrong, because he didn't!

And I only found out about the killer after we had seen Keanu's video, and because we didn't have time to meet up, courtesy of our tests, I couldn't tell anyone

You could've easily texted or done one of those video calls like Amari does, Sebastian insisted

I would've, but I did a rethink, why not hand it over to the police to handle it better, since we've never had luck on a suspect

But you just made yourself a suspect by sending that note, you know right? I ask

I know, they'll find me and will question me but I don't care,I'll tell them what I know, I have nothing to hide, I'm not the killer anyway, she replied

You did all this for him, to protect him, I stated hinting on Kai, you feel much more than a crush, don't you

I did it to ensure justice, she replied avoiding my question, Kai's innocent even if it's seems otherwise

Liana clears her throat...all I wanna know is, if Kai isn't the killer, who is?

And how did you find out? Sebastian added

..Amari, Piper began, do you remember when you offered to talk to Kai for me after you concluded that I had a crush?

I was kidding, but yeah, I remember.

and I replied by saying I only crush from afar, she continued, well that was a lie..

you guys must've noticed I always stay back in class for the first 15 minutes of break

Yeah, you keep saying you have notes to cover, Sebastian replied

I actually spend those 15 minutes talking to Kai

About what? I ask

anything, she replied, school, projects, school..

and he talks back?, I ask curiously

Listens, she replied, I do most of the talking, I made it a routine of spending 15 minutes of my break with him, since he rarely talks to anyone, I assumed he's terribly lonely especially after we found out about his brother's death.....it was that same day, we were having our usual talk, his phone was on his desk while I talked, suddenly his phone beeped, he opened his messages to check his notification and then his eyes went wide with fear, he quickly excused himself claiming he had to use the bathroom. Luckily for me and thanks to eagle vision, I was able to see the first part of the message

What did it say? Liana asked

"SQ6 done, you're welcome you coward, you couldn't even do it for him"...I didn't catch the rest of the text, just that part and it was sent by some guy named Mike, she replied

Did you you find out who that is? I asked

I went through the yearbook and found a familiar name, a senior named Michael Simmers and after some extra digging, I found out, he was Keanu's best friend, she said

So you summed up the rest,I assumed... Keanu kills himself, made a video, Kai deletes it only after showing mike who comes up with a revenge plan, Kai's too scared to run with it, so Mike does it himself and informs Kai after..

Pretty much, piper replied

And the code you sent to the police, what does it say, Liana asks

Sebastian swipes through his phone and shows us a picture, the note read;

77 73 67 72 65 69 76 32 83 73 77 77 69 82 83

'the words behind the code will lead to what you seek, to this clue dig deep'

ASCII code? Liana and I exclaim simultaneously, surprising each other

Yeah she replied; it spells out the name:

'Michael Simmers'....

I see, Sebastian says feeling betrayed

I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys before going ahead, but I still don't know the whole story, I just wanted the police to end this as soon as possible before we start accusing someone else again, piper said

What about us? Liana asks, we're gonna miss out on all the fun of catching the killer together, you were going to break this little group, she said with a fake sad face.. although she meant it

Awwn.. we love you too liana, I said mockingly

Speak for yourself, Sebastian said looking away, earning a stink eye from Liana and a chuckle from piper

and what exactly is he insinuating?...

I agree with Liana though,I added, we should go after the killer too...you know, just in case the cops don't catch him on time....

Piper smiles knowingly..

Fine, I guess we have another lead, Sebastian agreed, so where do we start?