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School didn’t reopen immediately like it did before. Mrs. Rhodes’death was different,there was no blood, no wounds—nothing—she was just dead. But this? There was a bleeding corpse a short jog away from the school! It could be anyone that worked there, it could be someone she knew! It left Stacy restless.
But Allen? He was fine. He seemed unbothered. He clearly knew more than he let on.
She asked Jeremy about it one day, and he said, “He only looks fine. Even the most upbeat song he plays seems depressed.”
Closing his locker door, he sighed, “People are suspicious that he’s behind it, you know?”
“Why? What’s he got to do with it?”
“He knew Mrs. Rhodes and he knows where to find the drumsticks, of course they suspect him!”
“I mean he didn’t do it, so there wouldn’t be any evidence.”
“I know but…never mind.”
“What about Lucas?”
“He hasn’t touched his drumset in a while. He’s arranging to swap with his sister.”
“I see. Does anyone suspect him?”
“Suspect Lucas? No, he’s been too shaken up for us to suspect him. As for everyone else… Well, you have a higher chance of knowing than me.”
A few days later, Dr. McDonald was at the forefront of a new scandal. The rumors go that he has a son named ‘Eric’ who he doesn’t talk about. He talks about Allen and May, but never Eric. People suspect he disowned him for being a delinquent or something. Stacy would have asked Allen about it privately, if she wanted to speak to him.
Anna didn’t have that kind of tact though, that afternoon, stopped Allen in the hallway.
“Hey, Allen.”
“Yeah?”
“How’s Eric?”
Allen looked at her tiredly, “Eric’s upset. But otherwise fine.”
“Why would Eric be upset?”
“Ask Eric if you see him, I’m not going to tell you,” he said, walking off.
“Strange how he didn’t deny Eric’s existence, looks like there is more after all,” she said smirking.
Stacy sighed, “We don’t know what Eric looks like, how are we supposed to find him.”
“I’m sure he’ll talk with Allen at some point.”
“Yeah, over the phone.”
“Ugh, don’t be a killjoy, Stace! Live a little!”
But surprise surprise, the following week, they saw someone looking like Allen leave Dr. McDonald’s office. Maybe it was Eric? Anna would have ran up and started firing off question if Stacy hadn’t held her still.
“Let me go, Stacy!”
“I refuse to let you just—go up to him and harass him!”
By the time her grip had weakened he was long gone.
After a while, rumours about Eric had died down. It was time for another concert.
Everyone was nervous. What if they found another body? What if one of us dies? Those thoughts ran rampant amongst the minds of the student body. At the very least, Stacy supposed, she’ll finally get to hear Jeremy’s song.
And it was beautiful.
(Everyone sung his praises for a week.)
It was another week and everything was normal. The tension had finally dissipated, and the sound of laughter filled the halls again.
Stacy sat near Anna during lunch. While she eat a shadow fell over her. Who would it be if not Allen? His grin was wider than last time.
“Stacy, how are ya?”
“What.”
His smile thinned, “Sheesh, so harsh.”
Her scowl deepened, “Hurry and speak or go away.”
“The volleyball tryouts are next week. Should we expect you or…?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Cool,” he nodded as he slid back to his table.
One afternoon, Anna decided to ask Stacy about her and Allen.
“So what’s the deal with you and Allen? Girl I need details!”
Stacy scowls, “There’s nothing going on between us.”
“Nothing going on?!” she slams her hand on the table. “He calls you Stacy!”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“I don’t know, Eustacia, maybe he’d have called you van Dyke if you weren’t as close!”
“Don’t call me Eustacia! Look we’ve known each other for a long time alright.”
“Ah, so you do have some history after all!” Anna said triumphantly.
“We’ve been classmates throughout the year, last year and this are the only years we haven’t been in the same class. There are you satisfied?”
“I had to put pressure on you for this? I had to be an inconsiderate friend for those insignificant details?!”
“I told you there was nothing.”
The calm could only last so long however.
There was another murder.
Allen didn’t look well, he was pale and shaky and according to Jeremy, claimed everything was fine.
Stacy has thought he had everything together but here he was tearing at the seams. Although, his behaviour raised questions about what happened. Why was he so anxious about this murder?
(She later found out that he had known who the murder was all along.)
A few more days passed and he was back to normal. And then there was another. Another murder that is.
This time. Allen’s prints were on the knife.