"The police want to see you again? My goodness! Can't they leave a teenager in peace?" my gran complained fiddling with her cardigan. She was a small women who grew her gray hair out to her shoulders and dressed like an aged model. Somehow, even in her old age, she remained graceful. It's only when she had one of her 'episodes' when I remembered how old she really was.

"Tell me, what was your friend's name again?"

"Victoria Barely," I patiently answered. I knew she didn't forget on purpose or because she was a bad listener. It was just one of the symptoms of her condition that I feared was getting worse. The week before, when she was calling me to come help her with the groceries, she hesitated on my name. It was only a moment but I noticed it and it scared me. Soon, I would be the one taking care of her instead of the other way around. Not that it would be a chore but I'd hate to see my grandmother's memory fade. She was so intelligent, so wise. It would be a shame.

"Ah, that's right. The girl that was always smiling," she said with a chuckle "She was my favorite."

I stood there for a second before she hurried me off. "Take the car, Arielle. You'll get there faster."

I shook my head. "No, no. That's fine. I want to walk."

"But why? You hardly take the car out anymore and I only use it for my once a month reunions with my friends outside town. I feel bad about not using it," she said flipping through the pages of her book.

She was reading one of her favorite books: The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. It was a truly sad tale. Unlike the Disney version, the mermaid did not get a happy ending. In fact, she died. She didn't win the love of the prince and turned into sea foam.

My stomach did a little flip and I was very grateful that she wasn't looking at me because then she would know something was wrong. Fidgeting with my hair, I started to back away towards the front door.

"It's just I don't know what time I'll be back and you know what they say: you shouldn't drive after dark." I didn't wait for a response as I practically ran out of the house.

Did anyone even say that? I mean, that's why headlights were invented!

Oh Arielle. You're an idiot.

Gripping the strap of my cross body handbag tight, I hurried down the street in a chaotic rhythm.

Hardly anyone was outside and it was quiet aside from the white noise that resulted from small town life. There was the engine of a vehicle, the chatting of coworkers, the end of summer breeze surfing through the air. It was the perfect conditions for getting lost in old memories. Lost in ones I'd rather had forgot.

The town was a quiet one. Hardly anything happened and when something did it took an emotional toll on everyone but oddly enough, the town wasn't very expressive. There would be meetings at the town hall about new policies and everyone seemed overwhelming neutral about everything. It was like everyone had a caged heart. It felt emotions, sang and chirped, but not enough to evoke any great change or influence.

I fit in perfectly.

If I had a dime for every single word I wanted to say but didn't, I would be on the Eiffel Tower with Victoria. I would tell her about what I almost did that day on the beach while we drank wine and ate cheese or did whatever they did in Paris.

She would have killed me if she found out I tried to kill myself. I knew that didn't make sense but that was Tori for you.

Why didn't I go to her about how I felt?

The questions swam in my head throughout the day. What if that very day, I went to Victoria's house and spoke to her about how I felt? She wouldn't have been on the beach or I could have helped her fight off her murderer. She would probably still be alive and maybe I would feel better.

A very hopeful prediction but I knew it was unlikely. No conversation could mend my broken soul. I was weary and if it wasn't for Victoria's death, I would have tried to end it all again. The girls can't lose someone else. It would be selfish to them. Even if I believed they would be better off without me.

After all they had done to me, the least I could do was stay alive for a little while longer. At least, until my next chance arrived.

Against my will, my memories got the best of me.

"Is he still texting you? Boy needs to take a hint!" Helen said in her best sassy voice.

"Tell me about it," I replied, rolling my eyes.

Jacob was blowing up my phone 24/7. He went to my school and had never took a particular interest in me until I showed up at his friends party wearing a short tight dress Hannah lent me. I knew what all the text were getting at and it made me sick. I had told him to stop but like Helen said, he wasn't taking the hint.

Hannah belly flopped onto the bed beside me. "Is he cute? 'Cause if he is I'd be glad to take him off your hands." She winked and I pretend gagged. "I'll take that as a no."

"It's a definite no! Have you seen this dude? He's a total creep," Tori said shifting through her closet. Her lips curled back at the very mentioning of him.

She was looking for a dress to wear during her date with Pete. In fact, we were at her house to help her pick an outfit so I felt bad that we were discussing my boy problems instead of her dress problems.

"Ah, so the little perv won't leave you alone?" Hannah nodded beginning to understand. She opened her hand for my phone and I handed it over. She scrolled through the endless messages. "Yeah, you got to do something about this."

"You know," Norah began, looking up from her spot on the pink rugged floor,"boys are a 'show don't tell species'. If you show him that he should stop, he will."

We all gave her the look we always did, wondering how she knew this stuff. She lifted a shoulder, her glasses sliding down her nose. "My parents are psychologist. They teach me this stuff."

I missed the days she wore her oversized glasses. She thought they made her look nerdy so she stopped. I thought it made her look cute. I think she actually thought they were cute as well, she was just worried about everyone else's opinion. Of course, she didn't listen to my opinion. She listened to Hannah since she was the "Queen of Popularity" and 'knew best.'

"That sounds right. What do you say, Arielle?" Helen asked. She was holding two dresses from Tori's closet. A simple black one and a flashy low cut one.

Grasping the black one, I held it out to Tori. "I think you should go with this one. You're beautiful. You don't need to try so hard." I knew she wasn't asking about the dresses but I couldn't help but shift the attention.

Victoria smiled, her dimple showing. "Thanks. I needed that."

The sun was beaming but a shiver ran down my spine at the memory. It was innocent at the time but things just escalated from there. And if the police ever found out about what resulted from it . . . I'd be locked away for life.

My hands began to shake when I reached the police station. I had successfully psyched myself out. Hopefully the detectives weren't as observant as the ones in the movies and wouldn't pick up on my nervous vibes.

"Mrs.Winters?"

My head bobbed up at the sound of my last name. A young women in a blazer and skirt smiled at me from across the room. She had a few wrinkles but otherwise she was in great shape. In fact, she was kind if intimidating. She walked over and held out her hand for a handshake.

"Hello, I'm Detective Brookes. I'm head detective for Victoria Barely's case," she said firmly. Her blonde hair was cut sharply at the chin and shook with every movement.

"Nice to meet you." Although, I had been questioned by the police before it was really just statements for the officers. This, I realized, was a real interview. What were the goals of the detective? Did she have her mind made up about who did it already? Was she looking for me to say something that would prove her theory correct? They couldn't think I was guilty. I would never hurt Tori, let alone kill her.

Where are the other girls?

"You were a friend of Victoria's, weren't you?" she questioned once we were seated in the questioning room.

"Yes."

"How close were you two?"

Thinking about it made my eyes water. Victoria was one of the best friends I had ever had. She was always so positive and always there for me. Her smile made me smile.

"We were really close," I said. "Like sisters."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mrs.Winters. I know this must be hard. Now, I just want to get your side of the story. Can I ask what you were doing that day on the beach?"

This was a trouble question. This was the one thing that could lead the police's search for the murderer towards me. The fact I was there when they found Tori's body.

I should have worked out what to say before. What was I suppose to tell them? I was there to kill myself? Never.

"I was clearing my mind. I was on the top of the cliff on the northside watching the waves. I go there all the time." I felt confident in the answer.

Detective Brookes took some notes humming. "What were you clearing your mind about?"

I blinked. "Uh . . . Just about everything. You know with school starting up again I felt a little nervous."

The lie came out fast. I hated that I had learned to lie like that. Me and the girls had become good at it together.

"Understandable," she said. She dropped her pen and closed her notebook, folding her hands in front of her. "One last question. Your little group of friends, you know, Helen, Norah, and Hannah. Do you ever feel like there may be some tension between you all?"

The questions was loaded and I sensed there was a deeper curiosity behind it. I flipped the sea of fire of
on my scalp and shook my head. "No. Everything has been and is fine between us. I'd trust all of them with my life."

-----------------------------------------------

I kept my eyes on my fuzzy flats as I followed the officer down the corridor. He said he was taking me to my friends and some of the people Tori knew. Essentially, everyone who was just questioned. The detectives wanted to talk to us all together.

He opened the door, giving me a nod before I stepped in. The girls along with Pete, Zac, and a few familiar faces from the school sat in foldable chairs formed in a circle. When I entered all eyes were on me. Everyone looked just as confused and nervous. It was a relief.

"Arielle!" Helen rose from her seat and wrapped me in a hug. She pulled away meeting my eyes. "Are you alright? Did everything go okay?"

I nodded, giving a reassuring smile.

Hannah, unlike everyone else looked pissed. I didn't even need to ask. "Did you know that we had the right to remain silent? Norah just told me. I could have been at home watching Pretty Little Liars instead of getting integrated!"

"This is helping the police find who killed Tori. That's worth more than your precious Chick Flick time." Pete scratched his face. He looked tired. Like he had aged 10 years since I saw him this morning. He obviously felt worn down by this investigation but he had to be here because the worst part of Tori's death was not knowing what happened aside from the fact that she drowned.

Was she dragged to the beach? Was she already there? Did she struggle? Did she know what was happening? Was she scared? Did she call for us?

I gave him a pitying look.

"It's not a Chick Flick, it's a Mystery/ Drama. Get your genre's straight!" Hannah spat. When Hannah was in a mood, she was in a mood.

"Cool it," I warned, taking the empty seat between them.

Detective Brookes and a man entered the room, automatically silencing the small crowd of teens around me. They took out two foldable chairs and sat down at opposite sides of the circle. They didn't have any notes or pens. They simply folded their hands in front of them. It felt like I was about to receive counseling at an AA meeting.

"We have gathered you all here to discuss Victoria Barely's murder case. We want you all to know that we are doing our best to figure out who did this and bring justice for her. However, you need to know that we can only do that if we receive full cooperation from all of you." The blue eyed blonde paused to stare at us each. Then continued.

"Adults have the tendency to believe that teens can not help out with things like this but we believe that you all can help the most."

The man she came in with straightened, taking the attention. "I'm Detective Carson and I'm also working on this case. I can second what Detective Brookes has said. We also want you to know that we acknowledge mistakes happen."

My ears perked up at this and I could tell the rest of the group's demeanors had shifted too.

Norah tilted her head. She was on to something. She gave me a weird look. What was going on in that head of hers?

He went on. "The teenager years can be confusing. You can experience many amplified emotions such as fear, hurt, jealousy . . . the list goes on. We can understand why someone might have made a big mistake and-"

"And murder Tori?" Helen said raising an eyebrow.

"A teenager? You think a teenager killed Victoria? That seems unlikely." Zac spoke. It had been weeks since I heard his voice. I didn't realize how much I missed it. His dark hair falling over his left eye, his tanned skin, his welcoming attitude. I needed to make more time for him if I ever wanted to get out of the friend zone.

"You don't think a teen is capable of murder? Why not?" Detective Brooke asked.

"Don't answer that," Norah said finally speaking up. She twirled her dirty blonde to blonde ombre hair with a chuckle. "They're trying to bait us, trying to get us to confess to a crime we didn't commit. It's a classic detective strategy."

All eyes were on the detectives now. That's why I loved Norah.

"I'm pretty sure this counts as harassment!" a boy in the back shouted.

"I'm starting to think we should have lawyers present," another said.

"No, no." Detective Brookes put on an innocent face. "You have it all wrong. We just want to ask that you all tell us anything and everything you know, even if you think it's insignificant."

A girl with purple hair raised her hand. I recognized her from Tori's gym class. She was kind of strange but Tori liked her and her hair was unique color like mines so I was okay with her.

The Detectives pointed at her, urging her to go ahead.

"Um . . . I think Victoria might have been taking drugs."

Nevermind, I wasn't okay with her.

"Why do you say that?" Detective Carson looked like he was reaching for a notepad.

"Yeah, why do you say that?" Helen crossed her arms, glaring at the girl. She squirmed in her seat. Helen could make anyone squirm. She was beautiful even though she was a tad plump - in fact, I thought it made her more beautiful.

"Because one day she came to class acting weird. Like she was high."

Hannah rolled her eyes. "You mean the day after she got her wisdom teeth removed? She was still recovering from the anesthetics!"

The girl gulped. "Oh . . . My bad . . . I didn't know -"

"Of course, you didn't know," Hannah snapped. "You'll never know her like I did."

The girl flared her nostrils but remained silent.

I shook my head as the detectives sighed. "Well, you were sure quick to defend Victoria," they commented at Hannah.

"Of course. She was my best friend and deserves to be remembered as the girl she was. Not some druggie."

----------------------------------------------

"They totally think we did it," Norah said stomping out of the station. "They are obviously set on her killer being a teen she knew and who better to blame than us? Girls are thought to be the jealous type which was shown by the crown and note found with Tori. They are going to pin this on us."

"How? We didn't do it so how will they find evidence? I don't watch much Criminal Minds anymore but I know they need evidence," Helen added, struggling to keep up with Norah's anxious pace.

"I don't know but they'll find a way. They'll catch us in a lie or find something that doesn't add up when comparing our interviews. Most of us were on the beach that day, that counts for something. And my goodness, if they interview other students about us we are dead-!"

"Can you shut your mouth, Norah? I rather not hear all the ways I can be imprisoned for murder!" Hannah shouted. She gripped her head and sighed heavily.

"Sorry."

The girls began to clear out. Helen carpooled with Hannah and Norah took a car service. I was left walking the streets at night feeling like I was being watched. Like the detectives were decorating a jail cell just for me at that very moment.

But how could anyone think that we killed Tori?

We were like a pack of wolves. There was strength in our number. Why kill one of us off?

The beeping of a car horn startled me. I span around to see the window of a jeep rolled down. An arm was hanging out and when I squinted I made out Zac's face.

He waved. "Need a ride? You shouldn't walk alone after dark. Not after what happened to Vicotria Barely."

It was hard to refuse when he put it that way.

"Sure. Thanks." I climbed onto the passenger seat and buckled up, not sure what to say. We were getting close a while back, even a little flirty. But ever since Tori, I just hadn't did much socializing outside the girls. Not that I socialized with people other than them much anyways.

"How have you been holding up?" Zac asked while staring at the road ahead.

"Uh, okay, I guess. As good as I can be." Silence. "You?"

"I've been alright," Zac said. I realized at that moment that I wasn't sure how Zac knew Tori. I would have asked but it didn't feel right to do right then and there.

There was more silence and I thought I should bring up "us" but Zac beat me to the dialogue.

"Look, I think you and your friends need to be careful. I'm not sure if you guys are aware of this but it's not only the detectives that are starting to think you guys did it. This whole town is catching on to the theory."

"What?"

He stood quiet. The car came to a stop at a red light and he took the moment to look into my eyes. "But I know you didn't."

I bowed my head, breaking away from his gaze. "Thank you."

When I got home, I fell into my bed feeling like a giant weight was being tossed onto me and slowly crushing me. This whole town thought I was capable of murder. I groaned, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

If only they knew they weren't that far off.

One thing was apparent to me. I needed to find a way to prove neither me or my friends murdered Victoria. That would only bring the police further from finding who really did it. I could never bare that. Victoria deserved justice.

I would figure out away to put the investigation back on track, even if that meant finding who murdered Tori myself.

Author's Note - Thanks for reading! What are your thoughts?
Vote and comment! :)